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.
Cass wasn’t necessarily bothered by the cold, but she was certainly bothered by the damp nature of the dungeons and couldn’t help wondering if some dehumidifiers would help. Well, magical dehumidifiers at any rate, because the ones her mum would use wouldn’t work in a place like this. But there were plenty of plants that could serve that purpose naturally, so that was an option…
She wasn’t sure however how open Professor Snape would be to comments along those lines.
And if he’d accept that they came from a place of curiosity, not judgement!
Though, really, damp wasn’t nice—
Those were the ridiculous sorts of thoughts floating through Cass’s head, as she stopped by the door to Professor Snape’s office. It was open, but… she knocked anyway, despite the voices inside, then slowly poked her head around the door to look in.
Ooh, more first years! "Are we supposed to wait in here then? Or should I wait in the hall?"
Last Edit: Jul 23, 2022 17:51:46 GMT 10 by Lena: Fixed: spacing issue
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Jul 23, 2022 4:49:25 GMT 10
Oscar regretted his decision even as he headed for Professor Snape's office. He had put off getting permission for the student lab all year though and, since spring had arrived, he had finally talked himself into seeing if he could earn it. Grades were important and all that.
That did not mean that he was happy about it however.
Finally he figured that he should just get it over with and so stopped dragging his feet to reach the office. What was the worst that could happen? Snape would say no? He ignored the little voice in his head that said the worst that could happen was Snape turning him into potions ingredients.
...Then again, that would mean no exams, right? Look at him, finding the positive side! That had to be some personal growth.
With that pleasant thought he reached the office, only to pause at the sight of a first year already waiting by the open door that showed more firsties within. Even as he recognised one of them from breakfast, he couldn't help but think that first years seemed to be everywhere that year. They were a bit like spiders, he thought with some amusement, you were never further than ten feet from one of them.
Was it like that the last couple of years? He couldn't recall.
"No Snape?" he asked the younger students, not willing to step in the office since the Professor did not seem to be in there at the moment. He wasn't sure if the first years had permission or what, but he fancied trying to keep his chances of not becoming potion ingredients as high as he could, thank you very much.
Post by Orla Fallwater on Jul 23, 2022 7:45:44 GMT 10
It took a surprising amount of self control to not pick up the books and leaf through the tea-coloured pages, particularly as Orla was now beginning to believe that there was some werewolf-related spookery afoot at the school...or at least near by it. She flexed her fingers and turned towards the shadowed walls which seemed to spill over with jars and boxes, books and...parts of things.
Professor Snape said explicitly not to touch anything, but she could look! The lowest shelf was a foot above her head, so she stood on tip-toe, using the very tips of her finger-tips to hold the warped, slightly-damp wood of the shelf so she could peer closer. Her mind raced with all the possibilities of the items in front of her, simply because shockingly few were recognisable to
"Oh. Er."
Orla's soul left her body and spiralled up into the gloom that gathered above. Her throat made an involuntary squeak of fright, and she turned to see the Hufflepuff from yesterday, the lenses of his glasses glinting in the dim light. She flushed red and tucked her hands behind her back as though she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't be.
"Hello, boy from the tree," she said with a smile, shrugging to the room in general in a manner that suggested she would definitely was not startled. "The Professor is off with other students, but he told me to wait here. Are you here for your potions kit too?"
A knock came and another first year poked her head around the door. Orla found she was becoming the unofficial source for all things Snape.
"Ah, sorry, I genuinely don't know. The Professor just told me to wait inside and - oh, hullo," she said, greeting yet another student. This one was older, with a mop of curls. He too, to no surprise, was looking for Professor Snape.
"He told me to wait in here!" She assured, suddenly worried that she looked like she was raiding the office when the Professor was away. A beat of awkwardness passed.
"Bit cramped in here, isn't it? Ha...ha..."
Last Edit: Jul 23, 2022 7:48:35 GMT 10 by Orla Fallwater
In the office, Orla's inspection of the shelf a foot above her head. Not the lowest, as she'd assumed, but still interesting. There were various bottled things -- some looked almost artful, and others... well gross didn't even cover it. Most her labelled all sorts of things she'd never heard of her ever hoped to use in one of her Potions classes yet, but others were blank and mysterious.
What did catch her eye though, was a little vial of potion tucked between some of the jars. In the shadows of them, so she wouldn't have noticed it if not looking closely. It was small, but the label indicated Cure #231. Not that it told her much of anything, though the contents almost seemed more like blue smoke than liquid.
