Staying After Class (Codey & Finley)

Guest

Finley was not in the slightest bit sure now whether he should like or be scared of Professor Ellingston. Yes, the man had told him he didn't need to try to do the spell anymore if he couldn't do it, but he'd also been asked to stay after class. Finley wasn't sure whether he was in trouble or not.

So, when the class had finished, he'd bid goodbye to Naomi, insisting he would catch up with her, and sat waiting at his desk. His hands sat on the table, and his eyes were trained to his fingers and nothing else. There was no denying he was scared, because Finley had never been kept behind before.

Not at Hogwarts, anyway.

Taking a steadying breath, Finley exhaled the confidence shakily, daring to glance up once, before looking back at his hands. Was he supposed to speak? Merlin he didn't know, so he kept quiet. That was best, right? Waiting until you were spoken to.

Guest

After class finished, Codey had something to do immediately after, but he had prioritized Finley, and so, he took a short detour back to his office and. quickly writing out a message, sent his owl out with it. Stepping back to the class, he shut the door behind it, silently charming it so that only someone from the inside - or someone with authority - could open it; the last thing he wanted was someone walking in on them and misunderstanding the situation.

Besides, he knew how scary it was to ask for help or receive it, and he wanted Finley to be as relaxed as he could be.

Smiling down at the boy, Codey placed a chocolate frog on the desk - he had heard other Professors did this, and after checking with Aria, found that she, too, kept a stash at work for when children came and saw her. Then, because he did not want to come across as an authority figure, but merely someone who wanted to help, Codey dragged a chair and sat opposite Finley.

"Don't worry. You're not in trouble whatsoever," he started, and then paused to make sure that Finley understood this. "I noticed you are having some problems with your spell work, so I admit, I've been keeping a special eye on you." Letting another moment passed, he smiled warmly before continuing, "Your wand work is almost flawless, so that is not your issue. I do think, however, I have discovered the cause and I may have a solution for it, although it won't be easy."

Leaning back casually, he added, "If you wish to learn, however, I can teach you. If you don't, you are free to go. I'm not going to force anything on you."

Guest

Hearing the door close behind him, Finley took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He didn't dare turn around, instead keeping his eyes on the desk and waiting for the professor. It was a surprise, to say the least, to see a chocolate frog appear before him not a moment later.

With a slight frown, Finley looked up at the professor, trying to gauge the man, but falling short.

Instead, Finley managed a soft "T-thank you." to the professor, though he didn't move towards the chocolate. If he could get away with it, he would take it back for Naomi to apologise for not being able to walk back with her. Even if it was silly, Finley felt that was the right thing to do.

But, what was more surprising was that the professor sat with him at the table. On the same level, and not in an authoritative manner. Maybe he wasn't in trouble? Finley didn't count his chickens though, instead continuing to be quiet until he was spoken to.

Not that he had to wait long.

Being told he wasn't in trouble was both a relief and a little confusing. Finley glanced up at the professor intermittently, showing he was listening despite his nerves. The point of him struggling made Finley wince. "I'm s-sorry." The Ravenclaw responded in no more than a whisper. Maybe he was getting kicked out of Charms?

But Finley was wrong.

A solution? Without thinking, Finley's eyes shot up to the man's eyes before him. Reading for something that might be a joke, but finding nothing. Hope flittered across the boy's features. Then caution. But Finley nodded in understanding when Professor Ellingston admitted that it wouldn't be easy to solve. Finley knew that, he'd been trying for three years now to little and no avail.

"If you wish to learn, however, I can teach you. If you don't, you are free to go. I'm not going to force anything on you."

"I a-always want to l-learn." Finley insisted, eyes still looking hopeful as his naturally curious instinct kicked in. "But... I d-don't think I'm f-following, Professor." He admitted, because the Professor hadn't been clear in what he would be learning. Though, Finley didn't explain that he had tried pretty much every route possible, or that he didn't think the professor could cure his lack of magical talent.

