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 Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 9:26 pm
"...I...suppose." Voldemort couldn't seem to be able to just say no. So he looked hard at Godfrey, then down at the snake coiling between his fingers. He raised the snake up so he was eye level; the snake only flicked it's forked tongue absently, watching.
Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello... he said this in parseltongue, with no way to even tell if the noise for the word "hello" was something nanyone could even try to mimic, as to him the hisses just sounded like the actual words. The snake seemed confused for a second, flicking it's tongue rapidly and raising it's head up in questioning.
"Try it then."
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 9:50 am
Godfrey smiled at Voldemort, happy he was letting him try, and then listened intently, trying to focus on the syllables.
"Ssssthhhbbbpphhtttfffbbthht" Godfrey tried- but the sound he made ended up sounding like a car tire leaking air combined with fart noises.
Godfrey stared down his nose in concentration, willing his tongue to work the right way. "Ssssthhhhsthbbbtttffffpthhhttt"
"I think I've got the first part right.... ssssthhhssthhshh....... can you say it again? Slowly, please?" He looked back up at the hooded figure, and dug his feet further into the sand until they were covered up to his toes by the wet substrate.
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:15 am
The snake continued to look at Voldemort. It didn't understand what was going on, but was content to stay still and safe in the sunlight, even if it meant listening to some nonsense. Wasn't like it got much conversation in otherwise. Sea snakes weren't much for talking. Not easy to when you were underwater.
Voldemort smiled a bit. The noise sounded like just noise to him; he doubted he would be able to understand it even if Godfrey was saying the sound right. As if the Parseltongue magic, or whatever it was, only recognized snake noises and other Parseltongues. The mind just couldn't connect a regular human trying to speak a sound which was already understood. Parseltongue was a strange thing.
He thought maybe another word or phrase would be simpler to say, so he went with something else. "Perhaps Good Afternoon would be easier to replicate? Snakes don't really use the word hello a lot, it's more of a slang term... here..."
Gooood Afternoooon. Good Afternoon.
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:23 am
((Lies, Ron opened the chamber of secrets, ********. razz ))
Godfrey wrinkled his nose. He was sure he had it, almost. But he was eager to try something else, and stared hard at Voldemort's mouth this time, trying to catch the movement.
"Are snakes always so polite?" He asked, before staring down his nose and trying to repeat 'good afternoon.'
"Ssssssthshsssssssthhssshhashhhslshhh." Godfrey thought he was closer that time, though the new words didn't seem any easier than 'hello.' "Sssthshhhhhsashhhshhthhhh."
Now he was sounding like an ornery librarian shushing a bunch of teenage hoodlums. But he didn't really care, too delighted with trying.
He tried a third time and then laughed at himself, falling back into the sand, air forcing itself from his lungs with the impact. He lifted his head up and put his arms behind it to cushion it, staring up at Voldemort with a big grin on his face.
"Ssssthhshashhhsssthhhshhh?" He tried again, but it didn't sound anything like what Voldemort had said, even to his own ears. "Oh well, I'll learn it some day, you just watch."
He nodded sharply, making a happy noise then as he looked up at the sky. "It's really nice here."
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:01 am
The snake seemed to grow bored with whatever game it was they were playing, slithering back into the water and slowly away.
Voldemort smiled slightly, watching Godfrey. "Snakes are usually polite, I suppose. Really they don't talk much in the wild. No real need to..." He moved back from the water and sat back into the sand as well, shaking his sleeves, the water seeming to simply evaporate right off the cloth. He chanced a glance into the sky, but his red eyes were extremely sensitive to the light. He could make out the white circle of the sun if he squinted, and it blurred his vision entirely for a second, so the world was just white.
He took a deep breath; it occurred to him that the sunshine itself had a smell of its own. Above the smell of the saltwater, the breeze, just the simple smell of warmth, life. He could also smell Godfrey's hair, something fruity like apples, his wet skin, slightly of the saltwater but also sweet, warm. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the smell, this moment, so it wouldn't be lost.
He stood suddenly, sand falling from his black robe. He extended a hand to Godfrey, to help him up.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:40 pm
Even after a twenty minute swim, Godfrey wasn't really tired, but he could have easily taken a nap on the beach with how soft the sand felt, the cool touch of the water on his heels, and the solid presence of Voldemort beside him.
He looked over at Voldemort when the man stood, making a noise of surprise before sitting up and grabbing his hand for help in getting up the rest of the way- his legs did feel a little jelly-like to him as he planted his heels and pushed off.
"Sorry, I almost forgot why we came here for a minute." He grinned a bit, then glanced around to try and locate his discarded shirt, his smaller fingers still wrapped around the larger palm.