--
Meanwhile, in the Potions's Classroom, Professor Snape was not the least bit impressed with Saoirse's defiance. He was about to dock points off for her cheek, when she proclaimed she'd wash all of the cauldrons and "enjoy" it. He smirked, content to let her give that a try while knowing it was impossible -- not matter what experience she claimed to have with such tasks.
He pretended not to notice William being particularly selective about his cauldron.
The fact a 1st year could scrub more cauldrons in the same time it took a 4th year to make progress on his own was not great. But Saoirse kept pushing on our of idiotic stubbornness and trying to prove something that wasn't even worth proving, in Snape's opinion.
It was tiring work for both of them. It wasn't clear how long they'd spent scrubbing, but their arms ached and hands were numb.
'Enough,' Snape said, as Saoirse injured the back of her hand -- moreso than the girl seemed to realise. Combined with the substances (even the cleaning ones) in the cauldron, he knew he had to step in.
'Enough,' he said again, firmer. With a wave of his wand, the cauldron she was cleaning vanished. 'Look at your hand, you silly girl. You've made your point. No need to injure yourself out of pure indignation for having to adequately complete a task.'
He let her sit, hopefully lose some steam, while William finished his task.
Professor Snape then carefully inspected the cauldron with a critical eye, yet it was clean (only barely shinng) -- and the second cauldron Saorise cleaned as the only one he checked. Of course, it shone as much as her first one and he found nothing to fault it with. They'd done as he asked, so Snape said they could keep their cauldron as a spare -- to be used in their own time.
'You are permitted to use the Student Laboratory at will,' he said, though gave them a rather stern look. 'Do so responsibility, and clean up after yourselves, or else such privileges shall be rightfully revoked. If I ever catch you there at curfew...' He let his sentence trail off so their imagination could decide how bad things would be for them.
'Vairea, you will head directly to the Hospital Wing and get your hand examined,' he added in a completely non-negotiable tone. 'You will explain for foolishness to Madam Pomfrey. I will be following-up to ensure you've done so. Dismissed.'
Was a part of him impressed by her work, despite the attitude and immaturity behind it? Perhaps. But he would never show it, not when she was meant to be punished not praised. He had nothing else to say though, so Professor Snape returned to his office -- only to be met with several students waiting for him.
Just his rotten luck. Of course he wasn't now afforded a moment of peace.
'Enter,' he told the Hufflepuff, heading into the office to sit down. Snape expected them to immediately explain why they wished to see him. 'Though I don't recall giving either of you permission to wait in my office, apart from Fallwater,' he added with distaste.
At least Oscar had the sense to wait outside. Since he allowed Orla to wait inside the office, at the time when he thought it would only be a Slytherin student doing so, it was a fair assumption for the others to wait there with her -- but right now Snape was so over the existence of 1st years. His mood was clearly not ideal for asking something of him, but they were there now and may as well get it over with.
He shifted aside a decent stack of leather-bound books on one side of his desk. There were titles such as Unbinding Binding Curses, An Intricate Comparison of Werewolves and Wuffsnouts, The Most Advanced Study of Counter-Poisons, Lost and Forgotten Counter-Curses, and An Ancient Guide to Forbidden Magical Practices.
The girl was cleaning much faster than any elf he had ever seen. William remembered that he had to clean his cauldron also. He rubbed it firmly inside and out before washing it with water.
He picked up the dirt-free cauldron to check if there were any spots in it. The girl was still cleaning, even after he told her to stop. When it vanished in thin air, she had to stop at last. After making sure, it was perfect, William showed his work too.
Proffesor Snape permitted both of them to use the laboratory before leaving. A few seconds after he left the room, William moved closer to the little girl. His hands were paining, but when William looked at her hands, it was at another level. He had seen and experienced the worst punishments at home but never at school. So, it was surprising.
The girl was hard-working and good at cleaning. Hard-working and talent were the two things that he respected. Even if what she did during breakfast was foolish, now she had gained his respect.
"Do you need help carrying the cauldron to the hospital wing?" He asked and waited for her reply. If she would accept, he would carry her cauldron on top of his, but until then, he didn't dare to touch it.
Post by Thorne Perry on Jul 25, 2022 10:41:51 GMT 10
It...wasn't quite a scolding, but it was definitely sharp. Shortish. The professor didn't seem to be in a very good mood - and honestly, Thorne suddenly couldn't blame him. Professor Snape's office was, after all, rather fuller than it was probably used to being.
