The Fault in Our Star Globes

[Nigel Dextera]

Transfiguration Courtyard
Friday, 18 November 2005
7:00pm
It wasn’t an everyday occurrence that a professor could be found clinging on to the side of the Hogwarts armillary sphere.

Standing atop one of the wings of the dragon statue that surrounded the lower half of the instrument, Nigel inspected positions of the smaller orbs that hung within the spherical cage on thin metal rods. Anchored to a series of rings attached to the central axis, the orbs represented the various celestial bodies in the sky – such as the sun, the moon, and the planets – and Nigel was performing a routine check to see if any one of them had gone out of alignment. While such a task should logically fall under the purview of the Astronomy professor, as a skilled metal charmer he had been the one to restore the armillary sphere after it was damaged during the Second Wizarding War. Nor could anyone doubt his knowledge of astronomy; the astronomical clock that hung on the wall of his office was proof of his mastery of the field.

Satisfied that everything was well within tolerances, Nigel beckoned for his assistant, a small silver automaton shaped like a dragon. In its claws, it grasped a metal rod with an orb attached to one of its ends, and a ring with a gap in the other. Harkening to its owner’s command, it nimble slipped in between the gaps of the spherical cage and placed the open ring against the central axis. In turn Nigel drew his wand and a stream of blue light shot forth, wrapping the ring snugly around the axis and sealing the gap in the ring shut.

Now that the new planet had been added to the sphere, all that was left was to calibrate it. He would have loved for the entire contraption to be purely mechanical, but for practical reasons he had opted to rely on magic rather than clockwork actuators. Muttering a spell under his breath, he began to inscribe glowing golden runes onto the ring attached to the newly-added planet: a set of complex mathematical equations that would govern the planet’s motion, as well as the spells that would move the planet to the correct position.

[Erynhil Zaheer]

Erynhil was making his way through the school, trying to get himself well enough acquainted with the place that he wouldn't get lost, muttering something under his breath about how confusing it was without moving staircases. As he made his way out into the courtyard, grateful for some fresh air, he stopped with an "Oh" as he spotted the other professor clinging to the side of the sphere.

He moved a bit closer, tilting his head curiously, but he didn't say anything to disturb the man at work, not wanting to cause an accident to occur. He watched him closely, squinting a little to see what he was doing. It wasn't until he was finished with what he was doing that Eryn spoke up.

"You know, I heard of someone who could make mechanical work seem like a work of art," he mused, "Never thought I'd see it for myself," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'd ask if you're the type to always do this kind of work on your own, but I suppose with your little dragon friend there you're not really working alone, are you?" he hummed a little, clearly a bit amused at the "creature".

Eryn then took a look around the courtyard with another little hum, "All that work to keep that functioning right in a courtyard that definitely could use some attention in other departments."

[Nigel Dextera]

Imbuing a magical artifact of that size with a new set of enchantments, especially one that involved numerous complex mathematical calculations, took a great deal of concentration. So engrossed was Nigel in his work that he didn’t realise that he had company until the younger professor spoke up.

Looking down from his perch, Nigel was mildly surprised to find that the newcomer was Erynhil Zaheer, the newly-hired art professor. “To be honest, I would hesitate to call this a mechanical contraption,” Nigel replied. “The movements are controlled by charms, rather than clockwork.” Of course, he would have loved to draw up the plans for a fully mechanical armillary sphere, but competing considerations such as the need for the contraption to be rugged enough to withstand the elements and the rough handling from students made it an unattractive option. “And while the aesthetic value of this armillary sphere is undeniable, I am, regretfully, not responsible for its design and construction,” Nigel added with a shrug. “I merely restored it to its former glory.”

At Erynhil’s mention of the dragon, Nigel extended his hand and beckoned for it. As the dragon returned and perched on his hand, it began to wrap itself around his finger and morph into a ring. “What dragon friend?” Nigel asked with feigned ignorance as he began to climb down from the side of the armillary sphere. Once he had arrived at a comfortable distance away from the ground, he leapt off the iron structure, landing with a smidge less grace than he had hoped. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” he admitted ruefully.

Sweeping his gaze around him, he nodded in agreement with Erynhil’s assessment. “I claim responsibility for any lapses in the maintenance of the stonework,” he said, and the cheeky glint in his eyes suggested that a counterargument was on its way. “The plants are, however, all outside of my area of expertise. Perhaps you would like to raise the matter with Professor Fah?”

Turning back to Erynhil, Nigel asked, “By the way, how are you settling in?” Back when he was still an inexperienced professor, he had received much help from his colleagues who guided him and helped him whenever he faced any problems he couldn’t resolve on his own. “And what brings you to the Transfiguration courtyard at this hour?”

