Apolline knew if she brought this subject up with her mother, it might anger her. The Beausejour and Lestrange family were close in business that her actions could have torn that all apart. Part of her felt bad for it, but knowing how his family felt about her, and her mother, she was fine if they were out of their lives permanently. "Rabastan Lestrange," she whispers, Pandora one of her closest, dearest friends.
Pandora's expression softened with understanding and concern as soon as she mentioned the Lestranges. "Oh, Apolline," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She wasn't mad or disappointed at her, she knew Apolline wouldn't have done it on purpose, if anything she felt her pain. She knew how close the two families were in business. This couldn't be good news. "Your parents will understand, I'm sure of it."
She took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto Apolline's with unwavering support. "If your actions distance them from your family, perhaps it is for the best. I mean, as notorious as they are, there are a lot of whispers about them lately." Pandora pulled her friend into a hug.
As he listened to her speak, he recalled why he'd had time for her when they were younger. The thought emerged in his mind with a clarity that increased as each word was uttered. Her notions felt similar to his own, though perhaps she lacked his stringent reverence. Pandora's description was vivid and it resonated.
"It lives, indeed. Not many understand this, and they lack skill because of it. They will never treat it with the dutiful respect it deserves, so it cannot serve them to its full potential." He considered her, mulling with amusement on this very peculiar encounter. He had not intended to find himself philosophising, this evening.
"Will you join me as I walk back to the village? I would like to hear about your latest work."
Pandora's eyes sparkled with intrigue, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Ah, you see it too, then," she replied softly, her voice carrying the weight of understanding. "So few truly grasp the essence of it. They wield it as a tool, but to us, it is alive."
At his invitation, she nodded, a sense of anticipation in her step. "I would be delighted to join you. There is much to share, much to discuss. My latest work has taken an unexpected turn, and I think you will find it quite fascinating." The blonde replied enthusiastically. "Where to start -- I'm actually out here to escape my kettle as I created a spell to make it speak but I haven't been able to come up with a counter spell so it's been tormenting me... the kettle that is." Together, they set off towards the village. "That's just something for fun though, the other spell I'm working on I'm sure you'd find much more interesting."
She shakes her head. "I do not wish to worry my mother." Apolline was certain he would see her sometime soon, especially with the summer arriving soon. Fingers squeezed her friends hand. "I may have used my powers." A beat. "I did find my song."
Pandora tilted her head, a reassuring smile on her lips. "You mustn't worry about such things, Polly," she replied gently, her voice soothing. "Your mother would want you to go to her if you were in trouble." She squeezed Apolline's hand back, her grip firm yet comforting. "You did? Who on?"
âThatâs alright. Iâm sure there will be someone out there something that would be willing to take it off your hands if you canât reverse the charm.â Amelia nodded.
âThatâs wonderful, Iâll definitely be sure to keep a look out for when you do.â She replied with a smile. âIâve always been fascinated by the idea of spell creating. How did you even get in to such a thing?â She asked with genuine curiosity.
âOh, you get used to it when youâve been at the Ministry for as long as i have. I tend to forget that Iâm underground most of the time as Iâve got charmed windows in my office that I can change to whatever scenery I like, but youâre right, sometimes you just need to actually feel the wind on your face.â
Pandora nodded with a smile. "Indeed, there's always someone willing to deal with unwanted experiments I come up with. Which is credit to them because some of the mishaps I've created are wild." A small chuckle left her lips at the memories of her old experiments.
She smiled warmly at Amelia's interest. "Spell creation is truly a fascinating art. I was always drawn to charms and whatnot. There's so much pleasure in casting a spell, think back to your time at Hogwarts when you cast your first one -- that amazement, now imagine not just casting a spell but creating it. Creating something that no one has ever done before. It's an indescribable feeling." Pandora's face lit up as she explained her love for her job. "But my journey into spell crafting began with a deep love for magical theory and experimentation. Then with my love of charms too. The first spell I ever invented was a complete accident."
The blonde's eyes twinkled with amusement as Amelia described her office. "Charmed windows, how delightful! But yes, nothing compares to the feeling of the actual wind on your face, the scent of nature around you. Itâs grounding, a reminder of the world beyond our enchantments. I sometimes think we all get so caught up in the magic we create that we forget to enjoy the magic of the world itself. After all, magic thrives in the natural world as much as it does within us." She looked around, taking in the atmosphere of their surroundings.
Rabastan barely remembered Pandora from their younger childhood. His recollection was rooted more firmly in the years that mattered, when they had started to grow into individuals and develop their own skills. She may have thought him less open-minded, but he had not lost his adoration for magic. It had grown, intensifying to the point that it had become consuming. He would do anything for the sake of magical purity. He would defend it until his dying breath. "Perhaps some of us lack that skill," he reasoned, stepping closer to the wall where she was sitting. "Your name is Pandora, correct? It is late, but I wanted to walk in Hogsmeade before returning home. I may not hear what you do, but I can certainly feel the magic in the air, here. I find it pleasing."
