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[Sydney Townsend]

The Summer holidays were the only time Sydney felt like she could get anything done. It was almost like having the library to herself; no annoying little sisters lurking around, no annoying idiot students gossiping in the stacks. Just Sydney and her unfettered access to the restricted section. She'd been pleased that Styx had seen reason fairly easily and allowed her to work on her own study projects this year. Her OWL classes were at least somewhat more interesting than previous years had been, but Sydney had wanted more. And the restricted section definitely had that in spades.

Today, Sydney was taking a break from her own study on mind-controlling magic, just enjoying the chance to peruse the restricted section, running a finger along some of the spines of the books in front of her. One shifted threatening and she pulled her hand back, making a mental note to avoid that particular volume in the future. Sydney personally believed it was a travesty that some of these books were kept from the general student population, but there were a few in here that perhaps it was for the best.

 

[Ava Lancaster]

Ava didn't have much of a home to go back to during the holidays. Tragic, she was sure. Hogwarts had never quite felt like a replacement home despite the fact. It retained that atmosphere of simply being a school she happened to live at, but the holidays were perhaps the closest it came to ever feeling "homely". She could walk the corridors without passing strangers at practically every turn. She could enjoy a good book uninterrupted, or play music without needing to find somewhere private and secluded to do so - an impossibility when everyone and their grandmother knew where all the private and secluded spots were in the finite castle. But perhaps best of all, Ava could explore the vast fount of knowledge in the school's restricted section with far less difficulty than she could have when the castle was bustling with staff and students.

The disillusionment charm had become a staple in Ava's spell repertoire over the past year, and chameleon-cloaked under its effects, she perused the shelves of the restricted section. It was far from fool-proof, despite her many attempts to perfect it, but it worked well enough for what she required, she supposed. The very notion that she needed permission to read a book was absurd, and Ava wasn't about to allow anyone to dictate what she could or could not read, and what magic she could or could not learn. It had been quiet in the library, the kind of silence where every movement had to be taken with care to avoid drawing unwanted attention, especially so when the usual ambient noises of the castle had dramatically decreased. She rounded a corner, the sound of footsteps giving her pause in the midst of her search. Her hesitation was brief, as she came to realise that it wasn't a librarian approaching, but the Townsend girl. Somehow she wasn't surprised to see her, nor did she feel her presence to be in any way concerning. Just mildly inconvenient. She let out an amused exhale as the younger girl came across a particularly aggressive volume. "Would you mind passing me that tome there. Blue, to your left." Ava asked, brushing her wand across her camouflaged features to dispel the charm for the time being.​

 

[Sydney Townsend]

Sydney whirled around when someone spoke, half-ready to defend herself against which ever librarian thought she wasn't supposed to be in here. She was almost disappointed when Ava materialized nearby, begrudging impressed with the display of magic, as well as what she realized was a rather simple solution to getting into the restricted section. Much easier than trying to blow up a shelf, at least. Not wanting to appear too dumbstruck with Ava's sudden appearance, Sydney grabbed the book she'd pointed to, passing it over as nonchalantly as she could manage.

" Disillusionment charm?" She asked, trying to make herself seem busy now that she knew she had an audience. " I had to finagle Styx into giving me permission to get in here, which is ridiculous, " She said, glancing over her shoulder at Ava to make sure she hadn't disappeared again. She was surprised Ava had shown herself at all. It wasn't like she needed Sydney to pass her the book. Sydney chose to view it as a sign of mutual respect as opposed to the idea that Ava didn't view her as a threat, especially with Sydney being a prefect. She could have turned Ava in the second she revealed herself, but clearly Ava at least trusted her that much. Staring at the spines of the books in front of her, Sydney felt strangely warmed at the thought.

 

[Ava Lancaster]

Ava took the book she'd asked for with a silent thank you, and tucked the volume under her arm, nodding in response to the other girl's query over the spell she'd used. She hadn't intended to engage in a conversation, but here she was, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a bit curious as to what had brought Townsend to the restricted section. "It sounds to me like a lot of trouble to go through, simply to read a few books. If you want my advice? I find it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." She said lightly, raising her shoulders ever so slightly. "Do it right, you won't have to ask for either." She mused after, plucking another book from the shelf to inspect it. She wrinkled her nose at it and slotted it back into place, realising it wasn't quite what she'd been looking for. "Which raises the question, was the trouble worth it? Were you hoping to find a book in particular among these shelves or was the lure of the forbidden too enticing to ignore?" Ava asked conversationally, looking back over her shoulder to try and gauge the younger girl's response.​

 

[Sydney Townsend]

Sydney was pleased to hear Ava at least seemed to agree with her about how stupid having a restricted section was. Her smile was sharp when Ava gave her some advice, nodding her head. "I tried the more direct route when I was younger. Turns out the librarians are less forgiving when you try to blow your way into here," She said simply. Her plan had definitely lacked the finesse and magical skill that Ava had, but Sydney was still proud of the statement, even several years later.

The way Ava spoke was almost enchanting in and of itself, and Sydney almost missed that Ava had actually asked her a question rather than just musing out loud. "I've been researching spells that affect the mind," She blurted out, hoping quietly it was a subject Ava might approve of some how. "But today I was more just looking for anything interesting. You have to wonder what sorts of magic the 'powers at be' think is too much for our tiny minds," She added, rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness.

