Master of Puppets (OPEN)

[Senium Nex]

Senium, walking into the little training room she had seen in the time she had been at Hogwarts, hoped that while she was in there nobody else would come in, after all she didn't want to have them see what she was doing.

Hopefully if the worst came to worst she could just cover it up, but Senium really did hate to lie, so she would probably stammer, turn red, and then it would be fairly obvious she wasn't telling the truth.

When she was sure that nobody was near, she took out her little marionette and began to move it around with her hands, then, closing her eyes and gathering her concentration, Senium let her magic fly out of her fingertips in a tangible form, attatching the strings to the limbs of the puppet, making it do the strange little dance that she often made them do.

Then she introduced the other puppet, and they started to ball dance around the small space on the floor.

[Teresa Maria King]

"Damn it, Raven!" Teresa called out to the blackbird that promised to play with her. "Get back here!"

Teresa chased Raven through Hogwarts corridors and he finally stopped at the second floor. She grabbed him.

"Caw," Raven said. He pointed with his beak at a door. Teresa could feel a tint of magic being used. It was probably Raven that felt it though.

"This is where we're going to play?" she asked. Raven nodded playfully. "Fine."

Teresa opened the door and saw a bunch of puppets dancing as if they were alive. She watch in wonder and excitement.

[Senium Nex]

Senium heard the door open and immediately she panicked, and cut the ties to the puppets that she was using, hearing them collapse to the floor with a faint clatter, she had hoped that she wouldn't have been spotted, but she knew that was wishful thinking, as there always seemed to be people around the castle at some point or another, she had just hoped thi area would be quiet enough.

Seeing the girl standing there, Senuim blushed a little bit and gave a shy wave to the girl, it looked as if she had a pet raven with her and she couldn't help but think just how cool that was, unusual for a pet at Hogwarts as everyone just seemed to have cats and owls.

"Uhm, hello." she said with a blush.

[Teresa Maria King]

Teresa frowned when the puppets dropped like they were dead corpses. She finally noticed the girl. The girl said a shy greeting.

"I'm Teresa King," Teresa asked, not even think to say hello back. "Can you do that again? It was interesting."

Raven pecked her in the head.

"Raven, didn't I say not to do that?" she scolded the bird. "You could have just say something."

She looked at the girl.

"My stupid bird said that I should say hello back. So, hello."

[Senium Nex]

Seeing that the girl frowned when she stopped animating the puppets, Senium wondered if it might not be so bad to have everyone know her power, after all she would have nothing to hide and maybe everyone would think that it was cool, if they did, maybe they would want to learn it however...and she couldn't pass it on to anyone else, otherwise it wouldn't be special.

"You think so?" Senium asked with a large smile "It's a pleasure to meet you Teresa."

Struggling not to giggle when the Raven tapped Teresa on the head, Senium wondered if the pet had a name, or if it was just called 'Raven'; "Does your pet have a name?" she asked again, tilting her head to one side as she looked at the girl.

[Teresa Maria King]

"Of course, it is," Teresa answered. "Puppets dancing without any strings is like getting corpses forced to move against their will. How do you do it?"

Teresa poked Raven's head as she frowned at him.

"This. Stupid. Bird. Is. Raven," she said, poking the bird with each word. "I. Should. Have. Named. Him. Stupid."

Raven peck her in the head when he got irritated.

[Senium Nex]

Senium blinked a little, the idea of moving corpses was not one that she liked to think of but she supposed that it was true that she could move them if she wanted to...although she much preferred using the wooden puppets, it was less macabre.

"It's just something that I have been trained to do, my Grandpapa showed me how to do it, it's like a family thing that's been passed down through the generations." she smiled.

Giggling a little bit at the display between Teresa and Raven, Senium hoped that one day she might be able to have a pet like that, perhaps she could transfigure one.

"Well hello to you Raven." she laughed "Oh dear, that didn't hurt did it?" Senium asked, meaning the peck to the girls head.

[Teresa Maria King]

Something passed through generations, uh?

"That's like with Lily," Teresa said. "The King family has a violin passed through generations, too. She's very good at it. And like the records in the family library. Is it hard to do it? Can you teach me?"

Teresa got irritated as Raven continued to peck her. She pulled out a block of silver, cast a spell, and it tranfigurated into a bird cage. She pushed the bird in it.

"It doesn't hurt, it's just irritating. It's like someone poking you non stop. And I swear he wants to vex me."

Raven cawed.

"Don't lie, Raven. I can tell if it's you."

[Senium Nex]

Senium smiled lightly, she too had something that was passed down through the generations, it was her mothers ring, it had been her grandmothers before her, but she didn't have too many memories of her since she died just after she was born.

"I think it's nice if you have something passed down in your family, it makes it more special, and you have something to remind you of your history."

