(Hogsmeade) Knowing your enemy

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh leant against the wall outside of the office of the new Head of the Improper Use of Magic department. He stared at his hand and the revolving metallic sphere he had in his possession. He kept his wand in his back pocket and could feel it's touch of magic if he wanted it, but he had to keep up appearances. He used wandless magic, a skill which he now worked on every day of his life, in all his minor tasks, no longer using his wand as much as he would have before.

He waited for Ashlee, the girl who he had been involved with. He felt a deep pit of despair at the news he had received and decided he would pay her a visit, under his guise of course. He knew she would be the one checking his classes, maybe every one of them for all he knew. He had to be careful, he didn't know what she was thinking, he would find out eventually. He knew her better than most, if not better than all and he would find out why she had betrayed him when she knew what the Ministry had done to him.

He gripped the ball tightly before glaring at it, feeling his anger rise though it didn't show on his face. It was then he heard footsteps approaching him, his anger losing itself in his all consuming glee he felt with himself. He smiled, and waited patiantly again.

[Ashlee Van Dort]

<sup>Ashlee smiled and said a sweet 'good-bye' to a fellow ministry worker as she stepped off the elevator. Like every morning, she kept her nose barried in the Daily Prophet as she sipped her cappuccino, her favorite muggle drink; her black stilletto's clicking against the hard floor as she made her way to her office.

Ashlee put down the paper as she rummaged in her purse for her keys, not realizing that someone was standing by her door. When she finally found her keys, after a few cuss words and mumbling, she looked up and brought a hand to her chest. "Merlin! You scared me," she said looking at the man, "Can I help you?" she asked through pursed lips, not realizing who the stranger was.</sup>

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh had to fight the urge not to take her into his arms, but he controlled himself enough to only smile appropiately at her, bow his head and keep his eyes from revealing who he was, though that was hard. He assumed that like several others, they felt they knew him but could not find out where he had come from.

'Yes, indeed you can, Miss...?' Leigh started, standing back up and taking her hand in his, using his other hand to cast a simple hover spell in case she dropped her coffee and newspaper, kissing her hand gently. He let it go, fighting the urge once more. 'I am Professor Octavious Everritt, Wandless Magic, I have come to discuss the limits you have put onto my class. I feel it is beneficiary for students of all ages to be able to learn, not just the elder years.'

He feigned a deep anger, before changing his expression to a serious expression but kept his voice steady. 'The students want to learn, why cannot I teach them? Or are you afraid I will teach them to hate the Ministry and result in another meaningless death?' He crossed his arms defiantly, stepping aside to allow her to enter her office.

[Ashlee Van Dort]

<sup>Everritt? I knew I recognized him, Ashlee thought to herself. She put on a sweet smile, "Well it's nice to actually meet you Mr. Everritt," she politely replied, taking her hand back. "And I assure you that I have only put those restrictions on for the safty of the students. It has nothing to do with the Ministry, trust me," she answered, giving him an honest look.

Ashlee looked him over for a moment then smiled, Leigh, she thought to herself. Only he could charm her like that and still be serious. "I'm Miss Ashlee Van Dort," she informed him, before opening her door. She stepped in and politely waved him inside, "Since you're here, I'd like to ask you a few questions reguarding your question, if you don't mind that is, Mr. Everritt," she said with a small smile, putting a small accent on his name.</sup>

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh smiled and entered the room, taking a seat before one was offered to her. He put his feet up onto her desk and surveyed the room with a casual glance, before turning and looking her in the eye and smiled.

'Not too bad for a girl who has left school.' He said, looking away and smiling smugly. 'I only saw you last term as I spoke with Headmaster Darrow, then you only seemed... Innocent. Now you seem...' He was lost for a word, before looking at a photo of her on her desk. 'Beautiful.'

He looked at her again and shrugged. 'Now, ask me the questions you want answered.' He said, leaning back. 'I want to be able to talk about my students.' He said, allowing his eyes to change subtlely for a brief moment.

[Ashlee Van Dort]

<sup>Ashlee sighed and took a seat at her desk, ignoring his comments about her. She looked at him with narrowed eyes as she spoke, "As you know, Wandless magic takes alot and I just don't find it suitable for those that can't handle that sort of magic. What I want to know, is why do you find it so important to force this type of learning onto those that aren't capable of handling it?" she asked seriously, knowing the type of person Leigh was. She knew he despised the ministry and would do anything to make sure it went to ruins.

Ashlee sat back in her chair and gave a sigh, "Professor Everritt, I understand that the students want to learn this, I did when I was a second year even though they didn't have the class. Just be happy that the ministry is even letting you give this course as an option!" she exclaimed, "It's not exactly my call on who can take the course. I just get orders, I don't necissarily give them," she explained.</sup>

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh fumed, launching himself into a standing position, leaning on her desk and glaring at her with the hate he always has had for the Ministry, all he could see was what they had done to her, manipulated her, they knew about her and he. He narrowed his eyes darkly and almost sneered, but he kept himself as his cousin.

'I find it important for a student to find their true limitations outside of the theoretical classes, a purely practical course is all they need to do this. The limitations that the Ministry have imposed and that you enforce are ridiculous. What would happen if a truly gifted wizard or witch wanted to learn wandless magic and they were only in their Third Year? They would learn for themselves without the guidance of a trained Professor!' He roared, his face going red.

