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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 6, 2008 23:25:08 GMT -5
Kel trotted down the hall to Professor Longbottom's office. She wanted to see if he had any recommendations for plants that might be able to help her animate her sketch. She had the sketch, a notepad full of notes on spells, charms, salves, potions and techniques for doing so, but she was visiting professors to see if they could help her more than books, though the books had been helpful. Also, she wanted to practice, and she wasn't sure it was quite safe, or even allowable, to do so.
She rapped smartly on the door, then drew her hand back.
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 6, 2008 23:40:15 GMT -5
Neville started at the noise, then smiled.
"It's not locked, come right on in!" he called.
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 6, 2008 23:53:58 GMT -5
Kel pushed the slightly heavy door open, stepping into the office. She looked around her, taking in the office, then turned to the professor sitting behind the desk. Kel got right down to the reason she was there.
"Good day, professor! I was just wondering if you could help me with a project I'm working on."
((OOC: I'm not trying to God-play, but since you didn't really specify where you're sitting, if you're actually sitting, I just didn't know what to do. Also, if you wanted to explain what the office looked like, that would be helpful. Not to be pushy or anything.))
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 7, 2008 11:15:01 GMT -5
[[OOC: The office description is posted elsewhere in the sub-board. I tend to just go with the flow with roleplaying. I didn't say where he was in the room, so whatever. He is indeed sitting behind his desk.]]
"Well, let's have a look then, shall we? I might be able to lend a hand."
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 7, 2008 16:43:01 GMT -5
"Thank you sir!" Kel smiled, pulling her notes out of her bag, along with the sketch and her wand.
"You see, I'm trying to animate this picture; make the tree's leaves sway a bit in the wind and make a bird flap its wings and fly around the page. I've found some spells, but I just wanted to see if there was anything you wanted to suggest." Kel explained, then stopped to see if she still had Professor Longbottom.
((OOC: Okay, I'll go read that just so I know for future reference.))
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 7, 2008 17:38:00 GMT -5
"Hmm. I've never done this myself, but I recall an artistically skilled classmate of mine years ago who used to do that all the time. Oh, what was his name...?"
He paused for a moment, scratching his head.
"I know he was the Quidditch team Chaser... Thomas! Dean Thomas! He used to do that to his drawings all the time..."
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 7, 2008 20:23:09 GMT -5
Kel was intrigued.
"Did he use a spell? A potion of some sort? Or maybe a mix of the two. . . I know there's a spell that would be wonderful to manipulate the bird's feathers while it's flying, but there's a potion that is much better suited to the general movement of the flight; moving around the page and such. Then for the tree, the feather spell for the leaves, and the general movement for the branches. But I have my eye on a really handy charm that can change colors, so that part of the bird could be thrown into relief while the other half is in shadow. . . ." Kel trailed off, pulling out the necessary books. She was also just becoming aware of the fact that she had said quite a lot to a professor who she was still not that familiar with.
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 7, 2008 22:23:24 GMT -5
Neville smiled.
"Well, take a seat, and let's see what you've found, and if nothing suits, I'll owl Dean Thomas and see if he remembers. If I remember correctly, there's a way to enchant ink so that it moves, but I'm not sure about pencils... hmm."
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 8, 2008 21:08:39 GMT -5
Kel sat down and laid out her things. Her sketchbook was to her left, with the textbook of spells on its right. Then came the potions book on the other side of the textbook, and finally came some of Kel's personal notes on how to elaborate a bit on the Charm spell (she was very self-sufficient), and how to successfully blend the two to have the best of both techniques.
Pointing to each item, she named them, explaining each one. Starting on the left: "This is my drawing. The Charms textbook I got the spell for the bird's wings and the leaves," she moved her hand to the large canvas-bound book, "The potions book where I found the solution for general movement - you say a certain incantation depending on how you want whatever you're applying it to to move, -" her hand hovered a moment over the slightly stained cover of the large book, ". . . and these are my personal notes on how to enhance the Charm so that it's easier to apply to small parts of a drawing, and the separate incantation necessary to bind it inside the not-very-defining lines of the pencil I used - since ink is much more bold and makes an impassable line, you don't need boundaries because that's what the ink is. For a pencil, it does not flow, and if there are flaws in the graphite or lead, then it won't be a complete holder for the magic, and the power will leak out the holes." Kel explained fully and carefully, hoping she didn't forget anything.
