"Yes," the witch nodded her head, smiling brightly. "I think you're right," the network of spells that entwined her body began to unravel, revealing a bright image that was hidden behind her.
Calder stared wide-eyed at this process. After all, it's not every day that you get the chance to watch such a complex spell work. The boy himself will not soon be able to use such complex and demanding spells or enchantments. Magic vision worked at full capacity, using all its capabilities to the maximum, naturally requiring much more resources to maintain it than usual. Yes, this will hit the unrecovered seventh shell again, but it's a sin to miss such a chance.
The network of spells was unusual, in some ways it resembled a web, with the only difference being that our "web" was several dozen times more complex, multifaceted and more invisible than the web of ordinary spiders. Also, it was not concentrated in one place, no, he, but spread out like circles on water. In order to notice these spells you need to put in so much effort that not every magician can do it.
Gradually, step by step, turn after turn, the spell "flowed" from the woman's figure, gathering into a previously invisible ring on her right hand. The ring looked ordinary and inconspicuous, perfect for wearing discreetly. Calder wouldn't be surprised if the ring had a stealth charm or something else besides that.
"An artifact," flashed through the boy's head as he watched the whole process. His magical vision was able to capture only part of the structure of this ring, alas, he was too far away. And it's not a fact that Kol would have been able to look at anything else.
With every moment during which the spell disappeared, changes in the figure of the woman who stood in front of him became visible. The skin, which before was whiter than snow, suddenly darkened by several tones, becoming somewhat reminiscent of the skin of mulattoes, only brighter. Her height also underwent a change, becoming a little larger than usual, by about a head, but Poppy was already not the shortest girl in the castle and not only in it. As if complementing the change in height, the figure also changed, becoming more refined, but no less magnificent and outstanding.
The hair, which had previously flowed in a dark stream onto the woman's shoulders, began to lighten and acquired an ashen color, becoming much thicker and longer than before.
But the eyes have changed much more. As if responding to the magic that began to seep out of the woman's body in bright "streams" of green and purple colors, they began to fill with greenery, as if lighting up from the inside, using the magic of the woman herself as fuel. But somewhere there, at the very depths, sparks of an incredibly dark, violet color were visible. Whatever it is, it is an integral part of it.
Looking into the eyes of the shocked young man, Poppy smiled and pulled a lock of hair behind her ear. And it was then that the young man noticed another change in the appearance of this person. The ears, which were previously quite ordinary, became slightly pointed and more oblong in shape.
"Here they are," the shock seemed to break through all available boundaries, exceeding all the limits that existed previously, up to this moment. The picture was so amazing before Calder's eyes, as was the process of "drawing" it.
Apparently, something like that was reflected on his face, because the elf laughed slightly, unable to contain her emotions, carefully covering her mouth with her palm. Now her emotions feel much brighter and more alive or what?
"Stop," Calder pulled himself away from his thoughts. - Since when do I feel other people's emotions? How long? And when did this start?..."
— Surprised? - a new, completely unfamiliar voice sounded, like a hundred streams flowing through a spring forest. The boy had never heard such a melodic voice, and it is unlikely that he would ever hear a voice more melodic and tender than this. However, familiar notes were still felt in this, without a doubt, beautiful voice.
"More than," the young man nodded dumbfoundedly, returning to reality from the stormy stream of his thoughts. They will wait for the question; they will not run away. Moreover, they are so important and require both careful analysis and long thought. - I admit, it was a surprise for me. I imagined everything from a famous "criminal" or something like that, to the guardian of the castle or the founders themselves, but seeing the Sidhe is something beyond fantasy. What does he say, there was a crazy thought that it was Dumbledore in disguise and under the cover. Thank Merlin it was just a figment of my sick imagination. My childish psyche could not stand it.
"Ha ha ha," the woman laughed. Her laughter is in no way inferior to her own voice, like the trill of morning songbirds. "Well, you're wrong here, I don't look that old." Do not you think so? — she winked with her right eye. - But the ideas are good, it's immediately clear that you devoted a lot of time to this topic. - She carefully wiped away the tears that had come from laughing from her eyes and said without ceasing to smile. "I am not the Sidhe, but their descendant." The Sidhe themselves left this plane a long time ago, or the layer of reality, whatever you want to call it. They don't care about this world or its problems," she answered with a shrug. As if it wasn't such an important topic, at least to her.
- Descendant? Did the Sidhe have any descendants? - He pretended to be surprised. This topic is not in the public domain, so you should be a little careful. Revealing all your cards at once is a sure way to defeat.
- Why were they? They are. Each magical race, to one degree or another, is a descendant of one of the species of Sidhe. As you know, they are divided not only by the seasons, but also by other criteria, of which there are countless. The same Sidhe of the elements, they still exist, but they also do not fall into the gradation of the seasons. There are also Sidhe concepts, but this is a completely different topic for a completely different lecture," she said in a lecture tone. - For example, I am a descendant of the Seeds of nature and shadow. That's why my appearance is so specific. A sort of mixture of dark and light elves from fantasy books of ordinary people.
"But didn't the Sidhe leave our world many thousands of years ago?" If you believe the legends, of course," Calder asked. "The sand should be falling off you, it was so long ago," the boy couldn't help himself at the end, still recovering from the shock he had experienced.
- One more statement like that and so much sand will pour out of you that there will be nothing left left, believe me. "I know what I'm talking about," she hissed with a clear threat in her voice and slightly narrowed her eyes. It's immediately obvious that you don't give her a finger, she'll chop off your hand in an instant.
"I'm silent, I'm silent," somehow the hands raised themselves in a protective gesture, and the head tried to press into the shoulders, in an even attempt to hide from reprisals.
