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 Reena Ashworth on Jul 12, 2022 1:25:58 GMT 10
Layers.
Reena felt like a walking matryoshka with her countless layers of clothes. Well, not actually countless but enough that she was starting to run hot in here and took off her scarf and coat. Her beanie was put away safely in her pocket and she was not yet sure if she was going to put it on at all.
She had asked her head of house to accompany her into the Forbidden Forest to gather ingredients and the cute fox ears kind of undermined the serious front she liked to show to the potions' master.
Despite the chaos in the big hall she had managed to grab a quick bite for dinner and was now waiting for professor Snape to join her to get this nightly outing started.
She mentally went through a list of ingredients found in the Forbidden Forest to occupy herself and be prepared for any questions Snape might ask her.
Professor Snape left the castle, having eaten earlier to account for the request he'd agreed to fulfill for the young Ashworth. It was a startling sight though, to realise he did in fact own other pieces of clothing. Snape was in his usual attire, but with gloved hands and a plain beanie -- both black, of course. He shot Reena a critical glance that implied she should do the same.
'Lead the way, Ashworth.' Snape gestured her to go ahead. His task was to accompany her, after all. Whatever Reena's intended ingredients, he would simply ensure she was safe in the forest and they didn't get lost.
He hid it perfectly, but there was a hint of pride for her request. That fact that one of his Slytherins, (not induced by pre-OWL panic) took an interest in Potions enough to take time out of their night to seek ingredients? It showed promise. And she'd done so through the proper channels as well; as in, with permission and a Professor present.
'Wand out. It is prudent to remain prepared, should anything be unsettled,' he said firmly, as they arrived at the forest treeline. Snape already had his wand out, though she hadn't seen him do so, and non-verbally cast a wand-lighting charm to keep their area generally lit.
It was so effortless, and brighter than Reena had ever seen her own casting of that spell. But now it was up to her, to decide where they were going and what ingredients she sought.
Forest Venturebegins. Reena receives +20 exp received per ingredient, and can collect up to 5 ingredients (instead of the usual 3).
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 12, 2022 15:18:24 GMT 10
“Thank you for meeting me.“
Reena did her best not to shrink under her teacher‘s critical glance and put her scarf and coat on properly before stepping outside. Her head had been exposed to the cold night air mere seconds before she got over any embarrassment linked to the fox ears and put on her perfectly fitting beanie, gloving her hands straight after.
Being out in this freezing cold and the company she had chosen urged her to hurry and she felt as though they‘d crossed the grounds in record time. At the edge of the forest she turned to the professor for guidance and dutifully pulled out her wand. She had to avert her gaze at the cheer brightness of spell, feeling impressed and her her own wand work seemed quite shabby in comparison.
“Lumos!“, she set her own wand alight before entering the Forbidden Forest with caution.
She might have been more comforted by Snape’s presence had it not been for her previous encounter in the Room of Mirrors, that had shaken her up really bad. Just because she had a capable adult with her did not mean they were safe from whatever beasts lurked inside.
However, not wanting to hold them up she pushed further into the forest, hoping that there would be less snow covering the ground where the trees stood closer together.
She knew that Duskcap glowed amongst decaying leaves and that Spitroot‘s green top might stick out, if it was the season for it.
But first she touched her gloved fingers to the nearest bark and lit her wand along the nearby trees and roots in search of Small Fangs.
Reena quite enjoyed the gathering aspect of potions, however much she may curse at it at times, it gave her a sense of accomplishment and kept her mind occupied. Must be that prehistoric hunter-gatherer-instinct.
“Any chance of finding Spitroot this season?“, she asked quietly, breath becoming steam in light of her wand, as she felt along the root of the tree for fangs.
Professor Snape was quiet as they walked, though he often glanced curiously at her fox-eared beanie. Not because of how absurd it looked, but as if he could sense it was enchanted. At least Reena didn't have to worry about her head getting cold.
She was also correct about the snow -- which dwindled the further they ventured into the forest, until there was none left on the ground. The leafy forest floor was a bit damn though, and she wasn't having any luck finding something of use there.
Reena's gloved hand brushed against something on the bark, which proved to be Small Fangs which were brushed loose. It was enough for one ingredient, which was a promising start to her venture. Professor Snape remained nearby, observing her progress -- though she occasionally caught him pocketing something out the corner of her eye.
'Indeed.' Snape nodded, regarding the Spitroot. 'The ground is quite damp and layered; it may be tricky to spot them, so look closely.' He indicated off the path, to a patch that looked exactly the same as where Reena already stood.
Perhaps it was smart of her to bring along Hogwart's resident Potions Master for this particular trip, as clearly his experience determined a difference between what looked identical to Reena. There were no signs of any Duskcap yet though, but those often required much deeper venturing into the dark forest.
