Masquerade (invite only)

[Forgoil Halifirien]

ooc: Sorry about making this invite only, but this is a really important moment for Forgoil and the invited parties shall find out who they are through pm.

bic: Forgoil trudged through the deserted streets of Diagon Alley; merely looking in through the darkened windows at trinkets and other things.

He continued to stare at the different shops as he walked towards the bizarre section of Diagon Alley. He always looked forward to what things of wonder and mystery resided there, and today he felt that he was being drawn there. He passed shops that sold exotic and strange beasts from the Orient, some sold fancy cutlery that could assassinate unfortunate guests, and others contained priceless objects that were beyond one's wildest dreams.

One particular shop caught his eye, a shop that sold miscellaneous items and trinkets. Stepping inside, Forgoil saw many things that were amazing, but one thing had caught his eye; it was a ornate box, red with golden lace, with a badger sitting on top. The toy badger was dressed in the robes of a Persian shah and clutched a tiny cymbal in each hand. He noticed a small knob on the side of the box and twisted it to the left.

The box began to produce a beautiful song and the badger clashed his cymbals in time with the song. One couldn't hear the sound of the cymbals, but none the less, Forgoil stood in front of the tiny music box, enthralled by its beauty and the beauty of the music.

[Professor Windwaltz]

Talon normally didn't visit Diagon Alley. He, in fact, hadn't been there in nearly two years. The last time he had been there was during a rather dramatic incident involving a good friend of his being attacked by a demon that had onc taken residence inside of him. Now, however, he was on a much less dangerous mission. He had come to buy armour, magic-proof, preferably ones from the great Magical War of a thousand years past. He had finally gotten a small amount of money in his bank account, so he decided to forget all the minor things - (like new clothes, for instance) - and go all out on the armour.

He knew he couldn't go rushing into battle fighting Danawi and his hordes wearing nothing but his torn and tarnished clothing. Yet nowhere in Diagon Alley could he seem to find anything even remotely worthy. All cheap imitations - no one actually fought with armour anymore - to the point where Talon was beginning to give up hope. Then at last he came to the bizarre section of Diagon Alley, a place with strange and wondrous creatures, food, antiques, and perhaps among those antiques: armour. He looked quickly through the shop windows, and found that the streets were rather deserted. In fact, it seemed that only one person besides him even bothered to come to this district.

A young student by the name of Forgoil Halifirien. The orphan boy who had escaped from his old home and lived in a Library for many years. Surely he would take delight in such mysteries and wonders - and it was none of that that he would be here. He watched as the boy stepped inside of one shop, and he followed over to see if it could perhaps help him. He opened the door and a jingle filled the room from the little chimes hanging from its corner. His eyes searched the store, but at last rested on Forgoil, standing enthralled at the sight of a badger wearing Persian robes and playing Cymbals on a Music Box. Naturally for a boy who had a badger as a pet, this would be a real treat.

Putting his search for armour on hold, he decided to have a leisurely discussion with the boy. "Find that interesting, do you? A real collector's piece indeed."

[Forgoil Halifirien]

Forgoil had been lost all contact with the outside world and his thoughts only lay on the badger. Such a rare find it was! The other shops on Diagon Alley probably had nothing that came close to this masterpiece of craftsmanship, so he continued to stare at its unparalleled beauty and magnificence. The song was so soothing and relaxing that Forgoil felt that he could go through a lifetime full of pain and suffering, and that this small trinket would be the elixir to remedy his pains.

So beautiful was the music box that Forgoil didn't even notice that someone was talking to him. He whirled around on his heel and looked at the new person, but this person wasn't new at all. His eyes widened slightly when he recognized Professor Windwaltz; Forgoil remember the Professor to be a calm and interesting man, but the Professor's appearance had changed into something that made the Professor look like a stranger. He still wore the ancient cloths that seemed like they would fall apart in a second, but his hair stuck up in shapes that reminded Forgoil of lightening rods, and electric sparks coursed up and down his body.

Remembering his manners, Forgoil held out his right hand in greeting. "Yes, this really is a beautiful piece," replied Forgoil, "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

[Aylen Hawkins]

Aylen managed to find some free time through all the god-forsaken homework his teachers had given him. His sister was busy, so he couldn't bother her for even a short race around the Quidditch pitch. He did the next best thing: standing in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies to drool at the new broom model. Not that he had the money to buy it, of course. Besides, according to his mother, he already had a good broom. The redhead sighed. The broom was a hopeless case. He finally managed to tear himself from the display. Well, since he was here already, he might as well look around.
Olivanders, Madam Malkin's, all the familiar shops were still here, but there was a small alley that Aylen hadn't seen before. "What the hey. My sense of direction isn't as bad as Aidana makes it out to be," he muttered, and with that, he entered.

