poly_chromatic | Video/Action

[The library's supposed to be quiet, but keeping quiet has always been pretty difficult for him, and now's no different, even if he's meant to be studying for something or another -- he's already forgotten what. So when he turns the video on, he's sitting there with his feet up on a table, absentmindedly pointing his wand at a stack of books and making them levitate.]

I'm pretty sure this about the only thing I'm going to get out of these books, anyway. I mean, sure, everybody's studying, but it's the weekend. Doesn't anyone want to do something other than study for exams?

[He stops paying attention to what he's doing for a moment, in favor of addressing the video directly, and the books clatter onto the table with several thuds that earn him a glare from other, more studious individuals.]

Okay, okay, I can't be the only one who's pretty sure they're bad at every single class, right? So maybe we can all get together and commiserate. Or go somewhere other than the library. Somewhere other than the library sounds great. Who's with me?

[[OOC: He's a 7th year Hufflepuff, and he's not all that fond of school. In fact, he'd rather be doing just about anything than studying. Who wants to help him slack off?!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I study enough.

[Yeah, not much at all. But what he has in freakish amounts of knowledge he lacks in innate magical talent, so there's that.]

If that is so, then there is nothing I can do to help. You won't learn if you are unmotivated to do so... even if you are motivated only long enough to survive your classes.

What I'm most motivated by is the fact that if I fail any of my exams, my dad is gonna find out, and then he's gonna be mad. Actually, you know what? He won't even be mad. He'll be disappointed. And that's worse.

[A long-suffering sigh.]

So maybe I should study. I'm just kind of sick of hearing the whole 'oh, you've got all this natural talent for magic, why don't you use it?' thing from every single professor in the place.

Ah--yes, that is worse, as is being accused of having natural talent. I was told that I have no natural talent, which I think has only made me determined to become very good at everything I'm not meant to be good at. Natural talent gives you nothing to fight for.

Okay, what is the subject that worries you most? There are ways to do well with minimal work and time, if your father's opinion is your motivation and not learning.

Well, you must be doing pretty okay without any natural talent, because everyone knows you're basically a genius. Not to, you know, put any pressure on you to continue being a genius. You know what I mean.

Potions, probably. I just can't get any of that right. I just don't care about it, and I care about a lot of things. That's just not one of them.

I think that natural talent has nothing to do with success, if there is motivation. [And a look of total surprise!] Everyone knows?

Potions... it is like chemistry or cooking, following rules to come to the desired outcome. What, if I may ask--and this is relevant--is it that you do care about?

Well, okay, maybe not everyone, but if they don't know, they aren't paying attention.

I like art. I like writing. I guess I like Charms okay. And Herbology. Those're things I care about.

If I had known that I had a reputation, I would have been charging for help all day.

[Joking, joking.]

Can you think of Potions the same way as you think of writing? Writing has rules, and language is very specific about what words can go where. To make a successful sentence, you must know all of these rules and put the words together in the right way. This is like Potions, and each step or ingredient is a word that must be put where it belongs if you are to succeed.

[He's not that great at analogies. Or English, really. Points for trying?]

You probably should be charging. I would be, if I could teach anyone anything.

[A frown of concentration, and without even particularly thinking about it, he seems to be making the table levitate slightly now, too.]

Sure, I could think about it that way. The only thing is, writing's not dangerous if you do it wrong. I just have to figure out what I'm doing wrong in Potions that everything keeps blowing up.

You might teach advanced levitation.

[He's not really joking. Ginsberg has a calling here.]

What do you mean, writing isn't dangerous? Language is very dangerous! I have been in trouble many times because of it! But no, Potions is different. Concentrate and do as recipes say and nothing will blow up, I promise you this.

If only they had a class for just levitation, I'd be set, right?

[Still making the table levitate. Still not really paying attention to it.]

I guess you're right about that. I mean, language is one of the more dangerous things out there, actually. Maybe not physically dangerous, but still. I just need to learn how to concentrate, you know? How to focus on the recipe instead of getting bored halfway through and doing my own thing.

At least you would not need to study.

[Okay, but if this table goes too far off the ground, they're going to have a difficult time talking through it.]

Concentrating is not easy. What I do is rest before a time when I will need to concentrate very hard--rest mentally, not physically, necessarily. I like to run. And this won't help you now, but you can learn to concentrate over time if you pay attention to only one task. If you notice that your mind wanders, force it to return to what you are doing.

And there are always focus spells.

Running. Hmm. I could try running, I guess. Or something else. Anything other than staring at the same book for five hours and getting nothing out of it.

[And he's setting the table down ever-so-gently now.]

Focus spells sound a lot like cheating, don't they?

If you stare at anything more than fifteen minutes with no results, it would be best to do something else. Four hours and forty-five more minutes of staring will do no good.

[Pavel's impressed by the levitation and wants to ask if Ginsberg has control over it, but that might be unwanted.]

Focus spells are cheating, and I would neither use one nor encourage a peer to use them. I am only saying that they exist and their use might be justified on certain occasions.

I guess I'll try to do it without cheating, first. By taking some of your advice. If I can. I mean, if I can avoid the desire to make my cauldron levitate while I'm supposed to be doing Potions work instead.

[Yes, the levitation is purposeful, and he can control it. No, he doesn't always make great choices about what to levitate or where.]

Yes, no levitation while doing other work. I believe in your ability to concentrate if you are mindful.

Okay, I'll give it a try. Maybe a miracle'll happen and I'll pass my exams.

Good luck to you. [He gathers his things.] If you think of something I may help you with, just send me an owl.

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