"So that's where I need you. First of all, it would be nice if you had some other sort of general movement spell or mixture, because I don't really like the one in the potions book, and second, because I'm not nearly skilled enough, though I was going to ask Professor Taikal or maybe Sir Nick to help with that, since I understand your area of expertise is plants and their magical properties. So, if you could help, that would be great!" Kel finished with a bright smile, not really noticing that she had just spouted some pretty advanced stuff that would probably confuse your average third-year, maybe fourth.
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 8, 2008 22:28:28 GMT -5
Neville looked over the different individual parts, nodding as she spoke.
"Hmm. Well, actually, I think it'd be a matter of finding the right Locomotion charm, so really, knowing the right Latin word. Let's try one."
He took a piece of spare parchment and scribbled in a crude, if functional, picture of a cat.
"Locomotor Tractem," he said, giving his wand a flick. The drawing began to move, but not in any specific way, it just slid around on the page. "Well, we know that sort of works. Finite Incantatem."
He pointed his wand at the now immobile cat scribble.
"Locomotor Tractem Cauda," he flicked his wand. The cat's tail began to move. "Finite Incantatem."
"Locomotor Tractem Feles," he tried again. The whole cat began to move, and take on the characteristics of a cat.
"There we go! See, these kinds of Charms can be rather tricky, as they're unspecific and don't often work well unless you know the Latin work. Sometimes they'll work if you concentrate really hard and use the English word, but I'd invest in a good dictionary if I were you. Otherwise, talk to Professor Winters... I know she's far better with languages than I am, and her speciality is Latin. Tractem means drawing, so use this along with the word for whatever part of the drawing you wish to animate."
He smiled at the girl.
"You're quite bright for a girl your age, I don't think Dean went looking for this until fourth year."
He looked at his cat scribble, which was licking itself with fervor.
"Well, we learned one thing for certain... I can't draw worth a Knut."
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 9, 2008 14:56:07 GMT -5
Kel listened, nodding as he explained.
"I think I will go ask Professor Winters about that! Thanks a lot, Professor Longbottom! I'll be sure to drop by in case I have any other questions!" She smiled widely, stuffing her things back into her magically enlarged bag, then whipped a pencil out of her pocket. She swooshed a few lines onto the cat Neville had drawn, then pulled out her wand.
"Locomotor Tractem Feles." she carefully enunciated, willing the better-looking cat to move like the Herbology professor had made it. The cat, now looking a lot more like a Felis catus, purred silently, it's whole body shivering in ecstasy as it felt the magic flow into it. It yawned widely, then curled up in a tangle of pencil lines, falling swiftly asleep. Kel, delighted, looked back up at Professor Longbottom. "I did it on my first try! That's the first time I've ever successfully performed magic my first time!" She looked back down at the snoozing cat in wonderment.
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 9, 2008 15:45:36 GMT -5
"Feels good, doesn't it? I remember the first time I did something without it backfiring. I wasn't much for wand work when I was younger."
Neville opened a little wooden box on his desk. It was filled with all sorts of different chocolates - truffles, cream-filled, caramel...
"Chocolate?" he said, offering it to her. "I'd recommend seeing Professor Winters. She's very nice. Her cat is a little bizarre, though."
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 9, 2008 15:52:08 GMT -5
Kel accepted the chocolate with a smile, popping it immediately into her mouth.
"I have a cat, too. Maybe Tiria and her cat will become friends. Though, I don't think Tiria has ever been accused of being 'weird'. She's mostly just described as 'soft', 'invisible' - she actually can become invisible because she's half-Kneazle - and 'nice', though I guess she's somewhat weird. Her eyes change color, and I can speak with her. Her meows sound like words to whoever she wants them to." Kel licked her chocolaty fingers, hoping she hadn't said too much.
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Post by Neville Longbottom on Jan 9, 2008 16:15:32 GMT -5
"Well, you'll have to see for yourself," he said, rather cryptically. "Hope you find what you're looking for!"
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Post by Keladry Lindenshield on Jan 9, 2008 16:26:30 GMT -5
Kel looked at him quizzically, but then put her pencil and wand back in her pocket and up her sleeve, respectively, grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder and smiled once more at the kind professor.
"Well, I suppose I'll go and find her! Thanks again, professor!" She smiled at the cat drawing. "Do you mind if I take my drawing? I want to keep it; my first successful casting on the first try! And, of course, the first moving drawing I've ever made." she petted the slumbering feline with her finger, wondering if the cat could feel it. Apparently yes, because the cat lazily opened one eye, blinked sleepily at its creators, then flicked its tail over its eyes and went back to sleep.
Kel wondered briefly whether it was a boy or a girl. 'I mean, it's not like I drew them in. Hmmmm. I'll have to check.'
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