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DaniDiNardo · #1 (**permalink**) 12-04-2018, 12:54 PM

High above overlooking the lake and a section of the grounds are the castle battlements. During the Battle of Hogwarts, the battlements where used to defend the school from Lord Voldemort and his allies. This is also where Sirius Black rode away on Buckbeak the hippogriff, but keep that hush hush. Though some damage remains, the battlements remain fairly intact and provide an opportune place to be when an enemy is approaching.

The battlements provide a nice view from a high vantage point. More often than not, the Giant Squid can be seen bathing himself in the sunlight; thestrals (if you can see them) fly above the trees at the edge of the lake; and if you look closely you'll be able to follow the road that leads to the Entrance Gates. If you're feeling up to climbing the tight spiral staircase to get there, know that it is worth the effort. There are wooden crates and barrels for you to sit on at the top should you need to catch your breath.

Felixir · 09-06-2021, 07:38 PM

The end of the first day back in classes - that description used loosely - found Nem heading up to the battlements on the sixth floor. It had not been their intended destination at first, really they'd just meant to wander so as to stay on the move until five o'clock, but on one of the staircases they'd happened to pass little Titan Flamsteed, so it made perfect sense that they'd ended up here instead.

Finding the battlements empty, Nem nevertheless did a quick circuit of the area, before looping back and hopping up to sit, as they often tended to do, atop one of the stone merlons. At this point in the afternoon, it was still a couple of hours out from sunset, so the grounds were still clearly visible from up here.

Nem made to check their watch, but had barely tilted their wrist before remembering. Didn't matter, they knew the September sky well enough up here. Instead they sat and silently watched over the grounds like a problematic gargoyle, rotating their ankles so their feet, dangling over the edge, conducted concentric circles at the empty space below.

sweetpinkpixie · 09-07-2021, 09:52 AM

Atlas had actually been planning on making his way to the battlements, hoping to find Nemesis up there since he had kind of sort of turned out to be their spot. Or maybe it was more Nemesis' spot and Atlas was just the visitor. In any case, he HAD been doing in that direction...but then there had been this chocolate frog hopping along the stairs that had him distracted and the Gryffindor decided to follow back down the staircase he had just climbed all the way up. It had disappeared through a vent and, alas, he would never find out where it was heading. Chances were that it would melt before it got there anyway so...no real loss there, he supposed. Then he had climbed back UP and almost tripped on his untied shoes, so he had knelt down to tie those when a couple of things had falling out of his pockets (some of the items he nabbed from the fireworks booth in the Alley and a couple other little knick-knacks) and rolled right back DOWN the stairs again...so he had had to scramble to collect those again. He had just reassembled the bits and bobs in with the rest of the menagerie in his trouser pocket when the very Slytherin in question had ascended the stairs beside them...and Atlas had held his breath, as if doing so would mean that they would go unnoticed and not embarrass himself.

Though he also knew it unwise to assume that Nemesis would not notice black robes against the marble staircases.

But...anyway. A Gryffindor could dream of being inconspicuous.

Atlas eventually found his way back up the stairs, without dropping anything else, and to the battlements where he easily spotted Nemesis sitting...SITTING?! That...that seemed dangerous! What with legs dangled over the edge like that!

So of course his mouth had to start moving.

"...is that safe?"

Felixir · 09-07-2021, 03:40 PM

Despite what had led them back to this spot, Nem had neither expected nor hoped that Titan Flamsteed would join them here, just as they had neither expected nor hoped that he wouldn't. When they heard footsteps, they wondered, theorised, ears pricking up as the footsteps reached the point where the stairs levelled out onto the battlements.

They still weren't surprised to hear that it was him, and turned to look over their shoulder at the Gryffindor as he spoke.

Safe. Relative concept. Nem looked down over the parapet, between their dangling feet, then back again. "As long as you don't lose your head entirely when you fall, it's fine." Magic, see. Casting spells at a split second's notice. Nem walked a much more treacherous tightrope every day in this place, one that had little to do with the possibility of coming to physical harm, but was now known to be just as thrilling. More. "How are you, Atlas."

sweetpinkpixie · 09-08-2021, 09:40 AM

Something told Atlas that Nemesis did not mean decapitation when referring to losing one's head. Though in the moment all the third year could think about was Nearly Headless Nick and that ghost would have no problems if they toppled over the edge there because they could just float right on back inside. Which he supposed any witch or wizard could also accomplish with the right spellwork as long as they did not pa----oh....oooooooooooh. He got it. It had taken him around the hippogriff's flight and back but he had figured it out.

Well done, Atlas Leonel Flamsteed. Well done.

