Monday 7 September 2009
9:50 pm

Ylva Maras was not happy.  Her features were screwed into a tight scowl, her eyebrows knotted up over her glass-shined eyepatch.  She came out of the staff's quarters and into the open area of Durmstrang's lavishly allotted dormitories that had been set up in the lower levels of the grand castle.

"Grumman!" she barked and snapped her fingers.  "A word.  Now."

She held open the door to the little administrative office and waited for the girl to get off her feet and obey the summons. At Durmstrang students jumped when spoken to and Professor Maras expected no less on these Scottish shores. 

She was impatient.  "Grumman!"

Perhaps at Durmstrang, Aliya Grumman might not have been her business.  She wasn't a Tangibles student, after all.  But the Durmstrang staff to come alone were limited in numbers and someone had to handle students not living up to their potential, in their discipline or not. 

Aliya Grumman tended to end her evenings by studying (like every dutiful Durmstrang student) or by engaging in conversation with some of her fellow Obertiels. She was a social being, afterall. Perhaps moreso than many of her classmates. To go a day without chattering socially to someone was pure torture for the young Grumman.

Since the classes had just begun and her work load not yet unbearable, Aliya was talking with some of the Zufreiden students when the sharp voice of Professor Maras pierced through the air. Aliya was stunned to hear her name called and she sat up straighter at the woman's command to speak with her.

After the shock subsided and Maras yelled her name again, Aliya jumped to her feet and bolted for the office. She hardly had a moment to wonder what the woman wanted to speak to her about, seeing as they did not often interact.

Nevertheless, Aliya wasn't about to disrespect her by refusing the conference. "Yes, ma'am."  After a pause, she quietly asked, "Have I done something wrong, Professor?"

Ylva ushered the young witch into the office and shut the door.  Now that it was closed, Ylva crossed her arms over her chest, lifted her chin and leaned against the closed door. 

"It's what you haven't done, Miss Grumman!"

She shook her head and shrugged dramatically.

"Why do you think you're here?  Is this a vacation to you?  Some holiday? A lark?  Or maybe, dear girl, you're ill? Are you limping around on some stump under those robes like that crazy old man from Salem? Are you suffering from a case of fatal dragonpox?  Please, set me straight.  What could possibly cause you to ignore your potential and disgrace Durmstrang Institute like some Dreg?"

She flinched her head.  "Hmm? Hmm?"

It wasn't an understatement to say that Aliya was one of the more sensitive Grummans to attend the hardened halls of Durmstrang. She has not experienced many of the harsh realities that her ancestors has and many of those very people endeavored to keep it as such.

It was not often that Aliya found herself to be the target of this type of scoldings so it was quite jolting now. She didn't like disappointing the adults in her life and ever the future diplomat, did her best to appease them whenever possible.

Maras' biting words struck her like knives and Aliya tensed, as if that might help to provide some barrier to keep them from lodging too deeply into her psyche. Her professor fired off one accusation after another and Aliya was scrambling to find the words to rebuke them.

"I...no, it's not a vacation, Professor," she stammered, using the first thoughts that came to her mind. "I'm not ill." She splayed her hands out in front of her and her chocolate colored orbs went wide with a naive innocence that many who were closest to her knew was not an act. "I....am sorry, Professor. I just...don't understand how I've disgraced our school." Aliya was again frantically searching her brain for what she could have possibly done to disappoint her fellow students and professors.

Aliya then blurted out, "Please tell me....and...I'll fix it!"

Ylva was not softened by the young witch's shock and wavering pleading, but she was at least satiated that she was showing the proper remorse.  Even if she was too silly to know what was going on.  Wasn't it obvious? Wasn't everything they'd been preparing for about this moment?

"The Tournament -!" Maras growled and stepped forward.  She rapped Aliya smartly on the head with her wand.  "The Tournament, you silly girl!"

"Why haven't you submitted your name to the Goblet of Fire? What are you waiting for? Are you trying to be coy, Grumman? Use your head! You are Obertiel are you not?"

She rapped her again.  "Are you not!?  If it was up to me I'd Dreg you right here and now! What are you waiting for?"

It was harsh by Hogwarts standards probably.  Harsh by any standards, but this was lenient by way of Durmstrang standards.  How else were gentle girls like Aliya going to learn, though? How else would they understand how important their success was? To their school? Their families? Their people?  That's how Ylva had learned.  That was what Durmstrang did.  It pulled, pushed and prestidigitated the potential from its pupils!

