all time low | jasper

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

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October 24, 2025
@jasper

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There was much on the young werewolf's mind as he walked down the quiet and familiar streets of Hogsmeade, it was Friday so there was a slight hustle and bustle of people ready to enjoy the start of their weekends. Rhys' schedule was inconsistent and with much less traveling done he was feeling more restless than usual. So, with that he decided to wander to another usual place--The Hog's Head. Since Rhys had befriended some Professors and was already friends with a few more he found himself in the village more often than not, though often he preferred to be close to home depending how he was feeling that night and who his company was. The next full moon wasn't for almost two weeks so his restlessness couldn't have been from that but he hadn't been able to quite put his finger on it and instead decided to pass the time with a most familiar hobby, drinking. He glanced around him casually, a habit from the various places he had visited over the years to be aware of one's surroundings. He entered the pub and walked up to the bar, opting to begin with a pint tonight rather than his usual whiskey and as he glanced around he saw a familiar face though he hadn't spotted Rhys yet.

Rhys, walked over to where Jasper sat and was almost surprised to see him here if only because it was nearly midnight by this point. Rhys never slept well and this past year it seemed to have gotten worse. "This seat taken?" Rhys asked rhetorically as he sat down across from the man who he'd been acquainted with during his time at Hogwarts but never closely as he had a few years on him but they had both worked as Cursebreakers and whenever Rhys had been in Italy he'd found himself working alongside him. Unfortunately, as it came to happen more often than he cared to admit in his field Jasper had been injured and pushed out of the profession just as Renfri had. While Rhys had been lucky thus far to remain free of any accidents of that severity he'd certainly had his own close calls and though he'd never admit it--it had frightened him.

"How's the school been?" Rhys couldn't imagine being back at Hogwarts as not a student, it had been strange enough when he had stopped by when Elias had been competing and even then he mostly spent time with his siblings in the village versus the grounds. It seemed to have become sort of a meeting ground for ex-Cursebreakers as well, so he couldn't completely count the idea out. Rhys took a drink of his ale, setting it back down on the table.

[Deleted]

Being a professor at Hogwarts had it's pros and cons. And much less rules. True, he couldn't asperate around, but he could prowl the halls at night. And he could go to Hogsmeade whenever he felt like it. Walking the familiar path from the school to the wizarding town felt nostalgic to Jasper. He thought of those times just waiting for the time they were allowed to go. Now, he could go whenever he wanted. He hadn't visited the town too many times since he started the job, mostly because he took the time to catch his groove. He had had to make up lesson plans, and meat and memorize names of all his students. Making a good impression was important. Then he had papers to grade and his class room to keep in order. It definitely felt good to get out of the castle. He had visited Zombie Island and walked around the grounds, but that was different. He a sense, he was still working then. Though he could relax, if he was needed, he would have to spring into action.

Making it down to the small village Jasper moved through the slight foot traffic as he slowly made his way around. It being Friday night, and the one right before Halloween, made his way to the Hogs Head, knowing that the crowd there was much different from that of the Three Broomsticks. Like most Curse Breakers, he made a habit of always being aware of his surroundings. He had definitely relaxed cine waking up from his coma and joining the staff at Hogwarts. He still wished he could continue being a Curse Breaker, but that was no possible. He settled himself down at a booth in the pub with his drink and closed his eyes. Taking the moment to breath and relax. No one was going to jump up to him and ask him a question about charms or their potential future career. Nothing was on fire, metaphorically or physically. There were no ghosts or poltergeists causing problems. Jasper exhaled and opened his eyes, taking his drink to his lips. He wasn't one to pay too much attention to the time. He didn't get much sleep as of late. He blamed the accident. Something had happened, and now he had to live with the consequences of it.

"This seat taken?" He hard a voice state. The man looked up to see Rhys Greyback making himself comfortable across the table from him. Wasn't this the month of reunions. Jasper motioned for the man to sit, though it didn't matter either way.

