Slytherin Common room

Amy's head darted towards the sound of another voice, eyes alert and a little surprised "Sorry.." the word spilled from her mouth out of pure habit "I didn't realize anyone else was awake." She glanced at the stack of books by him in mild appreciation turning so her long legs draped over the arm of the chair and she was facing him now "couldn't sleep either?"

She didn't usually talk much finding books and potions to be a more welcome comfort typically, but the distraction of another human was more than welcome currently.

The popular Slytherin laughed, "oh sleep and I have a very strained relationship. You realize that night makes up half of all time, right?"

Suddenly the light from the water hits her face in such a way that makes her gestures more obvious, "I've seen you before..." he snapped his fingers rapidly as though hoping it would spark the flames of his memories. "Slug club?"

She nodded a little "Yeah. I've been to a few of Slughorn's gatherings. Although I find them slightly pretentious. I only go to keep my father from getting on my case about establishing relationships with people of influence." her tone took on slight distaste at the mention of her father. She stood stretching a little and decided to cross the room and sat in the chair opposite of him extending a pale hand towards him "I'm Amy"

He shakes her hand with a smile that has charmed many a teacher or other authority figures, "bartemius Crouch Jr the IV, Crouch to friends!" He greeted pleasantly.

"I'm rather a fan of Slughorns little parties. Why shouldn't people of promise get together?" He didn't bother mentioning that the potion teachers adoration of him made attendance worth while for him.

" It just all seems..." she paused for a moment to search for word that wasn't too demeaning "superfluous.. To me anyway.." one of her spindly fingers toyed with a lock of hair as she gazed across the table at him watching his demeanor closely "but then again I've never been much of a people person.. I prefer books."

"Yes I suppose it is a tad overkill." He admits, with a shrug. "Call it a guilty pleasure I guess." He subsciously felt his pocket to make sure a vial was in it. Feeling the glass through his pants, his hand returned to his lap.

"So what keeps you awake this night?"

"I haven't slept well for a long time now and well like you said.. the night is time that could be spent doing better things than sleeping." her hand moved to pick up one of the books delicately "so what are you researching? " hoping for a subject change as she thumbed through a few pages pausing to skim the writing every now and then.

His nerves started to peak as she held one of his books. It'd be unsightly for a young man from such a prominent family to be researching anything that could be viewed as controversial. "Oh this that and the other things..." he passed it off as nonchalant.

She set the book back down gently a whisp of a smile playing around the corners of her mouth curiosity sparking slightly to her watchful gaze "so you're a jack of all trades then? "

'Master of all too.' he thought to himself but bit back the remark. His cousin of the same name had always taught him the value of secrecy when it came to one's character. 

'Project the image of you people wish to see.' He had advised, licking the side of his mouth afterwards as was his usual tick. But Crouch had taken an understanding to what his far older cousin meant. Image was everything after all. Fortunately most found Crouch's personality appealing enough so there was not much to hide.

"I do like to dabble in various topics. You must be well read yourself I imagine."

Amy thought back on the stacks and stacks of books she had read over the years and the insane amount of notes tucked away neatly in her trunk upstairs "I think that's be an understatement at this point.. although I mostly dabble in anything medical..but I'll read basically anything that looks interesting."

"Medical? Aspiring for the healing arts?" He asked with interest. In a politico family like his, it was refreshing to hear of other subjects.

She nodded with a small smile " I find it a fascinating subject full of some seriously old magics... It's kind of fun when you realize a simple combination of ingredients could save a life from the brink of death." she toyed idly with a stray curl again her expression playful, but pensive.

"Do elaborate..." He held out a glass to her, and with a casual, almost thoughtless wave of his wand, the glass filled with a red fine liquid.

Her bright blue eyes lingered over the crimson liquid for a moment before taking the glass "that is a nifty trick... so much easier than going to the kitchens or stashing a bottle away upstairs." She took a small sip enjoying the drinks bouquet for a moment before speaking again "well I mean think about it..we use everything from lavender sprigs to snake venom in potions. very small ingredients that can have potent effects when used properly... or how a bezoar can save one from most poisons and it' just a small stone from the stomach of a goat and that's pretty phenomenal I say."

Crouch filled his own glass with the vintage. After many a ministry party, he'd come to have a rather refined taste that pumpkin juice just wouldn't sate. 

But ever more intoxicating was tis thrilling and mentally stimulating conversation. He could feel the neurons in his brain waking from a stupor as he listened. "Quite phenomenal." He agreed.

And then he thought to himself. Could she be a way to see if his theories had merit? He decided to test his luck. "It does make one wonder what else might be possible..."

Her smile brightened at his words it had been a long time since she had a conversation with someone around her age that didn't make her cringe... actually it had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone at all and she found him refreshing and alluringly mysterious. "Well anything is probable if you put the effort into it.. but what exactly are you thinking right now." Her own directness surprised her a little and her cheeks hinted pink from excitement.

He found the corners of his mouth rising a little, and his eyebrow raised in a show of respect. She'd been able to spot his subtle purpose even with a simple remark. 

'Quite an keen intellect this one has...'


"Well in my dabbling I've come to consider many theories. Some range from the conventional magics to the esoteric."

"Alas I've not had sufficient means by which to test or even plan them out..."

Her eyes were alight with curiosity as she leaned forward a little, her gaze fixated on him observantly "oh? well maybe I can help..I tend to find means to an end very easily when it suits my own thirsts for the unknown" her smile widened a bit. "Care to shine some light a little more specifically on one of these theories?"

"Well that's very dependent..." He coyly smiled as he patted the book he had been reading. "One theory I'm particularly interested in could be seen as... questionable..."

She leaned back a again take a long thoughtful sip of wine before placing the glass back down and looking back at him. Her curiosity for the darker side of magic was something she had denied herself for a long time, but maybe it was time to stop resisting "To be perfectly honest that just makes me even more curious.."

'And willing to take a chance... who are you?' Crouch wondered to himself pleasantly. This was the very first time he'd ever spoken these thoughts aloud. It felt refreshing, like breathing pure air after staying in a dusty attic for hours. His friends, good company though they made, didn't quite have either the prowess or gumption Crouch would need to experiment on his theories.

"Based on what many noted witches and wizards have written, I believe there's a measure of magical power that goes completely dormant in a person all their lives. Right up to the end of it. That to me sounds like a considerable waste."

"I believe the key to tapping into this hidden away power has to do with the relationship between the wand and the wizard or witch."

"hmm.. well I mean wands are our most powerful tools of channeling our magic. Wandlore is a fickle area of study though.. but I don't quite see how that's questionable though." she stopped finishing the wine "but a whole new untapped power.. that's... more than intriguing."

"The only reason I warned you of such in advance is many claim that tampering with the nature of the wand-wizard relationship is unethical. I kind of understand why. It's one of the oldest laws of magic..." The gravity in his voice showed his appreciation for severity of what he was proposing. "But isn't all development breaking down the old rules?"

She mulled over his words for a moment finding herself agreeing "old rules can be outdated at times. It only makes sense to have to break them for a better purpose. Who knows what kind of magics we're missing out on because of rules laid down by those long dead. "