 

[Ava Lancaster]

Ava raised her eyebrows, intrigued by the Townsend girl's claims. It was a pity she hadn't heard anything about it earlier, and something of a curiosity given the girl had gone on to then become a prefect. Sydney was interesting, and that was refreshing in this castle. "Subtle." She commented, a small smile splayed across her lips. Ava was partial to the more destructive methods of achieving things, evident by her dueling strategy. Yet, blowing ones way into a library would not have been high on her list of methods of infiltration. She listened, further intrigued by the mention of an interest in mind related magic. It wasn't a subject she knew of anyone else in the school to really delve into. Then again, it seemed as if few were interested in what laid beyond the scope of the school's curriculum. "How interesting." She said. She turned to lean back against a shelf, seating on its ledge, and raised her wand. "Muffliato." She murmured. It was quiet, and the last thing they needed were their voices carrying to prying ears. "Any magic that would challenge them and their authority, I might imagine. It's curious. When did we decide to allow man to restrict nature? These magics-" Ava gestured to the books around them with her free hand. "They're natural, a part of us. You, me. They don't exist without reason. All magic has it's purpose in the world. It doesn't seem right that only a small few are allowed to use them, to dictate who can and cannot. Would we tie our hands behind our backs, simply because the 'powers that be' say so? I'm doubtful." Sometimes, the world seemed mad, and Ava felt she may have been the only one left with any sanity. But not here, and now. She folded her hands, her wand dangling loosely between her fingertips. "I have to admit I am...intrigued by your specific choice of research. The mind is a mystery, but what is it about noetic magic that interests you enough to look here?" She inquired. She could see the appeal. The knowledge, the...control. It was enticing.​

 

[Sydney Townsend]

Sydney felt herself flush at Ava's comment. Her attempt at breaking into the library before hadn't exactly been brilliant, but she was proud of the spirit. It seemed Ava at least found it amusing, Sydney didn't think she sensed any scorn in her smile, and she found herself pleased that Ava seemed to approve, even vaguely.

She was even more pleased at Ava's comment about her choice of study material, feeling herself straighten up even though Ava had only said two words about it. Her movements were so casual and smooth and Sydney tried to mimic Ava's relaxed stance when the other girl raised her wand to cast muffliato before speaking further. Sydney mentally cursed herself, annoyed she hadn't thought to take such a precaution. Something about Ava just made her feel like she was constantly a step behind. With most people, that would infuriate her, but Ava seemed to do it with such casual indifference it only drove Sydney to want to catch up. She nodded furious at Ava's reasoning, glad that Ava was one of the few people at school who seemed to just get it. "Right? Exactly! It's only an attempt to control what they don't want to bother to understand. As if blocking it off from everyone achieves anything," Sydney said, immediately forgetting her attempt at matching Ava's suave stance and waving an impassioned hand.

She stalled when Ava asked her about her choice of study, stepping back to try and rein in her thoughts to form something coherent. It was ridiculous, to care so much about what Ava thought, but Sydney had become more and more aware of late that she desperately wanted to impress the Ravenclaw. "Styx gave a demonstration of the Unforgivables last year and it just- Caught my eye. The idea magic could have an influence on something that we hold as so core to ourselves. Where do we draw the line between a natural impulse or a magical one. I'll be honest, it scared me, which magic doesn't do very often. Like you said it's apart of us. So, I wanted to know more. Somewhere along the way 'know thy enemy' became something more. A passion project." Sydney shrugged. She hadn't realize how personal this project had become until she'd started trying to explain it, and the sudden thought that Ava might not understand, or might not approve of it, suddenly made her feel afraid. Like this mutual understanding of theirs was something so fragile it could vanish with a single wave of Ava's hand.

 

[Ava Lancaster]

Ava had to admire the enthusiasm Sydney showed. She listened to her speak, nodding her head slowly. "Where we could have been as a society today if we all had this..." She mused with a slow look around the shelves, at them any, many books that surrounded them. "Readily available to everyone. Could you imagine the progress?"She sighed, almost in dismay. Everyone knew how halted the wizarding would had been compared to the muggle one, and not all of that was due to them hiding away. There was so little progress, and the world may very well have been entirely different if the Ministry didn't keep so much from its own community. She let out an 'ah' of understanding when Sydney mentioned Styx and his Unforgivables. She hadn't been around to see one of those classes first hand, but she had heard plenty of stories about how the man demonstrated the spells on both subjects and students. Of all the schools she'd attended, few of them had allowed the use of Unforgivables in class. It was one of the few things Hogwarts New Zealand had going for it. She was just dismayed she'd missed out on the experience. "It's natural to be scared of magic sometimes, even though it is a part of us. We scare ourselves, magical or otherwise, with what we're capable of." The Townsend girl hadn't exactly sounded ashamed, but she did want to stress how normal it was, even for her. Magic could be terrifying. "It does show us how malleable we as humans are. Our memories, our emotions, our actions and appearance. Magic can completely overwrite all of it. It's the people who aren't aware of the extent that magic can change a person who are the most likely to succumb to it." She paused for a moment, mentally contemplating what she had to say next. "You're not like most of the students here. It's a good thing. If more people were like you, perhaps we'd finally see some change in the world." She offered as a compliment, before tapping the tome she'd asked her to pass over earlier. "I should get going, before one of the librarians decides to tell me that I shouldn't be here. You'll have to illuminate me on your research sometime." She continued, offering the girl a last smile before she stepped away, tapping her wand to raise another disillusionment charm on the way out.​