'You Ministry types are all the same! It doesn't matter if you join to find news on a loved one, or even try to help! All the good that you can do is, is just sit behind a desk trying to feel important when there are men out there dying trying to do the right thing!' His eyes now showed his full anger, his eyes blazing with such rage that he gripped the desk and lost control of the flow of magic he controlled. SPlinters erupted around his hands as he turned his hands into balls of fists.

'I lost my cousin, Miss Van Dort!' He roared once more, turning away from her and swiping his hand across the room to rid the room of any enchantments. He found several, his spell draining him quite severely, but not enough for him to fall. His hands dropped to his sides as he breathed in and out quickly, sweat pouring down his face as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. 'I lost everything that meant the world to me... I died and I came back having to hide myself for over a year! And now I wear a disguise to hide in plain sight of those fools who want me dead yet again... and the one I love is now amongst those fools... I truly have nothing left.'

He narrowed his eyes at Ashlee, hands gripped into fists tightly as his jaw tightened. He knew he had revealed everything to her, but if they came after him, the Ministry would have a hard time dealing with a man who is strong enough to cast the worst spell of all, the killing curse, without a wand.

'Do what you want, Ashlee, but I definitely won't stand aside and let the Ministry walk all over the school. If anyone comes after me, you're all dead.' He said without emotion, then for the first time since his revival, he felt a tear fall down his cheek.

[Ashlee Van Dort]

<sup>Tears poured down Ashlee's face as she stood up, full of anger, "You're not the only one who lost someone they love, Leigh!" she screamed at him, "You're not even you anymore! There's nothing left of you, so if you want to kill me, GO AHEAD! I'm already dead! I died with you," she continued. She slammed her hands down onto her desk picked up her lamp and threw it against the far wall.

Ashlee brought her hands up to her face to calm herself. When she let her hands fall back down, she took a deep breath, "Do you honestly think I took this job to feel important? I don't want anymore innocent to die, that's why I took it. You know I'm not like them! You know me better than that, dammit, Leigh!" she said, trying to remain calm.

Ashlee walked over to her window and peered out in a lost gaze. She stayed silent and still for a while before she finally sighed and looked back at him, "Ok, how bout you and I make a deal. If you believe that there are a few individual students worthy and strong enough to learn wandless magic that happen to be in younger years, let me know and maybe I can make an acception. But if I get into any trouble for this, I'll curse you myself," she said, smiling as she said the last bit.</sup>

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

He lost his anger in a hurry. fatigue finally catching up to him. He struggled to remain standing as he stumbled to remain upright, but not once did his eyes leave Ashlee. They were looking at her with a strangeness to them, as if she was ready to die before him, if she did he would lose all meaning in his own.

'The blood of the innocent will always flow... And by joining them, any friends you had in the school will now see you as a traitor to them, your blood is no longer innocent.' Leigh said, finally looking away. He stood up, fighting the urge to sit down. 'If there comes a time where you will face a person wanting to kill you, I hope you are happy with death, because there will be no mercy.'

'No deal.' He said after the lengthy silence. 'I will teach them regardless, even the ones who have no talent. You cannot stop a private lesson in Hogsmeade, unless you truly believe I am corrupting them to face the Ministry, which is one thing I will let the Ministry handle themselves, they're doing a splendid enough job as it is.'

He bowed formally towards her, another tear rolling down his cheek as he stood up. He frowned and turned away from her, clicking his fingers so his spell vanished from the room, a sudden popping sound filling the sudden space in the air.

'Goodbye, Ashlee, this is the last time for quite some while you'll be seeing me.' He said, wondering if she would come after him, he smiled at the thought and decided to add a twist to it. 'If you come after me, I will gladly kill and of those that accompany you.'

[Ashlee Van Dort]

<sup>Ashlee's face turned red with anger. "What the hell is your problem?!" she screamed at him, throwing a random book at him. She remembered the days when they were inseperatable and let herself fall to the floor in tears. "I hate you," she whispered, not to Leigh, but to herself.

Her body shook violently as she stared at her own hands. She looked up at Leigh, completely pissed off, "If you hate me so much, Kill me already," she screamed at him, "You'd be doing me a favor!"</sup>

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh smiled, his facial features softened for the merest of moments. He walked over to Ashlee, ducking the book she had thrown at him and bent down, taking one of her shaking hands in his own. He stood, helping her up and soon putting his arms around her, embracing her.

'I don't hate you, never could.' He whispered into her ear. He gently kissed her forehead. Though he had another face, another voice and another body, he was himself. 'I'll be doing no one a favour if I killed you, I'd only be killing myself if I did that.'

He clenched his hand into a fist and held her more firmly. He looked at her and forced the transfiguration to change him back for the smallest of moments, his features changing and warping to make himself look like his old self. Now he looked at Ashlee with his own eyes, his own face and held her with his own hands. He bent down close to her face and rested his forehead on hers.

'I love you.' He said in his voice, whispering quietly, before rocking side to side. 'I won't ever change that.' He leant in and kissed her fully on the mouth, savouring the thought. He pulled away and kissed her on the forehead once more, before stepping away and letting the transfiguration spell change him back to Octavious. He had learned he could change himself back for a brief period of time, but not long enough to remain as his himself. As he changed back, his eyes fell upon Ashlee and told her with them he'd be back soon, before they changed to sharp eyes of Octavious.

'I must go, thank you for talking with me, Miss Van Dort, please take care yourself.' He said, bowing formally and walking away, standing at the door for one moment, before opening it and leaving the room.