An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
Post by Tobias Twiggs on May 1, 2020 21:25:40 GMT 10
Toby led the way out onto the lawn, striding purposefully as if he actually knew what he was doing. The truth was, he had no idea- but he guessed that if they looked hard enough they'd find an ingredient that they could give to Snape. He was determined to prove to the potions teacher that he was capable of tackling any task given to him- even if the git was hell bent on treating him unfairly.
Turning to look at his friends he smiled "I guess we should start looking?" his words didn't sound too encouraging, but the lawn was huge and it was sure to hold many treasures. "Can any of the ingredients for your glowing potion be found here, Ryan?" he asked, looking directly at his friend- he said that some of the ingredients were in the forest, but they didn't need to go there yet and he got the feeling Ryan wasn't too keen on the idea anyway.
"Is there a particular potion you wanna make?" he directed the question at Joe, looking around the lawn and wondering how they could best tackle it. Maybe each of them could take a different area to search.
Ryan almost bumped into Toby as they arrived at the right spot, having had most of his attention on the ingredient scroll.
'Oh. I think I did need some silkmoss too,' he said. Ryan made a sound of annoyance, turning to look towards the castle and decided it wasn't worth the walk back to the courtyard. 'Whatever, it's fine. I'll get more later. I'm not gonna be able to brew it yet anyway.'
He glanced at Joe, deciding to trust him. If Toby was fine mentioning the potion in front of him, then Ryan supposed he'd take that risk too. Joe was a Ravenclaw too, so he'd probably seen all sorts of not-entirely-legal projects going on in their common room. Maybe "illegal" wasn't the right word, but Ryan was sure most of methods or items weren't allowed.
'No,' he answered Toby while tucking away the scroll. 'Nothing here. Just something in the forest path. And some fireflies by the lake...at night.' He considered it that might be a good step to start with though, before the forest.
Wait, was he seriously considering going through with the potion?
'What are we looking for?' Ryan asked, wanting to keep busy while they talked. 'I was thinking, it sucks we're in different houses Toby. Maybe we could brew or get a potion that makes you look Ravenclaw for a bit? Then we could all camp out, Gerald too, in our common room and just have fun. You can come see our dorm too. It'd be like a sleepover, without the sleeping. I've never had a sleepover before...'
He glanced at Joe, deciding he was okay with the other boy tagging along now. He'd said nice things about Ryan too. That was a friend, right?
'What do you think, Joe?' he asked, hoping the idea didn't sound stupid. 'We could share snacks and play games? Toby could totally pass as a Ravenclaw for a bit, right? I'll lend him my robes and everything.' Ryan grinned at the idea, wishing Toby was in their house so they could do that all the time.
Post by Jonathan King on May 4, 2020 23:23:29 GMT 10
It was fun following Toby out of the castle and onto the lawn. He was walking rather fast and with purpose, making Joe feel truly on a mission. He could not help but smile to himself as he set foot on the Expanive Lawn with his new friends.
He made a mental note when Toby mentioned the glow potion to Ryan, figuring that they were all after different potions after all, yet there were overlapping ingredients so it was okay to look for them together.
"Oh", he had had no idea Ryan had needed Silkmoss as well. "If you want to, I'll go back to the Private Courtyard with you around Dinner? Help you look for the Silkmoss, Ryan. I pretty much got yours after all."
He shrugged and smiled. Not that he had anything else to do today after all. He was pretty sure he would not have Herbology tomorrow so he still had time for that homework.
"Ah. Umm", his cheeks flushed a little when Toby asked what potion he wanted to make. "I wanted to try the bean stalk potion. A bean stalk to climb sounds like fun."
One could also potentially inconvenience a certain Gryffindor boy with a sudden bean stalk in his way.
"So I'd be looking for Fluxygrass here. But yeah, the forest path sounds good. I need Lariwort too... It says it's in the Forbidden Forest though. Do you think there's any chance it grows at the edge for me to collect?"