This part of the district seemed to be utterly deserted. There were few shops here, and even fewer browsers. The utter emptiness gave Aylen the creeps. The melody running over and over in his head didn't help. When he realized the music was real, he followed it to its source.

[Professor Windwaltz]

Talon waited for a few moments before Forgoil finally seemed to notice him. He almost chuckled when he saw Forgoil's reaction to him - it wasn't abnormal for someone to think oddly of his appearance, especially after viewing him in his previous state under a week before. And he was supposed to be a History teacher.... None the less, he extended his hand to the boy when he held out his own and shook it. Luckily no electricity discharged itself, and Talon quickly released his hand.

"Have I? Well, I've seen antique music boxes before, and often have I seen cymbal clapping animals - they were mostly enchanted somehow, mind you - but no, I've never seen a badger on a music box. Or this particular song." The man's face shaped into an almost dreamy look as he reminisced. "Before coming here, you know, it was my job to search the world for priceless antiques like this. Sealed within tombs and ruins. Yet this...this is quite original."

The music was just beginning to echo throughout his own mind, putting him in an entranced state. His smile became more and more dreamy, until he was shaken from his thoughts by the jingle of the door. To Talon's great surprise, when he turned around he was facing a boy he had met only a short while before: Aylen Hawkins. "Ah, Mister Hawkins!" He said with delight, "It's a pleasure to see you here - have you come looking for something exotic or antique?"

[Aylen Hawkins]

At the professor's voice, Aylen tripped on the door's raised frame and came down with a crash at the two people's feet. The trademark entrance of the Hawkins twins. "Owww..." he muttered as he rubbed his forehead. "Hullo Professor." He picked himself up. "No, not really. I'm not that interested in that kind of thing. Unless it's a real Golden Snitch bird. I've never actually seen one. They used to use those for Quidditch games, you know. You had to catch it and squish it, though I'm not sure I could be a seeker if I had to do that..." He trailed off as his eyes caught on the Hufflepuff student. "Hey, I don't think I've seen you around before." He grinned.

[Forgoil Halifirien]

Forgoil agreed with the Professor's last comment; truly this piece was priceless. But the enchanting music drew his attention once more to the box. The song was so beautiful, it flowed through the mind as a river flows along its set course. The river would hit bends and turns throughout its journey, and the music did this too; rather, it made calm transitions whereas the river would make violent ones.

Forgoil lost his sense of time; he didn't think about what he was doing, for he had no care. His mind flew out of th narrow confines of his mortal flesh, and become one with the music. His mind reeled in pleasure; it relaxed in utter calmness. This state of bliss that Forgoil had become one with was so peaceful, it seemed it could cool the most fiery of notions and calm the most arrogant mind; yet this brief hiatus was interrupted when a crash snapped Forgoil's concentration and he returned to reality.

A boy who looked about his age lay sprawled on the floor. It appeared that the Professor knew who this person was, but then again it seemed the Professor know who everyone was. As the boy rose to his feet Forgoil answered, "No, we haven't met before this, but one remind me of someone... ah, never mind that. I am forgetting my manners; I am Forgoil Halifirien and who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

[Aylen Hawkins]

"So, Forgoil, is it?" he said. "My name's Aylen Hawkins, Gryffindor. I've only just met the professor here, but my twin, Aidana, has known him for a while, I think." He trailed off as he thought of what brought him here in the first place. "Er, that tune...it's coming from that funny music box isn't it?" He watched as the little badger clashed the silent cymbals. For a moment, Aylen was also drawn into the music. It was a free, lilting melody...almost like flying...

[Forgoil Halifirien]

So, Aylen was the twin brother of Aidana; a girl he held in high respect, but as of late fumed about her conduct at the Three Broomsticks. One minute, she is introducing herself, and then next minute is leaving under an excuse that didn't seem valid. But that didn't matter; Aylen wasn't his sister, so Forgoil drifted back into listening to the music, and forgetting about his meeting with Aidana. He thought it was odd how Aylen said that the music box looked funny; perhaps Aylen found it amusing to see a badger dressed in Persian clothes, but to Forgoil, this music box was a relict to be treasured and enjoyed.

"Yes," replied Forgoil, slowly for his mind was concentrating on the music, "The music is coming for the music box." Turning to face Aylen, Forgoil asked him, "Have you ever heard so tranquil a song in your entire life? One that could free one's tortured soul with a single note? Heal one's sanity in a single chord?"

[Professor Windwaltz]

"It is curious," said Talon as soon as the words 'funny music box', "I highly doubt that this music box was made in Persia. Somehow I feel it was a European who went to Persia who made it." He took a step away from the group, and away from the music box. He enjoyed the music, but he wanted to look at the rest of the antiques in the shop. He examined the shelves and piles for the thing he was originally looking for - Armour.