It was only when he did spot his shirt that he let go, scooping it up from the sand and pulling it over his head. It felt rather hot and stuffy after his nice cool swim, but he'd be better protected from scratches with it on. His sandals he found discarded a few feet away, and he slipped them on before walking back to Voldemort.
"Okay, I'm ready now." He said, putting his fists on his hips and nodding sharply. Time to get down to business!
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:04 pm
Voldemort watched Godfrey, his face neutral. Looking at him put his shirt on, smiling, seemed so unnatural. Too perfect, like this was a dream or a spell he was under and he would blink and it would just disappear. He thought for a moment he should end it. It would be better to go back into loneliness then to have this one perfect day and then have to readjust. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering, hoping, that things would get better. But inevitably they didn't. There could not be prefect days forever. Sometimes you were lucky to ever get one.
This all ran through his mind in a moment of silence before he figured he should say something in return. "Yes, I thought next we could investigate if there were any native magical species on the island. I know of a few tree-dwelling snakes that are actually closer relatives to dragons, and some cave-dwellers which can hibernate for months waiting for food to come near..." He trailed off, beginning to walk towards the treeline, the sand fading beneath his bare-feet and leading into thick grass, and then dirt.
"It's doubtful we'll see anything, but we could get lucky..." Voldemort stared straight ahead, trying not to look over to Godfrey too much. Strangely difficult.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:16 pm
Godfrey followed closely behind Voldemort and into the trees. Inside was a no-man's land, no trails besides the thin ones made by small animals. There were rocks and stumps and roots and logs to trip and stumble over a plenty, but Godfrey knew Voldemort would never trip on them. He would probably look as if he were gliding over them, as if they weren't really there. He thought about grabbing onto Voldemort's hand again. Maybe he wouldn't mind, maybe Voldemort could make him float too.
"Is the Quetzacoatl closely related to dragons? Or-" Godfrey nearly tripped over a log in his flip-flops, but regained his balance. ".. they have wings, does that matter?"
Godfrey stared at Voldemort's hand as he walked, the long fingers, the pointed nails, pale skin. It looked long and strong and he bit his lip. He knew why else he wanted to hold it.
But he wanted to have a good day, even though being here with Voldemort and in the hush of the forest away from the water and the beach was making him think things, things he had thought in the beginning but had put away for later. Things he wanted to know desperately, things he knew needed to be said. Or that he just wanted to say out loud.
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:36 pm
Voldemort stepped lightly over the leaves, fallen branches. He wasn't even looking where he was walking, staring up instead into the trees, searching. The cool shade of the forest was much preferred to the bright sunlight. Patches of warmth still leaked through the foliage, and if you were watching, he avoided everyone of them. It was a habit, not necessary but just something he did without thinking.
He noticed Godfrey stumbling now and again, but made no move to remedy it. Boys his age were seldom very graceful, and the only thought that seemed to come to mind was how easy it would be to just carry him.
"Actually they are more closely related to birds. Almost like a reverse dinosaur. Dragons, by definition, almost always stem from the reptile family, not birds... it's all very muddled, though. Evolution has doubled back on itself so many times there's hardly a difference anyhow."
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:53 pm
"So is there a way to tell if a species of snake is closely related to dragons?" Godfrey asked, looking mostly up into the branches. "Do they-" Godfrey tripped over a medium sized rock hidden by the thick foliage, stubbing his toe and scraping his knee a bit. But he quickly scrambled back up and quickened his pace, catching up with Voldemort again.
He made a quick decision and lunged for Voldemort's hand, knowing it wouldn't really help him, but it made him feel better anyways. His toe throbbed a little but he ignored it, feeling less clumsy now that he was physically connected to Voldemort. It didn't help that he'd started growing a bit over the summer and wasn't used to himself yet.
He briefly wondered if Voldemort would pull his hand away, but was sure he probably wouldn't. The thought only made him keener to ask the questions that were swimming around in his head. Hopefully he could shove them down though, make them go away.
"Do they look..." Godfrey continued, looking around again to try and spot any serpents. It seemed a rather difficult task to him, though. There could be snakes everywhere, hidden behind the leaves. "... I would think a snake related to a dragon would look... would have features that made it look... more prehistoric. Like the Coelacanth compared to younger species of fish."
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:59 pm
Voldemort listened to Godfrey, only looking down at him when he noticed him stumble. However when Godfrey's considerably smaller hand grabbed his he made no noticeable reaction at all, except to squeeze back slightly. He was also forced to walk a bit more slowly to account for Godfrey's height, but he made no gesture to pull away, even though his instincts told him to. But if it helped Godfrey to quit stumbling around he saw no harm in hand-holding. Except for his own increased heartrate and his sudden inability to be able to focus on anything of his surrounding.
