It was only when he felt something being placed on his lap that Stephen came out of his daydream-like state. After adjusting his glasses and sneaking a quick glance at Natasha, he averted his eyes down to what looked like a half-crumpled newspaper article and a quill sitting on top.
After picking up said quill his eyes scanned the words like a machine: quickly, efficiently. The article's topic was enough to send an unpleasant shiver through him, he felt as if he had been dunked in frigid water and it had absorbed into his skin and right down into the marrow of his bones.
While spinning the quill between his thumb and index finger he also noticed the circled words as well as Natasha's neat handwriting on the edge of the paper. It was enough make him smile, and as he glanced over at her the horrible chill he felt dissipated.
In the other corner of the paper, with his perfectly imperfect cursive, he began to address her questions:
After picking up said quill his eyes scanned the words like a machine: quickly, efficiently. The article's topic was enough to send an unpleasant shiver through him, he felt as if he had been dunked in frigid water and it had absorbed into his skin and right down into the marrow of his bones.
While spinning the quill between his thumb and index finger he also noticed the circled words as well as Natasha's neat handwriting on the edge of the paper. It was enough make him smile, and as he glanced over at her the horrible chill he felt dissipated.
In the other corner of the paper, with his perfectly imperfect cursive, he began to address her questions:
I. Hello, love.
II. Imagine a fate worse than death. Your spirit being sucked out of you like some sort of delicious elixir of life by these creatures. The Dementor's Kiss was used by The Ministry of Magic as a sentence for the most 'heinous' of criminals...it was more fun for them to watch than to simply dispose of them through more...permanent means.
III. I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but I am afraid that it is possible for an attack like this to happen on the island. Actually there is no doubt in my mind that it may very well happen. Nothing feels like it once did. It no longer feels...as safe as it did.
II. Imagine a fate worse than death. Your spirit being sucked out of you like some sort of delicious elixir of life by these creatures. The Dementor's Kiss was used by The Ministry of Magic as a sentence for the most 'heinous' of criminals...it was more fun for them to watch than to simply dispose of them through more...permanent means.
III. I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but I am afraid that it is possible for an attack like this to happen on the island. Actually there is no doubt in my mind that it may very well happen. Nothing feels like it once did. It no longer feels...as safe as it did.
After reviewing his response, making sure it was as accurate and precise as possible, Stephen wordlessly set the article onto Natasha's lap, followed by the quill. As unpleasant as the response was, there was no use beating around the bush. A storm of sorts was brewing.
"Natasha, Schwarz, Abraham. What are y'all gonna do after the school year? What's the plan? I'd ask you too, Rose, but you've got a couple more to go. But what do you have planned in the meantime?" Waylon glanced around at everyone in the room while asking the question, and after waiting a couple of seconds to see if anyone else would speak first, Stephen cleared his throat and began speaking in his soft voice.
"....I haven't exactly settled on something, so nothing is set in stone...however, I am considering being an Auror. That has always seemed like a rewarding position." He did not mention the fact that he might actually want to seek a 'normal' career in the muggle world, perhaps something to do with sciences. He wanted to avoid the judgement that was sure to arise if he revealed that.
"It's Quidditch for me after this, I want to play professionally. It's the only thing I seem to be good at," Abraham replied with a quick nod to Waylon, and perhaps he was going to say something else when the sound of distant screams erupted from up above.
"Oh hell," Stephen muttered to himself as he stood up. He knew the quietness wouldn't last long and that eventually some first or second years would let boredom get the best of them, after all that is what usually happened halfway through the trip, but as he made his way towards the door the screams intensified and a disgusting mixture of nausea and horror settled upon the Prefect. Something did not feel right.
"DEMENTORS! DEMENTORS!" a distant female voice shrieked, and like a moth flew toward a flame Stephen tore the door open and flew out into the hall, past the curious heads that were peeking out through the doorways.
"EVERYBODY STAY IN THEIR COMPARTMENTS," he shouted to nobody yet everybody, and before anybody could complain or disobey Stephen pulled his wand out from his right boot and jinxed all of the doors locked wordlessly. If something were to happen to him, at least he could say that he performed his duties and protected the lives that he was in charge of.
The only two sounds he could hear were the sound of his own heart angrily pounding deep within its rib cage confinement, as well as the sound of footsteps running behind him. Not bothering to look back, Stephen took the stairs up two at a time and was immediately met by a swarm of Death Eaters, each bigger than the last, and within seconds there was a light show occurring on deck, the lights being a result of various curses and spells erupting from the tips of wands. He did not even have time to register the fact that it was raining, which only made it harder to tell where each spell was coming from.
He was outnumbered three to one, and from the corner of his eye he saw that Abraham also emerged up on deck and was angrily tossing out spells at the speed of light towards the three goons that were surrounding him. Unfortunately he was just as outnumbered and Stephen could only hope that the Quidditch player could handle himself.
Then it happened.
The last thing he heard before collapsing to the wooden floor in white-hot, excruciating, unbelievable pain was a heartless male voice yell "CRUCIO!"
And as his whole world went dark, he could make out a face hovering over him. The Death Eater was about to finish him off.
"Natasha, Schwarz, Abraham. What are y'all gonna do after the school year? What's the plan? I'd ask you too, Rose, but you've got a couple more to go. But what do you have planned in the meantime?" Waylon glanced around at everyone in the room while asking the question, and after waiting a couple of seconds to see if anyone else would speak first, Stephen cleared his throat and began speaking in his soft voice.