Pandora looked up from where she was seated, her eyes reflecting bemusement. "Rabastan, I'm impressed that you remembered, it's been a long time" she replied, her voice soft yet clear. "Magic has always been a part of who we are. Most of us can yield it but only some hear it or feel it and some lucky ones can do it all. It's fascinating how it weaves through our lives and our world." The blonde mused. "But magic isn't just some power we wield from our wands or something that is in our blood, it's not something that can be possessed-- it's a living, breathing entity... it's a deeper connection than all of that. It's all around us, it's in the earth we walk on. You can feel it in the whispers of the wind and rustle of the leaves. It may not be the type of magic that people are used to, the one everyone cherishes so much but it's just as beautiful." Her smile was gentle, almost wistful.
"Hogsmeade does have a certain enchantment, doesn't it? The magic here is palpable, a blend of history and all the lives that have passed through. It's good to see that, despite everything, we can still find pleasure in it."
It had been a late night at Flourish and Blotts that day as Ela made her way over to the address where she had dropped off Oliver, so the elderly woman down the street was able to look after him as she had been at work. To reach the elderly woman's house, she had to cross a patch of green and it was there that at the edge she found Pandora sitting there.
Ela stopped in her tracks and tilted her head back to look up at the stars in the sky. Here in London the skies weren't as visible as in the countryside. And Ela missed the countryside where she had lived with Patrick and Oliver.
"They are truly beautiful," Ela admitted. It had been a long time since she had done some stargazing. The last time she could remember was with Patrick while they kept an eye out on Oliver who had been asleep in a crib next to them. "You should go to the countryside one day. They shine even brighter there and you will be even more amazed by how tiny we are in the world. It's humbling."
Pandora recognised the voice of her friend and looked over to her to smile. "I could watch them all night." She confessed, spreading her fingers out on the ground and letting the grass tickle her hands. "I'm glad you're out here to appreciate their beauty with me." The blonde added with a content sigh. "You've been telling me that for years yet I never seem to find the time. I really must though. Maybe we could go together, with Oliver of course. It might be nice for you to go back there."
"Oh, no no. I think I'll pass on the kettle thanks. Hearing what you've had to say about it in the last few minutes hasn't really sold me on the idea of having one myself." Amelia chuckled before shaking her head. She had more than enough to contend with with the thoughts bouncing around her brain, she didn't need to add talking inanimate objects on top.
"I see." Amelia replied, head tilting slightly in intrigue as she listened to Pandora explain her latest spell. She smiled, happy to see the witch so excited about her work. "Well that is certainly something. And definitely incredibly useful if you can get it to work."
"Work was... Exactly how you'd expect when your days are filled with preceding over court cases. The fresh air usually helps though, and the walk allows me to decompress and, usually unsuccessfully, separate myself from it all for another evening."
"I should have chosen my words better." Pandora joked with a laugh. She would have to come up with another solution. There was always the option of just throwing it away but Pandora couldn't bare the thought of it jabbering away to itself. No, she would have to figure out a spell to counter this one.
The blonde nodded, a bright smile gracing her face. "Yes, I'm quite excited about it. Just a few kinks to work out and then I can go public with it."
"I don't know how you do it. I would hate to be stuck inside all day. It sounds suffocating." Pandora replied scrunching her nose up at the thought. "Yes, fresh air can do wonders. I find it to be a good cure for most things."
Pandora made an immediate impression. Her blonde hair drifted aimlessly in a light breeze, eyes turned to the sky as though caught in ardent admiration. Rabastan had little patience for nonsense. His mind was logical. His goals were straightforward. But her bizarre comments triggered her presence in his memory. He recalled her as a spell creator at Hogwarts, and knew that she had grown to push magical limitations in later life. He respected this.
"If they do, I cannot hear them." A factual statement, devoid of anything except observation. At her question, he faintly laughed. "I am very well, thank you. Why? Do I seem otherwise?"
Pandora's eyebrows rose in surprise at Rabastan's unexpected response. The Rabastan she remembered from her childhood visits to her grandparents was a quiet soul who was always open minded, traits that resonated deeply with Pandora's own connection to the natural world. "Maybe you're just not listening." She replied glancing over at him. "Everything around us has a voice, you just have to take the time to listen." A smile graced the blonde's lips "No, you certainly look well but most people are tucked up in their beds at this hour."
There was a calmness that washed over the half-veela, being in the presence of someone caring and kind, that never judged her and was always willing to learn more about who she really was. The transition to London would have been a lot worse if it wasn't for the other.
