Rupert strolled into the library, history book tucked under his arm. Today was a day for studying his favourite subject, he decided. Well, it wasn't so much studying as reading a book for the hell of it, but hey, it was useful, right? He remembered things, and whether it was muggle or magic he remembered it for the exams he had to take (for both his muggle schooling and Hogwarts), so it was a good system. Yes. History was good.
Ooh, was that Naia, his favourite little tutor!buddy? He thought it was, though she didn't look to happy, reading "Muckyfellow's Concise Goblin History" (which was a bit of a lie, it seemed Rupert and Muckyfellow had differing opinions of the word 'concise'). Well, it seemed there was need for the saviour of history once more!
"Cheer up, Naia! All is not lost!" He announced, taking the seat next to her.
Naia looked up, slightly dazed. She had been reading the book trying to figure out what the hell Binns had been saying... ever. She never really understood the man, and reading herself was the only way she ever passed. But ever since Rupert had been helping her, the task was generally more pleasant.
"But..." said Naia, sputtering. "The war was lost?" she tried to be witty and failed, and so she rubbed the bridge of her nose and stared back at the book. "Actually, I have no idea."
Rupert chuckled, enjoying the dazed look on Naia's face more than anything. He took a seat next to her, scanning the open section of book that Naia had been trying to read.
"I think you'll find the the saying goes 'We lost the battle but we won the war' or something. They all get awfully bastardised." With a grin because he was letting on just how nerdy he was, he setlled back.
"Now tell good old tutor Rupe what's giving you trouble."
"History?" Naia said rhetorically. "All of history. From the cave drawings to the paper headlines. All of history is confounding, confusing, and downright contrite." She threw her hands up in the air, but she was laughing inside -- it was amusing to abuse his favorite topic, and watch him get all worked up and then make it interesting.
It was good sport. Rupert was really the best tutor she'd ever had. In any subject.
Rupert looked scandalised. His face went an odd shade of purple and a vein stuck out in his neck. He wasn't so sure Naia did this for a reaction, but one thing was for certain, he was not going to let his pupil abuse history that way. Oh no, he was here to teach her an appreciation of it.
"HISTORY IS NOT CONTRITE!" So what if they weren't supposed to yell in the library, he needed to incite passion about history, being defender of history and all. "There's so many exciting things in history. Like rebels and revolutions and secret societies. Wouldn't it be awesome to be a part of one of those?"
Naia was mortified, but highly amused at his shouting and purple face, so she hushed him herself and used her hand to demonstrate that he should bring down the volume level. "It would be awesome to be part of those," said Naia, whispering pointedly. "But history is dead, Rupert. It's past, it's forgotten, and all the fun stuff is over with."
Before she had just been saying those things to get a rise out of him. How else would the alliteration been possible. But now she was a little bit more serious. They were living under the spector of a dark wizard. Classmates had died in their school. That wasn't fun, that was TERRIFFYING and Naia was always a bit on edge because of it.
Rupert sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He was not going to give up, because he was not that sort of person, but he knew Naia most definitely needed a re-education and he was exactly the right history tutor to do it.
"Oh Naia, Naia, Naia, Naia. Have you never heard that song? It's all just a little bit of history repeating. It's not dead. It'll never be dead so long as people remember and learn and do it all over again. World War One and World War Two. The two Gulf Wars. The many revolutions over time. So so many revolutions, it's ridiculous! We have never stopped having revolutions!"
Naia rolled her eyes. "Rupert. We're British. People revolted against us, we never revolted. I mean, come on. There was that letter thing, that they got the king to sign that made Parliment? And since then, things have been pretty hunky dory and stiff upper lip BORING here on this little island."
She shut the book in front of her with a snap. "That little bit of history repeating can just turn on the shuffle."
"Naia!" Rupert thumped his fist on the table, seconds away from hanging his head and saying you were once my greatest pupil. But no more. Instead he took a deep breath.
"You're leaving out an awful lot in between. What about Guy Fawkes day? They tried to blow up the parliament. That was centuries ago and yet we still celebrate that, don't we?"
Naia bit her lip. If Rupert had said what he was thinking, she would have felt incredibly guilty. She did like history when Rupert taught it -- when he gave her the right reading, debated what she had to say and think. She liked that. But she was just so frustrated with these... effing goblin rebellions that go on and on and on.
"They didn't manage to blow up the parliment," said Naia, planative. "We celebrate it because we're still burning him in effigy for being a traitor. We celebrate because he failed. Couldn't have been much fun for him." She sighed. "Have there been any successful revolutions?"
Rupert was about to wonder out loud whether he had made any impact on Naia at all, when something occurred to him. They were talking about muggle history. Muggle history, not really a topic du jour at Hogwarts.
"There were." He affirmed, dropping his impassioned fervour down a notch. "The French revolution is a big one. Reformed the way the whole country was run. And there was a Russian revolution...well, a few. Some more successful than others... and as for Wizarding history..." He stopped for a second, trying to think of the perfect example, "Well... hmm. None come to mind, but for that I blame Binns!"
Rupert had indeed made an impact on Naia. For one, he had improved her failing grade in History into the passing catagory, even though she was not a star in the subject. And when it came time to drop subjects for the NEWTs in the future, she would have a serious problem deciding on the subject of history. But for now, those were all moot points.
Naia sat back in her chair and looked at Rupert, her eyes narrowed. "Tell me more about a Revolution that worked. How did they do it?" Naia would be able to handle some preachy, but what she really wanted was some affirmation that history was worth it... that, perhaps, history could be made.
