The perfect 'click'

[Elbio Aiello]

Elbio Aiello was a rather quirky youngster with an eclectic taste that was difficult to connect with other people. That was the main reason why the fourth year Slytherin had no friends around that magical school but that didn't bother him at all. He believed that when loneliness was a choice could be proved a really productive state, better than socializing with people that had nothing interesting to gain from them. There was no point at wasting his precious time on such kind of acquaintances and there were enough of that kind around that castle. He had no idea why he was placed at the house of Salazar Slytherin. He couldn't find any connection with the Slytherins as they were all busy hating rather than evolving into something good.
That was the main reason why he didn't try out for his house Quidditch team. No point to cooperate with a bunch of idiots or receive orders from an awful captain. He could still enjoy flying on his own without having someone over his head preaching him about what he was doing right or not.

He had enough of that from his older brother, their relations always on the edge. Elbio's weak grades were always a debate between the two italian brothers but Elbio wasn't going to be tamed that easily. Not the way others wanted. He knew he could be good at school if he wanted but he was against to the established, learning system. He was the one who decided what it was useful for him to learn so he preferred spending hours in the library on extracurricular books rather than completing the boring, assigned homework that had nothing to offer. Sometimes, he was wishing he had rather continued his home education but as always, his brother Leonzio was to decide. However, not everything was uninteresting.
Elbio liked Hogwarts' grounds. They provided him with a variety of sceneries and objects for his passion. Photography. He could spend hours to achieve the perfect click, waiting for the sun or the moon to reach the right spot or nature apply its changes.

Done with the most boring lesson of his life, he strolled towards the cliffs where he was going to have his next caption. Reaching the edge of the cliff, he dropped his bag down on the stone surface and took his precious camera in his hands. He sat down at the edge of the cliff, facing the vast lake that was stretching beneath his feet, dyed with the golden colors of the diving sun. This time he wasn't waiting for nature's cooperation. His camera was anticipating to capture a being, a creature to be more specific and that was far more trickier. It didn't only needed patience and good-timing but also determination and alertness. This young men had all four of these and he wasn't going to leave the cliffs if he didn't have in the end what he wanted.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

"Finally!" shouted Minoas as he pushed open the double doors of the castle's entrance, ignoring the people in the courtyard staring at him puzzled. One month, one whole, martyric month he was banned from leaving the castle and wandering outside with the exception of herbology class. Now he was filling his lungs with fresh air as if he wanted to cleanse them from the mustiness of the indoors. The deduction of so many house points was sore memory to remember. He didn't care about himself but for the rest of the gryffindors. He had contributed a lot last year for the achievement of the house cup and since he had accomplished this, his interest was reduced, as he was always looking for new goals in life. His suspension however was the worst part of his punishment. It felt like a bird in a cage, watching the world outside but being restricted from enjoying it.

A month after, he could leave behind him the 'cage' and get out. He was planning to visit everything that the grounds were providing. When he reached closer to the forbidden forest he considered to enter it, just a reaction to Professor Kingsley to prove that he wasn't subject of the school's rules but he decided not to provoke his luck from now. As the diffused light, refracted by the earth's atmosphere, shed across the grounds, he decided to climb up the cliffs and enjoy the sunset. The north tower might was the taller place to see the view but it couldn't be compared with the natural beauty of the cliffs which were also right above the lake. Minoas wasn't expecting to find a lot of people there. Indeed, there was just one person sitting on the edge of the cliff and Minoas wondered if everything was alright. "Hey! Everything alright?" he asked as he approached slowly. He didn't want to surprise the person , making them fell off the cliff. On second thought, he regretted with his curiosity. Last time he tried to help someone he got into trouble maybe he should give up heroisms and watch his own business.

 

[Elbio Aiello]

Elbio bid farewell to the sun with a sigh as the fiery orb descended behind the mountain tops. There were so few things to excite him there that he was already looking forward to Christmas holidays. Although he was always going to have his older brother's preaching, at least he was going to be more liberated and able to go wherever he wanted. There were some times that he was feeling trapped in that school. There were also places within its boundaries that they weren't allowed to visit. Elbio didn't like breaking rules but he was always worried not to do so because of his unawareness. From the moment he learnt that the forest was a restricted area he had not interest to read the rest of the rules. He was hoping that he could visit freely the forest. There were so many different creatures waiting for him to take them a picture. It was a shame that he couldn't because of a regulation. Despite his desire to take the picture of a unicorn, he wasn't going to trespass the rules and give the opportunity to his brother to scold him.