Aliya stared at the professor with wide eyes. Though she did not shrink back when the woman spoke again and advanced towards her, she did flinch when she felt the rap of the wand on the crown of her head. She was too slow in bringing her hands up to shield herself from the wand coming down on her again.

Aliya had seen many a Dreg or Zufreiden subjected to Maras' not so gentle prodding. The Oberteil had made a conscious effort to not be included among her victims during her time at school. She had hardly expected it now.

She winced with nearly every syllable of Maras' continued rant, as if those words were also being beaten onto her forehead with force. When the professor stopped talking and looked at her expectantly, Aliya was finally able to haphazardly process what had been said.

Of course it was all about the Tournament! And Aliya had been under the impression that she was doing plenty for it, such as encourage her fellow Oberteil, particularly those who were far more ruthlessly ambitious or competitive. Many were her close friends and Aliya was fine with supporting them as opposed to furthering her own cause.

It was clear that Maras felt she should be doing otherwise.

A hint of determination came to Aliya's demeanor as she wished to make her elder understand her position on the matter. "Yes! I am! But I was just hoping to let the others have their chance first....because they..."

Aliya's voice trailed off as she realized what she was just about to admit to Maras. Again her eyes widened, as if she had already said the words that she knew would bring on more wrath.

But Aliya heard them echo inside her head.

Because they want it more than I do....

Ylva couldn't believe what she was hearing. Aliya hesitantly began to speak, to explain herself, to offer some reason for this silly waffling.

And then Ylva froze solid.  The two witches were both still as statues staring into each others' eyes with mutual horror.  Ylva's horror, of course, twinged with abject humiliation on behalf of the Entire History of Durmstrang.  The seconds dragged on after Aliya's ellipsis.

Ylva blinked her eye and then narrowed it, attempting to bore into Aliya and yank out whatever small offending thought was stopped up behind her teeth.  Oh that she were a Legelimens...!

"Because ... they ... what." 

Ylva attempted to draw out the end of Aliya's offending sentence word by word.  Her wand tip was now between their faces, which were too close for comfort.

Aliya barely breathed for a moment as her eyes locked with Maras' solitary one. Her jaw quavered ever so slightly as her determined resolve from mere seconds before began to ease out of her.

In a moment like this, it became quite apparent that like her cousin, Melanthe, she was not. Melanthe would never have hesitated to stand toe-to-toe with a professor and make them believe that her opinion couldn't possibly be wrong. Melanthe's cunning would also have kept her from ever admitting to the thoughts floating around in Aliya's mind.

But Aliya did not have the unflappable confidence to make anyone do anything. And she cared too much and was too sweet to be so ruthless and undaunted.

And Maras standing there with that look in her eye certainly was daunting for Aliya. It didn't even occur to her that she should lie or that it might be in her best interest to do so.

But her nervousness did lead Aliya to say something else perhaps less damaging, though still quite true.

"They are more ready than I am...."

When Aliya finally responded, Ylva's face went blank again and she swooped away to the desk.   She stood behind it and steepled her fingers on its sleek wooden surface. 

She shook her head ever so slightly, disgust and disappointment plain in her expression.  "Because Durmstrang has only trained some of its students for greatness?  Because Obertiel is a social club!?  Because you are a lazy, gutless, shrinking, silly little girl!"

Maras slammed her hand down onto the desk and outright shouted.  Everyone outside would have been able to hear.

"You'll not shame Durmstrang! Do you understand me! You'll put your name in the Goblet of Fire or I will send you home! Forget the Dregs, I will expel you!"

Maras could sense that perhaps some of the pressure in preparing for this Tournament was getting to her nerves.  But to have one of her students so easily duck out of such an important challenge reflected so shamefully on her teachers, her family, on her peers on Obertiel that it could not be tolerated.  The other schools could pick and choose and waffle and wiggle and whinge.  But not Durmstrang.

Aliya flinched as the professors fist made contact with the desk. More harsh critique were thrown out and Aliya began to feel a tidal wave of conflicting emotions beginning to well within her, causing her features to darken. In frustration she managed to blurt out, "That's not what I meant at all, Professor." Her well defined Grumman jaw hardened with determination and she insisted, "What I meant was that I know that my fellow classmates are talented in different ways than I am. And I am fine with letting them have the spotlight for now." It sounded like a diplomatic thing for Aliya to say. She continued with, "I am confident that I can help Durmstrang in more ways than just by competing. Not everyone here can say that," she told the woman, even though it pained her to be so demeaning to her classmates. Aliya wanted to be successful here at the Tournament, and in her heart of hearts she wanted to compete just as much as anyone. But she believed that she could do so and win without stepping on others to do so.