Rupert's curiosity was not piqued in the slightest, even when Naia asked more about history. He was just happy to oblige and give her more information. This was what he loved. He could talk about it all day.
"Well, perhaps the most famous is the French revolution of the 18th century. I don't suppose you know much about it? The majority of the population got pissed off with the ruling elite. Demands were made, poof 'off with their heads.'"
It was simplifying to the max, but it was his way of seeing if she recognised any of it.
Naia nodded. "Yeah, I think I know a bit about it. Les Mis, and all. Like... there were poor people who didn't want to be taxed and so they met up in a tennis court and told the king 'Who's soveriegn now, bitch?' and basically decided to take over the country?" Naia was checking her own understanding of it, which is basically just as oversimplified as what Rupert had just given to her.
But she had seen Les Mis. Her mom was a huge fan of muggle theater, especially the musicals. She giggled, and then began singing passably -- "Can you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?"
Rupert beamed as Naia gave her own simplification in reply. She was learning! She was remembering! Granted they were still on muggle history, but it was a start, right?
"Oh please, not singing!" He cried, though the smile was back on his face. "I'll be forced to take drastic measures if you don't stop! Off with her head! Off with her head!"
Naia giggled, fiercely, at the cries for her head. She ducked down and covered her neck with her hands, playing along with Rupert's ruse. "Come on," she said, "I can sing. I've had lessons!"
"But yeah," she said, slowly stretching up again. She didn't want to leave her neck unprotected if Rupert was going to pretend to be serious about the beheading thing. "How the heck did they get it to work? A lot of people lost their heads."
Ooh, was that Naia, his favourite little tutor!buddy? He thought it was, though she didn't look to happy, reading "Muckyfellow's Concise Goblin History" (which was a bit of a lie, it seemed Rupert and Muckyfellow had differing opinions of the word 'concise'). Well, it seemed there was need for the saviour of history once more!
"Cheer up, Naia! All is not lost!" He announced, taking the seat next to her.
Reply
"But..." said Naia, sputtering. "The war was lost?" she tried to be witty and failed, and so she rubbed the bridge of her nose and stared back at the book. "Actually, I have no idea."
Reply
"I think you'll find the the saying goes 'We lost the battle but we won the war' or something. They all get awfully bastardised." With a grin because he was letting on just how nerdy he was, he setlled back.
"Now tell good old tutor Rupe what's giving you trouble."
Yup. Dork to the bone.
Reply
It was good sport. Rupert was really the best tutor she'd ever had. In any subject.
Reply
"HISTORY IS NOT CONTRITE!" So what if they weren't supposed to yell in the library, he needed to incite passion about history, being defender of history and all. "There's so many exciting things in history. Like rebels and revolutions and secret societies. Wouldn't it be awesome to be a part of one of those?"
Reply
Before she had just been saying those things to get a rise out of him. How else would the alliteration been possible. But now she was a little bit more serious. They were living under the spector of a dark wizard. Classmates had died in their school. That wasn't fun, that was TERRIFFYING and Naia was always a bit on edge because of it.
Reply
"Oh Naia, Naia, Naia, Naia. Have you never heard that song? It's all just a little bit of history repeating. It's not dead. It'll never be dead so long as people remember and learn and do it all over again. World War One and World War Two. The two Gulf Wars. The many revolutions over time. So so many revolutions, it's ridiculous! We have never stopped having revolutions!"
Reply
She shut the book in front of her with a snap. "That little bit of history repeating can just turn on the shuffle."
Reply
"You're leaving out an awful lot in between. What about Guy Fawkes day? They tried to blow up the parliament. That was centuries ago and yet we still celebrate that, don't we?"
Reply
"They didn't manage to blow up the parliment," said Naia, planative. "We celebrate it because we're still burning him in effigy for being a traitor. We celebrate because he failed. Couldn't have been much fun for him." She sighed. "Have there been any successful revolutions?"
Reply
"There were." He affirmed, dropping his impassioned fervour down a notch. "The French revolution is a big one. Reformed the way the whole country was run. And there was a Russian revolution...well, a few. Some more successful than others... and as for Wizarding history..." He stopped for a second, trying to think of the perfect example, "Well... hmm. None come to mind, but for that I blame Binns!"
He was getting ready to preach again.
Reply
Naia sat back in her chair and looked at Rupert, her eyes narrowed. "Tell me more about a Revolution that worked. How did they do it?" Naia would be able to handle some preachy, but what she really wanted was some affirmation that history was worth it... that, perhaps, history could be made.
Reply
"Well, perhaps the most famous is the French revolution of the 18th century. I don't suppose you know much about it? The majority of the population got pissed off with the ruling elite. Demands were made, poof 'off with their heads.'"
It was simplifying to the max, but it was his way of seeing if she recognised any of it.
Reply
But she had seen Les Mis. Her mom was a huge fan of muggle theater, especially the musicals. She giggled, and then began singing passably -- "Can you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?"
Reply
"Oh please, not singing!" He cried, though the smile was back on his face. "I'll be forced to take drastic measures if you don't stop! Off with her head! Off with her head!"
Reply
"But yeah," she said, slowly stretching up again. She didn't want to leave her neck unprotected if Rupert was going to pretend to be serious about the beheading thing. "How the heck did they get it to work? A lot of people lost their heads."
Reply
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