The water below him agitated and his expression transformed. His indolent face flashed with the excitement of expectation as he took his camera in his hands. He groaned disappointed when what emerged from the dark waters proved to be nothing more than a grindylow that vanished again in the depths of the lake. He had numerous photos of grindylows. He was there for something rarer and more mysterious. He knew for what he had signed up for and he was intending to persist to the end. If his wait today was going to be proved effortless, he wasn't going to get discouraged. He could insist by coming everyday until he had the right picture in his hands. A voice from behind startled him, almost making him drop his precious camera. When he made sure that his possession was safe in his grip, he turned to face the newcomer.
"Hello.", he greeted the guy and looked at him over his shoulder. He didn't really wanted to leave his seat and fend off the edge of the cliff. "Yes, everything is cool. Just admiring the scenery." he glanced at the lake that was stretching in front of them. He casted a look over his shoulder once more to study the newcomer. "Hang on. I know you!", he drew his attention away from the lake. "You're the guy that helped me with transfiguration class. Remember? Turn rats into rabbits?", he tried to refresh the guy's memory or to confirm his impression that he knew him from transfiguration class.

 

[Minoas Stratis]

Minoas definately didn't want to startle the guy but watching someone so close to the edge of the cliffs grew his uneasy. "Sorry, I didn't meant to..." he was on his way to apologize, noticing the camera almost dropping on the ground but the guy surprised him by asserting that they had met before. Mentioning the transfiguration class as the time and place that they had met, Minoas couldn't help but smile as the remembrance revived from the pole of his memories. "Yes, you are right! I remember!" he replied, fully remembering now the event. "I don't think I really helped you." he continued frowned as he couldn't recall that part of the story. "I would say that we actually cooperated." he said with a smile. It was some sort of group exercise and Minoas wished there were more assignments like that. It was far more interesting working with other people than on your own and the results were also better. As far he could remember, both of them left the classroom capable of turning the mouse into a rabbit.

"Minoas." he introduced himself and extended a hand for a handshake. Judging from last time he met Yerik after such a long time, his name wasn't as memorable as he had thought. He couldn't remember as well the guy's name, only just that it sounded Italian. "I see you like photography." he pointed out, judging from the camera in his hands. "Capturing the scenery, huh?" he asked as he looked around them. There was nothing else worthy except from the beautiful view. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked as he was ready to join him by the edge of the cliff. He decided first to ask. He didn't want to be pressing while someone was practising their hobby.

 

[Elbio Aiello]

The Slytherin rolled his eyes when the newcomer stated that he didn't really help him. A strong feature of his complex personality was his self-awareness. He always knew where he was standing and if his feet could keep him standing. He was aware of his limits, weaknesses and of course his strengths. Definately, transfiguration wasn't a natural talent for him but the exact opposite. Unlike photography, this branch of complex magic was not meant for him. He was admiring those that could master it but he wasn't eager to give it a go.
"Man, I'm so bad in it that even the wand movement that you showed me was more than enough", he said with a chuckled and shook his head as if he wanted to cast away his inability. "Thanks anyway. It quite helped me understand a few things", he said grateful the truth about learning the basics back then. Elbio was home-schooled before attending Hogwarts so it was quite logical not to be able to cope with his courses perfectly. It was true that he had gave up recently, just a reaction to frustrate his older brother and guardian but he was reconsidering lately.

"I'm Elbio", he returned a firm and sincere handshake while stating his name. "Are you Greek?" he wondered before breaking the handshake. His name was reminding him of greek mythology. "I'm of Italian origin. More specifically I come from Sicily", he continued, pretty sure that if he was coming from Greece he would know where Sicily was located. He lowered his attention on the camera in his hands and smirked. "It's more like a passion." his smirk became more like a hearty grin as he started talking about his hobby. "I like capturing moments and keeping them in pictures forever", he explained what was liking the most about photography.
Elbio's dream was to have his own gallery with pictures of subjects that most people couldn't see during their lifetime. Nature's isoldated beauties, rare plants and elusive creatures and animals were some instances of what he would like to be included in his gallery. He wasn't going to wait until his graduation when he would have the opportunity to get out in the world and pursue his lifetime dream. He was waiting resignedly on that cliff to capture in the lens of his camera a creature that only a few residents of that castle had ever witnessed.

"Not really. The picture is decorating my bedside table the first day I arrived here", he said. He wasn't really wasting time when he knew that there was potential interest around him for a good shot. He looked him for a moment puzzled but when he realized what Minoas was asking he nodded several times positively. "Of course! Please have a seat." he pointed at a rock next to him. It was the first time that someone wanted to hang out with him and, at the same time, Elbio had liked him. He was rather strage when it came to socializing. First impression was going to be catalytic for Elbio. He was either going to like you from the first moment or dislike you forever. "Some company would be very welcomed. I'm sure that my topic today isn't going to give me easily the shot I'm anticipating for", he said and looked at the lake for any signs of the creature he wanted to capture in a picture.