Joe was not sure he wanted to enter the Forbidden Forest. It sounded dangerous and against school rules. And had he not just promised his cousin to be on his best behaviour?
He started looking for Fluxygrass however was listening to Ryans words with interest. He was sure he had heard of a potion that could change a person's appearance before. Although he figured that would be rather advanced and he was not confident enough in his own abilities to suggest brewing anything out of basic skill levels.
A sleepover with Toby did sound like fun though.
"Sounds amazing, Ryan", he said, turning his head to his new friend when spoken to.
He grinned.
"Reckon he'd be the first Gryffindor to visit the Ravenclaw tower?"
Perhaps not. Hogwarts was a thousand years old after all. Pupils of different houses visiting another common room must have happened before. Still a fun thought. Sneaking the first Gryffindor ever into their space.
"We could build a pillow fort in the common room too", he added to Ryan's idea. Wouldn't that be grand?
Ryan smiled at Joe, appreciative of the offer to help him find some more silkmoss. 'Nah, it's okay.' He shrugged. 'Dinner's more important. I'm actually getting a bit hungry. Hey, Toby - do you want to come sit with us tomorrow at breakfast? We could all have a competition to see who can eat the most apple slices?' He was going to pick bacon, but that could get messy.
His mother once said too much bacon would make him sick, which Ryan didn't think was true yet wasn't about to risk finding out.
'That sounds cool,' Ryan liked Joe's pick of a potion more than Toby's. Slug were still gross. 'You're not going to climb it though, are you?' He hoped not. A magical beanstalk sounded like something big. Were there giants up in the sky, like in his books? He didn't want to ask, in case it sounded stupid.
He began looking for fluxgrass, remembering what that one looked like. It was supposed to be one of the easier or more common things, right? Ryan wished he was something of an expert, but supposed there was only one way to become that.
'I need to get some things from the forest too...' Ryan frowned, biting his lip as he glanced at Joe. Then at Toby. Then back to the grassy lawn in search of fluxgrass. 'Maybe... well, it's stupid. And dangerous. And breaks tons of school rules. But... we need those ingredients, right? Maybe we should go there. I have to go at night, which is so much worst. If we all go together - strength in numbers?'
He tried to sound sure of his own words, but Ryan was too busy being shocked that they were his own words. Either having friends was causing him to become more reckless or he was suffering from a form of insanity.
'I don't think he'll be the first Gryffindor. It's not like we have a password or anything,' he added to Joe, glad their conversation had a variety of topics so he didn't have to get stuck on picturing his death in that awful forest. 'Oh yes! A pillow fort is a must. That'd be so fun. Actually, we could use our dorm for that. More space, and none of the older kids will bother us.'
Post by Jonathan King on May 11, 2020 19:09:40 GMT 10
He could not deny he felt relieved Ryan declined his offer of looking for Silkmoss today after all. He was actually looking forward to Dinner, surviving on a sandwich and a small snack roll for lunch.
"Alright", he shrugged.
"Apple slices?", Joe snorted. "A healthy competition."
Ryan had the most wonderful ideas. He should have befriended him sooner!
Joe smiled, pleased with his choice of potion when Ryan said it was cool.
"Why not climb it? I doubt there'd be a castle of giants living on top of it like in the fairy tale. Although that'd be a neat adventure, wouldn't it?"
His grin turned to a frown as he started wondering if it was a muggle or wizard fairy tale. Sometimes he mixed the two up. But he also did not know wether Ryan and Toby had been raised in the wizarding or muggle world or both like he had.
"Sorry. Do you even know that fairy tale? Of Jack and the bean stalk? I think it's a muggle fairy tale but I'm not sure. Might be from a wizard but stealing an enchanted goose from a giant was a pretty stupid move on Jack's part"
Joe stopped as he thought he might be rambling and come of as weird. Thinking about it- he did not know any giants but Hogwart's ground's keeper was a half-giant and he could only imagine how Hagrid would react should any random guy steal his most treasured pet.
He listened up when Ryan said he had to go to the forest as well.