"Keep quiet, joker," the elf said in a normal voice. "And no, I'm not as old as some people thought," a sidelong glance towards the guy. — I am, so to speak, a descendant of the descendants of the Sids. That is, I am also a descendant of the Sidhe, but not in the first generation. It's logical.
Descendants of the Sidhe, Calder mused. — As you know, the first generation was not much inferior in "magic" to their parents, and their potential was, as it were, no greater. But they only had one weakness - after death they were not reborn, like the mythical ancestors themselves, and because of this they could not visit their enemy's house again. Death was the end for them. And then the villainous fate decided to play her cruel joke on them; they were hunted by "black" magicians, heretics, and so on. Their bodies possessed amazing power; there were countless alchemists who craved them, but it was all in vain. The first generation of descendants self-destructed before they could be captured, leaving no trace of themselves. Of course, not everyone succeeded, but it's a fact. - Calder recalled a brief history of this people. "Yes, you won't envy their fate."
"Well, I think he'll stop flying in the clouds and talking about everything in the world, but not about our topic," now that relaxed elf was not in front of the guy. No, in front of him sat a collected representative of this magical people, who knew her worth. "You and your abilities are what interests me at the moment."
"But as for me, the topic concerning you and your secretive stay here is much more interesting," the finger of his right hand pointed to the floor. - In this castle full of children.
- Who told you that I am here secretly? — The left eyebrow rose in a questioning gesture. - I have to disappoint you, I am here not secretly, but quite legally.
- Why then the illusion and all this masquerade?
"Because it's not necessary for everyone to know who is here, I don't need extra attention," she said in a calm voice. "Whoever needs it is in the know, but the rest don't need it."
- What do I have to do with it then? - He pointed a finger at himself. - Your actions are not entirely amenable to logical analysis. If you want to be invisible, then be it. There is no need to expose yourself to someone you don't know.
"Well, there's no need to belittle yourself," she said somehow soothingly. "You can't build a good relationship on lies." Moreover, I did not intend to reveal my appearance to you, to give you a slight hint. But who knew that your eyes already had such power," she said, even somehow offended.
- What does this have to do with it? Well, just think about magical vision, I'm sure you have it too.
"Yes," nod. "But that's why I'm a descendant of the magical race." But you are a completely different matter, judging by the analysis charms secretly cast on you, as well as the magical blood test - you are a purebred person," she smiled slightly. - True, at the end of autumn I thought that I was mistaken when I noticed, after another analysis, that in your body the cells were accumulating Mana on their own. Only during the holidays did I understand why this was so. Specific charms work wonders and reveal other people's secrets," she spread her arms to the sides.
- Charms? Blood analysis? But I didn't notice or feel anything," the guy said in response to her with surprise and some kind of panic.
"You don't think I can find a way to pull this off, seriously?" - Poppy was feignedly surprised. "I'm much older, stronger and much more skilled than you." Believe me, taking your blood for analysis without you noticing may not be easy, I would say far from easy, but it is possible.
"These words didn't reassure me at all, but knowing about the leglimens," Calder said somehow depressed.
"Don't worry about that," she waved her hand. - Because of your photographic memory, your brain processes much larger streams of information. In this regard, you are unique, so you are not so easy to read.
- What about the masters of this school? They also have a photographic memory, and also process incredible amounts of information - this question kept spinning in my head, so the young man could not resist asking it.
"Everything here is much more interesting," the elf said, again picking up a cup of tea that was just emanating steam. — You see, leglimency is a school aimed at improving a person's existing qualities through the spiritual and mental components. In other words, they acquired this way of thinking, as well as these abilities. You are a different case - your memory is an innate ability of your body. And as you know, the body has just as much influence on the soul and all its components as the soul does on the body. Your memory, as a result, results in your ability to process information - the brain tries to equalize the abilities," Poppy continued, taking a sip of tea from her cup. — Usually such phenomena as you experience deterioration in health, or simply poor health. In this case, metamorphism saved you. I still can't understand where you got your magic cells from? — the gaze was completely ignored. "That's why you were in an advantageous position from the very beginning," realizing that she would achieve nothing, the witch changed the topic of conversation. — A better start and a better foundation for future achievements. But," she exclaimed sharply. - Don't be arrogant. Better conditions aren't everything. Any magician can achieve the same result, it's more a question of the time spent on it. So if you are not lazy, you will be ahead of other magicians, but if you just leave the race for a while, it will be almost impossible to make up for the lost opportunity. I repeat - anyone can reach heights, you just have an initial head start, and not a small one, - at that moment it seemed to Koller as if memories flashed in the eyes of the honey witch, filled with distant sadness. At that moment, the girl looked very lonely. It was as if she had lost a piece of something that she couldn't get back.
"Okay, I understand that," the guy broke the silence. - But what does magical vision have to do with it? And also magical sense? It seems like you were very surprised by him.
"Oh," a grin grew on her face, making it look incredibly cunning. - Believe me, this is a very interesting and exciting story. It will take a lot of time to tell and discuss it, which, alas, we don't have enough. At least today.
And indeed, a lot of time passed behind all these conversations. Their daily activity should have ended long ago.
Taking the hint, Calder took on his previous appearance and headed out. At the very exit, the unusually serious voice of his teacher caught up with him.
"Remember Calder," turning to her, he met her eyes filled with unshakable confidence and seriousness. - Never tell anyone about your vision. Also avoid talking about your magical sense. Believe me, this will still serve you well. At least until you get confident on your feet.
"I understand you, Poppy Pomfrey," he nodded to her, standing halfway around. "That's not your real name, is it?" Can I know the real thing?
- When the time comes, you will recognize him. And not only him, but many other things," the elf smiled mysteriously. - I think it's time for you, Calder.
"Goodbye," Kol nodded and headed into the darkness of the corridor.