Thorne shuffled his feet for a moment, looking at the vials and jars that lined the walls, and at the books on the desk (the Counter-Curses one looked quite interesting, actually), and at his fellow first years before he finally blurted out-
"I'm sorry, professor. I only wanted to know....I want to get better at potions, and I...wanted to know if I could use the lab! I apologize for barging in." He grimaced a bit, combing a hand through the hair at the nape of his neck. "It was rude and I shouldn't have."
Last Edit: Jul 25, 2022 15:12:25 GMT 10 by Lena: Fixed: format issue
Post by Orla Fallwater on Jul 25, 2022 11:26:51 GMT 10
When the Professor reentered his office to find it full of pupils, Orla felt as though the air in the room had suddenly become very thin. Though she knew it wasn’t her fault, it was still awkward that Snape had told her to wait in the office, yet upon his return had found many people had now come inside.
She pressed her lips together and kept glancing at the bottled smoke, Cure #231. She would note that down later, if only to remember how interesting the blue smoke was whirling around inside a vial.
The boy from the tree was trying to explain his presence and Orla found herself inching closer to him, almost standing between him and Professor Snape. His nervousness made her feel protective, as he clearly meant no harm. Plus, they were there for the same reason!
“I’d also like to ask if I could use the laboratory, Professor. I’d love to get more practice with potion-making and ingredient identification…”
Last Edit: Jul 25, 2022 11:54:15 GMT 10 by Orla Fallwater
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Jul 25, 2022 12:35:53 GMT 10
Oscar silently followed the Professor into his office. He shot a sympathetic look at the first years behind Snape's back as he did so. He doubted any of them found it nice to be spoken about in that tone.
Since the first years had been waiting there before him, he waited for some of them to answer before he opened his own mouth. He was not just hiding behind the younger students, not at all.
Wow did he feel lame when it sounded like the younger years cared more about their grades than him though. There he was, half way through his fourth year at the school, and he was only just getting around to what first years were doing.
"I was hoping to request the same thing, Sir," he added, raising a hand slightly as he showed he was there for the same reason. "Lab access. I thought it might be good to get ahead in studying to go into next year better."
Yes, that was definitely the only reason. No other motives over here at all. He really hoped that Professor Snape would believe that reason from him.
Saoirse was so invested in her work that she almost fell over when he cauldron vanished before her eyes. It had been taking her weight, and she gripped the desk as a result. She looked up at the professor as he scolded rr for her hand injury.
Saoirse.looked at the nick on the back of her hand, and at the broken nail. She'd done worse and certainly felt worse. But then, who knew what horrors were inside the cauldron she'd been cleaning. She sat down heavily, deep in thought.
But she had done it. Snape had given them permission, and she had succeeded. Saoirse hopped out of her chair and smiled. She looked at the Slytherin Boy. She had been so wrapped up in cleaning that she'd barely paid him any mind. Saoirse eyed his cauldron. Certainly clean, but a nice go-over with a cloth would help with the shine.
Saoirse was startled when he offered to walk her to the hospital wing. She looked at him, and at his hands. City boy- no, rich boy hands. He was older, and a Slytherin. Why was he offering help, especially after today's fiasco? She hoped it wasn't a trick.
"Thank you, Professor. I'll go see Madam Pomfrey." Better safe than sorry, she supposed. To the Slytherin boy, she didn't want to be rude but was still cautious. "It's ok, I can carry mine. Thanks though! You can walk with me if you like."
Saoirse took her cauldron in her arms and walked out the door. It was odd not being able to see her feet as she walked, but she took it in stride. She made her way down the hall, wondering what waited for her at the hospital wing.
Thorne had the sense to apologise for his presence in the office while Professor Snape wasn't there, so the youngest Hufflepuff earned himself no further glares. Snape wrote a note to Madam Pomfrey, then set it aside and reluctantly gave the students his full attention.
They all wished for the same thing, and each their explanations were passable. Considering it was almost lunch, and he yearned to banish them from his office, Snape was more than inclined to just get this over with.
Even so, he still scrutinised each student, almost as if he was reading their minds. He drew out the moment, letting them be nervous and unsure, despite him already having decided what came next.
'Very well. I shall grant each of you a chance to prove you're willing to dedicated yourself to the task at hand.' He summoned a scroll to the front of his desk for them to grab, which listed ingredients and their locations around Hogwarts.
Snape turned his interest back to his own task, making it clear he was done with their conversation. If it could even be called that.