Guest

]Watching Finley the entire time, he noted all the boy's looks and movements, deducing that he was nervous. There was not much he could do, however, other than be gentle, so he didn't focus on that, instead responding to the apology with a simple, "Please, don't worry. It's not your fault at all."

The answer he received about wanting to learn made him smile a little more. He could hear the genuineness in the tone of voice, and while Codey still wasn't exactly sure if he should or should not be teaching a third year something at that level, but it was a solution for the only thing that made sense as a problem. It wasn't his ability, that much was sure. "If I may, and I hope I am not offending you in any manner, I believe that problem is your stutter. I apologise if this is too personal."

He paused, looking down at the boy with a soft smile of his face, hiding no emotions but rather letting them show on his face. The last thing he wanted was to scare the Ravenclaw. "I understand that it is a part of who you are, and I am not going to try and fix that - there is nothing to fix," he continued, making sure that Finley understood that Codey did not care about the manner in which he spoke. Stuttering was something some people outgrew, but for others, it was something they simply adjusted to as they matured. That was not his battle, nor did he want to rush anything; Finley would figure out a solution to that on his own.

Codey was simply there to help him become all that he could be, in terms of magic and ability.

"Instead," he went on, picking up the piece of paper and tearing it neatly in half. Placing it down on the table, his hand moved to the quill, which he snapped in half and laid down next to the paper. As he did so, spoke the entire time. "I am going to teach you something you aren't supposed to learn till at least the fifth year. I believe the issue you have is with the pronunciation; the stuttering and double pronunciation of certain alphabets hinders be effect of the spell."

Stopping as he laid the now-broken slab of cement onto the table, he slid out his wand and, making sure Finley was watching, traced the pattern of reparo above the pieces of torn paper. As soon as he finished, the two ends moved to meet and, upon touching each other, sealed themselves together. "Non-verbal magic," Codey concluded, doing the same thing to the quill, and finally the slab. "It's hard, and won't be easy, especially for a third year, but it eliminates the need for any speech, which means no stuttering."

Letting a few moments pass for the boy to take it all in, Codey added a, "Any questions?" and then fell silent again, waiting for Finley to respond.

Guest

Finley didn't much listen to the professor when he was told it wasn't his fault, it was his fault, Finley was quite sure of that much. But he decided not to tell the professor he was wrong because that was very rude. Instead, Finley stayed quiet, that was the best idea.

"If I may, and I hope I am not offending you in any manner, I believe that problem is your stutter. I apologise if this is too personal."

Finley simply nodded, he understood that the professor might think that. He'd thought that, but then he knew there wasn't much he could do about his stutter. His parents had tried, so he had hoped that it was something else. But, if Professor Ellingston thought that this was true... It took all of Finley's control not to let out a sigh at the thought.

Was he going to have to explain that his parents had tried therapy sessions? Would the teachers know?

But his hope was restored when the professor didn't belittle his stutter, or make a notion that they would be trying the exercises he'd done for weeks to no avail. It showed with the small light in his eyes that showed the hope the Ravenclaw had in the older man. Finley remained silent though, eager to learn, but unsure what to say.

When the professor started to break things, Finley swallowed, wondering if the professor was going to make him do it again. He knew, right? That Finley couldn't... Was he going to be tested? His nerves were sparked in to life again, his eyes simply watching the professor's hands breaking things. The words were going in, and Finley nodded in understanding. Of course the stutter must have an affect, but Finley had thought it was a combination of things.

"Non-verbal magic,"

Finley's eyes went wide.

Looking up at Professor Ellingston, Finley shook his head, both in disbelief and worry. "I c-cant..." Finley insisted, his eyes watching as Professor Ellingston fixed the things before them without speech. It would be so nice to be able to do things without messing them up. But Finley... Finley wasn't that good. It was going to be a failure, he knew that.

"Any questions?"

Simply looking at the fixed items for a few moments longer, Finley shook his head, and then nodded. "I d-don't." He shook his head, and looked back up at the professor. "I d-don't want to f-fail you." Finley explained, motioning to the things that had been fixed. "I'm n-not that good at m-magic."

Biting his lip a little, Finley looked back at the items one more time. Longing to be able to do that. "I'll n-never be as g-good as you..."

