The Badger's Advice

There were times when Aje regretted leaving the Auror department. The Wizarding world was growing darker and more dangerous by the day and the department could likely use every hand they could get but Aje found his subject to be very important. Instead of hunting down Dark Wizards and Witches he was preparing students to defend themselves from them, to hold their own if attacked and save their own lives. The former auror found he was good at teaching, as intimidating as his tall and broad frame might be most found him patient, gentle and kind. Not all of his students were exceling, though. Some weren't cut out for dueling, others just needed a breather and so when it looked as if the students were having a difficult day he would allow them to sit quietly and observe. Relax, gather their thoughts.

When class was over he quickly returned to his desk, knocking his knees as he folded them under the oak wood. Aje busied himself with a tea kettle and a warming charm, intent on making himself a cup while waiting for his next class to roll around. When a young, dark Gryffindor approached the former auror was eyeing his wand in contempt, having just managed to transfigure his kettle into a rubber duck instead of warming it. The wooden instrument was a traitourous thing. At the sound of the student's voice he looked up, confusion written across the normal seriously set face. "Yes of course." he answered with a nod, setting the wand down.

"Please, have a sit." Aje gave a swept his hand towards himself, having given up on wanded magic for the time being. A chair scraped along the floor as it zipped over, stopping just short of the Gryffindor. His gaze drifted to the lingering students and then to his kettle turned duck, muttering to himself "I do not understand why the wand must be so cheeky." With another wave of his hand the kettle was transfigured back, and warmed with a simple gesture. "Tea?" Aje peeked over at the student with his question. The rest of the students gathered their things and filtered out of the classroom just as he poured the tea into delicate lilac colored cups, sliding one across the desk to the Gryffindor.

Aje was relaxed in his chair, large frame seated with non threatening and open body language as he leaned back. "You wanted to speak? If it is about class you should not feel anxious, everyone has bad times. It does not mean that you cannot learn it."

The word 'Sir' coaxed a bashful grin onto Aje's face. He had been in a position of authority for many years now. When he was younger, Aje was responsible for his younger siblings. When he grew up, Aje worked in positions that were automatically given a certain degree of respect. Quidditch, Auror, and now Professor. As long as he'd been a 'sir' it was not a name he was used too. "Sir is my father." he joked with a chuckle. It was something he heard others say before him and it worked well. "Most people call me Aje. The young ones like you are supposed to call me Professor but that is not my name."

He looked at the young student when he declined the tea and shrugged his shoulders when the Gryffindor changed his mind. He rambled on, filling the silence with small talk in an attempt to lessen the awkwardness. "Tea is not as popular where I come from. I have spent enough years here so I like it. My mother, she likes it too." He doled the hot water out and steeped the tea bags without sparing the child another glance. "Or she pretends to when I send her some back in Nigeria." When the tea was ready he slid it over to the boy. "You do not drink it if you do not want it, but if you do it is very good. I have become practiced at making tea." It relaxed him, and Aje understood the importance of being relaxed and clearing his mind particularly after a duel.

Aje focused his attention on the boy as he spoke, watching him over the rim of his cup as he took a long, calming sip of the tea. He was patient, letting the child work through what he needed on his own without rushing him through his stuttering. When the fourth year produced a letter the former auror set down his tea cup and picked up the letter. His eyebrows furrowed together as he read through the message, silently mouthing the words. Once he'd read it twice, Aje laid the letter back down. The large professor clasped his hands and leaned his chin against them thoughtfully.

He looked up when Toby asked about his previous profession, nodding. "Yes, but I am not anymore. I think you need guidance on this?" Aje tapped the letter with a finger. "Am I understanding why you are here?" Aje was clearly disturbed by what he read, leaning back in his chair again to cross his arms over his chest. "Change does not come from compliance, but the fight is not yours to fight." He took a deep breathe, exhaling through his nose. "Have you spoke to Professor Lupin?"

Aje laughed, a genuine one that he felt in his middle. The wizard slapped his hands against the desk, chuckling and shaking his head. His nature leaned towards the serious side but the former auror could enjoy a good joke as much as the next bloke. "It is no more odd than the name Toby, is it not?" Names were odd things in general, his own meant wizard. His poor mother did not know what she was getting himself into with a name like that. When he resettled back in his chair and went back to his task with the tea, Aje smiled his normal closed lip smile and nodded his head. "You can call me what you wish. It does not change who I am. Aje is easier to say for you than Odili, I think. It is also easier to spell."

He made a face at the mention of pumpkin juice. "We did not drink fizzy drinks at home. My mother could never afford them." That's why he came to the UK to begin with, to play Quidditch and make enough money to send home to the rest of his family. "By the time I could afford them I was living in Hogsmeade. They do not sell it there, and I have never been interested enough to deal with the British muggle money. I have trouble with galleons. Pounds?" he scoffed at the very idea. He hoped the small talk would serve to help the boy's nerves. Let him be at ease. Aje was not one to be afraid of, unless you were on the wrong end of his magic.

Aje pressed his lips together into a thin line, working to calm the anger off of his face. He had very strong opinions on the current Ministry and it was being run into the ground, in his opinion. Sickening. Very, very sickening. "I will bring you there." he bobbed his head in confirmation before running a hand through close cropped hair and sighing. Aje put his hands flat on his desk, spreading his fingers out. It felt like a non threatening posture, open and honest. His face softened, and his voice took on a note of sympathy. "No one will remove you from this school. The headmistress will not allow it. I am glad you came to me, and I will help you the best that I can." Aje's words grew careful, he was not a man who tiptoed around subjects often but this was very delicate. "I can take you to the Ministry, and I will bring you back. No one will bother you when you are with me. But I cannot help you with your condition, I am not experienced with it."