The two of them were in the same house back in the day, though there were years difference in the ages of both men. But they worked with each other well enough as Curse breakers. Jasper mainly focused on jobs in Italy and Greece, only going back to London when absolutely necessary. He lived in Italy and refused to return "home" if at all possible. There was plenty that he wanted to avoid. Accidents happened, it was literally part of the job. Every curse breaker got hurt, and if it was bad enough, you were no longer allowed to work. That was what had happened. It was a forced retirement. Perhaps it was for the best, but either way, he just had to take the time and adjust to his new life.

"How's the school been?" Jasper chuckled, setting down his drink. "I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't weird when I first started. But it's good. Finally getting the hang of things." At least he felt that way. It definitely helped to have a number of former curse beakers working there now. He already knew them. It helped the transition go smoothly. "How's it going being a curse breaker still?" Honestly, he missed it. It was a way for him to escape when he started, but it had become his life for eleven years.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

---

October 24, 2025
@jasper

---

Rhys had always had a fascination with history, his home town had a museum that always felt like a safe and comfortable place for Rhys. And when he hadn't been reading at the orphanage he could be there walking its old halls and reading and re-reading information on these artifacts that had been brought there. Curse breaking had seemed the natural fit for his curiously and intellect but his desire for appearances had left him wanting for something with a bit more...grandeur in the sense of reputation. This job had always been the alternate and while even a decade later he held on to that rejection he could say he did enjoy his career and the adventures. Besides, he figured this job and its various bonuses depending on what part of the world you were in made it all worth it as well. The risk was high but the reward was even higher.

Jasper motioned for him to sit although he was already on his way there. So many years had passed since Rhys was that small boy with a serious face and mop of curly hair on top of his head and he did remember Jasper back then as an upperclassman, but the age gap usually kept students befriending those around their own age. Rhys found over the years that people showed who they really were when they were outside the halls of Hogwarts and even farther away from expectations of them, and it was a positive note since he'd made many friends over these past nine years. "Setting in well though?" From his own outside perspective transitioning from such a fast-paced career to a different pace such as teaching was probably not easy. Even just being stuck in the isles during the quarantine had left Rhys rather stir-crazy and even with the horrible events earlier this year he did crave the rush.

Rhys drank more of his ale, pausing before answering. "Well the quarantine had me here longer than usual for most of the year." He responded, it had been good so he could see his family but interesting in other ways. Still, Rhys figured that anyone that hadn't willingly retired from Curse Breaking would miss it in some capacity. After his two friends had gotten injured this past year he'd thought about how he himself might react. It had become an integral part of his identity, what was if he didn't have this? "Otherwise not quite the same." Rhys didn't mean to sound ungrateful but it was the truth. Just as with any career the people helped as much as what you did for the work. "Kids aren't giving you too much trouble, I hope." Rhys himself had never been a purposeful troublemaker though he'd had enough detention for a life time. Fortunately, his younger siblings still at school faired better.

[Deleted]

One thing that Jasper learned when he joined the curse breaking career, and meat others, was that everyone did it for different reasons. They all did the same job, with the same goal. But the reasons was what differed one from another. Jasper joined to get away, while others wanted fame, and some just wanted the adventure plain and simple. Jasper grew to love his job, never wanting too much out of it. When it came down to it though, reasons really didn't matter. Especially when you were in the middle of a dangerous area trying to break a cures.

When Jasper was a student, he actually didn't think he would be a Curse Breaker. He had it all, he had friends, a girl friend, he was one of the top students in his year, and he held the title of Head Boy and Prefect respectively. Honestly, he had done really well at school, but his parents didn't seem to think that was enough. Their elitist attitudes lead them to dislike his choices, and were a big reason why he had to get out. And out he got. He joined the Gringotts workforce and was off. Soon he found his home in Italy, and focused most of his work in that country, along with Greece. "Setting in well though?" them man across form him clarified and Jasper nodded "That I am." In all honesty, aside from the potential of a student coming to him with a problem, he had found that the job was much slower passed, and relaxing. The change wasn't easy to get used to. And there were many times where he found himself longing for the old days.

