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In the spirit of sharing things . . .

[He gives a little sigh and tiredly rubs at his face.]

Many of you know what werewolves are, whether they are simply myths or actual reality for you. For those who don't, however-- werewolves are people who, during the full moon, change into wolves. Rather self-explanatory, I know. If someone is bitten by a werewolf while they are in their wolf form, they too become a werewolf. As far as I've heard, it's the same the world over.

Where I come from, however, there has been a cure developed-- not to remove the curse entirely, but to subdue it. It so happens I found the ingredients in my locker a few days ago.

[He stares at the camera firmly.]

Should anyone need it, or would like to try it-- I will not ask you to reveal yourselves. I don't believe anyone should be forced into revealing who or what they are, should they not wish to. But my room-- and the potion-- is always open to any who might want to try it.

This also means, however, that during the full moon, I am not dangerous. I'd appreciate anyone suddenly deciding they fancy themselves monster hunters to curb that urge; there is no need for it.

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[His attention is caught by that--what does he mean by that, precisely?--and so Bran nods.]

If it is not a trouble to you. Yes. What do you transform? Is it the same sort of magic that allows people to transform to animals?

A different sort.

[He tugs off one of his boots, revealing a sock so heavily darned it really ought to be classified as damned. Ignoring his suddenly cold foot, he sets the boot down-- concentrates-- and waves his wand. A few seconds pass before the shoe, with a small pop, turns into a tiny puppy.]

[He clutches at Summer and stares, his mouth dropping open in a bit of awe. Summer turns, his attention caught by the sudden living thing--he doesn't go after it, but merely watches with mild interest.

After staring at the dog for a moment, Bran looks up at at Remus, still shocked.]

Your-- It's real?

[Summer's nose begins to twitch, as Bran starts to smile.]

Somewhat. It's not an actual animal, and it'll change back in an hour or two-- but you wouldn't be able to tell the difference until then.

[The puppy pads forward, fearlessly nosing against Summer's front paws.]

[The direwolf stays right where he is, but cranes his neck to peer down at the false dog sniffing around his forepaws. It doesn't smell right at all, but he still doesn't move away.]

It is amazing. You would not know, if you had not seen it down, what the dog used to be. What is the magic called?

Transfiguration. We start turning matches into needles and go up from there.

[Undaunted, the false puppy begins nipping lightly at Summer, trying to bait him into playing.]

[The direwolf sits down heavily--he doesn't reciprocate, but he doesn't protest, either. He just sits, watching the false dog with a small bit of confusion.]

Can you change anything?

There are a few exceptions, an the bigger an object is, the harder it gets.

[The puppy growls softly, irritated by Summer's unwillingness to play, and begins headbutting him.]

[Summer turns a look of long suffering up at Bran, a martyr's look, but still does not so much as bat at the false puppy. He is behaving quite well, and Bran reaches to scratch at his ears again.]

Does the dog know that he is not a dog?

He doesn't know much of anything, I'm afraid. He's not real enough for intelligent thought like that.

[Finally, exhausted, the puppy flops down and whines.]

[And in the spirit of large canines everywhere, Summer only now considers the false puppy, leaning down with great dignity to give him another sniff. He's having a difficult time with this one; something is wrong, but he can't quite work out what.

Bran watches this interaction with some interest.]

He looks quite real. Can you make false people, or only animals?

Only animals. People are too difficult-- and, frankly, morally tricky.

[The puppy pants up at summer, quite happy with any attention given to him.]

[Bran blinks at that, trying to make sense of it. Morally tricky.]

What is the difference?

[And meanwhile, Summer give the false puppy one last sniff--and then sneezes on him.]

[The puppy doesn't know how to deal with that. He squirms a little, whining.]

Well-- how would you regard a false man, a man made of magic that would disappear soon?

[Perhaps it was a test, though, because Summer's tail wags a little and he shifts to stand. He's massive compared to the puppy, but he bows to him, ready to try playing.

Bran smiles faintly at that, though he's hard at thought. Eventually:]

I think would not trust someone like that.

Precisely. Especially since it wouldn't be capable of higher thought-- or, really, anything beyond instinctive acts.

[The puppy bows, his tail wagging-- and hopefully leaps up, growling as low as he can.]

But a dog is far easier, because a dog doesn't act beyond its instincts in any case.

Edited 2012-05-06 19:35 (UTC)

[And Summer bats at him, almost lazily, with an imperial sort of air. He doesn't even bother to growl.]

But--dogs do have thoughts, don't they? They are not only instincts. Or is it because-- they are mostly instinct, so it is easier to make false ones?

They . . . yes and no. They don't have thoughts like you and I do-- not, say, I rather like this food or what have you. They do have preferences, yes, and personalities, things that make them unique-- but the things I transfigure don't. It's a subtle difference, but it's there-- it's also why Summer didn't quite know what to do with it.

[He nods toward the two canines. The puppy has rallied and gotten up again, growling and leaping up despite all evidence it won't work.]

It doesn't have a scent-- or at least, not a doggish one. I imagine to a dog, it smells just like a boot.

So yes. Because animals in general are mostly instinct, it's easy to have a false one. But a human-- you'd know as soon as they opened their mouth.

[He looks back at Summer and the false puppy. The direwolf bats at his opponent again, unfazed by the sudden and frantic jumping. This is nothing. The puppy is only slightly smaller than his paw as it is, and is just all-over wrong in a way that isn't even too troubling.]

Could you create something that only looks like a person? If they could not talk, or move--but only looked like one? Like a portrait, but--more real?

[He shakes his head.]

I don't doubt the magic exists, but it comes too close to necromancy to be taught.

[The puppy whines and flops back, playing hurt.]

[Interested in this tactic, Summer finally gets to his feet and moves in to give the puppy another interested sniffing once-over, his tail wagging in a display of friendliness.]

Necromancy?

Reanimating the dead. A very dark branch of magic, one I haven't researched in.

[The puppy relaxes a bit despite himself, but keeps up his fake whimpering.]

[Bran stares at over at Lupin, silent for a moment as he goes over that in his mind. Summer is more or less heedless of his sudden shift, and he noses at the false puppy again before giving him a cautionary lick.]

But such a thing is possible?

[He glances over at him.]

Yes. Though there is no spell in the world that can bring a person back to life. At most, they become . . . something inhuman. Twisted and wrong.

And you have seen this? Or is it only a story?

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You can only play Padfoot and I can only play Yorick, apparently.

it's a curse......

DAMN THOSE DOGS.

look at least we're GOOD at the dogs we play!

that's true, okay, we're fantastic.

CANINE HIGH FIVES FOR ALL

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JUST MAKING UP ALL THIS STUFF oh god

YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OKAY sorry I have tobe the one to as a million things

NO IT'S GREAT I LOVE THIS I just am leery of my own ability to bullshit.

no way don't even be, you're doing fantastic!

;~; you're the best

I can't be, you're too busy taking up that position.