'Your beanie,' Snape said, after a moment. 'A gift, perhaps?'
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 13, 2022 4:05:15 GMT 10
Showing her light closer to her hand she recognised that she had brushed against Small Fangs and she smiled to herself, thinking she hernight venturehad gone off to a good start.
Reena looked up when Snape confirmed that Spitroot could be found and her eyes eagerly followed his hand to a patch next to the path. It looked the same to her as the one she was standing on already but she trusted his keen eye and instinct, surely having honed those skills in his many years as a potions' professor. He surely wasn't dubbed the master for no reason.
She quickly yet carefully collected the Small Fangs, pausing briefly to wonder what creature had shed them before she stepped back onto the path to approach the patch Snape had pointed out to her.
Before she could inspect it further he asked about her beanie and she turned around again, a self-conscious hand reaching to one of the fox ears.
"Yes, sir. Got it for Christmas.", she responded with a sheepish smile. He surely thought it was not very age appropriate for her to wear at fourteen, nearing adulthood.
But it appeared her dad had given her two gifts in one with this beanie. Firstly the enchanted insurance of warm ears and secondly something that every teenage girl with a father in her life had the privilege of experiencing at least once: Being embarassed by her dad.
Not expecting any further inquiry she turned towards the patch and started to carefully shift some of the leaves and earth around, tensed and ready to jump out of the way at any given moment should she uncover Spitroot and thus get shot at with pus.
Professor Snape nodded, leaving the conversation at that. Reena didn't mention who she'd gotten the gift from, but he could tell it had sentimental value as well. Likely a family member, he supposed. Which was quite interesting, given what he knew about her family. And given his collaborative research into the events the Ashworths were a part of many years ago.
A beanie like that was rather out of place, all things considered. But he saw now harm in it either, so he let it be. It was curious, nevertheless. The magic was quite unusual.
He continued to supervise her venture, while remaining alert to their surroundings. There was a protective, confident stance about Snape that was oddly reassuring considering his usual manner during classes or otherwise. He had a duty of care tonight, and took that very seriously. Would he have done that for any student, or was it especially true because she was one of his Slytherins?
Snape watched as Reena uncovered a Spitroot, and indeed got a shot of pus to the face from having touched it before spotting it. He made no move to warn her or shield her from the outcome. These kind of situations were the best way to learn how to handle these ingredients, and what to watch out for. Her skin tingled from it and it was just an awful moment, especially at night and in the cold.
Taking pity, or perhaps believing she'd learned what needed to be learned, Snape conjured a clean handkerchief for her to wipe her face. It was self-cleaning, with quite intricate nonverbal magic -- the awe it inspired was comparable to a muggle watching a magician. What the self-cleaning did not inspire confidence for was the fact it was quite clear he expected her unpleasant experience to repeat itself.
But regardless, there was a Spitroot waiting to be collected. If there was one, there was likely another nearby.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 13, 2022 15:20:18 GMT 10
Reena winced and jumped back when pus did shoot into her face. She kept her mouth closely shut to avoid getting any in there, not appreciating the tingly sensation in the slightest.
This was just bloody awful, how had she not noticed the Spitroot before it could explode at her?
She gratefully accepted the handkerchief and wiped her face, then doing a double take at its self cleaning properties.
“Did you enchant this?“, she asked her head of house in awe. This could also mean there would be repeated need of it but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind.
The stance he took was reassuring and despite being in the Forbidden Forest Reena felt safe to concentrate on the Spitroot and scratched at the ground around it with her free hand to unearth it before pulling it out.
She then got up and picked up a stick to scratch at the patch around the fresh hole where the Spitroot had been in search for another one. Reena hoped that the stick would get most of any pus but she also made sure not to poke it into the ground, not wanting to damage any valuable ingredient or anger any underground creature with it.
'A simple self-cleaning spell,' Professor Snape confirmed, in a casual enough tone despite both of them knowing there was nothing simple about that spell. He'd enchanted it while conjuring it, and non-verbally; simple, perhaps for him. But impressive, nonetheless.
Even though her Head of House was typically hard to read, Snape appeared to be rather at ease in the forest. Alert for any danger, of course, but he seemed perfectly content to wait while Reena sought ingredients or explored. No hint of impatience whatsoever.
She was having some trouble locating another Spitroot, though. Snape observed her methods, and ever-so-subtly angled the bright light of his wand a little to the right -- highlighting green top of a Spitroot poking out from decayed leaves. Having spotted it beforehand, the stick Reena brought with her should indeed assist in lessening the amount of pus fired her way once making contact.