There was a paus after Jasper asked the man about himself, for him to take a drink. That was fine, and Jasper did the same. From what he had heard about it, Quarantine must have been hard for those curse breakers who found themselves in the isles when it went into effect. Luckily, Jasper had been out of the country when it happened. Unluckily, he was in a coma during that time.

"Kids aren't giving you too much trouble, I hope." The conversation moved back to Hogwarts, which was something they both understood. "There are some definite trouble makers in the group. And some that I wish would actually try" He gave a chuckle, "But what can you do" he gave a shrug and a crooked smile.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

---

October 24, 2025
@jasper

---

Jasper appeared well and he said he had been settling into his new role. Rhys knew that he had stayed away from England for many years and the times he had been in Italy or Greece for work he'd been to Jasper's residence and thought about settling elsewhere himself. Truthfully, he probably would have if he was still the the sold child of a tainted lineage with no ties necessarily to the Isles but when he did come home he did feel a sense of being grounded when he saw them. Rhys was familiar with the Yaxley name though he hadn't really asked questions or pried, his own experiences had taught him to be a bit more careful of asking questions. Even the nature of Jasper retiring from this line of work he had been curious about but again he hadn't pried. Honestly, Rhys thought about if he was forced out of this job and what questions he didn't want in that case.

"There always will be." Rhys commented. He'd never wanted to stand out or cause issues but he avoided detention as best he could though as a teenager the Slytherin had always found trouble with his temper and sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Flying under the radar hadn't seemed like an option, and it reminded him of a time back in his fourth year, if he remembered correctly. "I think you gave me detention a time or two, I always seemed to have incredible timing getting caught about to start a fight." While his siblings had told him of other werewolves at the school when he had been a student it was still a kind of a mark on a person. Even now it wasn't completely normalized and that along with his name had just made him a target at times.

"How are you doing, though?" The job could be stressful and Jasper wasn't the first Curse Breaker than he knew that had been unceremoniously pushed into retirement. It could be a tough transition and Rhys had felt as if he had been losing his mind just working locally let alone knowing he wouldn't work again. He'd always felt that there was true friendship in this field or at least there could be, you walked into something so unknown such as a recently unearthed tomb not knowing what curses and traps lay there and you wanted someone you could trust to have your back. A lot of them worked solitarily and Rhys did enjoy doing that, though he knew when he needed backup most of the time.

[Deleted]

Jasper's upbringing was one that he wouldn't wish to repeat - If he ever ended up having children. High expectations and the strong teaching of blood purity. Over the years, and through his time at Hogwarts, he learned that blood purity didn't have anything to do with how well one could preform magic. He had many friends who weren't purebloods, and some who were. As he grew up, he formed his own ideals and perspectives. It wasn't something that he talked a lot about. In all honestly, he had left to get away from his families ideals. There were other reasons, but even now that he was back, he hadn't had much interaction with his family. He had thought about reaching out to his parents, or even a sibling, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

The man did appreciate the lack of questions about his past. It wasn't something that he fully liked to go into. He definitely had regrets, and would prefer not to relive some of those. "There always will be." Jasper laughed and agreed "Yes, there will." Jasper hadn't been one of those students. Trouble makers got detention. And that just wasn't acceptable to his parents.

"I think you gave me detention a time or two, I always seemed to have incredible timing getting caught about to start a fight." That he kind of felt back about. But it wasn't something that he could do much about that. "Probably. Just dong my job" Jasper felt much more like himself than even back in school. Before becoming a curse breaker, he had very high expectations from his family. He had opened up and became more willing to accept others as he grew older, but he still had to uphold the Yaxley name.

