Application for Henry Winter, 'The Secret History'

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

(Cleared with Camilla-mun!)


The tall, dark-haired man strides through a door, looking down at his watch. The wire-rimmed glasses he wears glint as he reaches the middle of the room and lifts his head, checking where he is.

When Henry Winter speaks, it is in a cool voice.

’I do hope I’m not late.’



1. What is your favorite cheese? Why is it your favorite?

Bel Paese. I like Italian cheeses; preferred them over the more readily available, in any case. The name itself means ‘beautiful country’—and cheddar, what does that mean? Nothing. It’s named after the village where it was made. Lack of imagination never made a good cheese.*his mouth quirks slightly here, at the absurdity of the questions; but match absurdity with absurdity*

2. Who would you kill first, Barney or Carrottop?

Bu--? Ah. Barney. I’m afraid I don’t hold a particular hatred for either; is this a failing at this place?

3. What time is it where you are?

*he spreads his arms wide; he is rather intimidating in this pose, it would seem* Here? I have no idea where here is. But my own watch says it is five pm, so I will agree with that for the time being.

4. If you were Albus Dumbledore returned from the dead, which member of the Order of the Phoenix would you sexually harass? How would you harass them? If you are Albus Dumbledore, please answer as if you were Sirius Black.

*Henry looks vaguely disgusted* No. No. I don’t think this question lends itself to any sensible answer.

5. If you are pushing to be in:

A. Slytherin - please state the clever, witty name of the bar in which you bartend, in the dark.

‘Live Forever’. Too often drunks and layabouts really do believe that; at least we’ll know where they are, drawn by the shining lights, perhaps.

B. Gryffindor – Debate whether Harry should ultimately end up married to Fred or George. Use examples from a variety of world mythologies to bolster your argument.

*here, he squints, pulling his glasses off* Fra--? Oh, no, Fred. How could I possibly answer? I don’t know any man referenced in the question.

C. Ravenclaw – You guys are supposed to be smart. Explain why my desk is inundated with paperwork at all times, even though I’m constantly disposing of it.

Maybe you’ve missed a few too many deadlines; perhaps you’ve not anticipated the workload. But it’s more than likely you’re finding it too difficult; even with challenging amounts of work, if you are competent you should find time to do it.

D. Hufflepuff – Prove you are not useless.

Why, how can a man prove that? Even if I were to answer, all you would have is my word. Would that really be enough?

6. Offer a bribe to the members of this community so that they will not squib you. Items used in bribery do not necessarily have to belong to the person offering the bribe.

*here, he really does look disgusted* I did not anticipate this sort of question. All I have is my watch, and my wallet. *Henry opens his wallet, and, after getting a photograph from it, throws it contemptuously to the floor* Find something you want in there.




"I have read the hogwarts_hocus faq, and understand it is a crazy, cracktastic sorting community and RPG. ___HW_________
I have read the hogwarts_hocus rules and agree to abide by each and every one of them. ___HW________.
I agree to be a good sport (pip pip!) and not get my knickers in a bunch. ___HW________.
One day, marmalade will rule the world (Not if I get to Hampden first). _____HW________"

Comments

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

"I was working on a problem I couldn't solve," she explains. "And now I don't need to anymore." She's standing within arm's reach now, close enough to realise again how tall he is. That presence -- time had diminished it, yes. Made her remember only the comfort she used to feel in his presence, and forget the awe.

She's afraid. But she's also glowing.

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

Camilla was always glowing. He was afraid, maybe, that the gold leaf she always seemed covered in could have flaked off; he needn't have worried.

Henry is an astute man. Maybe he guesses what she was working on. Maybe not.

'So,' he begins, looking straight at her. 'What happens now?'

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

Now she does smile, and if she glowed before, the smile makes of her face something so luminous she may as well have a halo, not the silly sort you see in cartoons, but a full nimbus, like a Byzantine saint.

"Anything," she says. "Anything we want."

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

For some reason, his thoughts immediately leap to another bacchanal. He has to draw the line somewhere--that lead to far too much trouble--so he simply affects interest.

'Would I be correct in assuming you have some ideas?'

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

Camilla falters. Her whole purpose -- what she's lived for since Richard made his idiotic proposal -- has been to bring Henry back. After that, Henry would be in the driver's seat. He always had been.

She runs a hand through her hair nervously.

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

It looks as if he wasn't correct. He sighs. It's very difficult, being dead. It changes you. So used to being in control, he found himself suddenly adrift, unable to get to places he wanted. He had adapted to that. Now, Camilla expects him to be the same, because to her he must look it.

'Tell me more of what there can be done here, then,' he says, to alleviate her nervousness.

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

"Sorcery," she says. "Divination. Charms. Potions. I'll warn you, what passes for Latin here is worse than degenerate."

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

'Are there any Professors here like...'

Julian is still someone he misses. But all the things she mentions interests him. He knows a little about each subject she mentions, save Charms.

'Doggerel. But apparently doggerel works. One must use Latin for spells, yes? Could you conceivably create a new spell?'

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

"There might be," says Camilla. "I haven't gotten very close to any of the faculty here. They're mostly very distant. Not intimate with us the way Julian was." And by that she doesn't mean faculty-student dalliances, of which there seem to be plenty of Hogwarts. "They don't cultivate students. I do think new spells can be created, all the time. Researching old ones is as interesting. Why reinvent the wheel?" She's only researched a single topic, exhaustively, since she got here. Now she's not sure what she's going to be doing, truth be told, especially since Henry doesn't seem inclined to provide her with an agenda.

He does provide her with a raison d'etre, just by being here, and that's got to be enough. She offers him another smile, this one more tremulous.

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

Henry wrinkles his nose, briefly. 'How delightful. But, Camilla, is there a spell for everything? I would like to research, true, but to create...'

Here is one thing the ones before him have not conquered. He smiles--not at her, not really, but at the prospect of being an inventor, almost.

Glimpsing her smile--the anxiety in it, he moves towards her, with all his old grace. He doesn't want to touch her; his skin might feel different.

'Tell me you don't want to create the new from the cloth of the old.'

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

This is more the Henry she knows, visionary, decisive; and she responds at once to that familiar fire. "I want to." I want whatever you want.

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

He grins. 'You are certain it can be done? When can we start researching?'

She's reacting fast. He's pleased. Going over lists of spells he would want to learn; open doors, or to turn away suspicion. There's a list a mile long; and some must be available already.

vote: Ravenclaw

[c-macaulay.livejournal.com]

"You have to stay in this room until they've finished Sorting you into one of the Houses," says Camilla. "After that, I'll show you the library." She's happy now, immensely happy. "I'm in Gryffindor House for some reason but I don't think you'd like it. I'm going to vote now and then go get some things for when you're out." She stands on her tiptoes and lands the lightest of kisses on his cheek, then rushes out.

Re: vote: Ravenclaw

[onewinteryday.livejournal.com]

Henry wasn't expecting the kiss. He wasn't sure how his body would feel, being dead for (apparently) six years, but he didn't have a gunshot wound in his head...

He could feel it. Just. A tingle on his cheek, nothing more, as though he was just thawing out.

Where Camilla is concerned, he wants to thaw sooner rather than later.