Advanced Hogwarts Roleplay discussion

Professor Erik Koronis’ class

Lena Xie strode down the hallway on silent feet, she could already hear the class and the lecturers familiar voice spilling from it. A good thing too because she still hadn’t memorized the castle’s corridors yet let alone which classrooms were occupied and by who, even her memory couldn’t manage that. She didn’t know what she was going to do when she saw him, what she would say or if she would even approach him yet. But no, Lena had come here for a reason and she wasn’t about to back out now so close to her end goal. She had crossed all of America plus an ocean for God’s sake. Now wasn’t the time to be second guessing her motives. It was time to make contact on her own terms.

Erik had no class, but he was practicing a lecture for when classes started. He already drew up the diagrams for each years class. The first years were studying the basic formula for Transfigurations, the second years were studying Vera Verto, the third years were learning about Animagi. The fourth years were getting ready for an aptitude test and fifth years were doing sign-ups to begin Animagi training along with an extensive course about the transformation process. Sixth and Seventh years were being taught the four branches of Transfigurations and touching base on Offensive Transfigurations. Erik never heard anyone approaching in the corridor as he continued his lecture. "The four leading branches of Transfigurations are therefore the only thing necessary when approaching the subject. This will be useful in duels when trying to figure the best spell to incapacitate your opponents. Now if you open your books to page 127 and read over the starting paragraph of clause 9b. There you will find a short list of spells which could be used during a duel. We will review these at the end of the week after extensive study and work on each one individually." He moved to flip the drawing board and twirled it until the writing on it changed to read 'Welcome, all first years, to term one rudimentary Transfigurations. Please begin to find the definitions for chapter one and prepare to take notes on the fundamentals of Transfigurations.'

Lena leaned casually against the open doorframe, allowing herself a small smile at the sight that awaited her inside the classroom. Of course Erik Koronis, possibly the best underground dueler in America during his time, would be the kind of person to prepare so fully and actually rehearse to an empty room. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had rehearsed or written out his deals like this. Her moment spent, she schooled her face into what Josiah Mantelle, her occasional partner for jobs like this, called her ‘business face’. Lena knocked on the open door, a specific pattern that she knew he would recognize. It was all part of the game.

Erik heard a familar tune through knocking at his door. The sound was so familiar that it sent freezing twinges through his spine and arms. He knew no matter who knew that familiar tune if they were here they knew him and that meant his past had finally caught up to him. He was no longer as safe as he believed. Nearly frozen in fear he straightened a stack of papers on his desk and took a slow deep breath closing his eyes. He didn't dare look his killer in the eyes just yet. He knew by now a bounty was on his head dead or alive and at this point hearing the knock made his heart sink and his mind begin to prepare him for the last steps of this life. He took another slow and deep breath. "So they finally found me. I didn't expect it to be so quick I was hoping to make it to Christmas, at least." Turning he kept his head down facing the door, but still terrified to look his killer in the eyes. His hands were shaking and a bead of sweat began to form at the corner of his left brow. Both arms at his side he debated on defending himself, but then it occurred to him he was left with his guard down and his wand was laying on his desk. "Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" He asked keeping his gaze to the ground still shaking in fear.

For the first time in a long time Lena felt like she had absolutely no idea what to do on a hunt. Here was her bounty right in front of her, she could take him, it wouldn't be a first even if it would be hard. She could kill him here and now and be back home by the end of the month if she caught the first ship out. Lena already had her wand in her hand not being quite arrogant enough to announce herself to her prey without it, all that was left was to cast one curse, she wouldn't even have to utter it out loud she was so used to it. It would be so easy. And yet instead she found herself talking. "You never were one for the easy way," Lena mused, not sure why she was even bothering with chitchat. It was fun to toy with the bounties she was tasked to bring in alive, people always seemed to assume they were important enough to have a death warrant but most didn't. Erik however did, and when a person has death stalking them, they tend to get violent and they usually know what they're doing. It's a matter of life or death for them after all, which means it's also a matter of life or death for me.

Erik felt his heart sink at the sound of the familiar voice not at all who he imagined would have found him so quickly but certainly no one else he would have rather found him. Erik straightened himself up and appeared more formal and less shook. He didn't go for his wand because he would have never believed it possible for him to reach it before she cast her first curse. "Lena...Im not going to fight you." He began to think quickly. "Even you know I don't need a wand to defend myself." He decided to play it off like he was very confident in his capabilities of going against her. "After all this time and you just decide to drop in to kill me? Can't we catch up? I'll even let you take me in alive." He began to play the best scenarios through his head of which he might get out of the situation mostly unscathed. "You aren't going to kill me on school grounds are you? I mean surely you care about the kids as much as I do they don't need to witness a murder." He tried to provoke some sort of empathy from her, but he knew that would ve hard to reach at all.