"How are you doing, though?" Jasper gave a sigh, and drank more ale before answering the question that had been posed to him. It was one that came up often. Those who knew the entire story, and those who didn't. "It's not an easy adjustment." He told Rhys honestly. "Definitely wish that I could go back out." But his forced retirement made that not possible. He had to figure out how to make the most out of this situation. He loved his old job, and hopefully he would be able to make a life with his new one. One good thing that had come of his new position, was reuniting with old friends. There was a bond that curse breakers had, but there was also a bond that he had formed with others that he hadn't had much contact with since he lived outside of the country. Some he was glad to run into again.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

---

October 24, 2025
@jasper

---

Rhys used to hold a lot of anger when it came to situations when he was young where he felt some injustice had occurred. Namely those situations where he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and a false assumption made basically on the premise of who he was. It had made him bitter and only served to contribute to his broody and temperamental nature, it had spread into every aspect of his life. When he graduated and falsely assumed that he would never see many of those individuals ever again he had sorely been disappointed--well at least at first. Many of them had shown themselves to have grown up or shown that who he had experienced back in school was not who they were anymore. People grew up, they changed and they learned. It had taken time and Rhys was an imperfect person but he learned to let most of it go, well at least some. "I know. Also my temper wasn't anyone's fault but mine." It was still his own problem, though better managed it worked all the same.

Rhys nodded as Jasper responded to him, it couldn't have been easy and if Jasper had said it was he would have been lying. Going from such an active schedule to something more fixed was such a hard stop. Individuals who chose this career typically fell into a similar mold. They didn't necessarily want to be in the same place all the time and really the main variable difference between them was personality. Rhys was more reserved versus some other Curse Breakers were more outgoing and had naturally extroverted personalities. To Rhys, Jasper looked physically fine so it must have been serious for him to have been forced out. The criteria never seemed consistent to him, but then again he'd never really asked. "Well, now you can train future Cruse Breakers." Rhys commented. It seemed a natural place to end up, back at Hogwarts to teach since there was much to learn on the job that was useful academically.

When he had been in school a couple of the professors had been former Aurors and other Ministry employees and that had helped create his goal and fascination with the career he never got. Another sore spot still, but he was grateful to have been accepted into this one. On that note a thought popped into his head, "Have you talked to anyone else lately?" There were a handful of Curse Breakers teaching at the school but also a good amount had been stuck here when the quarantine had started though by now many had began to trickle back out of England and back into their more normal routines. Rhys was still sitting on a job since it hadn't been urgent and he had a few thing to take care of before he left for any extended period of time. His sisters wanted him to see Zombie Island this year while he was home.

[Deleted]

Jasper, especially in the later days of his Hogwarts life, tried not to judge someone based solely on their blood. But that didn't mean that he was perfect. During the small amount of times that he had to give detention, he tried to make it as fair as possible. He normally would just take house points away. Rhys remained calm and admitted to atleast partly being at fault. It was near impossible to avoid people from your school years. He was becoming very aware of this fact recently. The main point, was that time had gone by, and people had changed.

In all honesty, Jasper had lost track of how many times he had longed for the days from when he was a curse breaker. The switch had been so recent, and quick. He had gone from adventure and spontaneity one moment, and classes and grading papers the next, just one little coma in between. He loved living abroad, traveling from location to location, spending days underground deciphering that of the past. The hardest part of the transition, was that Jasper was still, physically, able to do the job. He even made a point to maintain his physical abilities. The issue, after the accident, was purely mental. He was tormented, especially in his dreams, and had many sleepless nights.

"Well, now you can train future Cruse Breakers." Jasper smiled at the thought. That was the positive side of things. "That's one of the reasons I joined the staff as the Charms professor." Charms was all encompassing, but was definitely required if you wanted to be a Curse Breaker. And, unlike many of his other co-workers (or rather former co-workers) Jasper had enjoyed training new recruits.