When she was asked if she could teach Teresa, Senium shook her head with a slight pout; "I'm sorry I can't, my Grandpapa would be so angry if I taught another person how to do it...it takes a while to learn too."

Unable to stop a small smile, Senium couldn't help but wonder when 'vex' was last used in the English language; "You're very good at transfiguration." she pointed out "I'm good at it too."

[Teresa Maria King]

Teresa didn't feel disappointed when Senium said no. She understand. Families, whether poor or rich, have their secrets they would die to keep out the minds of others. That's was why nobody was allowed to touch Lily's violin.

"That's too bad," Teresa said. "But, I quite agree and I don't think I can keep magic in touch like that. It goes crazy sometimes."

Raven cawed, mockingly. Teresa glared at him.

"I'm going to throw you out the window," she said to him, using her wand to lit a spark at him. Harmless, but it scares him witless.

"Really?" Teresa asked. "What kind? I'm mostly good at transforming shapes in to other kinds. It's good practice whenever Raven brings back some kind of stone."

[Senium Nex]

Senium was glad that Teresa understood and agreed with her, that meant that she wouldn't feel so bad when she had to keep it from her because her familiy probably had secrets too, all the old families did it seemed.

"It took me a few years to try and learn how to do it properly, but it was a lot of hard work, I would have completed it faster I would have thought too." she pouted lightly.

Unable to stop a giggle rising in her throat at the interaction between the two people in front of her, Senium made up her mind to get a pet, they seemed fun and good company.

"He can fly though, I don't think he would mind being thrown out of the window." Senium pointed out.

Not wanting to seem like she was boasting Senium pressed her finger tips together and blushed a little bit; "Uhm a few types, its the only type of magic I can do though...I've had to take theory classes for most of my lessons."

[Teresa Maria King]

"I want to learn something too," Teresa said. "My family have some other skills, but I can't learn them yet. Mama won't let me. Said that they are too dangerous. Though she did teach me some attack and defense spell, but not all of them."

Teresa took some gems out of her pocket and started throwing them at Raven. He dodge them, even though the cage was small.

"Caw! Caw! Caw!" Raven taunt.

"I am not a bad aim, Raven!"

She kept throwing it, but he continued to dodge.

"I'm going to throw him out while he's still in the cage. Throw some at him."

She gave place some gems on Senium's hand.

[Senium Nex]

Senium nodded her head, it seemed as if it was going to be the way that many people didn't want their children to learn their arts because they were too dangerous, Senium however had to learn at such an early age because she would not have much time when she was fully grown.

"They sound like they would be very useful what they have taught you already, simply because there are so many attacks now it would be useful to defend yourself."

Watching Teresa throw gems at Raven she felt a little bad for the bird and bit her lip, however it was a little fun to see him dodge all of the gems she threw his way.

Half heartedly she tried to throw one of the gems she gave to her at the bird and hoped it would not hit him.

[Teresa Maria King]

"It could," Teresa said, "Or some of the spells take a long time to learn. Better now than later. Like Lily and the 'Decree of the King of Attack'. There was about fifty of them for her. Mama can do about thirty. I can't count them. They go too fast."

She smiled when Senium start throwing gems at Raven. She threw all her gems at her, but somehow he kept dodging it. She stopped when they had no more gems.

Raven cawed in laughter.

"I'm going to cook and eat you," she said to her bird.

[Senium Nex]

Senium nodded and wondered just what these attacks were but she did not ask in case it was a little bit of a sore point, so she merely nodded her head, after all she was keeping her family secrets away from Teresa so it was only fair;

"It sounds like it takes a lot of magical power to do that, so maybe it would take a lot of training not to be totally drained when you had performed it." she smiled gently.

Glad that they had not managed to hit the bird, Senium smiled gently but it changed into a rather shocked expression when she heard Teresa say she was planning on cooking and eating Raven.

"Awww poor Raven, she's picking on you."

[Teresa Maria King]

"I agree with that," Teresa said. Lily said it took her five years to get it the way she have now. Mama said the first time Lily did it, she almost fainted and could only do two. Does it take a lot of magic for you to perform your puppet act?"

"Caw, caw," Raven cried. Teresa narrowed her eyes at him and started sparking him in his cage. He kept fluttering up. "Caw!"

"You're picking on me?" Teresa said, offended. "I'm going to roast you alive. Or bury you alive. Or both. Do you have a pet, Senium? I hope it isn't as stupid as Raven."

[Senium Nex]

"Wow that does sound rather draining actually." she admitted, she'd never really fainted from using too much magic although she had come close at some points, "It takes a fair bit of magic but if you don't perfectly balance every drop of it and channel it perfectly then it's wasted."

She giggled at the interaction between the girl and the raven, they seemed more like brother and sister than anything else. They loved each other but at the same time drove each other crazy. She shook her head, a little bit sadly,

"No I don't have a pet..." she muttered, her grandfather didn't think it was a good idea, "I have always liked birds though so in the future maybe I could get a lady raven?"