Lena felt pained as he kept speaking, going through the typical stage of trying to talk his way out and even offering a compromise that didn't end in death, she'd heard it all before. "Well you don't expect me to drag you to Hogmeade and swap stories just to kill you there, do you? And it's not like anyone is around to witness, I know how to do my job after all." She had cast subtle charms and illusions around in excess. Things to detur people in seemingly natural ways. "But, lucky for you, I'm still undecided," Lena admitted. She made sure to keep her voice steady, almost uninterested in its indifference. "Although do anything I won't like and I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand." This much she knew. It was one thing to kill a friend- because she had to admit that's what he was -without hesitation and unfairly, but it was an entirely different thing if he went on the offensive.

Erik half way wanted to amuse the idea of being taken to Hogsmeade, but once she said she was undecided his plans started backfiring. He was in full thought he was going to need to fight his way out of this one, but if Lena questioned whether she was loyal to him as a friend more than she was to her boss he might actually have a chance to get away. He was already planning his escape from Hogwarts. He knew whatever he decided to do she would decide against her better judgment and pursue him. They may have been close in their past, but years have passed and Erik knew in underground duelling you have no friends no matter who you are close too. He edged back to his desk and casually pockets his wand. He then straightens another stack of papers. "So what conflict are you facing that makes you undecided? It isn't a hard choice, money for a wizard's head who just happened to be lousy at hiding or no money and possibly signing your own death warrant for disobedience? Real hard choice to make, huh?" He spoke casually as if talking over coffee or tea. He turned to face his possible killer and smiled charmingly. "You would ve long gone before they even discover I'm dead."

Lena smiled back, hers a mixture of sarcasm and charm. "If they ever did learn." That was one of her specialties after all, making things look like an accident or like something entirely different from the truth. Staging and deception. If needed she could make it an obvious warning, but this wouldn't be one of those times. Lena didn't fear her boss, she wouldn't be loyal to him past the standard extent if she was, and that was why she was trusted within the higher ranks of the Delphinium. Trusted enough to send after Erik for their new employer. But there were bigger things at play here, things had changed and it wasn't just her gang that he had cut ties with when he had run for it, she had just managed to be the hunter to find him first. And technically by killing him Lena knew she would be doing him a favor whereas bringing him in alive, which was her employer’s preference, wouldn’t result in him wishing he were dead, and she didn’t mean torture. "Maybe you didn't understand how things worked as well as you thought you did," Lena says bluntly. "Unless you've already gotten so used to your cushy life here that you’ve forgotten."

It truly had been a long time since Erik had to adhere to the rules of the Delphinium, but he had never performed an act of killing on their behalf...that was always for his own agenda. He truly had no idea what fate might await him. He suspected torture and then death, but now he questioned what fates could be worse than death. His brain was in overdrive. Erik truly felt the pressure knowing that whomever got in the way of the Delphinium was never seen or heard from again. He suspected that like himself people went into hiding. He never thought about the consequences of what happened if he got caught. He was planning to keep his guard up and now he knew he had to. Lena could decide she liked him better breathless and that would be it for him. He refused to be stuck in a panicked state of mind all the time. If that were his fate he would off himself, first. "Lena, I am not trying to play mind games, but do you really think I would let you take me alive? I do not know nor do I remember what methods your gang uses to destroy people. I have no intention of finding out through experience either. What they are going to enslave me? Turn me into anpig for slaughter? What would they possibly do that could shake me?" He wasn't being aggressive at all he was speaking casually. He didn't want her to feel threatened because when he ran with all that money he left still a really good friend to Lena. He knew she would naturally have some sort of resentment toward him leaving, but he didn't think they would trust her to find him and do what she must to get paid."How much are they offering? Just out if curiosity how much do they think my head is worth?"

“Honestly they’re offering more than your worth, but it’s not us you should be worrying about,” she warned. They had plenty of ways to torture and manipulate people, to make them wish themselves into hell itself. She had seen it done, taken part in it. Dragged people back who were glad to just be alive still only to watch the horror of them realizing they were wrong to be glad. But none of that was in store for Erik, at least not long term, no what he was rumored to go through after her gang was done with him was something people offered themselves up for willingly, but she was sure it wasn’t something he wouldn’t want. “And don’t be so arrogant as to think you won’t be shaken,” she says, partially quoting him. “Just little old me seems to be shaking you up pretty good for not having lifted a finger yet.” She’d been watching the familiar scene unfold, you wouldn’t even notice or recognize his inner turmoil unless you’d seen it before but it was something she regularly caused. And Lena doubted he was talking just to talk, it must have a purpose behind it. “But,” she enunciated carefully, “for old times sake. I’ll give you a bottle of fire whiskey to try to convince me of whatever it is your attempting to.” The offer was honestly stupid and Lena knew she was getting herself into something she would ordinarily avoid, but he at least deserved to be given this.