"Have you talked to anyone else lately?" A number of former curse breakers had taken up residence at the castle, so it was an expected question. "Yea, I had drinks with Aymeric the other night." Yet another former curse breaker, Aymeric Courtemanche was now the potions teacher. Jasper had Aymeric had been close friends since the Hogwarts Express ride first year.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

---

October 24, 2025
@jasper

---

Rhys nodded and he wasn’t at all surprised that Jasper had taken up the Charms position, he had been a very talented Curse Breaker and one that Rhys had himself learned a lot from especially since he had a few years on him. There were many older Curse Breakers that Rhys had learned from whether it was new transfiguration techniques, charms or more importantly counter curses. He’d found himself in quite the situation once when some curse had been launched toward him, though he could never figure out the manner of it but it had caused an unhealthy amount of blood loss before a counter-curse had been able to be used. It was all his luck that he’d been with someone new, a more senior Curse Breaker or he didn’t care to think of what the consequence of that would have been ultimately. ”I think that’s an excellent posting for you.” Rhys paused a moment, ”You know I learned a lot from you.” Rhys was sincere in that, he’d had to fight so hard for so long on his own when people had bothered to teach him things in the field he’d been very grateful.

When it came to new recruits Rhys tried his best to teach what he knew and help them learn from his own experiences, but he only got as far as his temper and impatience would let him. At times he tended to forget what it was like to be green behind the ears and that the inexperienced lot did not know what the obvious answer was off the top of their head. Experience was incredibly invaluable and that was the main training in this career because not even the most detailed textbooks prepared you for something brand new and very old. Jasper brought up Aymeric, he had been a Curse Breaker longer than Rhys and even Jasper and he’d had an opportunity to work with him on occasion. ”How is he doing?” He was curious, since the retirement had been voluntary which he had to say he didn’t see very often. And then another thought entered his mind, and he wondered how he could have easily forgotten. ”How’s Renfri doing, I haven’t had a chance to catch up with her lately.” Being a Professor made it hard to make plan that perhaps were not on a weekend, just as being a student meant a busy week and possibly busy weekend.

[Deleted]

While Hogwarts helped it's students gain plenty of practical and magical skills, in a way, it didn't fully prepare them for the real world. He found this especially true for Curse Breaking. While they had learned what they needed to know, many didn't know how to apply their knowledge in such a specialized form. While his knowledge, he did hope to help students learn what they needed to for their exams, but also what they needed to know for whatever career they wanted to join. He couldn't help but smile when the man said that Charms professor was a good fit for him. ”You know I learned a lot from you.” He felt good about that. He remembered spending time with the younger man. In many way he did what he could to share his knowledge and ideas that he had. At this point, now that he was retired, he was glad that he had passed on his knowledge to those who he worked with.

"Thanks Rhys, that means a lot." In that way, he felt like he was still out there. By those he helped to teach out in the field, and his techniques still being used by some, it was almost like hew as out there with them. Unfortunately, he couldn't actually be out there with them. "Sometimes, learning on the fly is the best." He wondered if he would be able to incorporate that idea into his lessons.

Sometimes, especially with those who were new to the job, you had to work on stilling their excitement, while not burning out their passion. Especially in curse breaking. When Jasper had first started, he felt that his knowledge was both acceptable and deficient. He learned a lot while out there. And, contrary to what most young men just out of school believed, he learned that he was not invincible. Jasper knew that Rhys had a short fuse, but he was glad that the two of them were friends. They hadn't had too much interaction while at school, save him performing his prefect duties.

Jasper brought up Aymeric and asked how the man was doing. Jasper nodded "He's doing well. He'd taken up the role of Potions professor." It was amazing to think about how many former curse breakers now taught at the school. What an excellent opportunity for students who wished to join the career. Jasper was glad to, once again be able to work with his oldest friend. ”How’s Renfri doing, I haven’t had a chance to catch up with her lately.” Jasper thought about it. There was no doubt that Hogwarts was the place to retire. "We haven't interacted much lately" He stated, telling the truth. "Though we have passed each other occasionally at night. Not much talking because we're both in our animagus forms" He gave a big chuckle. Anyone who knew the two would know that they both took on the forms of big cats.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