"Perhaps he was so enthralled with the Persian world," he shouted towards them from the other side of the store, "That he wanted to bring a bit of Persia to Europe. The Badger representing Europe, the robes representing Persia." He popped back into the room again, holding what seemed to be a transparent and clear helmet. "Who knows, it's still rather interesting."

[Aylen Hawkins]

The music was suddenly interupted by Forgoil's voice. It took a couple of seconds for the question to register, the music was just that beautiful. "Well," Aylen pondered. "I wouldn't call myself insane, and I don't believe I've ever been tortured..." He thought out his words carefully. "It seems the song is...I don't know...content, maybe? Like it has everything it ever needed and wanted; it's just pure happiness, I think."

[Forgoil Halifirien]

Laughing, Forgoil said, "I didn't say that you were insane or were beginning tortured in any way, Aylen. I was just using those words to describe my feelings, because that's how I felt when I heard the music. It was just so beautiful." He continued to listen to the music until he saw Professor Windwaltz returning with a transparent helmet. Forgoil was intrigued by it and felt an urge to reach out and run his hand over its smooth surface. "What this the helmet made of, Professor?" asked Forgoil, who felt rather stupid for asking this mere question out of an infinite number of them.

[Professor Windwaltz]

"Well Forgoil," he said in the tone of a teacher about to start a science experiment, "That's exactly what I'm about to find out." Most stores had a "No Wands Allowed" hanging somewhere to keep people from taking out their wands and blowing stuff up, but it seemed this store in particular had no such sign. He quickly pulled into his robes for his wand, and quietly pulled it out again. "Well, here we go..." He said, hoping something drastic wouldn't happen. "Reducto!" He shouted at a considerable volume, though not as loud as he would normally shout in a duel. A red light shot from his wand at this, and hit the helmet directly.

Causing it to break apart completely, at least 40 pieces breaking off and flying with an incredible velocity in several directions. "Everybody duck!" Talon shouted at the same time the helmet exploded, and the pieces slammed into the walls all around them. Slowly getting up, he moaned and said "Well, my friends, it seems it was made of glass." He shook his head slowly, and looked down at the pieces on the ground. "Well, if it's just glass...then - er, everybody duck again - Reparo." The glass zoomed back at the same velocity of which it blew up, seeming to go in the exact reverse that it went before.

Holding the helmet in his hands again, he threw it at a rather large statue of an Bengal Tiger. He heard a crack as it hit the statue, but it slid down into a pile afterwards. He didn't care what befell the helmet - it had very little importance - and by the look of the shop, neither did the owner. Going back through the pile of armour along the ground, he continued his search.

[Aylen Hawkins]

Aylen barely managed to throw himself onto the floor before the helmet was blasted to pieces. The fragments flew about wildly as if possessed and one of them narrowly missed the redhead. “Hey, Professor, what was that fo—” He scarcely had another chance to duck before the pieces replaced themselves together just as fast. “Honestly, what were you thinking, Professor?” asked Aylen grumpily. With the expression on Aylen’s face, one could almost be reminded of a disgruntled hawk. “And what kind of cock-brained idiot makes armor out of glass?”

[Professor Windwaltz]

Talon emerged gloomily from the pile of antiques with a disappointed look upon his face. "Once upon a time," he said in a slightly quietly voice, "There was a type of magical armour. It was used in the ancient wars of one thousand years past. It looked like glass, felt like glass, and...is glass. It was simply enchanted, and no one really knows how to enchant it like that again." He sighed, climbing out of the pile entirely. Throughout the entire store, he found absolutely no effective armour. "Another thing the past has one up on us for." He glanced over the area where he threw the helmet. "If that was the real deal, it would've absorbed my reducter curse and did absolutely nothing." So abruptly ended his search for armour. It seemed like he was going to be dead meat in the battle which according to the intelligence was to occur the following morning. It was possible that he could do a couple good protecting spells to keep himself alive long, but if they got anything straight at him, he'd be done for.

So what was he to do? Go out and buy new clothes? He was becoming rather fond of his ancient robes, they rather fit the part of a history teacher. So he thought to himself. 'What should I use this money for?' He looked about the store. He could buy a few random antiques to put in his classroom. Yet would that really be worth it? His eyes wandered the store, until they finally fell back on Forgoil and Aylen...and then to the badger. Still clapping and playing music happily, he had an image...the image of the thing which made him the happiest...the secret that he kept so locked up within him set free. And he had made his decision.

"Aylen," he whispered over to the boy, "Can you do me a favor?"