"....I haven't exactly settled on something, so nothing is set in stone...however, I am considering being an Auror. That has always seemed like a rewarding position." He did not mention the fact that he might actually want to seek a 'normal' career in the muggle world, perhaps something to do with sciences. He wanted to avoid the judgement that was sure to arise if he revealed that.
"It's Quidditch for me after this, I want to play professionally. It's the only thing I seem to be good at," Abraham replied with a quick nod to Waylon, and perhaps he was going to say something else when the sound of distant screams erupted from up above.
"Oh hell," Stephen muttered to himself as he stood up. He knew the quietness wouldn't last long and that eventually some first or second years would let boredom get the best of them, after all that is what usually happened halfway through the trip, but as he made his way towards the door the screams intensified and a disgusting mixture of nausea and horror settled upon the Prefect. Something did not feel right.
"DEMENTORS! DEMENTORS!" a distant female voice shrieked, and like a moth flew toward a flame Stephen tore the door open and flew out into the hall, past the curious heads that were peeking out through the doorways.
"EVERYBODY STAY IN THEIR COMPARTMENTS," he shouted to nobody yet everybody, and before anybody could complain or disobey Stephen pulled his wand out from his right boot and jinxed all of the doors locked wordlessly. If something were to happen to him, at least he could say that he performed his duties and protected the lives that he was in charge of.
The only two sounds he could hear were the sound of his own heart angrily pounding deep within its rib cage confinement, as well as the sound of footsteps running behind him. Not bothering to look back, Stephen took the stairs up two at a time and was immediately met by a swarm of Death Eaters, each bigger than the last, and within seconds there was a light show occurring on deck, the lights being a result of various curses and spells erupting from the tips of wands. He did not even have time to register the fact that it was raining, which only made it harder to tell where each spell was coming from.
He was outnumbered three to one, and from the corner of his eye he saw that Abraham also emerged up on deck and was angrily tossing out spells at the speed of light towards the three goons that were surrounding him. Unfortunately he was just as outnumbered and Stephen could only hope that the Quidditch player could handle himself.
Then it happened.
The last thing he heard before collapsing to the wooden floor in white-hot, excruciating, unbelievable pain was a heartless male voice yell "CRUCIO!"
And as his whole world went dark, he could make out a face hovering over him. The Death Eater was about to finish him off.
Just as the Schwarz had gotten Abraham to thinking about his future Quidditch career, a series of sharp shrieks and screams from up above brought it all to a shocking halt. He wasn't sure what the reason for the screaming was, but apparently the Schwarz was aware of something because before any of them had a chance to even question it, he had run out into the hall without as much as a glance back.
"What the f--" Abraham began, but he quickly cut himself off and popped his head out into the hall. All he could see was Stephen's back as he raced towards the stairs, and before Stephen took the short flight up Abraham watched as he jinxed the doors to all of the compartments closed. "Shit," he cursed to himself, then glanced back into their compartment and met Waylon's eyes before following Stephen.
There was no time to question anything, and after emerging on the top deck and taking a look around, Abraham had no need to either. For a moment he had to question if they were being looted by pirates, but it didn't take long for him to see the 'pirates' had wands drawn and cloaks hiding their faces.
It happened in a flash: first he was standing there observing the chaos and the next moment, three Death Eaters had surrounded him, disgusting smirks on their pallid faces. Without faltering Abraham drew his wand out and a 'battle' of sorts began, and while Abraham could say that dueling was on his list of strengths it wasn't as easy as it was in class when the other person would back down if it came to be too much.
His spells were unspoken, rapid, and after managing to disarm two of the three goons he delivered a powerful kick to the center of the third's chest, followed by a quick 'Petrificus Totalus' to make sure all three weren't going anywhere. Clearly these three were new to the circle and not very well trained, and hopefully the majority of the ones that had descended on the ship were the same.
"CRUCIO!" he heard someone holler, and he had to squint to see past the rain and make out who was hit.
It was Stephen Schwarz.
"What the f--" Abraham began, but he quickly cut himself off and popped his head out into the hall. All he could see was Stephen's back as he raced towards the stairs, and before Stephen took the short flight up Abraham watched as he jinxed the doors to all of the compartments closed. "Shit," he cursed to himself, then glanced back into their compartment and met Waylon's eyes before following Stephen.
There was no time to question anything, and after emerging on the top deck and taking a look around, Abraham had no need to either. For a moment he had to question if they were being looted by pirates, but it didn't take long for him to see the 'pirates' had wands drawn and cloaks hiding their faces.
It happened in a flash: first he was standing there observing the chaos and the next moment, three Death Eaters had surrounded him, disgusting smirks on their pallid faces. Without faltering Abraham drew his wand out and a 'battle' of sorts began, and while Abraham could say that dueling was on his list of strengths it wasn't as easy as it was in class when the other person would back down if it came to be too much.
His spells were unspoken, rapid, and after managing to disarm two of the three goons he delivered a powerful kick to the center of the third's chest, followed by a quick 'Petrificus Totalus' to make sure all three weren't going anywhere. Clearly these three were new to the circle and not very well trained, and hopefully the majority of the ones that had descended on the ship were the same.
"CRUCIO!" he heard someone holler, and he had to squint to see past the rain and make out who was hit.
It was Stephen Schwarz.