But that was not a view held by many at Durmstrang, teachers and students alike. And Aliya had to walk the fine line of staying true to her idealistic notions and contending with the harsh realities thrust upon her by the likes of Mars. Thus, exhibiting conceit and confidence regarding ones strengths could go far in winning her some approval back.

"I will not shame Durmstrang," she declared hotly, even as she wanted to run from the room and burst into tears. Though they threatened to spill forth, Aliya refused to be weakened further in that way. She understood that she could not allow herself to be that vulnerable in front of someone like Maras or she was going to be crushed. The aspiring politician in her then recklessly addressed Maras' other threat. "And you wouldn't dare expell me," she countered with a haughty demeanor she modeled after her father. Even when she was not completely confident, when Aliya stood a little taller, she could look the part. And her eyes blazed with a fire and daring reminiscent of Melanthe, further giving her the means to challenge the professor further. "My family is very important to this school. It would be a shame to lose that support."

Aliya inched her chin a little higher with defiance. Was this a glimpse of what kind of future politician she would become, utilizing all the powers that came with being a Grumman?

Maras inhaled sharply through her nose and stiffened up straight at Aliya's suddenly haughty counter attack.  She narrowed her eye, for the moment stilled.  The Grumman's were a very powerful family - why Melanthe Grumman was famous all over Europe.  At least Aliya Grumman was able to have pride in something.  Of all the things could have done, this little stand seemed to calm Ylva Maras more than any begging, pleading or apologies might have. 

Much  more quietly than her shouting before, Ylva spoke again.  She slowly folded her arms over her chest, glaring at the young witch.

"Your talents seem to lie in silver-tongued equivocating and excuse-making," she said.  "You will put your name in the Goblet.  And support your peers in the fashion you seem so eager.  Do I make myself clear? You'll enter if I have to drag you there myself."

The Goblet was sitting on a high pedestal right there in the front entrance hall of the school, burning eagerly for the bits of paper with names on them.  It should have been filled to the brim with Durmstrang names, but the absence of this one irked like a grain of sand chafing a clam.  But this irritation that was Aliya Grumman would be hardened into a black pearl if Maras had any say about it.

"Fine," Aliya agreed curtly, smartly refraining from antagonizing her professor further. She continued to stand at her full height and with her chin still held high, she glared at the woman who insisted on pressing against her true nature to be decent and compassionate and supportive to those around her. Instead, Maras wanted her to be ruthless and vindictive and unfeeling towards everyone.

You will make a monster out of me, the girl silently warned while her features continued to darken with the emotions of anger, frustration and resignation building.

Aliya finally declared, "I willl go put my name in the Goblet right now so you will be happy and see that I am serious. And when my name is called, you will see how well I will do for you, my family and our school."

To herself, Ailya added, And then I will make you will be made to feel like a fool for doubting my way of doing things...

Ylva's eyebrow cocked upwards at Grumman's brisk statement of compliance.  Ylva knew the tone.  It was perfectly within the expectations but it held behind it defiance still.  But she was going to obey and in this moment, that was all Ylva required.  Compliance and a complete show of unity and obedience. 

"Good." 

She turned and snapped her wand so that the door unlocked and swung open.  "Let's go."

Aliya had not expected Maras would insist on going with her to see for herself that the deed would be done. The young Grumman had resolved to do so, but she did not want an audience, especially a scrumtinizing one like her professor. She wanted to make peace with the choice on her own.

"Its okay, Professor Maras," the girl said, her voice quite firm, despite how wary she had been. "I have taken up.enough of your time. You don't have to accompany me. I've given you my word that it will be done right away and I mean it."

It was so entirely beyond the pale that a student would lie so baldly to a Durmstrang professor that the notion didn't even occur to Maras.  When Grumman claimed shed be straight off to do it, then Maras had no reason to doubt her.  The penalty for such dishonesty, impudence and bad character would be so severe, Maras couldn't think of a student who would have dared it.

And so she did not object when Aliya Grumman made a graceful offer to exit and leave her in peace.  Ylva was quite busy and this had taken up some time. 

"Fine, then.  Off with you.  Good afternoon, Miss Grumman."

Ylva Maras was almost pleasant with the dismissal, confident so she was that her work had been done and that all was well again in Durmstrang's ranks.