By the Lake

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus shrugged. "That works after you have deprived them." He said. "But it was just and example of how to use a charm everyone knows."

[Millicent Bulstrode]

"Good point," Millicent responded with a nod. "A combined effort then." She then tilted her head curiously, "do you have a favorite spell?"

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus tilted his head in thought, slowly a smile slid across his face. "My favorite is the cutting curse, and its variations." he said. "There are so many ways to use it." he added his smile taking on a malicious and malevolent edge.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

Millicent watched as the man's expression changed and quirked a brow. My, he was just a little on the crazy side, wasn't he? "Hm...I can see how that'd be useful. I mean," she smirked, "the uses do seem pretty vast, like if you're too lazy to find a knife and really want a slice of cheese or something." It was a joke, yeah, but so what? Why not lighten the mood? That smile of his was just a little creepy.

[Theo Nott]

Theo shot Millicent a strange look, her comment had to have been meant as a joke. The look on Lestrange's face was disconcerting, it made him realize once again exactly who his professors were this year. "I don't believe that is what he meant." Theo remarked dryly.

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus shook his head, Millicent's joke was bad but he understood why a student might try to lighten the mood. "Knives are much more limited. There are so many more variables in cutting curses, depth, strength, width, angle. You can make them so much more extreme with the spell."

[Millicent Bulstrode]

"No, really?" Millicent asked Theo indignantly. Of course she knew that wasn't what he meant. She looked to Rodolphus then and nodded. "I see your point. Knives are kind of messy too, and it would take a lot more physical strength to do any real damage with one."

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus nodded and looked over to Theo. The boy was much like his father in some situations, but in others he was quite a bit sharper than his old man. "You should not be so snippy to each other." he said. "You never know when you will have to work together to accomplish something."

[Theo Nott]

Theo nodded at what Rodolphus said and then focused on Millicent as she spoke. "It would depend on the knife too." he suggested. "The sharpness and quality, but yes the stronger you are the more effective the wound." he agreed. The professor's advice was sound, and with the way this year was shaping up, he knew that there was going to be more trouble for him, before it got any better.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

Millicent raised a brow in reaction to what Rodolphus said before looking to Theo, the same brow raising further. "Well," she narrowed her eyes slightly once he'd responded to her comment. "I don't know that I would work with him. You never know when he just might get the idea to send a curse my way or something." Oh yeah, totally referring to Blaise. She supposed now was as good a time as any to approach the subject.

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus arched an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh, what has Mr. Nott here done to deserve that type of treatment?" he asked knowing the answer, but curious as to what Millicent would say.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

Millicent sighed heavily before looking to their professor, deciding to let Theo just think on what she had said for the time being. "Well..." She tilted her head, "you've probably already heard of his little incident with our housemate." She pursed her lips, "I just don't think too highly of turning on your friends like that."

[Theo Nott]

Theo opened his mouth to reply but snapped his jaw shut, showing more restraint than he had previously.

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus shook his head at both of them. "That is a rather naive view of his actions Miss Bulstrode." he said. "My guess is that initially it was more to save his own skin than to harm your housemate, additionally Mr. Zabini from what I heard was not being truthful with the professor." he added and looked over to Nott when the boy stopped himself from speaking, a smirk playing across the older mans lips.

"The power of the dark arts is intoxicating, it is no wonder one as young as Mr. Nott here succumbed to them." he added. "You wouldn't have done the same if you were in his shoes?" he asked her.

[Theo Nott]

Theo turned to Millicent when Rodolphus asked her that question. He was curious how others thought they would have reacted in the same situation.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

Millicent shook her head, "no, I wouldn't have." She smirked when Theo continued to remain silent before focusing on Rodolphus again. "And I don't really care if it's naïve. That's just what I think. I've heard how powerful the dark arts can be and, honestly, I don't really want to be controlled like that. If they 'intoxicate' you, then I'd much rather remain sober. My actions are mine."

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus chuckled and shook his head. "You are rather foolish." he said his tone and demeanor changing rapidly. "You are saying that you would prefer to be under the spell yourself, than turn you wand on someone?"

[Theo Nott]

Theo's eyes widened slightly at Millicents comment. "You say that now." he said to her and stopped as the Professor began to speak, his gaze snapping to the older man as his tone took a much darker tone.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

"Well," Millicent tilted her head in thought. "That would definitely depend on who that someone is." She looked to their professor, raising her brow as he laughed and his expression changed. "What about you? Would you want to torture someone you care for?" Did he care for anyone like that? It was a valid question, right?

[Theo Nott]

"Are you certain you are a Slytherin?" Theo asked Millicent, her comments and questions leading him to view her in a new light. She seemed to be far more effected by his actions that the reasons behind them, or the conversations and actions that led up to that situation.