[Teresa Maria King]

"It sounds hard," Teresa said. "It must be bothersome if you have to handle it like that. But it must be worth it."

Teresa changed her spell and water began to wash onto Raven, who fluttered into the cage.

"You should get one. They are enjoyable, even Raven, when he's not trying to annoy me. I do hope if you do get a lady raven, she's elegant or nice, unlike a certain bird. I can't say for Raven, though. He seems picky, but I think a female bird would like him. All birds do. That's why they listen to him when he speaks and help when he ask."

[Senium Nex]

Senium nodded her head, it was very difficult to learn how to use her magic, but she had begun to get accidental magic when she was young, around 8, and then she had been trained from that point on to try and command the puppets, although it was only recently she was able to do so effectively.

"It is worth it, but, it's the only type of magic I can do so, I can put a lot of time and effort into it, where as other people can get better at lots of different things." she said with a small smile on her lips.

Grinning a little, she smiled at the thought of getting a Raven so that Raven might have a friend to speak to while they were at the castle; "I think then that I might get one, that way they can talk and he might get out of your way and stop annoying you." she laughed lightly.

[Teresa Maria King]

"Better at one thing than nothing at all," Teresa said. "Your magic must be one of a kind or rare at least. Don't feel bad if you can only do one thing. I think it's an amazing display of magic that anyone can enjoy. Isn't it worth too to see people smile and laugh?"

She stop with the water and cast a hot air magic, blow drying Raven. "You been needing to take a bath these day."

"I'm highly doubt that he will stop annoying me. There's birds here on castle grounds, but he never go and talk to them. But, maybe if it's a friend's bird, he would probably talk to them and annoy me a little less. Can't get too hopeful. Seems to enjoy annoying me better. It does kill a lot of time."

[Senium Nex]

Senium smiled wide and she nodded her head she did think that it was nice to be able to be really good at one type of magic, she would be able to become a master at it and then maybe she would have a chance of being remembered after she had died.

"Yes, it's lovely to see people enjoy my magic, although it is very useful in fights too, but mostly I like to make people dance funny, because I can do it to people too." she grinned.

Laughing a little bit, Senium shook her head, the poor Raven, she was going to enjoy speaking to her more, perhaps in the future when they travel home from Hogwarts or in the holidays.

"At least there's some sort of plus side to being annoyed by Raven, although I may still get a pet in the summer, I was thinking of a cat...or an owl." she smiled.

[Teresa Maria King]

"Dancing," Teresa giggled. It's sounded silly to make people dance while fighting. It's sounds like dance fighting. It's that even real? "That would be funny to see. Make them dance until they fall from tiredness."

Teresa laughed when Raven's feather was puffed up a bit. Some stray feathers stuck out. Raven gave a deep cry from the back of his throat. He looked funny. He started to pick up the gems that landed in the cage.

"What plus side is there? If I wanted to kill time, I would be wondering the Forbidden Forest. It's more fun. My friend, Sam, has an owl. Why don't you get a songbird instead? It can sing, or chirp, as you use that puppet magic of your's."

[Senium Nex]

"Yes it can be very hard to fight if you're styling up the dance floor." she joked lightly, getting more comfortable and informal, "It is quite fun to watch. They aren't often pleased to be dancing suddenly though..."

Senium held her hand up to her mouth and giggled a little bit at the disgruntled and rather ruffled raven. He did look rather silly like that,

"He's funny to look at when he's like this?" she suggested, smiling a little bit at both Teresa and the bird. She smiled a little bit more, "That sounds quite good... but I'd have to hear the songbird first to decide which one."

[Teresa Maria King]

"Would people consider you a hero if you made people dance on the battlefield? I heard there's something called 'break dancing'. You should try that if that means they break their bones to dance," Teresa said. "Humiliate you enemies every chance you get."

Teresa laughed because Raven was looking like a fur ball, or featherball. Mocking him even further, she poked him with her wand. Raven glared half heartily.

"Maybe I should take a picture of him like this," Teresa said. "Use it every time I need a smile. I'm not really good at birds, but how about a mockingbird? Or a nightingale? I heard a story about one that sang so beautifully, a king spent a lot of time to catch it."

[Senium Nex]

"I'm not sure if they would think I was a hero... but it would be good for the soldiers right? To make them happier." she reasoned before giggling slightly, "Break dancing is a type of muggle dance with lots of odd movements but I'm afraid it doesn't involve breaking bones."

Senium felt kind of bad for Raven now that both her and Teresa were laughing at it. She stroked some of his feathers down softly with a finger,

"I think you should show it to him whenever he tries to get all high and mighty." she suggested with a smile, "I think a nightingale sounds like a good bird to have... they're supposed to be very pretty too."

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