---

October 24, 2025
@jasper

---

Jasper thanked him for what he said, and he smiled slightly as a return response, he always thought that half the reason the job was so dangerous was because of the unknown variables constantly associated with it. If you didn’t research something properly or didn’t take your time or didn’t know a charm or counter-curse then it could be real trouble for you. Rhys would say that he did use a lot of what he learned in school at times in most subjects, but again learning in the field was incredibly important and practical albeit dangerous. He thought about some of the newer Curse Breakers he’d had to help train and the simple mistakes they made that either completely discouraged them or they never did again. People falling down shafts or tripping over levers were common for recent graduates, there was an awareness of one’s surroundings that was required. Rhys nodded in agreement with Jasper, it certainly was the best way. ”It certainly is.” Rhys drank more of his whiskey, ”I still wonder how some of these newer recruits made it past their Ancient Runes NEWTs though…” He pondered, every year there was always the one that missed an obvious symbol and stepped on a floor panel or something on a wall and made the whole ordeal more difficult for them.

There had been a good handful of times that Jasper had to remove Rhys from a situation before he tore the head off another Curse Breaker for doing something idiotic and dangerous and that was probably for the best lest Rhys end up in Azkaban because of his temper. Then again Renfri, Nixie and other people he had worked with had all had to at some point. It wasn’t a secret he was particular about his work and a lot of it was force of habit and going with what he knew worked and also for their safety. There was also that Rhys didn’t like being wrong, but he didn’t think on that too often. Rhys drank more whiskey and listened to Jasper catch him up on his former co-worker. ”That’s good for him.” He shrugged, he was good at Potions or had been in school but it wasn’t something he dabbled in too much anymore and he hadn’t found that many opportunities at work for them unless some healing was needed. ”I think my sister got the potions gene, definitely not me.” Each of his siblings seemed to have an area they had focused on. Jamie had potions, Max was looking at Healing, Adrian worked with dragons and Rhys had his books, he supposed. Though he was quick on his feet and decent at dueling, it didn’t come up as often in his work as his knowledge did.

Rhys chuckled, of course how could he forget his friends and their Animagus selves. Rhys was content enough just being a werewolf, but he was always curious the process of becoming one. What level of mastery in transfiguration did one need? Regardless, it was still fascinating, and he wondered who else was there now teaching at Hogwarts. ”Oh, that’s right. Do the students now?” He pitied the poor souls that were trying to sneak out at night visibly looking for professors but running to large animals instead. It certainly would have frightened him back in those days, but he figured things were different now with Curse Breakers beginning to take up teaching roles at the school.

[Deleted]

As a student, you thought that once you were done with Hogwarts, you were done learning, and ready for the next step. But in many cases, you still had to figure things out. Some careers required training periods and exams to pass before allowed in. While others seemed to be trial and error. Curse Breaking was dangerous. This wasn't new knowledge to anyone. In the tombs, the senior member of the group, didn't always have time to be watching over the shoulder of someone knew. There had to be something there already. Something that drove the new curse breaker to learn, grow and not harm themselves in the process.

”I still wonder how some of these newer recruits made it past their Ancient Runes NEWTs though…” Jasper couldn't help but chuckle at that. He too had seen many graduates enter the field, and not have a clue what to do next. "You know, there was one new recruit that I was helping to train where I actually had to ask what they got on their Ancient Runes NEWTs. And you know what?" He paused for a bit of a dramatic effect. "They said that they were one of the top scorers on the text. Book smarts don't always translate to the field." He said definitively. It was one thing to study something, and another to have your life depend on the knowledge. There was no telling what you were going to run into while working. There were symbols and signs everywhere, and not just in Ancient Runes. Keeping a cool head was important, but there also needed to be a level of trust. Jasper had enjoyed teaching new recruits, but there were other times where he wished that they hadn't come along. The man mentioned his sister, and Jasper was sure he knew who that was. Greyback wasn't necessarily a common surname.

As the conversation moved to another fellow curse breaker that was now at the school, Jasper had mentioned them passing by each other. Both had Animagus forms. The process hadn't been easy, but had defiantly been worth it in the end. There were many steps, and long periods of time. Messing up only meant starting over. The process was frustrating, but again totally worth it. ”Do the students now?” Jasper shrugged. "I've heard a few of them talking. It sounds more like a rumor at this point. To my knowledge, no one has seen me wondering around the halls." He preferred to patrol as a tiger. Mostly because it was quiet. The soft pads ensured that his steps went unnoticed. And the powerful sounds that emanated from his through gave him confidence and helped dispel the shadows that haunted him.

