last of the wilds {firsties}

Millicent entered the classroom, putting her shoulder bag on the front row. She had high expectations for this class, because all she wanted to do was to learn how to hide her thoughts from others. As good of a tool being a grifter was, it was not enough for the future.

She waited for her classmates to come. So far, she had only seen one person in her classes: Felix. It seemed like he was a shadow or something, or perhaps she was his shadow.

Whatever.

He went into a classroom zombie-like, mind fuzzy and cloudy, clearly just recently woken up. A bit unpleasantly, but those things happen. Like taking a nap behind one of the statues when a rat decided to sniff his face as if checking if he was alive... or edible. Honestly, he didn't know he could throw a rat that far. Poor thing have woken him up and for that he was grate full, but still it would be few minutes before he will came back into the land of conscious.

That way he stumbled toward the first row and unconsciously took a seat on her side noticing her like a second after his bag hit the ground.

"Ugh? Hello, how are you?" He asked semiconscious and then shook his head. Time to focus and wake up.

"Do let me know when you have fully rejoined the land of the conscious, Mr. Marten," Ethon said in a bored tone, appearing atop his desk, chin resting in one palm. "Though, I wouldn't recommend napping in my class."

Straightening, the vampire stood, eyeing each of the students in turn. "I am Professor Ethon Pyrrhos, not to be confused with Professor Aurmerle Pyrrhos, my brother, who teaches Weaponry.

"Throughout this course, I expect each of you to apply yourselves accordingly," Ethon informed them. "Not everyone excels in the mental magics; some cannot master them in the least. A rare few are completely immune to them.

"To begin, what can either of you tell me about Occlumency?"

Millicent rolled her eyes at the boy. Clearly Felix knew nothing of class conduct. She then sat up and cleared her throat when the Professor asked the class of two a question. "Occlumency is the art of blocking your mind from other people's thoughts, which is known as Legilimency," she answered.

He was slowly returning to full consciousness when he recorded his teachers words and that was wwhat woke him up. Ethon.. Pyrrhos.. he knew the words, read them somewhere.. yes, he did.. but what was the meaning? Then he got a brother... coincidence do not happen. Never.

Consumed by his thoughts he barely was aware of what the teacher was saying till the question that followed, which was answered by young Uchitel.

"Furthermore, Occlumency is an art of not only protecting one's mind from external influence" elaborated a bit more awake and lesson-ready Hitrost "but also a way of organisation and maintaining of one's memories, emotions and thougths." He stopped at this, mainly because he had low interest in Legilimency on which he knew close to nothing apart from what the girl said. After all he was here for Occlumency.

Still, there was something odd about the teacher, something that made him more cautious, something that was making him slightly uneasy, but he couldn't place it, or maybe it was just his returning to consciousness body reacting in an unusual way from that nap he got recently near an open window? Why in the name of Odin he didn't close it? Definitely, he must be receding from a rather uncomfortable nap.

"Correct," Ethon confirmed, walking slowly back and forth across the front of the room as they answered.

"If you have a question, Mr. Marten, do feel free to ask." He hadn't looked at the boy since he'd began his leisure pacing. "I can practically hear the wheels turning in that head of yours and your wary, surreptitious glances are practically burning my skin. Either speak what is on your mind or stop thinking on it. It will do me little good to try and teach you if you are distracted."

Ethon paused a moment, then continued his idly movement. "Name me some well-known, skilled Occlumens from history," he directed.

The blankness that followed in his mind after hearing his teacher's words that were directed to him left him thoughtless and a second or two later a lone realisation came upon him Such a subtle way of saying: you got no mental shields.. no unnecesary thinking from now on.

"I am just waking up from a recent nap and my mind is rather fuzzy, professor. I will be soon in a full working order" He said calmly, there was no need for asking any questions. He already 'said/asked' too much.

"That would be Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange, professor." answered young Marten recaling in his mind the names. Tom Riddle, or rather Dark Lord Voldemort. Bellatrix Lestrange, a lieutenant.

A smirk played upon the Uchitel's face as she continued Felix's list of known Occlumens. Clearly, his excuse for being half-coherent made the brunette laugh. "Draco and Narcissa Malfoy," she began, "we can't forget Albus Dumbledore, nor Maxwell Barnett - who wrote a book on the subject." She rested her chin atop the desk she was sitting on. "Severus Snape was one... after all, rumour has it he attempted to teach Harry Potter Occlumency himself."

She knew that her thoughts were probably going to be unmasked by this man, but she didn't care. She was more physical than mental, anyway, and Leon Prentiss never lived to teach his daughter the Art of Occlumency.

"Riddle," Ethon let out a faint amused breath, murmuring to himself in the Old Tongue, "had no thoughts worth legilimizing.

"Tom Riddle was far better known as a Legilimens, though, he was also well-versed in the art of Occlumency," he told them. "Severus... was one of the most accomplished Occlumens to have lived. Mr. Potter let his emotions rule him far too much to ever truly succeed in the art." It's a wonder he survived to die as an adult, the vampire added silently.

Coming to a stop at the center of the room, he face each of them. "There is one thing you ought both understand," Ethon said. "I do not expect either of you to be able to successfully shield your thoughts. You're eleven. You barely know who you are, let alone how to organize your minds. I have no need to intrude upon your thoughts as I am quite adept at guessing what you're thinking without the use of Legilimency. Perhaps in a few years, when you have something of interest going on in your minds.

"In the meantime, I shall teach you how to resist outside influences and invasion of your private thoughts." Ethon's gaze went from one to the other. "Do either of you have any questions?"

"Professor. Is it possible with the art of Occlumency to shield one's memories from being Obliviated and in reverse to use Occlumency to regain Obliviated memories?" asked Hitrost.

"Then, are there any other uses, either known and theoretical for Occlumency?" He had to admit, the idea of anyone, even his teacher, or rather especialy any of his teachers reading his mind was at least... distasteful. Good thing, he got a warning. Hard work on it ahoy..

"The short answer to your query is no," Ethon responded. "Occlumency prevents the intrusion of the mind by another. Obliviate does not require the caster to enter a person's mind, at all. Even a person completely immune to mind magics is susceptible having their memories obvliviated."

The man moved to sit on the edge of his desk. "In that Occlumency requires a great deal of mental discipline and an understanding of how one's mind works, it is not improbably that one could use the techniques to restore memories suppressed by such a spell.

"Now, if there is nothing else," Ethon said, "you are both dismissed. Your homework is to read chapters one and two."

---