Guest

He took in every detail he could, watching the boy's face as well as body gestures, looking for any and every tell there was to find. Codey needed to be able to read Finley like an open book as soon as possible, so he would be able to see what words he was using that worked, and what things he should avoid saying altogether.

Already he could gather a sense of when the Ravenclaw was getting uncomfortable, but didn't do or say anything to change that. He would, hopefully, see soon enough there was no need to be afraid. Codey was there to help his students and that was it. He was neither friend (unless it made sense to be) nor enemy (unless, again, it helped the student if he became that), instead imparting knowledge and guiding them best he could.

"I c-cant..."

Codey ignored that statement. From everything he saw, Finley most definitely could. It was only a matter of getting the boy - who he was sure had been told numerous times that he could not, simply because of a vocal thing he had no control over - to believe that.

But he said nothing. He knew from experience that words, no matter how well phrased or put, could not make anyone believe anything. They had to want to believe it. It was always how he conned people - find something they wanted an spin a tale so good that they can't help but take the offer. Never once did it work with things people didn't want.

And, Codey could tell, Finley wanted to learn. That was the angle he would go for.

"I d-don't want to f-fail you."

At once, Codey shook his head. "You can't," he replied immediately. This was something vital that Finley needed to understand. "You can't fail me, because there is nothing that you can do for me in the first place. The only person you can fail, Finley, is yourself, by not trying."

The second statement, however, made him pause. He needed to handle this the right way and not seem overly harsh, nor overly soft. A few seconds later, he leaned back a little, smiling at Finley. "Based on what evidence do you conclude that?" he asked, taking the route of learning. "The fact you can't produce magic with verbal spells, that I have just pointed out you can't do because of the stutter you can't control?"

He paused, motioned around the class, and added, "Nobody - not even myself - could perform verbal magic if I added double syllabus to a word."

"I'll n-never be as g-good as you..."

This was another thing that Codey did not need to think about before answering. "Don't be. I'm not asking you to be as good as me, or as your classmates, or as your friends. I'm asking you to be as good as you. That is all anyone can ever give, and that is enough. Be as good as Finley can be, and you'll make me, your parents, and your friends proud."

He let another moment pass, then, in a more light tone, asked, "Anything else you want to ask?"

Guest

"The only person you can fail, Finley, is yourself, by not trying."

The pep talk made Finley think to himself for a moment, weighing up the statement for some kind of honesty. Some glimmer of truth. And he found it, the only person who would see him as a failure, truly believe he was a failure, was himself. He was scared of failing, and he needed to up his game.

The question on his evidence, and then the idea made Finley nod, then shake his head, then pause. He was getting flustered, through the strong emotion of excitement and nervousness. His head was spinning with the possibility of what he could achieve, and also the voice that told him it would be a waste of time. That magic was a waste of time.

Closing his eyes for a moment, to block out - or at least try - the situation, Finley took a calming breath. Inhaling deeply, Finley let out a slow breath before opening his eyes once more.

Finley however, couldn't help the hopeful look that plagued his face when Professor Ellingston said that he would be proud of him. Proud of him for being himself. Finley had never heard that before, and it showed in his features as he marveled at the professor before him.

"I only ever wanted a son who would make me proud." His father had told his mother the evening they'd found out about Hogwarts. They had believed that Finley had gone to bed over an hour ago, but he could hear them through the wall. "Now he's going off to some Magical School."

"It might give him some confidence..." His mother had tried to defend the idea. "It's something we haven't tried."

"Sending him away?" There was a laugh. "He likes being with you too much. Though perhaps they'll find a way to rid him of that blasted stutter."

"Y-you being proud w-will be enough, s-sir." Finley murmured, before realising what he'd said.

But before the professor said anything, Finley pressed on.

"H-how do I... d-do that?" Finley asked, motioning to the fixed items the professor had done without uttering a single word.

» CLASS: Duelling -- Spring Term Class (Nerisei)
» Codey Ellingston
» Class Attendance
» Class Attendance
» Class Attendance 2015/16