The Dresden Files / Bob / 7. Abnormal
Title: Data Management
Author: Cyloran
Fandom: The Dresden Files (tv-verse)
Characters: Bob, young Harry
Prompt: 7. Abnormal
Word Count: 1,285
Rating: G
Summary: Harry has his first encounter with the wave of the future.
Disclaimer: The Dresden Files do not belong to me. Just passing through.
Table: Here There be Ghosts
At precisely 4:04 pm, Bob heard the front door open and close with the distinctive whoosh-slam! that heralded the return of one Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Aurally assured that his student would be arriving momentarily, the ghost began to inscribe the day's lesson plan in glowing letters on the air in front of the easel. He could have done so anywhere in the room, of course, but he actually preferred the illusion of magical chalk on the blackboard.
"Good afternoon, Mister Dresden," said Bob without turning from his task. "How very nice of you to join me for your three fifteen lesson. I hope the timing is not too inconvenient for you."
There was little genuine ire in his tone. After all, Harry was rarely ever on time. Bob accepted it as one of those facts of life that pertained to teenaged males. They simply could not help themselves. Still, it did not prevent Bob from pointedly reminding his pupil of his obligations.
"You have an excellent reason as usual, I presume," Bob continued as he added the last stroke to the final rune. "I can hardly wait to hear what today's adventure entails, although I doubt it will prove to be nearly as humorous as Monday's excuse."
As had become their routine, Bob clasped his hands behind his back and turned to await Harry's explanation. The boy's excuses varied in creativity, depending on any number of factors, including (but not limited to) Harry's mood, the actual circumstances contributing to his tardiness, the day of the week, and how his favorite sports team had fared in a recent match.
What Bob did not expect was to discover Harry standing framed within the study doorway, a forlorn figure with downcast eyes like an errant puppy awaiting retribution.
"Not humorous, then," Bob surmised.
Harry shook his head. "I think I did something really bad. I mean, really really bad."
"What is it you believe that you have done?"
"I think I blew up the school."
Bob blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, not the whole school. I don't think the fire spread that far-"
"Fire? What fire?"
"The one I started in the lab. At least, I'm pretty sure I started it. It's just that… I mean…" Frustrated and confused, Harry looked at the ghost and blurted, "I don't know how I did it!"
Bob glanced at the face of the antique grandfather clock in the corner and quickly calculated how much time remained before Justin Morningway returned from his business in the city. Unfortunately, because of the boy's tardiness, there was very little time to learn the truth of what had occurred and whether a suitable excuse would need to be crafted to satisfy Harry's uncle.
"Come inside and close the door behind you, please."
Harry did as bidden and dropped his school bag on the nearest chair out of habit before joining his tutor in front of the blackboard.
"Now then, tell me everything that occurred, from the beginning."
"There's nothing to tell. I went to class, sat down at my desk, and then - bang! All of the machines just started blowing up!"
"Machines? What machines? I thought you said it was a laboratory."
"It's not that kind of lab. Not with chemicals and Bunsen burners and stuff."
"What other manner of laboratory is there?"
"Computer science lab. It's a new class. Some big company donated about a dozen machines to the school and Principal Feany wants everyone to spend a few hours with them learning the basics." Harry looked down at his feet. "Had a dozen computers, I mean. They're all kind of toasted right now."
"I see." Bob pursed his lips, his expression thoughtful. "They are delicate machines, these 'computers'? Full of wires and small moving parts?"
"I guess so. I've never looked inside one of them. They're pretty picky about who touches them because they're so new. Hells bells, you can't even turn the damned things on unless there's a teacher practically standing on top of you!"
"Language, Harry."
"Oh. Right. Sorry, Bob."
"So you arrived in class, sat down at your desk - presumably in front of one of these contraptions - and then?"
"I turned it on, the operating system started to boot up, the screen lit up and then it just … you know."
"Bang?"
"Bang," Harry agreed sadly. "The kid sitting at the desk next to mine yelled and fell out of the chair when his monitor caught fire, but I don't know how that happened because he wasn't that close to me, you know? Then the one next to his went and then …" Harry raised his hands in a helpless gesture. "They all went kerblewy. There was smoke everywhere." Harry wrinkled his nose as if he could still smell the burning wires and silicone. "Those machines stink pretty bad when they're burning."
"Was anyone injured?"