"Do you remember how we scared that one curse breaker?" He reminisced. "If I remember right, We had gone ahead while they were still reading the writing on the walls. Then, just before they came out, you bolted, and I pounced." While they had a serious job to do, you just had to have fun sometimes.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

---

October 24, 2025
@jasper

---

Rhys felt sometimes like the older he got and the more years he spent in this job the less patience he had for the newer recruits. It wasn’t great and he wasn’t sure why since they would stick the newer recruits with the more senior Curse Breakers and he couldn’t even count the times he’d almost cursed one of them himself for doing something dangerous and idiotic only to have Renfri or Nixie intervene. It always amazing the newer recruits that such a small person was able to curb the temporary murderous tendencies of the werewolf when he was that angry. Jasper seemed to agree with him on the topic of underprepared but overenthusiastic recruits. Rhys listened intently, drinking more of whiskey while he waited after the pause. He shook his head, ”That’s true and I’m not surprised.” It was a common occurrence to see in a few career fields. Those that scored top NEWTs and applied for careers such as Auror, Hit Wizard or Curse Breaking often didn’t last long because in all their time with their nose stuck in a book they didn’t bother to practice their dueling or learn to be quick on their feet. Also, some individuals just didn’t have that knack for it such as the naturally clumsy. There wasn’t anything wrong with that in itself but it was more of a safety issue.

”One of these days….” Rhys began, pausing while shaking his head a bit, ”One of these recruits is going to piss me off and Nixie won’t be there to save them.” He was sure Jasper was familiar with Nixie, though he was significantly bigger than her she had no issue standing up to him even when he was angry. Many lives had been saved by her fiery nature. ”Makes me wonder how any of you put up with me, I wasn’t exactly a joy to be around at eighteen.” Rhys remembered his more sullen and moody nature and his attitude though he was determined and focused at doing well. He was grateful for those that had patience with him even if he had a hard time himself using that trait. Curse Breakers were all cut from a similar cloth but that didn’t mean there wasn’t an array of different personalities that littered the field. Rhys was an introvert through and through, but he was more talkative and friendly with those he was close to, hell he would even joke and laugh but it took some time to get past the walls he’d so carefully built over the years. So, while he was here laughing and reminiscing with Jasper, new recruits would see a serious faced man who also happened to be Fenrir Greyback’s son and didn’t suffer fools.

”Probably best to keep it that way.” It was fun to keep the students intrigued and if a rumor like this persisted then it also helped keep them in line if they thought something was going regardless of whether it was true. It was the same premise that made the Shrieking Shack so intriguing. Jasper then began to recall a story from one of their working days and Rhys look away as he brought the memories back into his own mind. Rhys then laughed as he remembered that it wasn’t terribly long ago, but it was just some of the fun they’d had when training new recruits together. Since Jasper was a more patient and more senior Curse Breaker than he was he’d take the lead, but they would make it fun in their own way. ”I do remember!” Rhys still laughed, ”I thought he was going to faint.” He drank more of his whiskey, ”It was always a good exercise to see who startled easily, I remember you all tried that on me once.” Rhys wasn’t one that startled easily, so it hadn't been all that effective against him but he still enjoyed the fun of initiating new recruits. 

[Deleted]

Jasper understood that it could be hard to teach someone fresh out of Hogwarts how to do the job. Many students graduated feeling like they would be ready to conquer the world. The more experienced curse breaker would have to teach, and help the new recruit realize that they didn't know everything. It was nice that the NEWT exams helped to test the knowledge, but it didn't always prepare the students for the harsh reality of being a curse breaker. "No, but there are some students who could make exceptional curse breakers" He mused, thinking of some that he noted during the few classes he had conducted. But many of them were most likely aiming to be an Auror or something else. Charms was such a wide field, that the NEWT class was required in just about everything.

