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.
Grace's reflection stepped back, watching neutrally as Grace promptly walked into the mirror. Not as intended, but as in she smacked against its solid surface that still refused to grant her entrance. Her reflection shook its head, gesturing to itself again.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 20, 2021 10:22:23 GMT 10
Grace cracked open an eye when she felt something solid. "Aw man," she said, disappointed, "I thought that would work." She noticed that the reflection was gesturing to itself similarly to before, when she had walked in backwards. She looked at the reflection, trying to think of what it meant.
"If you closed your eyes, would that help at all?" she said, not really expecting it to answer. She didn't think reflections had vocal cords. Throwing the textbook was beginning to look like a promising option. Then, she decided to step completely out of the way of the mirror. That was one way she couldn't be seen, Grace thought.
Her reflection didn't even try to close its eyes, just shook its head.
When Grace stepped out of the way, her reflection did the same -- disappearing from view, but nothing changed. If Grace peeked back, so would her reflection. It wasn't possible to try and pass through as she had to step back into view each time, rendering her method obsolete.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 20, 2021 10:31:56 GMT 10
Grace hummed. This wasn't going to work. She looked at the inscription again, murmuring "What cannot be seen may pass through its nothingness." Grace frowned. She obviously couldn't put the mirror in the mirror, and bribing it with apples seemed like something she probably also couldn't do. "Hm..."
Remembering just then that she was a witch and could do magic, she pulled her wand out, expecting the reflection to be at least somewhat impressed. She didn't know very many spells, and wingardium leviosa seemed out--she doubted she could lift the mirror.
"Lumos" she said, holding her wand up to the mirror and the inscription to see if anything happened.
The mirror briefly shimmered at the presence of something magical.
Apart from a rather blinding glow of her spell being reflected back -- there was no progress, no relenting, and no further clues to go by. Her reflection gave Grace a sympathetic look, and once again gestured at itself.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 21, 2021 14:29:06 GMT 10
Magic seemed to make the mirror shimmer. Maybe that was it? Grace didn't know why the reflection kept gesturing to itself, then. She looked at her wand and back at the reflection. Maybe if she put the two together, it would work.
Grace tried her best to trace the reflection in the mirror with her wand. She imagined it coming out of the mirror like a cut out, so they could swap places. That would be totally cool! And if she ever needed to get out of a tough class, then her mirror-clone could do it. Grace frowned at the idea. What if what made it so tough was that it would be fun? No, she was probably better off doing her own classes.
Her reflection followed the movements of Grace's wand, staying still while she did so -- yet, as it turned out, it wasn't so much to help but rather it seemed to be the polite thing to do. Unfortunately, her rather clever idea wasn't a successful one.
If not even her wand was helping, perhaps Grace needed something else?
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 21, 2021 15:58:01 GMT 10
Grace sighed. Again, she was grateful her reflection was at the very least not hindering her progress. She looked through her bag again, trying to come up with something else to do. Her options were beginning to look pretty slim. "I don't suppose you'd want a bit of treacle fudge or toffee?"
She waited for the mirror's attention, expecting another shake of the head. Already, Grace was planning out who she could talk to--Mrytle? Helena Ravenclaw? Or perhaps a teacher would know more. Grace was hesitant to go seek them out again. What if this was just another thing they thought she was too young to do?
Her reflection smiled at the mention of sweets, yet once again shook its head. It sighed, sitting cross-legged on the "ground" to wait another attempt. It had given her everything it could, and it seemed Grace had now exhausted her available options.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 21, 2021 16:09:26 GMT 10
"Okay, I'll be right back!" Grace said, though she had absolutely no clue if this was in any way true. Mirrors probably had weird senses of time, too, unless they were near a clock. She needed a way to...have her reflection go away? She couldn't do that without stepping out. Grace frowned, but decided to head to the Great Hall anyways to see if she could scrounge up any breakfast.
Solving ancient mysteries on an empty stomach was a rather tough challenge for any eleven-year-old.
Her reflection nodded, and faded (having nothing to reflect) as Grace hurried away. The Raven flew back into view, regaining its tree and usual appearance.
Thread left open for Grace to return (member confirmed this intention) -- when she does so, the Raven will recognise her and fly out again so she can proceed exactly where she left off.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 21, 2021 17:29:49 GMT 10
Having fetched a blanket from her common room, Grace made her way back. After she found it, she waved at the raven in the portrait. It was much easier to find her way back than it had been to find the thing in the first place, but lugging the blanket around had been less easy. It would be worth it--besides, it was a bit chilly at school in wintertime.
"Hi! Grace Babineaux again," she said, "Gryffindor student, negotiator extraordinaire."
She laid the blanket out on the ground while waiting for it to change back to the mirror, and opened up one of the Invisibility Potions the deal kid had sold her. She poured it over the entire blanket, making sure not to get any in her mouth, just in case. It would probably be not good if she did that.
Grace waited for it to look dry, and then wrapped the blanket around herself. Wow! Wouldn't everyone think she was just the coolest. Well, maybe if they could see her.
Last Edit: Dec 21, 2021 17:30:28 GMT 10 by Grace Babineaux: typo
There was only so much potion in the vial, but the absorption properties were impressive; the entire blanket shimmered rather beautifully, then slowly disappeared. When wrapping what was now her "invisibility cloak" around herself, Grace could sort of see the material but it was mostly transparent.
Her reflection, like Grace herself, vanished from view. The mirror was now blank, then it too shimmered. The glass morphed into a rippling surface, almost like water that wasn't quite a liquid. All she had to do now was climb through the mirror into... whatever awaited her on the other side.
Invisibility Cloak added to inventory; lasts until Midnight.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 21, 2021 17:43:54 GMT 10
Grace whooped a cheer out as she realized that it had actually worked. She thanked her now disappeared reflection for its help, and stepped through the mirror. This time, her eyes were open and she was facing forwards, so she could see where the mirror was. She was just a little nervous about what was on the other side.
As she stepped through, Grace thought about how Mrytle would be totally excited to hear about this. And she was a ghost, so she was already like, half invisible anyways. She could probably come see what all the fuss was about...if she wanted to. Did dead students count as students? Grace got the sense that even if she could come up and see, Mrytle didn't really like to leave her bathroom all that much.
When she entered, the other side of the rippling mirror changed back to a raven painting to anyone else who may wander by while Grace was busy within the secret room.
And it was the Artefact Room. It had to be; the sense of ancient importance to everything was too strong. It was like stepping into history, especially as the stones that made up the walls seemed to predate the castle itself -- even the unusual handprint on the far left side. It was entirely possible, as the room was from the time of the founders and was barely touched since.
The room was wide, but didn't take long to cross it. The main wall, opposite the rippling entrance, had four large alcoves built into the stone. Or rather, melted into it from the smooth yet distorted surface. In each alcove was a stone plinth, with an engraved house crest on the wall behind it -- yet different, and more fierce, as if these were an earlier design.
Each plinth was empty, but a lack of dust implied that was a recent occurrence.
02 | 
19 | 
20
February