"I could write mother, but I was home recently, and should wait some." There was a huge part of her that worried having to tell her parents what had happened over the last few days. "I have my full powers, Dora." She whispers.
"You don't have to wait if you don't want to, I'm sure she would love to hear from you even if it hasn't been that long." Pandora reassured her softly feeling that her friend could perhaps do with her loved ones around her. "Oh dear." She took Apolline's hand with a sympathetic look, "Did something bad happen?"
Apolline was grateful for her friend, a friendship formed from a chance meeting when she visited Hogwards for the Tri-Wizard tournament all those years ago. They had always stayed in touch since, letters written to each other and the visits to France to spend with her family in her home. "No, need...apologise." She made her way over to where her Pandora was, taking a seat down beside her. "I am missing home." She still struggled with her English, switching over to French, knowing that her friend understood what was being said. "It was easier back in France." Apolline knew she made a mess, with the discovery of her new powers, she felt a greed to use them.
Pandora leaned into her friend as she took a seat next to her, resting her head against Apolline's shoulder. She felt her pain. France was such a beautiful place, she could understand why she would miss it so, not to mention how close she was to her family. Pandora thought back to the summers she had spent with Polly and her family. She always had such a nice time, they were a loving family indeed.
Hearing her friend speak in French even made her miss the country a little, it had been a while since she had last gone. "I'm sorry to hear that. Could you not go back and visit your family?" Pandora asked slipping back into Apolline's mother tongue. "Easier how? Is everything okay?"
Amelia offered the other witch a small smile before glancing up at the night sky once more. She didn't give herself enough time to appreciate such things, but then again, she also had plenty of very real problems to worry about without adding the weight of how small their world was in comparison to all the stars in their universe on top of them.
"Ah, well I can't say I am much help with chattering kettles I'm afraid." She chuckled, shaking her head. "What is it you're working on, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked with genuine interest.
"I was actually just on my way home from work. I wanted to take the walk since it's such a nice evening."
"I mean, taking it out of my hands would be helpful. Are you in need of a kettle?" Pandora asked her lips twitching in to a smile as her blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Oh it's something I call the Differius Charm. It works similar to the Fidelius Charm and the Confundus Charm combined. So when used on a person, it helps protect their identity while the person can still interact with others." She explained, speaking quite quickly from excitement on her project.
"Though I've come to a stop on that while I try and figure out a counter spell for that darn kettle." The blonde added letting out a breath of frustration.
It had been a incredibly long day for Amelia at the Ministry. While she'd had no cases for the Wizengamot to preside over that day, the paperwork had been seemingly endless and she had spent the majority of her time holed up in her office with the door closed so she could work away in peace.
Leaving the Ministry later than most was a common occurrence for her, but on particularly tough days like today, she liked to walk at least part of the way home instead of simply apparating to the street outside her house.
Amelia was away in her own world when a voice familiar caught her attention, stopping her in her tracks. "Hm? Oh, yeah they are." She nodded as she glanced up at the sky. "It makes all of our problems seem so insignificant in comparison."
"Indeed they do." She muttered, a small sigh escaping her lips as she contemplated the current state of the Wizarding World.
"I was hoping for some peace and quiet to ponder a particularly tricky spell, but my kettle seems to have other ideas." She chuckled wryly, her blond curls shaking as she recounted the kettle's incessant chatter.
"Honestly, it's been going on so long, it's just spouting nonsense now. Not a single bit of it's conversation is remotely interesting!" Pandora replied shaking her head, regretting even casting the spell without having a proper counter spell.
Rabastan had spent the afternoon in Hogsmeade, concluding some professional matters before excusing himself from what was sure to become an overly social evening. He had no desire for bustling pubs or noisy atmospheres at present. It had been a long day, and since a longer one was ahead of him tomorrow, he preferred to spend some time alone with nothing but his thoughts for company.
He had always felt an affinity to the little village. As one of the oldest parts of their world, it was rich with history and ancient magic. The quaint cobbled streets seemed to ripple with spells wrought centuries ago, still holding strong and wrapping the buildings with an almost tangible sheen. But it was the landscape that pleased him the most; the wooded glades and grasslands that knew a quieter, more subtle magic.
So that was where he chose to walk. He'd intended to do so for only a short while, but somehow the evening had turned to night, stars emerging before he became aware of the time. He was making his way back into the village when he crossed Pandora's path. He paused, not expecting to be addressed, and as he looked at her, he was uncertain whether she had in fact been speaking to him at all.
"The stars?" His gaze roamed her features, attempting to identify her in the dim light. She was vaguely familiar. "It's a pleasant night, indeed. So dark, I almost didn't see you sitting there."