"At night? Really?", he felt his heart jolt in excitement. "Isn't there a curfew?"
It just sounded uber forbidden now, that preposition of Ryans. He did not want to chicken out infront of his new friends however much he wanted to stick to the rules and be on his best behaviour for his cousin.
"Well... does it have to be at night? And far inside the forest? We could check it out after finding the Fluxgrass since we're already outside and see if we can spot anything useful at the edge of it? Make a plan and come back later?"
Later- meaning hopefully another time when he his cousin was too busy to pay him any mind and maybe when he could do more purposeful magic than light his wand. He did not want to rely on his magic to accidentally get him out of trouble.
Post by Tobias Twiggs on May 12, 2020 22:35:09 GMT 10
"Makes me look Ravenclaw?" Toby asked, momentarily forgetting that they had come to the lawn with a mission in mind. He tried not to be offended by the idea of temporarily switching houses, after all... He was rather proud to be a Gryffindor. The idea that his friend had suggested was a good one though, it was disappointing that they couldn't hang out with each other in their common rooms, especially since he didn't have any better friends in his own house... For the moment. "I think it'd be really fun if we could do that!" he finally agreed, wondering how they would make such a potion, it would probably be really complicated and they hadn't even had many potions classes yet.
Listening as Joe spoke about wanting to brew the beanstalk potion, Toby went back to searching the ground for any useful ingredients- he didn't want to still be out there during dinner time but he also refused to go back to the castle empty handed. "The beanstalk potion sounds cool... But slugs"he said, still hopeful that the Ravenclaw's would see how brilliant his idea was. "Ryan, we're going to the forest... Just, maybe not tonight- unless you want to!" he was eager to explore the forest and find the ingredients his friend needed, but he didn't want to force him to do something he wasn't comfortable with. There was also the added danger of being caught and his parents finding out, that wouldn't go down too well at home.
"Giants? Up a beanstalk?" he turned to look at Joe, bewildered by the claim that they might possiby discover giants in a castle up a beanstalk. "Don't be silly Joe, giants don't live in the sky and they do not live in castles!" what stories did muggles read to their kids? Obviously nothing good... He'd have to tell his parents about this and see what they thought, he was sure they'd laugh about it too. "Enchanted goose?" okay, now things really were getting out of hand "Joe, you need to read better stories" ones that actually made sense and didn't contain giants living up beanstalks and owning geese.
Shaking his head, he gestured around the lawn "lets keep searching for that fluxgrass and then maybe we can head to the forest later?" he suggested, trying to keep himself from rolling his eyes at Joe's wild tales of giants.
Post by Ryan Barrow on May 13, 2020 20:40:34 GMT 10
Ryan smiled as Joe mentioned a familiar fairytale, and couldn't resist joining in on that conversation. 'My family are all Muggles. They got me lots of books when I was little,' he said. 'So yeah, I know it. Was it really a goose? I thought it was a harp?' He frowned, trying to remember. Then again, there were different version so maybe that's why he thought differently of what it was. It had been a while since he'd ready it though.
Toby apparently didn't know the story at all though, any version. Ryan frowned when the Gryffindor called Joe silly though, knowing that wasn't true. The story existed! If giants actually lived up in the sky though was debatable. A year ago he thought magic was made-up too.
'Don't call him silly,' Ryan firmly told Toby. 'Besides, I've heard of it too. And how do you know they don't live up there? We're just first years. There's still lots of different creatures and legends and stuff we haven't heard of. Maybe it is true? Or some version of it. Remember, Muggles have stories about broomsticks and dragons too. Those are real, aren't they?' He gave Toby an amused, challenging look.
Slapping his forehead in disbelief that he'd forgotten all about ingredient hunting, Ryan rejoined Toby in their search. He was very thorough to make up for their lapse in focus - checking every patch or spot or greener-than-green area of the lawn that he could without venturing too far from his friends.
