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Tweak says, "vidi vici veni"

Albus Dumbledore (oddmenttweak) wrote in hogwarts_dawn,
@ 2021-04-18 15:27:00

Entry tags:

character: albus dumbledore, character: albus s. potter

RP: Albus & Albus
Who: Albus Dumbledore & Albus Potter
When: April 18, early evening
Where: Fourth floor corridor
What: Meetings and rogue experiments

Albus was sat in one of the deep windowsills on the transfiguration corrisor, his back against the wall and the evening light staining the side of his face. Outside, the day had given way to the softer evening, creating streaks of colour amongst the low hanging clouds.

Albus needed the light - the windows in his room and even his old classroom, where he had 'set up shop', so to speak, faced the wrong way, and the light there was mostly shadows. Not right at all. Creasing his brow, Albus shifted uncomfortably on the stone sill, tucking one long leg beneath him as he turned the shallow wooden bowl in his hand towards the light. There was something sat in the bottom of the dish. Something small and dull and dark, about the size and shape of a lump of coal from the bottom of the grate.

With a frown, Albus pulled his wand from where it rested behind his ear, giving the lump a tentative poke. It seemed to make a half hearted crackling noise, but nothing else changed. Biting back a very un-professor-like word, Albus let his auburn head fall back against the wall with a dull thud.

What had gone wrong this time?

Almost irritably, he gave his failed experiment one last jab with his wand, not even paying proper attention as his mind wandered back towards the chalkboard in his classroom. Which would turn out to be a mistake. With a (surprisingly angry) hiss, the piece of old lead bounced up and flew, furiously and at great speed, along the length of the corridor.

The swear finally escaped Albus' lips as he bounded to his feet and sprinted after it in a mess of long limbs and red hair. He was vaguely aware of footsteps coming the over way, and managed to shout out just in time to give the unsuspecting newcomer fair warning of the speeding missile.

"Watch out!"

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oddmenttweak
2021-04-18 09:50 pm UTC (link)

"Change," Albus replied simply. He couldn't help but notice the way Al latched onto the topic. It was a welcome development - bar a few people, there weren't many opportunities for Albus to vent his thought processes around here. He held out the iron to the other man again, inviting him to take a closer look.

"Not intended. It's all based around changing the properties of a thing, rearranging it at its very basic level. You can imagine it involves putting a lot of energy in, to try and break those initial bonds. Perhaps that energy did not diffuse properly and that's why it became so... well, energetic."

He sighed, reaching up to brush auburn hair from his forehead and casting another slightly disheartened look down at the stone. "Or perhaps I was poking it and not paying close enough attention. Sadly, that might be just as likely."

The professor lifted his bright gaze again, training it intently on the other Albus. "Are you interested in alchemy?"

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the_other_albus
2021-04-18 10:01 pm UTC (link)

Al took the lump and examined it carefully. It just looked like iron now, but that didn't mean there wasn't still something going on below the surface. Dumbledore had helped create the Philosopher's Stone after all. Though, maybe not yet.

"I, I am. Yeah. It's not my area of expertise
I, uh, I was in experimental charms. Before," he waved vaguely at the castle in insinuate 'all of this'. "But, but I think it's fascinating. The fundamental shifts. It's, uh, something I always hoped to dabble with. Eventually." He handed the lump back with a smile. "What, um, what was this going to become? Gold?" Gold was standard, after all. "Or, or something more interesting?"

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oddmenttweak
2021-04-19 01:42 pm UTC (link)

"Oh? May I ask what kind?" Albus regarded Al with some interest, handing over the ore and instead letting his long body sag sideways, so he was leaning against the nearby wall. The stone was rough and cold through his cotton shirt.

It was always interesting, speaking with people from the future. Regulus had provided him some insight into some things from beyond his timeliness, and he knew the other Albus was from further still. Not to mention, Albus found it hard to resist anything with 'experimental' in the title.

"You're very welcome to have a look at some point," he commented, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was saying the other day how helpful a fresh pair of eyes would be."

The mention of something more 'interesting' than gold prompted a rare, sharp smile from Albus. It was a refreshing viewpoint, one too few people seemed to hold. Even at the alchemial conferences he'd attended, there were plenty of people for whom wealth seemed the end goal. "I don't know about that. Have you ever heard about the role of alchemical healing? I had hoped to renew, rather than transform it."

