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.
The Hufflepuff mirror shifted as she spoke, forming a ghostly figure in the reflection that wasn't Grace. The more she talked about Gerald, the clearer the figure became him.
He reflected back at her, as if he was real and merely on the other side of the glass. Her friend stood there, in his usual uniform that she saw him in so often - yet he was sad... lonely.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 4:57:24 GMT 10
"Gerald?" Grace asked, examining the appearance in the mirror. He couldn't be there, could he? It was just a mirror, right? She turned around, double-checking that it was just her and the gerodenus. Was this what was happening right now? Maybe he hadn't made the team. She hadn't seen him at lunch, after all, but she had been so sure that he would make it!
"Gerald!" she called out, reaching to touch the mirror, "Are you okay? Gerald!" she called again, just in case. She wasn't sure how real this thing was, but she still had two mirrors left. She didn't know if she could grow the fruit again, let alone get past the gerodenus. She hoped that wherever Gerald was, he could hear her.
The mirror didn't react when she touched it, neither did the reflection-Gerald. He shook his head at her question though, asking if he was okay. He could hear her.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 5:04:04 GMT 10
"Gerald can you talk to me? Can you see me?" Grace waved her hands around, "What can I do to make it better?" she asked, questioning both him and herself. What could she do from here? Maybe she needed to break the mirror to get to Gerald. "Listen, Gerald we can do it! We can get past the gerodenus!"
Gerald had always seemed interested in questing, so that was the direction her cheer-up speech took. "Wear gloves when you're going to harvest the seed, okay? The plant got me real good, but Madam Pomfrey fixed it, looklooklook!" she held out her arm, "And the gerodenus is just like a puppy when it sees the fruit, Gerald, it's so cute!"
She looked for a reaction, hoping to see something from Gerald, a smile or something. Where was Ryan? Or Joe, or Toby? Why was he all by himself?
Reflection-Gerald shook his head, though listened when she gave encouragement. He looked away again when she tried to explain about the seed harvest and wearing gloves, though he continued to listen.
Unrelated to her task, the gerodenus seemed to know it was being talked about - as it gave a huffy snort and turned its head in its sleep. It stretched though without too much concern for whatever the girl was babbling about to the reflection.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 5:13:38 GMT 10
"C'mon, Gerald, cheer up! We're gonna be the rulers of Hogwarts when we figure out this quest." Grace said, picking up that he seemed to be listening when she encouraged him. The gerodenus' huff scared her, as she thought it was once again going to eat her, but she quickly refocused back on the mirror's Gerald.
"Gerald, you can do it! As soon as I get out of here, I'm going to tell you all about it." Grace banged on the mirror, "It'll be so cool, okay?" she giggled a little, but she was worried about her friend. "Um, mirror, is it okay if I go see him? Would the gerodenus stay fine, or would I have to sacrifice another sentimental object?" Grace dreaded having to do that again, but if Gerald was honestly sad, she needed to go see him and make him feel better in person.
Reflection-Gerald smiled at Grace, then faded away like smoke in a strong breeze. The mirror was appeased by her encouragement then willingness to make a sacrifice for her friend. Like the Ravenclaw mirror, the Hufflepuff's glass was no longer reflective - with a dark background, also the same.
She was halfway done now; two houses were unlocked, with only another two left.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 5:25:10 GMT 10
Grace gasped as mirror-Gerald disappeared. Was he dead? Grace then remembered that the Ravenclaw mirror had done the same thing, and sighed in relief. Halfway there! Grace cheered. Maybe if she was lucky she would have time to give the gerodenus some scratches and pats like she had done with fang.
"Okay Slytherin mirror..." Grace said, stepping up. "I've got ambitions! My mum's a Healer, and I want to be like her. She's the coolest one out there, so if I wanna be like her, I have to be the best of the best!" Grace declared, grinning the whole time. Her mom was so cool. "I'm also really interested in History of Magic. I wanna be the best at the subject, too, which is why I want to do this quest, so I can find out more about the Hogwarts castle than anyone else."
The mirror remained unresponsive for a moment, even after she'd finished talking. Then it fogged up, making it hard to see her own reflection or that of the chamber around her. As if drawn by an invisible hand, a word formed on the glass:
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 5:55:51 GMT 10
"Um...why do I want to be the best?" Grace said, then decided that was probably what the mirror wanted. "Well, my mum heals people and then they feel better, so if I'm a really good healer like her, then I can help a lot of people, and they'll remember who I am, and tell all of their friends, and then I can help them, too." she said.
"When I first got to Hogwarts, I wanted to be the Minister of Magic, or a healer. I hadn't really decided yet. Minister because they really get to help everyone by making better laws. But when I got here, I learned that I'm really good at finding stuff out, so I'll do whatever I'm best at. That way, I can do the most all while being the best."
Grace wasn't sure if she understood her own ambitions. They switched a lot of the time, but mostly she was focused on being the best at whatever her current obsession was. Like now she wanted to be the first to finish figuring out whatever was going on here.
The word faded, accepting her answer. However, unlike the other two house mirrors so far, it was no as easily appeased. The fogginess remained, and new words formed.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 15:21:26 GMT 10
"Prevention or recovery?" Grace murmured the words out loud. Prevention or recovery of what? It had to be connected to her other answer, she thought. So prevention or recovery of being the best. She thought about it for a while, taking her time to choose between the two.
"Prevention, I think. I don't want to disappoint people like when I was little and Mum thought I was a Squib, and if I'm the best at everything, then no one can make fun of me." Grace nodded, "So, yeah, prevention!"
The mirror's response was slower that time, then the words finally faded. For a moment, it seemed she'd completed her task - but the glass remained reflective and the fog just as thick.
Then new words formed, and though there was no sound Grace could almost feel a tone to them. There was something quite uncomfortable about the question that she couldn't fully define.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Aug 13, 2020 15:34:20 GMT 10
Grace read the words and shivered. They felt strange to her, and she was still taking in the loss of her beloved childhood book, recalling the sacrifice that was only hours prior. For some reason, though, this question threatened to be even more uncomfortable. Again, she thought, it had to be connected to her previous responses.
"I mean, I guess if I'm the best at all those things, then my friends wouldn't be the best, and then that would make them sad. Or if I'm studying all the time to be the best at everything, then I wouldn't have too many friends. I mean, I spend all my time doing this sort of thing already, and I think that Toby, Ruby, Rose and Ryan don't think of me as a friend so much because I'm always adventuring." Those were sacrifices, Grace thought, though they mostly centered around her friends.
"And I gave up my Fidgety Witchity book to get here, too." she added. Gone but not forgotten. Never.
Appeased by her understanding of the impact her ambitions might have, the fog and words cleared. The glass was dark and no longer reflective, the same as the others she'd unlocked.
02 | 
19 | 
20
February
