The books that help you the most are those which make you think the most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.

 

#library #knowledge #neruda

Alistair is a product of routine. He sticks to what he knows to work best, and he does not like straying from it. Each day, he will take a stroll out to the flower fields and pick one of them that he deems to be perfect. In the evenings, he often goes straight up to the common room after eating and curls up on a couch in front of the fire with Cerberus to complete his school work. It's so well-known that most other Ravenclaws don't dare sit on that couch after dinner, knowing that he'll ask them to move. Also, it's not unusual to find him counting to ten very quietly repeatedly. It's a coping mechanism that he developed over time to ground himself when he is under immense stress.

studious, charismatic, relaxed, athletic, observant, compassionate to those he considers friends--protective even, cautious, playful to his close colleagues, and incredibly organized.

competetive temper, reserved around those he does not know, perfectionist when it comes to spells, judgemental of those who dismiss his warnings, and steadfast in his ways.

crackling fires during the evening, silence when he is studying, floral scents, books of any kind but mainly ones involving combat spells, vanilla-flavored coffee, and the evening hours when everyone else has drifted off to sleep.

loud crowds, abuse of power, those that are not careful with their spells, being unable to achieve perfection, a messy environment, and hot weather.

roaming through the flower fields, scrapbooking, quidditch, teaching cerberus new tricks, calligraphy, rune translation, playing piano, and swimming.

the unknown, failing to save someone again, the inability to master a spell, losing a loved one, reptiles, and failing a class.

it is very rare that you will see him in casual clothing unless he is at his wit's end. he likes to maintain an appearance that is professional and academic. aside from his uniform, you will often see him in button-up shirts and slacks, as well as khakis and polos on more casual occasions.

a jet black malinois dog named cerberus. he also responds to spot if you're too lazy. his build is muscular, and he knows a variety of tricks such as: lie down, roll over, fetch, beg, and hide.

a fear of the unknown resulting in him being overly-cautious.

 

#tag #tag #tag

A light rainfall tapped against the windowpanes of the bedroom. Shrill cries of pain echoed off the walls until, finally, they were accompanied by cries of a higher pitch--ones of those that had graced the world for the first time. The Di Angelo family had welcomed their first and only child into the world. 

The young couple had been trying for years to get pregnant, but luck was not in their favor. Even more, the battle for Hogwarts took precedence, and the pair proudly defended their former school together. Following the fall of Voldemort, the pair worked together to rebuild the ruins of their past. Alistair's father, Oliver, worked as an auror and helped to ensure that the Dark Lord was gone for good. Alistair's mother, Bonnie, extended her services to Hogwarts so far as to become a member of its staff as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a time; however, it wasn't long before she became pregnant at long last. 
 

Childhood was lonesome, and Alistair often resorted to conjuring up his own imaginary friends. With both of his parents being so busy, he spent quite a lot of time with his godmother and her daughter, Estelle; however, the pair did not see eye-to-eye at first. In fact, the pair would regularly partake in screaming matches in which Alistair's godmother would have to physically separate the two. It's hard to say exactly what produced the distaste for one another, but one could imagine that it had to do with sharing toys now that Estelle had someone else playing with them. 

Ironically, it is that particular anger towards one another that established an unbreakable bond, and soon after the pair put their differences aside, they were inseparable. To bind this bond even further, as the pair aged and were sent off to Hogwarts, they were both sorted into Ravenclaw. Each of their personalities began to develop during their time in the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alistair proved to be confident, resolute, composed, and ambitious whereas Estelle was carefree, joyous, charitable, and curious. The pair, despite their differences, flourished together and rarely were at odds. 

It came to no surprise that the pair became romantically involved very quickly during their adolescence. The pair were easily some of the brightest young wizards of their generation; however, their approach to learning different due to their personalities. Alistair preferred rigorous study, and he was strict on achieving perfection. Estelle, on the other hand, preferred a more lax approach. Her curiosity knew no bounds, and rather than mastering each spell, she simply aimed to learn as many as she could--she wanted to be prepared for anything thrown her way. 

Estelle's brown, wavy locks smelled of roses. She would often visit the rose garden and pluck one of flowers to stick in her hair, and the aroma would seemingly never leave; it was as though the buds wanted to remain with her, even after they had wilted. She certainly had that type of aura to her--one in which you would feel immediately welcomed in her presence. It's a wonder that she wasn't a Hufflepuff considering how compassionate she really was, but perhaps Alistair being sorted into Ravenclaw first influenced her sorting. 

Over the years, Estelle became very popular across each of the houses. Her kindness was infectious, and her curiosity inspired others to also ask questions about anything and everything. However, her greatest asset also proved to be her folly. Her confidence in her ability was unmatched as many of the young wizards complimented her. She truly was a young prodigy in the wizarding world, and she would have been the Hermione Granger of her generation.

On a cold winter night just before the students would leave for holiday, Alistair mindlessly scribbled in his notes, attempting to focus on the words on the page to no avail. He had been forewarned that Estelle would be late to their typical study session in the Ravenclaw common room, but her tardiness was beginning to worry him. She had said that she wanted to practice a new spell of her own creation, and perhaps that should have been the first warning--but he knew better than to chastise her for her boundless creativity. He had done so in the past, and he never heard the end of it. 

His suspicion grew ever-present as he began to make his way out of the tower and he spotted the prefects gathered together, quickly making their way out of the castle. It felt only natural to follow them. Alistair was careful not to alert them to his presence should they try and keep their urgency coveted. As the group made their way out towards Hagrid's hut, Alistair began to notice the gathering of adults in a circle. He easily spotted Headmaster McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey within the crowd. The rest of the individuals were difficult to make out with the dim lighting, but those two being present did not bode well. Panic began to set in as Alistair quickly pushed through the group of prefects who, understandably, gasped when they noticed his presence. They attempted to grab him, but it was too late as he was already sprinting towards the scene.

In the middle of the adults was Estelle's lifeless body. It felt as though he had been hit with a petrificus totalus curse. He did not burst out into tears nor did he fall to his knees. He simply observed her body, too shocked to react. Shortly thereafter, the prefects took him by each arm and led him to the hospital wing under Madame Pomfrey's careful watch.

He would learn later that Estelle's spell backfired on her, and it ran through a crack within her wand, causing it to explode directly in front of her face, leading to a swift passing. 

Following her death, it would be an understatement to say that Alistair was never the same. He buried himself within his studies. To him, if he did not have the time to think of what happened, then he would never have to come to terms with it. Denial set in and took its roots within his mind. His easy-going attitude quickly turned into anger and resentment to the unknown. He became obsessed with perfecting every spell that he knew until it became second nature, and he tried his best to share that sentiment with everyone he knew. 

Over time, that anger faded into a mere competitive spirit within him, but his caution remained ever-present. As long as he lived, he did not want anyone else to make the same mistake as Estelle--at least, not while he could have prevented it.