He closed his eyes briefly, bracing himself for the boy's reaction as he continued speaking. "Professor Lupin has had the same condition for many years, he is a good man." Aje realized his entire body was tense, the subject angered him. To target and harass children was deplorable. He rolled his shoulders to work out some of the tension. "He is someone I trust with my life. I value my life very much and do not trust just anyone with it." Also from The Order. They were a good lot, all of them. "I can get him, we can talk to him together. He can help you cope with your condition."

His laugh seemed to have confused the child, which confused him. The Gryffindor was hot and cold, but Aje thought he might be warming up. There was a hint of a cheeky grin on his lips. "And how do you know that the name is not common in Nigeria? Do you know Nigerian names?" His question was light, tone easy with a strong hint of humor. He shrugged his massive shoulders as the conversation moved on, telling the boy "I have given you trust and responsibility with this permission. It is yours to do what you want with it, but my trust does not forgive abuse easily." Most called him Professor O, started by another young Gryffindor with curly hair. He wasn't opposed to nickames but he was rather fond of his own name, it had been with him for thirty years.

He shook his head. "No, never. You cannot miss something you have never had so I do not think that is a bad thing." The two had made a connection and Aje was glad for it. Blood status. It was ironic in a way. So many were torn apart by the blood in their veins, some even hunted down because it wasn't pure enough and there they were bonding over it. "Yes, I am the only wizard in my family. Coincidentally I am the only one who's name means wizard as well. It was fate, I think." He nodded, voice taking on an edge of fondness. He enjoyed his family very much and talking about them was something he enjoyed, even if he missed them very much. "I have more siblings than I can count, and not one other is magic at all." It was a joke. He was the oldest of six children and he could count a lot higher than that but sometimes it felt like they came out of the wood work.

It wasn't just their lineage but money, as well. Something told him the child wasn't very well off, especially if he could appreciate the little things like bubbly drinks and spoke of money in such a way. He chuckled all the same. "I know the Nigerian Naria and Galleons." The wizard tapped his temple as he spoke for emphasis. "My old brain does not have room enough for pounds. It is full of to capacity already about useless things." He got by mostly well enough with just knowing wizarding money and money from home. Aje had everything he needed from the wizarding world and didn't need to venture into the muggle world often, it helped that he was simple and easily satisfied by what he had.

It was such a shame to leave such light and easy flowing conversation behind, but when they got down to the reason that Tobias was there it would be impossible to go back to talking about beverages and confusing money. There was too much to be angry about. Not at the child, of course, but angry for him. At the mention of not registering, Aje shook his head. "Do not listen to people when they will not have to deal with the consequences of what you do." Tobias was not old enough to fight that fight and it was unfair of anyone to insinuate that he should refrain from registering. Children should not be made to participate in a political war anymore than they had too. What was happening to the Ministry? It was crumbling around them. "You will register and then you will do your homework and go to class. This will not define you. You will be fine."

The moment Tobias partially agreed to talk to Lupin, Aje rose to his feet. He didn't want to wait and give the child a chance to rethink it and change his mind when he was already so hesitant. "I will go get him, you wait. I will only be a moment." Less than a moment. He moved faster in badger form than he did in human form. He could take short cuts that humans would find inaccessible or impractical. As he made for the door, Aje seamlessly assumed his animagus form and scampered off out of his classroom and down the corridor. He wove through the students on their way to or from another class. Moments later the badger had arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Art's classroom. He nudged and pawed the door open, skittering over to the old professor seated at his desk. He was stealthy in this form and rubbed around the man's ankles much like a cat to alert him of his presence in an affectionate way before retreating back enough to re-assume his human form.

"Hello, my friend." Aje said, shaking out his limbs before leaning back against Remus Lupin 's desk. "I have a student who needs guidance in a way that I cannot help him, but I think you can. He is in my office now, if you will please come with me?" When Remus agreed, Aje straightened up off the desk and soon the two men were re-joining Tobias in the Dueling classroom. Aje reclaimed the seat behind his desk while waving over another chair for Lupin.

(OOC: just assuming the happy talk is over now or the timeline in this posting will get odd)


And so the most easy going conversation that Toby had with an adult the last few years faded into seriousness. A part of him regretted bringing up his troubles as once again they prevented him from just having something normal for once. But the clock was ticking, if he waited any more days it would be too late for him to do anything.

Tobias hadn’t even fully agreed when Aje stood up to fetch the Defence teacher. This caused the Gryffindor to jump up and yell; “No, wait!” But the badger was already out of his vocal reach. Damn… He slumped back in his chair and took the cup of tea. He sighed as he took a sip only to put it back on the desk. What to do now? The thought of fleeing was on his mind. The only thing stopping him was the heavyweight brewing in his stomach. Eventually he decided to take that heavyweight for what it was. But by the time he wanted to get up to leave the two men had already returned.

He took a single glance at Lupin before he swallowed stared at the cup of tea on the desk. Toby only let out a small “hmm..” in response. He didn’t like this teacher. Not because the man was mean or anything but because people always found the need to compare him to this man once they’d figured out they had the same condition. If he got a knut for each time he’d heard that he was ‘wild’ compared to Lupin, he might be able to buy the requirements for next school year. A pair of blue eyes turned up to look at Aje as if they were telling the Dueling teacher ‘You got him here, you do the talking.’