"I don't think so. The fire alarm went off right away and the teacher, Mr. Harrison, got everyone out of the room pretty fast. I think he got a lot of smoke in his eyes, though, because it looked like he was crying."
"No doubt," said Bob gravely. Such delicate-sounding equipment was very probably extremely expensive. Hence the necessity of a private donation from a corporate sponsor. "Did you attempt to conjure magic while seated at your desk or did you spill a potion upon it, as you are wont to do with you lessons here?"
"Are you kidding? No way! Uncle Justin would kill me!"
Bob offered no response to that particular observation, knowing as he did the chilling literacy to the statement that Harry did not as yet understand. It would not matter to Morningway or the Council if the boy compromised the secrecy of the magical community by sheer accident; the punishment would still be extremely dire, if not fatal.
"Why then do you surmise that this mishap is your fault?"
Harry opened his mouth to answer but only managed a puzzled expression. "I guess because it started with my computer and then spread to all of the others, like dominoes." He met Bob's gaze. "But it was my fault, wasn't it?"
"Indirectly? Yes, I believe that it was," Bob admitted. "But there is a completely rational explanation for it. Have you never wondered why your Uncle insists on gifting you with time pieces that you are forced to wind by hand? Or why there are so many antiques within this manse yet so few 'modern' conveniences?"
"I just figured Uncle Justin was a little old fashioned."
"He must be, by necessity." Bob lifted an elegant hand and, with a casual wave, erased the glowing runes floating upon the air. "We will postpone today's lesson in favor of the topic of the moment. Apparently it is past time that you learned of the abnormalities in your physiology that set you and, indeed, all wizards apart from mortals. We will begin with electromagnetic fields."
"But when Uncle Justin finds out I burned down the computer lab, he'll-"
"Leave the initial explanation to me. Your uncle will have questions for you, certainly, but I believe he can be made to understand that what occurred was an unfortunate accident." Bob knew Morningway and his moods exceedingly well. If fault lay with anyone, it was with himself for having overlooked such an important aspect of Harry's magical education. Bob fully intended to take full responsibility for his error, which would deflect most (if not all) of Morningway's anger from the boy.
"An accident, I trust, that will not happen again," he added pointedly.
"Hey, you don't have to convince me! I'm never going near another computer again as long as I live!"
Author: Cyloran
Fandom: The Dresden Files (tv-verse)
Characters: Bob, young Harry
Prompt: 7. Abnormal
Word Count: 1,285
Rating: G
Summary: Harry has his first encounter with the wave of the future.
Disclaimer: The Dresden Files do not belong to me. Just passing through.
Table: Here There be Ghosts
At precisely 4:04 pm, Bob heard the front door open and close with the distinctive whoosh-slam! that heralded the return of one Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Aurally assured that his student would be arriving momentarily, the ghost began to inscribe the day's lesson plan in glowing letters on the air in front of the easel. He could have done so anywhere in the room, of course, but he actually preferred the illusion of magical chalk on the blackboard.
"Good afternoon, Mister Dresden," said Bob without turning from his task. "How very nice of you to join me for your three fifteen lesson. I hope the timing is not too inconvenient for you."
There was little genuine ire in his tone. After all, Harry was rarely ever on time. Bob accepted it as one of those facts of life that pertained to teenaged males. They simply could not help themselves. Still, it did not prevent Bob from pointedly reminding his pupil of his obligations.
"You have an excellent reason as usual, I presume," Bob continued as he added the last stroke to the final rune. "I can hardly wait to hear what today's adventure entails, although I doubt it will prove to be nearly as humorous as Monday's excuse."
As had become their routine, Bob clasped his hands behind his back and turned to await Harry's explanation. The boy's excuses varied in creativity, depending on any number of factors, including (but not limited to) Harry's mood, the actual circumstances contributing to his tardiness, the day of the week, and how his favorite sports team had fared in a recent match.
What Bob did not expect was to discover Harry standing framed within the study doorway, a forlorn figure with downcast eyes like an errant puppy awaiting retribution.
"Not humorous, then," Bob surmised.
Harry shook his head. "I think I did something really bad. I mean, really really bad."
"What is it you believe that you have done?"
"I think I blew up the school."
Bob blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, not the whole school. I don't think the fire spread that far-"
"Fire? What fire?"
"The one I started in the lab. At least, I'm pretty sure I started it. It's just that… I mean…" Frustrated and confused, Harry looked at the ghost and blurted, "I don't know how I did it!"
