Clearing the mind. (Fourth Years)

Over the last couple of years Mystic was reading about this topic. She felt it would be very beneficial for her to help her keep things from her parents, more so her father. She really wished she could move out of that house, she hated her parents with a passion.

Walking into the class she noticed she was the only one there so she found a seat and waited for more students and the professor.

Ethon appeared mid-step in the middle of the room, continuing to the front without pause as though he had walked its entire length.

"Just you, today?" the man questioned, speaking Russian as easily as if it were his native tongue. There were some advantages to being over a thousand years old.

"My name is Ethon Pyrrhos," he said, turning to face the girl. "You will, of course, refer to me as Professor Pyrrhos. And before you ask, I am related to the Weaponry professor. He is, in fact, my younger brother.

"I see that your previous professor hasn't had you meditate at the start of class. From here on, whether I am on time or tardy, you are to begin class by clearing your mind. I trust you at least know the basics of meditation?" he queried.

"Today, we shall discuss memories," Ethon said. "Tell me what you know about how they apply to the study and practice of Occlumency."

Mystic listened to the professor when he finally arrive taking in all the information the he had to give her. She did find it odd that she was the only student in the class, but that was alright for her.

Mystic listened to the professor talk about meditation and that was not a problem for Mystic she did it at home all the time to block out her parents. Next he wanted to discuss about memories and how they apply with occlumency.

"Sir memories are the things that people want to retrieve from your mind so the study of occlumency teaches you to place up walls around those memories you do not want people to find."

Mystic was a little nervous being the only one to answer, but she was trying to hide it very well.

Ethon nodded. "Well put," he remarked. "All information which can be retrieved from the mind are, in fact, memories. Though, your phrasing does make me wonder. Do you believe Occlumency solely to be means to prevent information from being taken?"

He was finding that his older students didn't seem to have the foundation in the art that he would prefer. It was as though the previous professor or professors had provided little consistency - which, likely, they had not. Somehow, he was not surprised.

Roman sprinted through the halls, the back of his hand pressed against his nose. "You're dead, Ritter!" Someone shouted towards him from far back in the hallway.

"Yeah, real creative!" The boy yelled backwards as he sped up. That statement was so old, they'd been using it on him since second year, back when they first started beating him up. Turning into a random hallway, his eyes searched frantically for an escape. He heard voices behind one of the doors and, hearing his attackers catching up to him, ran into the room.

Just as he was about to close the door, one of the seventh years caught up to Roman. Upon noticing a professor in the room, the bulky boy turned and walked casually back down the hallway, his two friends not far behind. Roman sighed and shut the door, only to turn and see one of the newer (and admittedly far more intimidating) professors, right there.

The boy's eyes widened as he realized he'd interrupted a class. He considered opening the door and leaving, but then he heard voices outside in the hallway. Clearly these seventh years were smart enough to stick around so they could catch him later. Not this time... Roman thought, as he turned his attention to Professor Pyrrhos.

His mouth opened and he said the first excuse that came to his mind, "I got lost." His lie, as always, was horribly unconvincing. He looked down at his bloody hand, and snapped it back onto his bloodier nose, "And... and I hit a wall." He wanted to wince at the sorry excuse for a sentence, but his face seemed fixed in the same deer-in-the-headlights expression. He wished this guy would just kick him out and get it over with, but then he was reminded of the alternative to embarrassment as he heard the mocking laughter from the group outside.

Ethon heard the approaching footsteps long before the door opened, admitting the bleeding boy, and for a brief moment, one of his pursuers. The man simply gazed at the boy as he made a poor attempt at lying. He wasn't in the class, and only an idiot would believe he had run into a wall.

"Wait right there," Ethon spoke slowly, gaze not moving from the boy. And then, he began to move, as though to step forward. If he did take a step, however, it was unseen by those in the classroom. One moment, he was there, and the next he had vanished.

Startled shouts and sharp cries could be heard from the corridor outside. A brief moment later, and the sound of numerous retreating feet echoed up the corridor.

Ethon reappeared next to the boy, taking his chin in one hand to tilt his head back. "It is inadvisable to hit walls with your nose, Mr. Ritter," he stated dryly.

<It is even less advisable to enter a room with a vampire whilst you are bleeding,> he added, entirely within the boy's mind. <I am not the only one in this school. Be warned.> The man murmured a healing spell in a dead tongue, accompanied by a gentle cleaning charm.

"Do take your seat. You are exceptionally tardy," Ethon informed the boy as he walked back to the front of the room. "We are discussing memories and the purpose of Occlumency."

<And next time you choose to hide in my classroom, at least be enrolled in my class.>

Roman held up a finger, "Wait you don't have to-" But he was already gone. Before Roman had the chance to do so much as be confused, the shouting started, and he whirled around to face the door, reflexively backing away from it.

Then there he was again, grabbing Roman's face. Again, he opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a freaking voice in his head. It felt far more intrusive than a thought, but instead like something that was pushing it's way into his head, then taking up every inch of space inside, so it was hard for him to think.

The boy nodded, making his way to a desk in some sort of shocked trance. However, he stopped halfway there as another voice filled his mind. He bit his lip and continued walking, Well, if I wasn't enrolled before, I certainly am now... He took a seat, I wanna learn how to do that.

Mystic looked at the teacher when he asked her about thinking that was all Occlumency.

"Well sir, you use it to keep people out of your mind period. People can get into your mind and put thoughts there sir. Is that what you are wanting?"

Mystic was not sure if that is what the professor was meaning but before anything could happen there was some commotion in the hall and when Mystic looked up she saw it was Roman and she rolled her eyes. Always a mess with him, she didn't even think he was in this class.

Mystic was watching the scene before her and wished they could just get on with class.

Ethon felt relieved by the girl's response. "Correct, Miss Dream," he said. "Now, back to the topic of memories. These can be of various types: conscious memories, those memories of which a person is unaware, and false memories, as well.

"Throughout the course of this year, I will teach you how to guard your memories, starting with the most basic means by which to do," Ethon told them. "Which of you can guess what that might be?"

Roman watched the professor as he talked, but for some reason he was unable to absorb the meaning of any of the words he had said. All he could think about was what had happened just a couple of minutes ago.

He realized that the professor had asked a question, and his eyes automatically slid to Mystical. She was smart. She probably had an inkling of what he was talking about. Regardless, there was no way he would be able to answer it.

Mystical listened to the professor talk about the basic way to hid memories and Mystical was hoping that Roman would answer the question because she hated being a know it all sometimes, especially when she really didn't know the answers.

"Well I would like one of the easiest ways is to not be thinking about that memory, even though someone could find it if they really wanted." Mystic had no idea if she was right.

"Correct," Ethon confirmed. "Not thinking about a memory you wish to guard is the most basic way to shield it. Granted, that can be most difficult as trying not to think about something, is in fact, thinking about it.

"Focusing upon other memories, however, diverting the intruder from the memory you wish to protect, is the next best equivalent. And something we shall work on next lesson.

"Your only homework is to medidate at least twenty minutes each day," Ethon told them, gaze flitting momentarily to the boy who was not actually in his class. "You are dismissed."

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