[Erynhil Zaheer]

"Still, there is an art to it and an artistic touch to one who can mend it without damaging it further," he mused to Nigel's counter to his comment, "To restore something, one must understand the glory of which you are trying to restore."

He smiled a bit at that rather poetic line before laughing a little at Nigel's little performance of sorts, "Stone isn't quite forgiving on the knees," he commented with a sympathetic expression. He tapped his chin in thought of talking to Professor Fah, "I will have to bring it up. I know in my home, the plants were pivotal to most of our way of life. I imagine they could be useful here as well."

When Nigel asked his questions, Erynhil smiled, "I think I'm settling in rather well. I'm just trying to learn the layout of the school to the best of my ability. I'm afraid this is my first official time here, so it's a bit of a learning curb," he mused, tapping his chin once more, "As for what brings me out here, I think my answer to the other question answers that one as well- just trying to learn my way. I was also rather hoping to run into a particular student while I was doing so. I suppose I could have her come to me, but she's not taking art, though ironically she is staying with a fellow artist, so maybe I can catch her there," he rambled a bit, seeming to get lost in the train of thought before clapping his hands, "Apologies, got distracted. You are the... transfiguration professor yes?" he asked, tilting his head. He'd been in London long enough to speak without most of his accent, but it was still there in certain moments and words, "It was still a concept where I grew up, but we were much more of a study of what you're interested in kind of place, so I did not study it much until I was an adult. It is a rather fascinating thing," he smiled.

[Nigel Dextera]

To understand the glory of what one is trying to restore… Erynhil’s words were more profound as they seemed at first. “I have but hazy, rose-tinted memories of my days as a student here to draw upon,” Nigel replied with a half shrug. “Quite an impossible standard to measure up to, in my opinion. I can only pray that I’ve done all right.”

With luck, the impact of Nigel landing on the ground had obscured the sound of his knees creaking; whether he cared to admit or not, there was a part of him that didn’t want to acknowledge that he was getting older, and the consequences of his bad health habits were slowly but surely catching up to him.

Nigel raised a curious eyebrow when Erynhil mentioned the significance of plants to his way of life back home. Even though older professor had grown up in a city encircled by a green belt, without ample knowledge of Erynhil’s past, he couldn’t fully appreciate how integral plants were to the culture and society of the latter’s hometown. “I’ve always appreciated the greenery that surrounds my hometown, but apart from its recreational and aesthetic value, I must admit that I’ve never really paid much attention to it.” he said.

Erynhil’s comment about him trying to get used to the layout of the school elicited a chuckle from Nigel. “Fret not, everyone goes through that phase when they first arrive at Hogwarts, or return after a long absence. A map would be useful to have on hand for most situations.” The knowing nod he gave along with his sympathetic smile suggested that he, too, had found himself a little lost when he first arrived at Hogwarts in his new capacity as a professor. “And as for certain rooms that move around or even the Grand Staircase itself… well, let’s just say there’s little that can be done apart from getting used to the castle’s eccentricities.”

As Erynhil revealed more details about the particular student, Nigel managed to narrow their identity down to one most likely person. Somehow or another she was not staying together with Erynhil, whether it was due to practical concerns or personal reasons, but he did find it a little puzzling. “If I may hazard a guess, is the student you’re referring to Miss Mera Zaheer?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” he confirmed as the other professor asked if he taught Transfiguration. The latter’s revelation that he did not study that particular branch of magic when he was younger was surprising, and perhaps it might explain Mera’s feelings towards the subject. “I am most definitely biased in my opinion, but I find Transfiguration to be such a useful and pervasive branch of magic that I honestly cannot fathom what life would be like without it.” However, he was just as guilty of overlooking other fields of study himself, Herbology being one of them. “Not all share your sentiment, unfortunately,” he said with a wry smile upon hearing how Erynhil felt about the subject. “Many students are more frustrated than fascinated by Transfiguration because of its complexity and precise nature, and I for one would classify it as among the most scientific branches of magic.”

[Erynhil Zaheer]

Erynhil smirked a little at Nigel underselling his talents but didn't press the issue. He smiled a bit more fully at the comment about his understanding of plants, "I could definitely help educate you then. The Vale lives by its plants," he chuckled, "I have a map," he said and pulled it out of his back pocket, "But unless I traverse it myself, this is honestly a waste of parchment," he chuckled.

"I am in fact looking for Mera, she is my younger sister. She... might be unaware of my still being alive and I don't want to cause her undue stress," Erynhil tried to explain. He smiled at Nigel arguing on behalf of his subject and nodded, "I agree, it is a very incredible practice, but I imagine the witches and wizards where I grew up were just not... as aware of its value," he mused a bit at that before shaking his head, "I can imagine Mera gives resistance in learning the material, but once she is more aware of how useful it is, she'll adjust. She's just very much someone who wants to know why," he explained, "But once she latches on, you'll find she'll try to master it overnight," he laughed a little.