Erik felt confused, if Lena was sent here by the gang for a hard price who else did he have to worry about? He pondered on it for a moment. "What else do I have to be concerned about? Who? I'll have a drink with you, but you seem to know more about whats going on back home than I do. Who else is after me thats worse than Delphinium?" He wasn't appearing too panicked, but his hands were still a little shakey. He was way too young to have the world after his head, but at this point there was no making up for his mistakes. Erik took a deep breath, "I have a class this morning and I would appreciate us having a more in depth conversation elsewhere, but at least tell me who else is after me." Erik wanted to be free of the bounds of his old life in America. He wanted more than anything to just be free. He began to question his odds if he just left now. Erik hated feeling he was now hiding blind. "Dinner time. Meet me in my office at dinner. I'll buy the bottle." He was of course just covering his tracks so she didn't lure him into false comfort and poison him.

((Sorry for this one being short i got to have dinner and Ill add to it.))

((no need to apologize, do you still want me to reply? or wait until you add more?))

((Please wait))

((Edited))

Lena allowed herself to smile a bit teasingly. “Afraid I’ll poison you? Not really my style for jobs like this, it’s too easy to trace.” Of course, that wouldn’t be problem if she did it properly, but having shared in the poison to hide the fact that the thing was indeed tainted Lena had decided not to deal with it unless it was the most convenient course of action even if she had built up quite a few immunities. She knew he wasn't stupid enough to trust anything she gave him anyway. “But fine, don’t think about bolting on me again, I won’t give you another chance,” she warned. “And as an incentive I’ll answer your question, run and the only way you’ll learn is by asking Harlow yourself though I doubt he would show you as much mercy as I have,” Lena said, referring to her boss. It’s not like it would matter if she told him anyway.

Erik stepped back from her for a moment still feeling his duties as a professor meant at least being prepared for class in case someone must substitute. He went over to his desk and sat down beginning to sort papers. "I'm not going to run. I made it too far to start running." Erik didn't want to fight, he didnt want to surrender either. He also didnt want to run, but he was scared to stay. Even if Lena was probably the most informed and capable of tracking him, if she did it someone else would probably be able to. He wasn't good at hiding, but he took every precaution possible and had as little as help as possible to ensure no one could double cross him. Everyone he used to become a British citizen and get a fresh identity was all due to favors owed to him. Erik started putting away sorted papers by hand and setting out different stacks. These were simple task any witch or wizard would use wandwork for, but he was also a wizard who believed his death was creeping closer. "I'm just wanting the one question answered and I'll see you at dinner tonight." He was ready to go back to feeling like his life was coming back together and he was becoming the person he was meant to be.

((so is Erik the name she would know him by or is it his new identity?))

Lena wondered if his sudden action busying himself again was due to him being confident that she wasn't going to do anything to him right now, or out of nervousness or something of the like. It could be both she supposed. Either way Lena believed what he had said about not running, at least for the moment. "I look forward to it," she replied, curious to see what it would happen. She had her own class to prepare for it seemed, a whole day of waiting to see if it was best to strike. She just hoped she wasn't making the wrong choice in allowing him this time.

((I gotta go but I’ll be back in like twenty minutes. if you want to time skip then feel free to post wherever next, you can make his office as a new topic if you want))

((What folder should his office go in? Or should I make a folder just for offices?))

((I have given that some thought and I think Im leaning toward Erik being his new identity. I just wasn't sure how I would approach it adding it to his profile. Given that only someone from America who knows him personally would know his teue identity. But regardless, she knows him as Ethan Gwyn Cadfan.))

((a new folder probably since I was thinking of making all the professors offices (which could be connected to living quarters too)

you could have two name sections, one for current identity and another for past identity, it would up to you how much info you have for each though. k got it))

(( glad we were on the same page only i saw this too late i am unable to make folders as im not a mod, but i mad ethe topic in classes if you would like to make the folder and move my office topic.))

-Timelapse to a quarter til 6 just before the students gather in the Great Hall for dinner. Ethan/ Erik is in his office bathing before his terrifying second encounter with possible death.

((Posted in his office))

((k I replied))