enterpainment | four ¬ voice

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four ¬ voice

[filtered away from alan and mae | so hackable it's barely even a filter]

So... magic. I've heard a lot about it here, and I was wondering... what's magic in everyone else's world like? Dangerous, or common, or... er, not so common? It's a universal word, but it seems to mean a lot of different things.

I was just... curious.

[/filtered]

... I think I'm cursed.

Well, not the kind of curse that usually goes on here, but actually cursed. I swear three toasters this week have disappeared! One minute they were in the kitchen, and the next they'd just gone. Either I'm living in a sentient apartment that eats toasters, or I have an... an anti-toaster curse on me. Or maybe the toasters are alive. It's all probably possible, in a place like this.

All I want is toasted bread in the morning! Apparently that is too much to ask for.

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Common and uncommon. It can be dangerous depending on who uses it. But those answers can apply to any world.

[Pause.]

So why're you asking?

How can it be both common and uncommon? [... unless it's like it is in Jamie's world. Hidden.]

Well... just out of curiosity! Academic curiosity? Or, er, maybe just the general kind. In my world, people who use magic are generally... [evil? corrupt?] hated.

How else can it be common and uncommon?

[This pause is the equivalent of a shrug.]

Some secrets've got to be kept for the good of all involved, and even those who aren't, in a roundabout sort of way. The magic could be there but most don't know about it, maybe.

But most of those people who do know about it, where you're from ... they're just regular people? Regular people who can use magic, anyway. Not... psychopaths or mentally deranged or anything?

My brothers might disagree with me, but I like to think I'm perfectly normal, thank you.

[And now there's a note of teasing to her voice before it drops away into something more even, perhaps even idly curious for where this conversation might lead.]

The sort of magic in my world isn't anything anyone can learn, if that's what you're wondering. You've got to be born with it. What kind of person you are isn't decided by the magic in your blood, that's everything else, isn't it?

Brothers are good at disagreeing, I've found. [He should know, since he is one!

Jamie frowns. One similarity, then. Born with it. Not something you can get away from.] ... Everything else? I guess so. But... do you think the magic changes it at all? It makes you more powerful, for one thing.

[He doesn't really realise that he's getting a lot less objective about it as this conversation goes on-- he's not really used to talking to people that aren't his sister and, lately, Alan.]

Sisters are even better.

[There's a thoughtful pause on her end, and then, after a soft hum as she considers and carefully chooses her next words, she answers.]

Well... the way a person uses magic is usually a reflection on how they are. But what they do with it can change them too, I think. Dark magic, for example—they say the worst kinds can corrupt a person's soul, which I absolutely believe.

[She has, after all, seen Tom Riddle before he became Lord Voldemort. The physical difference alone is terrible, once you realise what the cause truly was.]

But that person's got to be fairly twisted up to begin with to even start exploring those sorts of spells. So it's a bit of both, I reckon.

No doubt about that.

[He takes it all in, and it's comforting, a little-- to think that way. That maybe it's not all about the magic.]

... So there's different kinds for you? [Not that Jamie knows too much about magic in his world. Just what it requires to get more of it.] A kind that's definitely Dark magic?

[Pause.] But... they're just the kinds of spells that hurt people, aren't they? Rather than helping.

That's the general definition, I suppose. It's a hard line to suss out, really, because you've got jinxes and hexes and things that could hurt someone but they're not considered Dark.

[Otherwise, Ginny thinks, I'd be a Dark witch a hundred times over by now.]

Dark magic feels different. I've never done it myself and I never would, but—

[It's been done to her.]

—I've seen it. There's just something about it and you know it's wrong. There's nothing at all helpful about the Dark Arts, mate. Not in my world and I can't imagine in many others, too.

... It feels different. [He repeats that, mostly to himself, but loud enough for Ginny to hear. The magic demons gave magicians-- perhaps that felt different, too?]

Well... no, I wouldn't imagine anything called the Dark Arts is very helpful. It's just what the name suggests, isn't it? Lots of evil and wrongdoing.