'It has to be curfew,' he added to Joe, with great reluctance. 'I don't want to miss dinner, but also some ingredients can only be found or maybe even picked at night. It has to be then, which is why I hate it so much. And it could be dangerous - scary, even.' Ryan gave Toby an incredulous look when the Gryffindor said it could be fun. He sounded like Grace.
Was that a Gryffindor thing - thinking scary things were fun?
'We have to be careful though,' Ryan added. 'Students aren't allowed in the forest, remember? For good reason, probably. If we go peek now, it might look suspicious. And I might change my mind..' he muttered the last bit, but they'd have heard him.
He hated everything about the plan, but he was determined and had made up his mind. If he didn't do it now, he'd just keep putting it off until he could no longer summon any amount of strength to even consider it a moment longer.
'Let's go tonight,' he declared, with a nervous quiver in his voice. 'Right after dinner. We'll meet...somewhere, then go to the forest together. Make sure you have your robes or at least a clock. Dark clothes might helps us be less noticed. Any other ideas?'
Ryan made it sound like he was most worried about detentions, but really he was trying not to have a breakdown over the thought of being eaten by something horrifying in the forest.
With their extensive searching, the group were able to come across a rather large patch of fluxygrass. There were enough for four ingredients, so once again a decision would need to be made - but this time, each of them would be able to pick at least one for themselves.
As fortunate as that find was, the darkening afternoon sky was not in their favor for the chances of finding more that afternoon.
Post by Jonathan King on May 14, 2020 0:11:16 GMT 10
Joe smiled, pleased with himself when Toby also agreed that his choice of potion was cool. He wished he could give Toby the same compliment, however he could not see any appeal with a potion that made you puke slugs and he just shrugged and gave his new friend a sheepish smile.
"What would you want that for? Someone bothering you so much?"
If so then it was probably for the best to be Toby's friend rather than enemy. What wondrous pranks his friend might play on people. Perhaps he could get him to plan something for Joe's own enemy Benjamin Dover?
"Yeah. Could be cool.", he said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "But better not get caught."
Joe turned to Ryan when he said he knew the fairy tale of Jack and the bean stalk and smiled in relief. So it was a muggle fairy tale. His first instinct had been correct.
He regarded his house mate with a curious look when he said his family were all muggles. Despite going to a muggle school prior to attending Hogwarts Joe's family was all magical. At least the close family he knew personally.
He had always felt like the odd one out in his primary school, a wizard kid amongst muggle kids with this huge secret to keep, a whole secret world not one of his peers could ever know about.
He wondered how it must have been for Ryan with not even having his parents know about it all. But then again- Ryan could not have had any way of knowing himself. Whenever he produced accidental magic he must have been weirded out by it, trying to explain it away even to himself maybe like Joe would do to his prior classmates when he had accidentally changed the colour of his pencils again.
Yet he decided to keep his questions to himself, not wanting to pry on his new friend and rather keep the conversation they were having afloat.
"Might have been a harp although I thought it was the goose that laid golden eggs? Maybe we've had a different version in school than you", he shrugged.
His face flushed red at Toby's comment and Joe was about to defend himself, that he did not in fact think giants lived in the sky, that it was just a fairy tale but Ryan was faster with his words.
He looked at Ryan appreciatively yet shrugged to Toby, saying: "The sky may have been a really tall mountain and an exaggeration on a story teller's part. Don't giants live in the mountains?"
He cocked an eye brow at Toby's suggestion for him to read better stories. "Like Babbitty Rabbitty?"- he was fairly certain that one was a wizard fairy tale and judging from Toby's reaction to his mention of the muggle story he must have grown up in the magical world exclusively- "Muggle fairy tales tell of tricksters and heroes too, just with less magic in them."
It was a fun exchange after his initial shock of being called silly by his new friend he actually wished to impress.
Joe's heart sank a little when Toby too let out he wanted to go to the forest, even tonight if Ryan wanted to. It sank lower into his stomach when Ryan confirmed that it would be after curfew and this night.