Snape gaze was elsewhere, was if watching something move between the shadows in the distance. 'Have you prepared a list of particular ingredients you seek?' he asked Reena, still watching though didn't appear too concerned at the moment for whatever implied they weren't alone.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 13, 2022 21:19:54 GMT 10
Raising an eyebrow at his response she mused over his words. She did not believe him that it was as simple as he said, yet she also didn’t believe he was the bragging type.
“Will a simple spell such as this be taught to us at school at some point?“, she inquired hopeful. She could list countless uses for self-cleaning items at home.
Her attention was drawn back to the matter at hand when Snape shone a light towards another Spitroot for her. How she had missed it was beyond her but she was more and more glad to have asked the potions‘ master to accompany her instead of anyone else.
Using her stick to set of the pus explosion, she managed to only get some on her sleeve and she quickly wiped it off with the handkerchief before using the stick to loosen the soil around the ingredient.
As she pulled the Spitroot out of the ground, her right boot slipped on some pus on the ground however and she rather inelegantly landed in a half-split.
Feeling her face heat up despite the cold she hurried to her feet and put the ingredient away.
Catching sight of her Head of House once more she glanced over her shoulder into the dark forest but couldn’t see anything. She did get a slight uncomfortable feeling however at the thought of some nocturnal creature nearby.
“Yes. Small Fangs and Spitroot were at the top of that list actually,“ she said rather pleased with how quickly she had managed to find some.
“I‘ve still got Duskcap and if there’s time Lariwort on my list. Reckon we need to go deeper into the woods for that?“
Professor Snape considered a more thorough answer, but couldn't see a benefit in revealing that the particular variation of the spell he'd used was of his own devising. He also had no idea what sort of lessons Rivera had planned, and only a few of Hathmore's. He doubted it would be something this complex, anyway.
'No,' he said simply, turning to give the forest more of his attention.
It was also a ploy to resist correcting her on the proper differentiation of "woods" and "forest". There was no point delaying things further, and he doubted she'd retain the information anyway. He knew from Sprout that this particular Ashworth didn't have an affinity for Herbology. Dendrology surely wasn't too far behind.
'Lariwort is particularly dangerous for a student such as yourself,' Snape said, considering her verbal list. 'Perhaps it would be prudent to deal with the Lariwort first? As you have proper supervision, should it prove too challenging.'
He surveyed the area for a moment.
'It would require going further off path, if you wish,' Snape added, indicating to a thicket of bushes and leafier ground. 'The Duskcaps would be much further into the forest.'
He awaited her consideration, as Reena was the one who led this venture; whatever she wished to do, he'd follow. Within reason, of course. The deeper they went, the darker and more dangerous / wild it would get. Snape was fully prepared for that, but there was no sense in being foolhardy. They weren't Gryffindors, after all.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 14, 2022 11:17:06 GMT 10
“Oh, okay,“ she said disappointed. So she had to go about it outside of school if she wanted to learn the spell. Yet she was hopeful that the basis for it could be acquired in higher education, which she wished to pursue.
Hmm
She waged her options as she let her gaze jump from shadow to shadow. She had felt a greater need for Duskcap but if Snape thought it necessary to advise her on the Lariwort, perhaps she should take it.
Moving further off path seemed like something better done sooner, when they were still more alert.
“Lariwort it is,“ she said and with a quick glance towards her teacher for reassurance, she cautiously walked towards the leafier ground and thickets.
Professor Snape nodded, and followed her as Reena ventured further off the path. He wasn't the least bit concerned, as if he'd somehow had the whole forest so perfectly mapped it would be impossible to get lost. That or perhaps he knew more advanced spells that could assist them in a pinch? Either way, his confidence was reassurance that she could explore (mostly) to her heart's content.
The trees were mostly pine, and quite bare in the lower portions. The idea of finding something like Lariwort there seemed almost like a trick -- as if the Ingredients parchment had mislead or misinformed her. But the further they went away from the path, the wilder the forest got. Then there became more bushes, vines from trees, and fallen logs covered in moss or strange fungus. Not Duskcaps yet, unfortunately.
As Reena had to duck under a mossy branch that was in her way, Snape yanked her back by her collar -- and fast movement flashed in front of hers. Some sort of deadly vine, brownish and seemingly two entwined together yet somehow also wasn't. It was confusing, but they were clearly in the right spot. Lariwort. It'd made a move for her throat, which Professor Snape had saved her from.
'Do be mindful of your surroundings,' Snape said, in an exasperated tone. As if it wasn't so dark and all vines looking relatively the same. 'Lariwort are strong, typically only severed by spell or blade. Do you have either of those?'
He suspected she didn't, but he wasn't about to do her task for her. Reena would need to come up with something, or hope perhaps he had a tool to lend her. Either way, the Lariwort was quite active -- almost like a dangling snake. What if Snape hadn't been there? Would she have died right then and there? Would anyone have even found her, deep in the forest?