"As you should no doubt know, there are also many different species of dragon. Thus, any snake descending from a dragon would have different key features depending upon the evolutionary path it took. There is no key definition to tell these things. Just as there is no key way to tell how any species of dragon might have evolved from a snake. The ability to breath or create fire, spikes along the spine, exceptionally large size... things you would think of when trying to figure out if a snake was evolved from a dragon. None of these things determine this definitively."
Voldemort knew he was rambling to a certain degree, but he knew Godfrey didn't mind. He asked the question afterall. Besides that, it helped to focus his mind. it was something he knew for sure, fact. Not the muddled up insecurity of his hand in the warmth of Godfrey's.
"This is not the chicken before the egg Godfrey. Some species of dragon were around before some species of snake and vice versa." He looked down at him now, even stopping to do so. They were in a particularly woody area, large tree trunks reaching high into the air, their roots winding about in a seemingly random pattern about their feet.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:09 pm
Godfrey listened raptly, taking the information inside of himself, letting it dance along the crevices of his mind until he had absorbed it fully.
"So you test it in the blood, then? And then... then some species you already known about, you've memorized the look of? So basically we won't be able to tell the lineage of a snake without testing it, which is why we're going to grab anything we can find, right?" That made sense to Godfrey. It sort of reminded him of half-kneazles. They could look like normal cats but you'd never know unless you tested them or observed them for a while.
Godfrey moved a bit closer to Voldemort when they stopped, his elbow brushing lightly against the Dark Lord's side. It seemed quieter in this part of the woods, more intimate. "I hope we find one that can breathe fire, I'd like to see that."
"And you know, they solved that question ages ago. The chicken came first." Godfrey laughed, since the information had not come from a book or anything a wizard had written, but was in fact something he'd recently read on the internet when he'd used it a few weeks ago.
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:47 am
The trees above them were still, as if even wind did not penetrate this small patch of woods. Ahead the dirt and sand turned into an almost flat sheet of stone. There was a cave of substantial size, reaching up to block out the sun. Rock were piled all around where the cave had suffered collapses. A single tree grew off the side of the rock wall, clinging to the surface moss. The air, even, was slightly cooler here.
Staring down at Godfrey, Voldemort could not think of what to say next. The dirt was cool and comfortable beneath his bare feet, and he slowly pulled his hand from Godfrey's, turning his gaze towards the cave.
He removed his hood, not needing it in the shadow of the trees. Took a deep breath. "Nothing like that around here... the environment is not harsh enough for that kind of evolution. But I know there should be some interesting species in that cave." He didn't look back to Godfrey, only started forward, trying desperately to urge his thoughts to silence.
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Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:58 pm
"Oh, wow." Godfrey's voice was hushed as he saw the cave, his eyes widening as he looked up the length of the tree and back down to the roots, watching them twist away beneath the surface of the earth.
Godfrey was suddenly rather boyishly eager to explore, and he ran up to a pile of large rocks on the side of the cave, surpassing Voldemort and climbing up them until he was at the very top- chest height to Voldemort, but still rather high for him, as he was still rather short.
"Do you think it goes very deep?" He asked, moving until he was sitting, feet planted on the jagged edges of a boulder.
"Wait, why am I asking? I want to find out myself!" Godfrey laughed, pushing off of the boulder as suddenly as he'd climbed it and landing in the dirt. He disappeared from view into the mouth of the cave, his laughter echoing off of the walls for a few long seconds before fading into silence.
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Godfrey Potter-Lockhart Crew
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Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:46 pm
Voldemort didn't really have time to respond as Godfrey was talking very fast, and he watched with amusement at the young boys growing excitement. There wasn't anything in the cave that could really hurt him, at least as long as he wasn't hopelessly stupid about it. Nothing big like a Basilisk in any case. The cave was very straight forward as well, which presented little opportunity to get lost. Though he supposed Godfrey would be able to fit into the many smaller off shooting passages.
He made his way into the cave, Godfrey's voice still echoing dimly off the stone. His red eyes quickly adjusted to the dimness, but there wasn't much to look at presently. Godfrey was a good ways ahead still, but he cold just make him out since the cave was so straight. There was a pleasant damp smell, the sound of the wind bouncing pleasantly here at the opening to the cave. Voldemort wanted desperately to hurry after Godfrey but kept such urges to himself, as he found he often had to do when he was around the boy.
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