”One of these recruits is going to piss me off and Nixie won’t be there to save them.” Jasper knew the young girl, but hadn't worked too many times with her. But he was familiar that Rhys and the Irish girl were close. "It will be a shame the day that happened. You'd probably hear from the legal team." he shook his head. He was sure that the Goblins wouldn't exactly be happy to learn that one of their own curse breakers turned on another. "Scylla would defiantly rip into you." Jasper knew that the other man would know the half-goblin lawyer that worked at the bank. The woman was a shark, and took no prisoners. It was best not to piss her off. It said enough, when the goblins trusted someone to that well to protect their business and their money.

Jasper couldn't help but chuckle as the man wondered how his eighteen year old self was tolerated enough to get to the point that he was now. "Everyone is difficult to work with at first." Jasper admitted "I'm positive that I wasn't much better." He had just broken up with his long term love, and left his family, all in the space of a month or two. To say that he was messed up then was an understatement. "The point is that you stuck around and got better, with your temper and the work"

It was fun to roam the halls of Hogwarts as a tiger. Any statement to the contrary was a bold faced lie. Rhys was right that he should probably keep it as a rumor. He normally roamed as a tiger during his patrols, but would often walk around at night if he couldn't sleep, or was rudely awaken. Also, where else could one roam the halls as a tiger? He wasn't able to simply roam the streets and as some house cat. But Jasper still found uses for his animal form. Even if it was scaring other curse breakers while working. He laughed with the werewolf. They certainly did have some good times. But scaring people like that only really worked if they didn't know about his animagus form. ”It was always a good exercise to see who startled easily, I remember you all tried that on me once.” Jasper took some drink and nodded "We did didn't we." It was important not to freak out when something out of the ordinary happened. And a tiger in a tomb was just the thing to test new guys on their stability

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

stretch across the sky

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October 24, 2025
@jasper

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Patience is a virtue. He was always told though Rhys had never particularly considered himself all that virtuous in some areas of his life and even if he tried it just never worked out that way. He nodded, Curse Breaking was something that had been suggested to him since it had not been his initial choice of career and he was glad that a professor had taken the time to notice at all. It was job that was a good combination of brain and brawn and sometimes a new recruit fell too far into either side of that balance. ”Wouldn’t be the first time…” He admitted, there had been a small incident when a new recruit had gotten upset that Rhys was giving him grunt work to do it came back ground not quite to bite him but at least annoy him. However, he clarified before Jasper thought he’d actually done something. ”It was nothing, this kid was somebody’s cousin, brother, I don’t remember but I gave him some grunt work to do and he wasn’t terribly happy about it.”

Their chosen career was not a field where nepotism seemed to carry someone forward very far and truthfully that attitude was not very well tolerated among the experienced members. That, however, had been an interesting experience as the well known member of their legal team was someone that Rhys tended to steer clear of for all practical purposes though he’d never admit he was slightly scared of her, but he supposed that most people might be if they’d dealt with her on such a situation. ”I definitely do not want that.” Rhys drank more of his whiskey, his face adamantly agreeing with Jasper. All the senior curse breakers seemed to barely tolerate new recruits though they always saw parts of themselves in them and over time things changed, it didn’t matter where you went to school or what house you were in anymore and those that hung onto those facts didn’t last very long.

”I think it was good for me to get away, gave me a chance to grow up.” And without people hovering. Now that his siblings were in the picture it was a bit more normalized to see a Greyback around here, but for a while he’d been alone. Plus, his younger half-brother being a Tournament champion had been very positive as well. Jasper, Renfri, Nixie, all of them had just accepted him and after all these years their opinion of him was still important because he trusted it and whether he was doing well at his job. Then again, they all had trouble ever hiding when they were displeased with someone. Rhys remembered all the pranks when he was new, he’d survived them just fine even if some had been annoying. ”I don’t think the boss or Scylla approves of our pranking.” Or hazing rather, but it was never talked about much but it was most certainly present.