There was no doubt she'd need to approach this ingredient with extreme caution. Reena had gotten very lucky tonight.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 16, 2022 18:21:39 GMT 10
It was rather scary, walking through the forest at night. Not that it wouldn’t be scary at daytime, this was the Forbidden Forest for a reason after all, but the light of her wand did not reach far enough for her comfort, her imagination filling the blackness beyond its shine with scaly monsters and angry tusks.
It was safe to say that Reena was on edge and she involuntarily sped up, her professor‘s calm the one grounding component that did not make her lose her cool completely. She should not panic right now. Panic at a safe place later.
She went to duck under a mossy branch with purpose as she was yanked back abruptly and a squeal of shock and discomfort escaped her - which was quickly muffled when she realised what Snape had saved her from.
“Thanks,“ she said quietly as she shone her wand light at the Lariwort that so angrily had tried to snuff her out mere moments ago.
Reena could feel her whole body stiffen when Snape explained how to collect this vicious plant, her mind going blank for a moment as she realised just how unprepared she had ventured into a dangerous place.
She liked to think of herself as prepared for anything, but no. The world proved her time and time again that all her confidence was unwarranted, that she simply didn’t know enough and got herself into helpless situations by no one’s fault but her own.
“I - no.“ Reena stared at the vine, feeling angry at it. She hated this plant. Plants were always out to get her for some reason.
And she hated that there was a quiver in her voice, that she had to admit to her favorite teacher that she was just a dumb little girl who couldn’t even take the time to study up on stupid plants like this one.
“Can you teach it to me? Or do you have a blade I could borrow?“
She did not dare look her Head of House in the face. She did not think she could bare to see any hint of disappointment on it. Surely that’s what she was to him right now.
Glaring at the stupid vine she had half a mind to set it on fire or stun it and bite it off.
Professor Snape new she wouldn't know a spell to use on the Lariwort, unless she'd done some off-curriculum reading in her spare time. He suspected she wouldn't have a blade either, though there was always the possibility of that. His Slytherins were the resourceful ones, after all.
The quiver in her voice also wasn't unexpected. Despite what the majority of the students believed of themselves, they were all still children. The 7th years might get a pass, but a 4th year? No, of course she wouldn't be at ease in a place like this. And having just had her life nearly snatched away by a vine hanging from a tree.
Snape shifted his wand to his other hand, using his freed one to reach into the folds of his black robes. He lifted out a blade. It was unlikely to be the one he personally used, as it suited the size of her hands rather than his. It was as sharp as it looked. The handle was dark and had a very firm grip to it, yet it made sense that its created purpose was as a tool not a weapon.
Not a weapon against humans, at least. Not that one couldn't also use it for that, if necessary.
He held it out to Reena. Now provided with the tool to collect the Lariwort, all that was left was for her to carefully approach and seize it -- severing the strong vine like sawing the head off a very rubbery snake. It was tough, and risky, but Snape was alert. He had his wand in his dominant hand again, ready to snatch her back from danger if required.
Snape didn't say a word, as there was no need. He wasn't the reassuring type, apart from homesick first years or bullied Slytherins, but Reena didn't need reassurance right now. She needed determination and a realistic amount of wariness.
'Go on,' he said, indicating to the Lariwort. 'It will pose no further threat once severed.'
Post by Reena Ashworth on Jul 17, 2022 1:03:22 GMT 10
Reena almost appreciated the lack of a comment more than the blade that he gave her. The fact that it suited her hand size better than his made her ears feel hot with embarrassment as this meant he had anticipated her lack of preparedness.
At least one of them had done their homework.
“Thank you, Sir.“
Reena took a deep breath and counted. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. And let it out.
Having calmed down a little she could face the plant with caution rather than anger.
She nodded, when told to go on and put her wand into her pocket, figuring his light would have to suffice - - she wanted both hands for this task but her wand close enough for quick access should there be need of that.
The vine was moving and remembering how it had made an attempt for her throat, she got a hold on it with her left hand before she went to saw at it with the loaned blade in her right. It felt weird in her gloved hand and once she felt it twist its way out of her grasp with surprising ferocity, she quickly jumped out of reach, left hand up and in front of her throat to fend it off if necessary.
Safely out of reach she waited for it to appear calmer before she dove in to finish what she‘d started - the Lariwort going limb in her hand once she had severed it.
Reena one, murder plant zero.
She turned back towards her professor and got her wand back into her hand as she held the blade out for him to take back.
She did not really feel like looking for another Lariwort. Would there be Duskcap nearby? Or had they run out of time now for that and should head back to the castle?
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