discedo | [Video]

Entry tags:

[Video] - I

[There's an eye pressed up close to the screen... or as close as it can get, behind the wall of the glasses that James Potter is always wearing.]

...Bloody Muggle... whatsit...

[Comes the grumbling tone, under his breath. He's clearly not aware that the 'whatsit' is on as he pulls back to fidget with it, giving a last, valiant effort to make sense of it before giving up and tossing it to the ground.

The view now just shows half his head, far above and mostly sky.

He's failed (for the moment) at dealing with strange thing number two: so he'll go back to dealing with strange thing number one!

Which was--...where on earth was he?]

Portkey, maybe? Droll of them. Middle of nowhere, to boot... could at least have the decency to transport me some place pretty if they wanted to have an unfair duel.

[Though, even as he attributes the sudden move to the Death Eaters, he does find it odd that... none are about.

No one is attacking him, really.

'No one attacking' doesn't happen much, mid-war, behind enemy lines.

So if he's not behind enemy lines...]

Merlin... not going to figure it out just standing around here, James. May as well get a move on.

And stop talking to yourself. It's not an attractive quality...

[Really. The invisible people here in he-didn't-know-where might get the impression he was barking mad, if he didn't stop monologuing soon.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Have you as yet attempted to do any spells?

[The young man's expression remained curious - maybe a little tense in anticipation.]

...Was about to get to that.

[He insisted, wetting his lips and giving him a look; semi-wary; before he reached for his wand and gave it a flick.

Just to warm up, you know. Send out sparks.

Nothing.

Frowning now and brow furrowing a bit, James tried again. And again, there was nothing. Not even the feeling that came attached to wandwork, that innate... well, magic.

Taking a shallow breath, he'd slowly go to look back at the screen.]

...Well at least tell me that the good news is you've gone and misplaced your magic, too.

[Gellert frowned a little, but he glanced away briefly in silent contemplation before looking back to James.]

I don't see how that is good news but... yes, my magic has been taken too. These... scientists, as they are called. They have infected us all with something called a chip. It blocks our magic.

[He paused before continuing with a question.]

What is your name?

Infected us? Blimey, this place really gets better by the second, doesn't it.

[Rubbing at the base of his head; a habit he'd taken up in place of his old hair-ruffling one, as this occupied his hand while annoying Lily considerably less; he responded distractedly,]

James Potter. Hogwarts graduate, circa much-later-than-you, if you do in fact happen to be the actual Gellert Grindelwald.

In which case, may I say; you've aged really well. What's your secret?

[He raised his eyebrows a little then looked amused, his manner relaxing.]

You're heard of me? The last year I was aware of was 1905, back in my - our - world.

I have heard of Hogwarts so we must be from the same world, at least. If not the same time. It is a pleasure to meet you, Herr Potter.

[His voice held a trace of an accent but his English was very good.]

[1905? Well that settled it, didn't it.

As well as he looked and as charming his mannerisms, James had absolutely no soft spots when it came to the Dark Arts.

People often said that Grindelwald was only bested by Voldemort, when it came to that.

Clicking his tongue, James raised a brow at him and made a face.]

Sorry, can't say the feeling's mutual.

Think everyone's heard of you, 'round my time. You're second-fiddle and all, but even second fiddles can play loud, all right.

You follow?

[He doubted it. James didn't even really follow that one.

Losing his magic in more than one way today, apparently. It was just a lot to take in all at once. All of this...]

Are you implying there is somebody out there that....

[He trailed off then his eyes brightened and, despite the strange situation, he grinned.]

Do you know Albus Dumbledore?

'Course I do.

Close personal friend of mine and one of the best Headmasters in Hogwarts history.

[Not really much of a friend to this bloke though. Not anymore, all things considered.]

Besides that, you'd have to be living under a rock under the heavy influence of a confundus charm not to know Albus Dumbledore.

Headmaster....?

Absolutely. Of Hogwarts, like I said.

Is it the accent?

Or... are you just not liking what it is you're hearing?

It seems like such a... mundane occupation. He can do so much more.

What year are you from?

He does quite a bit, between his teaching role and his soldiering role... against the Dark Arts and the sorry lot of Witches and Wizards who'd use them against Muggles and Muggle Borns, that is.

You know the type, I'm sure.

You could even say he fights for the greater good!

[Really, what Grindlewald did-- or would do? He was always fuzzy on exact dates, in History of Magic-- was no laughing matter. It was absolutely serious.

But he was having just the smallest bit of a lark at being the one to break the 'bad' news. Getting the jump on both of the darkest wizards in history was a gem of a feeling, really!]

I'm from the very busy 1970's, soon to be the more relaxing 1980's.

1970's... That is far in the future. He must have done much more before he retired to teaching.

[Gellert was musing aloud. He shook his head of golden curls slightly then looked directly at James again.]

The greater good? Of course he does. So tell me, what changes have happened in our world? Are we finally able to walk freely among the muggles?

[He didn't pick up on James's earlier hints. He doesn't consider himself to be doing the wrong thing.]

[Wow. A little thick, for one of the cleverest wizards in his class, wasn't he?

Well, just went to show. Can't confuse 'diabolical' with 'clever'; or you'll just be disappointed when you meet young versions of historical figures in parellel worlds.]

I've never had a problem with walking, personally. Among muggles or elsewhere. Mid-air is a little tough, but that's what we've got brooms for.

[As much as James would like to crush Gellert's hopes of a charming future where muggles were enslaved by magic folk, he wasn't altogether sure he should be creating paradoxes and... whatnot... with that information.]

I'll put it like this, hey: it's not what you're expecting.

[Thank Merlin for that.]

[There is a thoughtful pause.]

You know of me. What do you know?

Little too much, quite frankly. More than I'd like to.

[It's his own turn to pause now, before,]

Look, you'll find out, hey? Future's already happened, so there it is.

Let's focus on the present for a moment.

What's going on here; where are we?

You're going to be secretive, are you? I never did like secrets...

[But he sighed and continued.]

Personally, I am in a place called Dissimulo. You could be anywhere but I have been told there are three main towns or cities. Most people seem to be in one called Discedo.

As for what is going on... We appear to be some kind of experiments.

...Well, that's nice, isn't it? Makes a bloke feel important, to be included in such a big-name experiment.

'Fraid I can't be staying though.

So where's the exit?

[Please tell him you're not still working out that part...]

There isn't one. At least, none that have been found.

[His tone is steady but there is a flicker of something in his eyes. Annoyance, perhaps. After about six months trapped here without his powers his optimism has wavered slightly - at least for a short while.]

That's only because I hadn't gotten here yet.

[He gave, with a certain ring of either very stunning or very deluded confidence.

Apparently, James' optimism was still well in tact.]

First thing's first; we've got to get 'uninfected'.

Know anything else about what kind of project we are?

[He was trying to make a light joke of that too, but truthfully, it gave him the heebie-jeebies in only a slightly lesser amount than the Dark Arts did. Anything that removed a person's autonomy; much less took away a large part of who they were, in their cases; wasn't anything good.]

No, only that strange things happen here.

Soon after I first arrived the entire world was full of dementors. You're lucky that they are now gone.

...I'd say everyone's lucky, of that.

It's the little things, I guess.

As for becoming uninfected - I have been told by a few people that within us they have put something called a 'chip'. And that it has to be removed by cutting us open.