Open Consenting To Mindlessness

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas felt rather aimless about school all year, the discussion with Katia to leave in sixth. year sat heavily on his mind, his frustration at the pointlessness of the work that when he left would mean nothing sat heavy on his shoulders. But heavier still was the consent form that sat in his hands. The imperious curse. This didn't mean he would be placed under it, but it would allow the option to open. It allowed it to be more open to him than others. He didn't know if it was the right choice, if signing up was the right thing to do, but he felt like it would be little different from the future he faced. What was this mindlessness from such a curse any different from the mindlessness he face in his future. From all the choices made by others for him. He wasn't in control of his future. So what would it matter if he wasn't in control during class. He knew that katia would think it beneath him, but if it was something he chose was that good? Was it then something for him? His quill lay dripping black ink on the wooden table, he moved to pick it up. Finding his resolve to put his name in the running. ​

 

[Elliot Briar]

Their first Dark Arts class had been weighing on Elliot's mind lately, and the worry about what the next class would be like even more so. Elliot didn't know if the idea that Professor Styx would only perform the 'demonstration' on students who signed the form was comforting or not, considering he couldn't imagine any of them could really understand what they were signing up for. Heading to the Hufflepuff table, Elliot tightened his jaw when he saw Aonghas looking over the exact form, nerves and second-hand empathy twisting in his stomach. "Are you really going to sign that?" He said softly, sitting down across from Aonghas.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas looked up from the consent form as a droplet of ink fell upon the parchment. Aonghas looked to Elliot watching the boy sit in front of him and gave a little nod in response. He lowered the quill away from the parchment, letting his eyes glance back over the words. He looked at the drying drop of ink and then back to Elliot, a little burst of envy towards the boy and how much he knew given the chance he'd rather be in Elliot's life and position than his own. The envy faded as quickly as it came and Aonghas just let out a heavy sigh, looking back down at the parchment. "Aye," he let out a small breath, "Its gonnae be someone, why no me," he stopped before he'd added that at least he knew what it was like to have no control over something, so for him it wouldn't be much different from his life. Less possibly traumatic than for someone else. Aonghas moved the quill and quickly signed his name on the parchment before he could be swayed off it.​

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot winced when Aonghas quickly signed his name, chewing on his lip. He couldn't help but feel like maybe his question had finally spurred Aonghas to make the decision, even though that didn't really make any sense. "Can he do that though? Professor Styx I mean.." Elliot stared at the drying ink on the form, disliking the uneasy finality of the black on parchment. "Aren't you scared?" He asked Aonghas. That had been the real question, the idea that Professor Styx would do something as horrible as an Unforgivable Curse on them eclipsed by the fear that one of his peers would actually let him.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas stared at his name as the ink dried on the parchment, this wouldn’t make certain that it was him, but when he handed it to the professor it would increase his chances. Watching the ink just made it feel like it might be guaranteed. Aonghas didn’t know if it was the right choice, he was a little blind to how it would feel or how katia or his family might react to this choice. Just because his future was set, that he wasn’t in control of much of his life wouldn’t mean he’d handle well not being in control at all. ”If anyone can it’s him,”Aonghas didn’t look up right away. Only staring at his name on the parchment for a moment longer and then looking up. ”what’s there tae be afraid of?” he asked almost confused, he was never afraid of the lack of choice, of being controlled and having things decided for him, not doing them worried him, but not scared. ”If it wis crucio I’d be scared,” the very real threat of pain scared him more than just Letting himself be controlled some more. ​

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot glanced up from the form to look at Aonghas. He'd never been very good at reading his roommate, though Elliot had mostly chalked that up to Aonghas' thick accent, but he wished he was better at it now. "Yeah, I guess so.." Just when Elliot had thought maybe he could get over his fear of Professor Styx, this happened. He was surprised to hear though that Aonghas didn't find the idea of being imperio'd scary. "You're not worried about what he could make you do?" Elliot asked slowly, trying to figure out what was making him so scared at the idea. Having someone take control of you was scary. Maybe some people found it freeing, but for Elliot there were few people he would trust with that, and Styx wasn't one.

 

[Aonghas Fergusson]

Aonghas thought of the question, was he worried about what Styx would make him do. Not particularly really. Was it any worse that what his future held, the weight on his shoulders the things he would need to do. He had Katia or would have Katia by his side, but it didn’t exactly make the weight any easier, as he was certain was true for her. ”There’s no much he can make me dae, that isnae like easy. He’ll want me to do stupid things so ah look dumb fae followin’ the orders,” Aonghas couldn’t imagine it would be that bad, couldn’t imagine that he would have to do much beyond what was available in the room. Professor styx was unkind but he was not cruel not within a classroom. ”it’ll only be fae like a minute,” Aonghas reasoned out loud. ”It’ll be nothin’,”. he then added almost as if he were persuading himself of it too.​