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the_other_albus
2021-04-19 08:14 pm UTC (link)

"I, uh, I hadn't been doing it that long. Couple years. But, uh, I was working on, on modifying some exist, existing charms to be more, more practical. Or at least have some, some more practical applications. Like, therapeutic uses for, for giggling charms, and, and things like that. I was, um, working on a few of my, my own spells but, uh, that was more of a side project than anything, anything officially sanctioned." He'd been hoping to get a few of his spells published. No hope of that now.

"I'd, I'd love to see how you do it," he said, especially once Dumbledore mentioned alchemical healing. He knew about it, of course. Mostly from Dumbledore and Flamels work. But, again, it wasn't something he'd specialized in.

"So, you were, uh, trying to get it back to its original state? Did you, um, did you burn it? Or something else? Or was it like that already?"

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oddmenttweak
2021-04-22 08:34 am UTC (link)

Albus tilted his head, fixing Al with a steady blue stare as he listened intently. It sounded interesting, and he found himself wondering what applications there could be for giggling charms. Mood altering, he supposed. Still, the second point caught his attention before he could ask. "What sort of thing?" He questioned. "I don't suppose official sanctions are all that important any more."

"You'd be very welcome," Albus agreed "Do you know the second transfiguration classroom? I'm in there most afternoons." He was sure that would change once the students arrived, but for now Albus had plenty of time to indulge his curiosity. And he had never been reluctant about sharing his work.

"I charred it. Here." He reached out and pointed to a dull, singed spot on one side of the lump. It was, rather disappointingly, still fairly clear once you noticed it, especially in the light. "Perhaps I should have started with some greater damage," he added thoughtfully. "I thought better to walk before I ran, but perhaps it was too subtle..."

It was helpful, talking through his work. As much as he enjoyed theoretical discussions with Regulus Black and making plans with Professor Snape, there was something to be said for discussing things of a more practical nature.

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the_other_albus
2021-04-22 08:23 pm UTC (link)

"So the, uh, the spell itself is sort of a, um, trigger charm. I've been working with ancient runes, but of, um, arithmancy, and the goal is, uh, when it's done, you'd be able to set up a series of spells, any series, with specific runes, and then, um, use the trigger to activate them. So, like, cast each of your housekeeping spells into the objects with the runes on them, and then just cast the trigger whenever you want. So, you only have to cast the series of spells once, and then just cast the trigger to start the whole sequence! And it wouldn't have to be just for, um, household spells. It could be any spells they you use regularly." He had gotten more animated as he spoke, then blushed and stuck his hands in his pocket. "But, um, I don't have any of my research here so I'll, uh, I'll have to, um start from scratch. If I, if I work on it again. It's doesn't seem exactly, uh, essential."

He took a closer look, noticing the charred spot and nodding.

"I could, um, help? If you like? Not that I, um, have any alchemical skill but, uh, always good to have someone close by when you're experimenting, right?"

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oddmenttweak
2021-04-25 09:52 pm UTC (link)

Albus listened intently, pulled in not just be the idea but by the obvious love the other wizard had for his work. "That sounds fascinating," he finally smiled. "Would there be a limit to the number of spells you put together? Or the type? Could you perhaps set up something to be transfigured, and then charm that object to carry out a task, for example?"

Albus shrugged. "I could think of several applications which it could be applied for, if you felt the need to put it forward. Although I'm sure you've already thought of all the potential." He wondered whether it made a difference to the other Albus, having his Father as minister. Back in his own time, it would have been a sure fire way to get free reign on whatever you wanted to do. But things were different here, as he was constantly aware of. "What work do they have you doing here?"

The professor looked sharply back at the dark haired man, faintly surprised, but not unpleasantly so. He had been working alone here, for the most part, but Al seemed to have a sharp mind and a curiosity that Albus respected. And he had never been precious about his work before arriving in the castle...

"Of course," he agreed. Albus hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "That would be appreciated, if you don't mind. Do you have some time now? I was just about to have another look," he gestured back over his shoulder in the direction he'd come from, and towards the old classroom.

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