He could not hide his dismay displaying on his face quickly enough and had to look away for a moment to find his composure.
Going to the forest in itself was against school rules and not something his cousin would overlook- but going there past curfew was outright stupid and dangerous.
He was not about to back down from this challenge his friends seemed to hang over his head in addition to professor Snape's comment of him having to prove himself. This would be his first adventure then.
How could he prepare for it in such short time?
Were there dangerous creatures in the forest? Probably.
Maybe he should take some food with him to bribe them or lure them away? But what if that food attracted them? Better not risk it.
He was going into a deep thinking, almost not hearing Ryan's plan yet nodding along in quiet agreement.
"Should we take more than just our wands- oh hey there's Fluxygrass!"
He was relieved of this find for more than one reason. It gave him the ingredient he needed for his potion's kit and it gave him more time to think about what he could answer Ryan to add to the plan for tonight's adventure.
He scooted closer to the plant, examining it. It would be enough for all of them to take some and he started to harvest cautiously not wanting to break them too badly.
"Hey Ryan, do you want more of this since you didn't get any Silkmoss earlier? Or do you not need any of it?"
Post by Ryan Barrow on May 15, 2020 2:02:52 GMT 10
Ryan heard what Joe was saying about the stories and giants, but was stressing over his decision to go to the forest that night. He regretted it already, but had made the declaration now so he couldn't possibly take it back.
He did notice Joe's dismay though, and oddly enough it actually gave him some confidence rather than making him feel worst. 'It's okay,' Ryan told him. 'It's scary and dangerous and we really shouldn't be doing it... but we also need to. Not just for the ingredients, but also cuz friends stick together right? We can prove to ourselves that we can do this. We're not going alone.'
His words sounded cool and brave. It was something a leader might say. Ryan felt like a fraud and liar, but he had to try to believe in his own words. They were doing this. It was crazy and stupid, but they were doing it.
'We just need to be smart about it,' he added, glancing at Toby too. 'So long as we watch each other's backs, and go in with a plan, I think we'll be okay. Hopefully the ingredients won't be took deep in the forest.' He shuddered. More lies he told himself.
There was so much to think about. Did they really have time to be as prepared as they should be? Ryan didn't know, but allowed Joe to distract them with the Fluxygrass. He gave his new friend a smile, and went to pick his double helping of the ingredient - making sure to leave one left for Toby.
'I reckon it's almost dinnertime. We should head back,' Ryan said. 'Actually, I heard there's this Slytherin guy who can get you stuff if you pay him or whatever. He's usually around the Entrance Hall, I think? I need to get some things. I was going to get them before but I forgot. You know, those requests the Professors made? I want to help. Want to come with me? You can help too.'
He carefully put away his ingredient, then headed back to the castle. Ryan hoped they'd join him. Toby had to go rejoin the Gryffindors soon and he didn't want it to happen. He wanted to hang out with his friend as long as possible, so a little extra detour could prolong that. At least Joe might want to sit with him at dinner.
They still needed to finish their plans for their trip to the forest too. Before dinner, ideally, as they had to plan a place to meet up and everything they'd need to bring with them.
Post by Jonathan King on May 15, 2020 16:49:23 GMT 10
He looked at Ryan, somewhat in awe. What his friend had said was rather inspirational.
Joe felt as though he had been given a clear choice: Prove he was a worthy friend and get those ingredients from the night time forest and risk getting in Trouble or worse... or fail this innitial test of friendship by playing it safe.
He gripped his rope tightly and nodded. If they were clever about it they could get out unnoticed. And together with three wizards there was bound to be enough Magic that they could face a dark assembly of trees! (And possibly werewolfs- although what day of the moon was it?)
He listened up when Ryan mentioned the requests of the professors.
Splendid!
If they were in their good favours now and got them some house points then maybe the trouble and possibly losing of house points they planned for later tonight would not be as bad at all.
"Sure! Equal out the karma and all", he said with a shrug before following Ryan towards the castle.
00 | 
21 | 
20
December