Bob glanced at the face of the antique grandfather clock in the corner and quickly calculated how much time remained before Justin Morningway returned from his business in the city. Unfortunately, because of the boy's tardiness, there was very little time to learn the truth of what had occurred and whether a suitable excuse would need to be crafted to satisfy Harry's uncle.
"Come inside and close the door behind you, please."
Harry did as bidden and dropped his school bag on the nearest chair out of habit before joining his tutor in front of the blackboard.
"Now then, tell me everything that occurred, from the beginning."
"There's nothing to tell. I went to class, sat down at my desk, and then - bang! All of the machines just started blowing up!"
"Machines? What machines? I thought you said it was a laboratory."
"It's not that kind of lab. Not with chemicals and Bunsen burners and stuff."
"What other manner of laboratory is there?"
"Computer science lab. It's a new class. Some big company donated about a dozen machines to the school and Principal Feany wants everyone to spend a few hours with them learning the basics." Harry looked down at his feet. "Had a dozen computers, I mean. They're all kind of toasted right now."
"I see." Bob pursed his lips, his expression thoughtful. "They are delicate machines, these 'computers'? Full of wires and small moving parts?"
"I guess so. I've never looked inside one of them. They're pretty picky about who touches them because they're so new. Hells bells, you can't even turn the damned things on unless there's a teacher practically standing on top of you!"
"Language, Harry."
"Oh. Right. Sorry, Bob."
"So you arrived in class, sat down at your desk - presumably in front of one of these contraptions - and then?"
"I turned it on, the operating system started to boot up, the screen lit up and then it just … you know."
"Bang?"
"Bang," Harry agreed sadly. "The kid sitting at the desk next to mine yelled and fell out of the chair when his monitor caught fire, but I don't know how that happened because he wasn't that close to me, you know? Then the one next to his went and then …" Harry raised his hands in a helpless gesture. "They all went kerblewy. There was smoke everywhere." Harry wrinkled his nose as if he could still smell the burning wires and silicone. "Those machines stink pretty bad when they're burning."
"Was anyone injured?"
"I don't think so. The fire alarm went off right away and the teacher, Mr. Harrison, got everyone out of the room pretty fast. I think he got a lot of smoke in his eyes, though, because it looked like he was crying."
"No doubt," said Bob gravely. Such delicate-sounding equipment was very probably extremely expensive. Hence the necessity of a private donation from a corporate sponsor. "Did you attempt to conjure magic while seated at your desk or did you spill a potion upon it, as you are wont to do with you lessons here?"
"Are you kidding? No way! Uncle Justin would kill me!"
Bob offered no response to that particular observation, knowing as he did the chilling literacy to the statement that Harry did not as yet understand. It would not matter to Morningway or the Council if the boy compromised the secrecy of the magical community by sheer accident; the punishment would still be extremely dire, if not fatal.
"Why then do you surmise that this mishap is your fault?"
Harry opened his mouth to answer but only managed a puzzled expression. "I guess because it started with my computer and then spread to all of the others, like dominoes." He met Bob's gaze. "But it was my fault, wasn't it?"
"Indirectly? Yes, I believe that it was," Bob admitted. "But there is a completely rational explanation for it. Have you never wondered why your Uncle insists on gifting you with time pieces that you are forced to wind by hand? Or why there are so many antiques within this manse yet so few 'modern' conveniences?"
"I just figured Uncle Justin was a little old fashioned."
"He must be, by necessity." Bob lifted an elegant hand and, with a casual wave, erased the glowing runes floating upon the air. "We will postpone today's lesson in favor of the topic of the moment. Apparently it is past time that you learned of the abnormalities in your physiology that set you and, indeed, all wizards apart from mortals. We will begin with electromagnetic fields."
"But when Uncle Justin finds out I burned down the computer lab, he'll-"
"Leave the initial explanation to me. Your uncle will have questions for you, certainly, but I believe he can be made to understand that what occurred was an unfortunate accident." Bob knew Morningway and his moods exceedingly well. If fault lay with anyone, it was with himself for having overlooked such an important aspect of Harry's magical education. Bob fully intended to take full responsibility for his error, which would deflect most (if not all) of Morningway's anger from the boy.
"An accident, I trust, that will not happen again," he added pointedly.
"Hey, you don't have to convince me! I'm never going near another computer again as long as I live!"