"Yes," The blonde replied, her voice barely a whisper against the night. "The stars are beautiful tonight. They remind me of⌠of a time before the darkness." Her voice trailed off as she looked up at the vast expanse of the star-strewn sky, a canvas of hope and wonder. "Every star holds a story, you know," Pandora told him, "Stories of love, of loss, of the bittersweet journey of what we call life." She explain her eyes fixated on the stars above as if listening to a symphony only she could hear. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone out here so late. Are you quite well?"
Apolline had known she had let her magic get the best of her. It was powerful match that ignited a greed, or was it because of those she wished to get back at for how they viewed her. She hated this side of her, the one he brought out, but all that was left was to deal with the consequences to her actions.
She had been lost in her thoughts, not noticing that she found a spot in the grass not far from another, looking up at the night sky, feeling her own body start to imitate the glow of the moon. The half-veela could feel the buzzing of her magic, trickling the hairs on her arms, glancing over when she heard a voice.
"It seems the moon is that one I'm looking at." The blonde confesses.
It wasn't until the figure in the shadows spoke up that a spark of recognition ignited within Pandora. The voice belonged to her dear friend Apolline. "Apologies Polly, I had no idea it was you." Pandora confessed looking over at her friend before staring back up at the sky. "The moon does draw the eye. She is so beautiful." The blonde replied her voice wistful as her gaze fixed upon the moon, a pearl in the velvet sky. "It makes me miss Hogwarts, the views from the astronomy tower were incomparable."
- Rose Perfume - Collecting Mushrooms - The Smell Of Apple-Cinnamon Muffins - Rainy Days - Things Floating In The Air - Baking - A Wand Kept Behind Her Ear - Brown Owls - The Colour Yellow -
There is no such thing as a weird human being, itâs just that some people require more understanding than others.
Pandora was born on a sunny day in June to a muggle mother and a wizard father. The warm golden rays from the sun seemed to soak into the newbornâs personality as she grew up to be a bubbly sweet girl. Even before she could speak, Pandora was engaged in the world around her, eyes wide open and taking everything in, tiny hands grasping at anything within reach. Curious and energetic, the little girl toddled through life with a smile on her face. She spent her childhood traipsing through the fields surrounding her home, getting to know the plants and ecology of her home. Linen dresses, overalls, and dirt covered foot soles from exploring were her life. Life hasnât changed much in that sense. If anything, the more of the world Pandora saw, the more enchanted she became with the wonders around her. She saw the best in everyone, found silver linings that no one else could see, and if anyone needed a shoulder to lean on, Pandora would happily offer one.Â
Tinkering is going to be the death of you. Those were the words uttered from her motherâs mouth when Pandora was growing up. She had always been a curious girl, forever wanting to understand how everything worked. While her mother always secretly wanted her to play with dolls and other girls her age in their neighbourhood, Pandora was always more interested in what her father was doing in his shed. He was an inventor and so Pandora had decided from a young age that she too wanted to be an inventor. Forever wanting to know more, it was no surprise that she was sorted into Ravenclaw.
After Hogwarts
After graduating from Hogwarts, Pandora embarked on a remarkable path marked by her unique talents and unwavering determination. Driven by her passion for knowledge and her love for the magical world, she delved into the intricacies of spellcrafting, becoming an acclaimed inventor of innovative and whimsical spells. Her spells, imbued with her signature eccentricity, gained widespread recognition for their creativity and practical applications.
Beyond her spellcraft, Pandora has played a pivotal role in the Order of the Phoenix, an organization dedicated to fighting against the dark forces that is threatening the wizarding world. With her unwavering bravery and loyalty to her friends, she has become a valued member of the Order, contributing her unique perspectives and formidable magical skills to the cause
In Closer Detail
Pandora hears things. No, no, itâs not voices in her head â sheâs not mad as most would like to believe her to beâ itâs the voices all around her, the ones no one else listens closely enough to hear. The things around her have such marvelous things to say. The stones, for instance, have been around since the beginning of the school, watching students traipse in and out, gathering stories for centuries with no one to tell until Pandora arrivedâŚand donât even get her started on the walls or the desks or the bed frames. Everywhere she goes, Pandora is surrounded by the whispers of the world around her.
Which would be all well and good, if she werenât such a compassionate and empathetic person. Itâs not all stories, after all. Some of these items have sat in silence for years just waiting for someone to lend them an ear, and who is Pandora to turn them down. Thatâs why people find her so often standing around, head cocked to the side, staring at a door for hours on end. Thatâs why she walks up to people, meekly but fearlessly asking them to please consider not stomping around, it hurts the cobblestones and they cry something awful. Most people donât understand her and meet her strange looks and stranger requests with snickers and sneers, but thatâs to be expected. After all, everyone else is only hearing half the story.