"Anyways, I'm sure her ears are burning as they say," he smirked then added, "Ele me mettra a mort se ele aprant ke jeo ai parlé d'lei," he glanced around and then back to Nigel, "Are there other things that you work on here?" he asked

[Nigel Dextera]

A smile hovered over Nigel’s lips as Erynhil offered to teach him about plants. “I’ll gladly take you up on your offer, Professor,” the Scotsman said. And he nodded as the younger man revealed that he had a map, though he did not think it was useful unless he had personally walked the castle and the grounds. “That is true. If you’d like, I’ll be more than happy to show you around,” Nigel proffered. “During one of the night patrols, perhaps?”

Erynhil’s revelation that his sister wasn’t aware of him being alive was most intriguing, and not to mention extremely unusual. Under what circumstances would one be led to think that their sibling was dead when they weren’t? Nigel could only nod in agreement at Erynhil’s words. “I can only imagine what had happened, and how much stress Miss Zaheer is currently experiencing.” Regardless, it wasn’t his place to know about such highly personal matters. “Pray, don’t feel obliged to share any information you’re not comfortable revealing. But if you need any help, don’t be afraid to ask.”

Unlike her brother, Mera hadn’t shown the same level of enthusiasm towards Transfiguration, and Nigel couldn’t fault her for that. “Every piece of knowledge we have is a tool that we have at our disposal,” he began, “but as useful as Transfiguration spells are, I cannot deny that in many cases it can be supplanted by other types of spells.” He gestured towards the armillary sphere. “I could have Transfigured all the components I required to repair and maintain this armillary sphere, as you might presume a Transfiguration professor would. But my familiarity with metalworking and metal charming make them an equally viable alternative to Transfiguration.”

“In other words… don’t worry about how well you sister is doing in Transfiguration,” he continued with a warm smile. “Grades are not always the most accurate measure of one’s aptitude, after all.” And he let out a chuckle as Erynhil suggested that Mera’s ears must be burning; they had definitely said a bit too much behind her back. And while his French left much to be desired, he caught just enough to get the gist of what Erynhil was saying.

Upon hearing Erynhil’s question, the Transfiguration professor nodded. “Yes… quite a handful in fact. I’ve been tinkering with a pocket watch for some of the aspiring Animagi that would help them keep track of the phases of the moon, the weather, and other matters of importance to them. Apart from that…” There was a certain spark in Nigel’s eyes, and the unmistakable passion in his voice of a person about to share his interests with another. “This might come as a surprise… or maybe not, since I am quite an incorrigible tinkerer and a lover of Muggle technology, but by any chance are you fond of motorcycles?”

[Erynhil Zaheer]

Erynhil was glad to find a kind spirit in this professor, someone who was easily going and kind of easy to talk to. He had never been in a role quite like one but he felt it a good one to have, "I will take you up on that tour, at your leisure naturally," he smiled.

He was glad that Mera had this professor. Perhaps she'd be alright here, as much as she was going to hate it. She'd have spent her whole life on that island happily if she could have, but there was no going back there. She'd never be able to stay sane. He just hoped she'd realize it sooner rather than later.

When he asked about motorcycles, Eryn's brows rose, "I am actually. Not that I've ridden many and they were of the normal variety, nothing that's been tinkered on by a wizard," he mused, "I imagine you've a collection?" he asked curiously.

[Nigel Dextera]

Nigel’s eyes lit up when he heard that Erynhil was a fellow motorcycle enthusiast. “Does two count as a collection?” he returned the question to the younger professor. “For the longest time I’ve been riding a 1976 Honda Gold Wing. Managed to restore a vintage Royal Enfield recently, but she’s not running as well as I had hoped. She’s… temperamental – that’s the best way to put it. She’s clearly seen better days, but given how she’s almost twice my age, I can’t complain.”

“Short of some basic enchantments to protect their electrical systems from magical interference, both of them are of the normal variety,” he clarified, having learnt the hard way that extra precautions had to be taken if he wanted to keep any of his bikes here at Hogwarts. “‘Normal’ is perfect in my books – a Muggle bike may not be the fastest or most efficient mode of transport, but it’s definitely among the most enjoyable.”

There was, of course, another reason why Nigel didn’t need to enchant his bikes. “Besides, there are ways to sidestep such minor inconveniences.” The mischievous twinkle in his eyes suggested that his chosen method was legally grey – which it was – but it was otherwise perfectly sound. “I’m still fine-tuning it, but it’s a nifty little gadget, if I may say so myself.” With that, he produced what looked like a broom compass from his pocket, albeit one that looked much more complicated than the bog standard variety. On its top face, a small button engraved with a pair of wings glinted in the moonlight, waiting to be pressed so that it could reveal its secrets.