Looking for Professor O'Leary on Defense Against the Dark Arts

Echo Elms

October 07, 2006 10:34 AM

Looking for Professor O'Leary by Echo Elms

This was definitely not one of Echo's brighter ideas. What was he doing here? Professor O'Leary was his favorite professor, but he was also the second most scarey person in the whole school. He should have gone to Simon the groundskeeper if he had a question, or Prof K from CoMC. They were at least approachable. Instead, Echo was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom looking for the professor Saul Pierce nicknamed O'Dreary.

The question wasn't even about Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Professor O'Leary?" he called, rather hoping now that O'Leary wasn't there or anywhere nearby. Still, he came this far. No need to fall back now just because he got the jitters. Besides, outside was the hallway and those stupid portraits were following him again. He could wait another minute. "Professor?"\n\n

21 Echo Elms Looking for Professor O'Leary 93 Echo Elms 1 5

O'Leary

October 13, 2006 9:18 PM

You rang? by O'Leary

Sitting at his desk in the office off of the DADA room, he should have been grading papers to add to the already dismal stack. Instead, he was staring at a picture of his late wife, Amelia. They looked so happy together, as if life could never offer anything else. She was wrapped in his arms, her chestnut hair framing her face, so vibrant. He missed her so much. It just wasn't fair.

He saw the youthful faces of students every day, shining with the same bright innocence, knew how fast it could be torn from you. He hoped that it would never happen to any of them, but yet he saw that some already had, and more would.

Drake sighed slightly. If he could at least give them the training, then maybe they would never have to endure what he did. Never lose what he did.

He was so entranced in his thoughts that it nearly didn't register that a student was calling him. Quickly, he placed the picture back in his desk and arranged his face into a more imposing one before going to meet the student in the classroom.

"Ah, Mr. Elms. Is there something that I can help you with or have you gotten lost?" He asked in his sarcastic manner.\n\n

0 O'Leary You rang? 0 O'Leary 0 5

Echo Elms

October 13, 2006 11:39 PM

My crusade needs you. by Echo Elms

Echo stood a little straighter when the professor addressed him. O'Leary had that affect on him; if he were more of a military buff, he'd probably have had to stifle and urge to salute.

"Yes, sir," he said, surprising himself. He'd never called anyone that before. "I mean, I was looking for you professor."

Now it got harder. He'd run through this a million and ten times in his head on the way here, but how to say it so someone like O'Leary would actually care was still a bit of a problem. He approached the DADA teacher's desk and tried not to wring his hands or hold them in some weird awkward pose. He settled for pressing his fingertips against the edge of the desk.

"Um," he said, getting off to a brilliant start and looking down at the dried up skin around his knuckles, "I'm trying to," he realized he wasn't looking at his teacher and corrected it, "I'm trying to start a novel writing club and I need to who to talk to to get it going -- like finding a room for it and posting flyers in the common rooms, that sort of stuff. I, um," harder and harder, "I'm also hoping you'll be our advisor. I mean, you don't have to, but it wouldn't be a lot of work, and um," please don't think I'm sucking up, "we need you, sir."

That went more or less as planned. Sort of. It would have went better if he'd asked Astonomy Deck or COMC K-something, but he wanted O'Leary. A lot of the other kids might not join if they knew he was asking O'Leary to advise, but Echo had a feeling about this -- one of the feelings his dad talked about when you're supposed to take a certain path. O'Leary was the only teacher in the school who could keep Echo on task in class and that was exactly what his intensive write-a-novel-in-one-month club needed.\n\n

21 Echo Elms My crusade needs you. 93 Echo Elms 0 5

O'Leary

October 16, 2006 6:06 PM

And why have you chosen me? by O'Leary

Drake raised his eyebrow at Echo's request. He wanted him, the Crimson Vampire, as an advisor? It only begged the question 'Why?' He was not anyone's idea of nice or friendly. Wasn't that what a mentor was supposed to be?

He regarded the student carefully before replying, "Well, Mr. Elms, this is quite a shock, I must say. Before I agree to this, I have a question of my own? Why did you choose me? Undoubtedly, I would not be an easy advisor to work with. I would demand hard work of any task in this project of yours. You may be pushed to your absolute limit. Now, are you sure that I am the right person for this?"

This gave the student the chance to back out. No harm, no foul. Would he take it?\n\n

0 O'Leary And why have you chosen me? 0 O'Leary 0 5

Echo Elms

October 16, 2006 10:24 PM

You inspire fear, therefore you are perfect. by Echo Elms

Before I agree, the professor had said. Before. That sounded extremely promising. He was really going to go for it if the reason was good enough. Echo could breathe easy, it was practically over. Now all he had to do was answer the question.

"This is no ordinary writing club, professor," Echo explained. He'd explained this to a lot of kids already so it was starting to roll off his tongue nice and easy. "It will last for 30 days and each member will write a 50,000 word novel. That's about 2,000 words every day for a month."

That's about where the other kids usually told him to forget it, "It's going to be hard, and there's no point if we fizzle out. We need someone who won't let us give up or start over no matter how bad our books are coming out. I think you will make us keep at it and won't let us make excuses."

"So far," he added, "there are three of us. Caedence Redoak, Saul Pierce, and me. I'm working on getting more kids, and I want to put up a notice in the common rooms. We'll probably have a lot drop out in the first couple weeks."\n\n

21 Echo Elms You inspire fear, therefore you are perfect. 93 Echo Elms 0 5

O'Leary

October 21, 2006 12:55 AM

Only fear? I was hoping for more. by O'Leary

So, Echo wanted him, because he was about dedication. He would work them hard, push them to the limit. He also knew that the end product would be worth it when they saw what they could do. But was he ready for this?

When Echo mentioned that a lot of students would drop out, Drake only replied with an, "Indeed."

There was no doubt that many would leave the club due to the work involved and loss of interest, but further, how many would actually be involved with him as the advisor? He knew most students were terrified of him, a fact he prided himself on. Would students be less afraid if he agreed to this? No, no, they wouldn't. It would be just like teaching, only with those that really wanted to be there. A refreshing thought, if any.

With this, he found himself responding with, "Mr. Elms, prepare yourself to work harder than ever before. I expect no less, as your advisor."\n\n

0 O'Leary Only fear? I was hoping for more. 0 O'Leary 0 5

Echo Elms

October 21, 2006 2:11 PM

Sorry to disappoint. by Echo Elms

"Thank you, sir," Echo grinned. Mission accomplished, another checkmark off the ole to-do list. And this weekend he'd be making flyers to hand out in Cascade Hall. This was shaping up like crazy shaping up.

"I've been telling people the first meeting will be 8am on January 30 in the Labrynth Gardens. If I get posters to you, will you be able post them in the other common rooms? I only have other Pecaris so far and I want to try to get the word out. I'm also going to hand out flyers in Cascade Hall."

Of course, multiple houses meant Leonardo Idoya could show up if he wanted, and then the two scariest people in the school would both be at his meeting and that would be really... exhilerating. In this context, and only in this context, the terror was feeding his boldness.\n\n

21 Echo Elms Sorry to disappoint. 93 Echo Elms 0 5