"Or have better options than all the king's men and their horses." He too was trying to be clever, even if it was kind of lame. How could horses even help in that situation? Wouldn't they just make everything worse with their hooves and stomping all over everything? Instant regret he had let the thought leave his mouth. "Oh...I...uh...well..." He had to take a moment to collect himself by looking down at his feet, his left tracing small counterclockwise circles on the stone floor. Or maybe it was more like a spiral since he started small and then expanded just a little but then pulled it back in tight. "Okay...I suppose...but...um..." Decides just to be out with it all. "...why is the headmaster trying to isolate you? At least that...seems like that is what he may be doing...doesn't seem right...punishing all of Gryffindor for talking to you..."

Felixir · 09-09-2021, 03:02 AM

Lame though it may have been, Nem made the necessary leap and picked up on what Titan Flamsteed was getting at before he had even finished his sentence. They couldn't help but wonder, then, if the greatness of the fall was directly correlated with the irretrievability of the break. In the literal sense, yes, usually, though freak survivals did happen. But figuratively? They'd never really given it much thought. Metaphors were all well and good, but only up to a point. Nothing translated perfectly.

Realising they'd fallen silent, Nem focused on Titan's face again as he spoke, and gave him a half smile that dropped away almost instantly. "I have a few theories." One of which had emerged all but fully formed only earlier that day, which had landed them firmly in a state of ambivalence, and which was better not shared. "The divide and conquer thing was clever, but it doesn't work when people are smart enough to see it for what it is. Control tactics, I mean. It was a power play. He also wants to rein me in, and doesn't want me influencing his Gryffindors unless he can manage it. His job is easier if I stand alone." There was probably a metaphor to be found somewhere in there too, but, speaking of reining things in, Nem had been having trouble getting their thoughts under control all day.

"Isolation is powerful, Atlas. It does things to a person, especially if you don't know how to embrace it."

sweetpinkpixie · 09-12-2021, 01:57 PM

The true embarrassment would have been for Nemesis to have absolutely no idea what he was talking about. It was kind of like when Aries tried to tell a joke and Atlas didn't get it so Aries would have to explain it and then all the charm and humor was robbed from the situation. Except with his brother there was a clear lack of embarrassment when one or the other did not quite hop aboard the other's train of thought.

Though, in the moment, the complete lack of response to his third year wit and transition on to the next topic came with its humble dose of mild humiliation. Not a good joke, got it.

NEMESIS UPSTEAD HAD JUST CALLED HIM SMART! Indirectly, but the Gryffindor was going to keep that in his back pocket regardless.

Quiet for a moment, he couldn't help but draw parallels here. Not really a fan of the subject, it was nonetheless true that that history repeated itself and patterns emerged. Frowning for a moment, he felt too anxious to voice his thoughts aloud despite the fact that they were pounding on the inside of his head and may very well just bust it open. No-Nose Dark Lord had tried to do the same, hadn't he? Make Harry Potter, Chosen One, feel like he was all alone so he was less of a threat? He was pretty sure he had read some journal entry or another on this topic. Or some reflection about the rise of Death Eaters during some personal research. But, also, there was this icky feeling that seemed to fall in line with how the headmaster addressed them all...and that was one of distrust. All very uncomfortable things to think about and his stomach was knotting up terribly.

"...based on your theory, sort of sounds like he could be afraid of you," he assessed with his tongue smacking on the backs of his teeth while he tasted his theory in juxtaposition to Nemesis'. Maybe because of what had happened to Kale Trent. Atlas was not privy enough to know. "Deducting house points only works if you care about the House Cup...and not sure how many of us Gryffindors particularly pay attention to it."

At least...he didn't. Especially when lump sums of points could be taken for just talking to a person.

"...but...you aren't alone..."

Felixir · 09-18-2021, 09:26 PM

Still sat atop the merlon, twisted around slightly so as to see Flamsteed a little better, Nem drew up one leg to hug their knee, propping their chin on it. They left little Titan to his musings, not tempted to say much more. Much of it was beyond their capacity for caring, but the kid was already poised to follow the necessary trajectory. Only needed the vaguest suggestion here and there before his eyes were opened in just the right way.

That left Nem to their own thoughts, just for a moment, thoughts that started with the topic at hand, but rapidly pinballed away through a labyrinth of vaguely - and then not remotely - connected certainties. Mere moments, seconds, but when Flamsteed spoke again, there was a long pause while Nem circled back to the current conversation.

"... He is. In a sense." They fiddled with one of their shirt buttons, alternately twisting and tapping it, considered elaborating, but thought better of it. Regardless of how arguably squirrelly their thoughts had been getting of late, nothing would ever draw that potentially incriminating information from them. "That's why he didn't take points from me, he knows I don't care." About the cup, or about what the Slytherins thought of them for losing points. "He-..."

But then, as had happened frequently that day, the thought slipped from Nem's grasp and left them stranded, blank, and the next they landed on was an awareness that this couldn't have started back up at a more inconvenient time. They checked the sky.

And then lowered their gaze again, looked at Titan Flamsteed, simultaneously expressionless and piercing. A slow nod, then, "Neither are you."

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