[He wishes they had clear cut labels in his world.] ... Hexes, though? What do they do?

[Time to lighten things up, she thinks. Now, as offhandedly as she can make her voice,]

Well, I'm particularly good at something called the Bat-Bogey Hex.

[Can you hear that grin in her voice, Jamie? CAN YOU HEAR IT?]

What d'you think that does?

The-- what?

[... did she just say Bat-Bogey Hex. She did, didn't she.]

... Please tell me it doesn't involve bogeys shaped like bats. Or the size of bats.

Your own bogies growing wings and attacking your face, yeah.

[Ginny manages to sound so innocent about this, too.]

And maybe about the size or shape of bats if you're really unlucky. [Then she laughs.] My brothers're terrified of that one but it's their own bloody faults they taught it to me to begin with.

[He just sort of pauses, in awe. And sudden respect for Ginny.]

I have to say, I had no idea anyone could do something like that. But it sounds like a very useful spell for... self-defence. [Or just for attacking someone you don't like. Jamie briefly thinks of Seb being menaced by a winged bogey.

It's a great mental image.] At least it keeps them all in line. How many brothers have you got?

[Better to gain respect by talking about the hex than actually performing it, really. Her brothers had to learn the hard way. And so did a few others at Hogwarts. But she's still laughing.]

It's a good one to fall back on. Just the right amount of terrible and disgusting, enough of a distraction, and enough of a reminder not to hack you off again or they'll get another faceful. It's not the only one I know, of course, but it's a favourite.

[And though her laugh peters out, it still manages to carry into her next words with a particular brightness.]

I've got six older brothers. I'm the youngest of the lot. Which probably explains a lot about the bogies, doesn't it?

[Yes, Jamie is thankful he didn't do anything to warrant Ginny actually using the hex. He is fine without giant bogeys in his life.]

It's effective without being overly dangerous. Unless someone has a deathly phobia of them, but I don't think it's the sort of thing people think about too much.

Six older brothers? That must've been a nightmare. [Well, sometimes anyway, since Jamie knows the importance of siblings well.] I've only got one older sister and I think she's more than enough.

You've other things to worry about if you've a phobia of bogies.

[An amused huff of breath.]

I can't imagine having an older sister.

Well, if they're giant and they have wings, I'd say it's understandable.

[Even just with the wings, really.]

They're overrated. [He says this jokingly, though, and very fondly.] But Mae's quite possibly the bossiest person alive. Are any of your brothers bossy?

Of course. But they aren't always like that. At least, I hope not.

[That's another awful thing entirely, isn't it.]

Oh, yeah. Percy's incredibly bossy. I can't imagine anyone else could beat him at it, even your sister. He's not even the oldest and he tries to boss around the oldest, I'm positive of it!

... Luckily.

[... yes, it most definitely is.]

I don't know about that. Mae could give him a run for his money, I'm sure. I bet if I were the older one, she would still try it. [And he'd let her, actually, but that's beside the point.] But Percy doesn't sound like the life of the party, so to speak. More like the person who stands in the corner and criticises everyone's dance moves.

Because he can't dance and would sooner write a detailed report on cauldron bottoms than admit it.

Oh, I'm sure he can dance. Maybe not well, but flailing your arms around and stepping on people's toes is easy.

... Cauldron bottoms? [Pause.] So you use cauldrons?

Dancing's fun and I'm sure he doesn't know how to have that.

[Yeah, okay. Two years in the City and not seeing Percy hasn't lessened her distaste for her brother.]

... er, yeah, we use cauldrons. Potions, you know. Sort of basic.

... That's a bit more of a problem. Maybe he thinks reports about cauldron bottoms are fun.

[He senses that distaste but assumes it's more like... general sibling distaste? So he doesn't comment.]

Wow. I didn't know people actually did that. Well, I mean, I thought it was sort of old-fashioned...

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four ¬ voice

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