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

"If it could mean my life or death, then yes." Rodoplphus replied. "Additionally we are speaking about friends, and if they were truly your friend they could understand the reasoning behind your actions. Knowing that to disobey would get you both the punishment, and quite possibly a more severe one at that, should see them understand."

He turned to Theo. "I would say that she is, since she is using our own words against us, but her view is a bit skewed to values others beyond her own skin, at least in this situation."

[Millicent Bulstrode]

"Hm," Millicent tilted her head at Theo, before exaggeratedly pausing to think on it a moment. "You know...I don't know." She rolled her eyes. "I guess, all this time, I've only been under the impression that I'm a Slytherin. Look, pal, I can still value my friendships and be part of this house. Ambitious, but taking into consideration that I might need people to have my back later on. It never hurts."

She shrugged, "and if I can have loyalty through someone being indebted to me, rather than through fear, then all the better. If you'd decided not to torture Blaise, than he'd owe you one and possibly do the same for you." She tilted her head, "and you could argue that it might be weak or something to rely on other people, but hey, even the Dark Lord has his supporters. No one is capable of doing everything alone."

She looked to their professor before sighing. "Yes, I mean, if it were me, and one of my friends was going to be killed for not torturing me, I'd want them to do it. Still...it'd just be hard. I don't know if I'd ever be able to forgive myself for it." She smiled a little, "valuing others will lead them to value you. And, really, I do like the feeling of being valued. It's a great feeling."

[Theo Nott]

Theo shook his head. "Blais might have, assuming I was able to walk after denying the professor." he said. "In a way you are right." he agreed with her. "But you seem to value others over yourself, I can understand wanting friendships, but preserving my hide is more important to me that preserving someone else's even if that person is a friend. Blaise denied the professor, and wasnt answering his questions to the Professors satisfaction." he paused and sighed.

"I was used as an example, nothing more. The dark arts are a very powerful force, and I doubt you would have any more luck fighting the pull of them than I did. If you want to get revenge for your friend then take you shot, or at the very least learn to cover up your emotions better." he told her. "Every time you look at me I can see the contempt in your eyes. I did what I felt needed to be done, and I think most would have done the same in my position."

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus listened to the two bicker at each other in amusement. When Millicent addressed him and tilted his head to the side. "Do you really believe that?" he asked her. "Valuing someone will mean that they value you as well? I am certain Mr. Nott here valued Mr. Zabini's use in that class, he was useful in the fact that he took Professor Carrow's attention off of himself, and placed it onto someone else." he told her.

"Do you believe that Mr Zabini now values Mr. Nott because of that?" he asked. "Your reasoning can be used on either side of the argument." he concluded.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

"Maybe I just value others equally to myself," Millicent shrugged. "I mean, what good is it to come out okay if someone you care about doesn't? Or, looking at extremes, everyone you care about? I'm a very social person, Theo, I can't stand the thought of being alone. I'll admit that Blaise's attempt was lame and that he should've just told Carrow straight, but he's such a sweet guy. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Can you really blame me?" She sighed then and offered a tilt of her head, "does it bother you, Theo? The way I look at you?"

She then glanced to their professor, "Yeah, I believe it. You're right though, I guess, that you can look at it both ways. I don't know, it's such a...thin line. This whole thing. I'm sure Blaise, at least, doesn't hold it against him."

[Theo Nott]

Theo listened to her and shrugged. "I suppose if that works for you then so be it. But I am not a social person, and it makes little sense to me." he told her. "Most people here in this school are acquaintances or possible allies, that doesn't mean I value them above myself, it means I value what use they could be to me, in any situation." he paused and thought over her last question. "As for how you look at me? No, it doesn't bother me, but you should learn to school your emotions better, or people will use it against you."

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

Rodolphus shook his head at the two of them. "You two look at things it two totally different ways. Both will work, but you both need to understand and accept that others will not always agree with you." he told them before turning to Nott. "Your method will leave you without many friends." he explained before turning to Millicent. "And yours will leave you with a lot of exploitable weaknesses, and the boy is right, you need to hide your emotions better, I saw the contempt you had for him in how you spoke to him."

[Alecto Carrow]

"Well, aren't you a *wealth* of information Roddy-kins," Alecto crowed in a sing-song voice as she seemly appeared from nowhere. "Hello all… miss me much?"

[Rodolphus Lestrange]

"Alecto." Rodolphus greeted his eyes flashing with mirth. "I for one have missed your biting tongue, and endearing personality." he commented with a light smirk.

[Theo Nott]

Theo glanced over when he heard Alecto's voice. "Professor." he greeted, his eyes wary of her.