'Bring me five ingredients you've collected yourself,' he explained, sorting some papers under candlelight. 'Only then shall I consider your request.'
Post by Orla Fallwater on Jul 26, 2022 7:46:46 GMT 10
The whispering shuffle of papers was their sign to leave. Orla reached forward gingerly and took a scroll, holding it close to her chest before speaking.
"Thank you Professor, I won't let you down."
She felt like she could skip around the room - finally a reason to explore the grounds and identify new flora! It felt very good to know that she had a plan for her free time instead of listlessly wandering.
It was also great that so many others were doing the same...perhaps she could tag along and offer help if it was needed? It was so nice to be useful.
With a great sigh of contentment, Orla beamed at her fellow students and wove her way out of the office and into the corridor, picking up her speed until she was running from sheer excitement.
Snape was already intimidating in a class full of students -- but going to visit him one-on-one? Did he really need access to the student labs? Was it worth it? The closer he got to Snape's office the heavier the feeling in the pit of his stomach got. Luckily as he approached the door it was open a crack and he heard more than one voice. Just knowing he wouldn't have to face him alone this time gave him the boost of courage he needed.
Even though the door was slightly open he knocked on it anyway before peeking his head in and stepping inside. Quite a few other students were already here, were they here for the same thing? Eyebrows raising in surprise, Xavier stepped to the side a bit in case anyone wanted to leave and waited for a break in the conversation so he could speak.
"Professor Snape, I apologize as you seem to already be busy but er-" he gulped slightly and scratched at the back of his head. "I've been very interested in Potions lately, and I think if I had more time to practice outside of class I could improve. Could I have access to the student lab? I'll do whatever you deem necessary!"
He had heard from some other students that getting access wasn't as simple as just asking. Though Xavier was prepared for whatever Snape required of him. He really wanted to get better at potions but there was only so much he could do during class time.
Since the girl denied the offer, he stayed away for her and her cauldron. They walked outside the dungeon towards the hospital wing. All this time, he kept his pace slow enough for the girl.
When they reached the hospital, and the girl entered the room, he went straight because his work was work. Now, Madam Pomfrey could manage the rest. He went straight towards the great hall as it was already lunchtime.
Post by Thorne Perry on Jul 26, 2022 21:40:39 GMT 10
Thorne breathed a sigh of relief when he wasn't scolded, nodding earnestly. Five ingredients! He could do that. That was a concrete, measurable goal. He liked those. He stammered out a "Thank you, sir." before hurriedly exiting the office. He didn't want to cause any more problems for the professor.
Plan in hand, he felt this would all be possible-
And at least maybe his next potion wouldn't emit fumes.
Post by Luckett Langford on Jul 27, 2022 7:36:02 GMT 10
Luckett was free of classes for the day, having just finished lunch and now waiting for dinner. The transition between meals was always hard for the Hufflepuff. Why couldn't they eat and chill in the Great Hall all day? He already knew the answer, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
Yes, there were better ways to spend his free time. For one, he could better prepare for his final exams -- but he hated studying and school in general. He was generally a slacker, always looking for any ways to cut corners or take the easy way out. Most others would blame it on his academic laziness, but dodging work all the time took an awful lot of work too. It was a bloody art, okay?
But even though he had an aptitude for doing the bare minimum, he was able to get things done. It took a bit of motivation on his part, but what was more motivating than a good night's rest? And what more if you'd shared a bant or two with one of your friends before falling asleep?
Lucky wasn't sure how long he'd held Sophia through the night, he only knew that at some point their laughing had stopped, their hold on one another loosened, and their breathing evened out. They'd fallen asleep. His best friend in his arms. It was the sweetest thing he could remember experiencing. And it made him feel strong in a way he hadn't since summer at the Twiggs'.
The thoughts swarmed his head as he descended into the dungeons, galloping down each winding step he took. The warm smile on his face switched to a solemn frown tinged with the nerves that crept up from his chest to his throat. He didn't want to spend his free time bothering Snape, but if he wanted access to the Student Laboratory he had no other choice than to pay him a visit.
He wiped his hands off on his trousers, being both clammy and cold to touch. It was starting to warm up, but he wasn't sure there was such thing as 'warm' in the dreary dungeons of Hogwarts. Amusingly, in an effort to impress the Potions Master, Lucky wore his nicest school robes over a yellow turtleneck and slacks, yet wanted nothing more to tuck his hands back into his pockets.
Instead, he raised his hand and knocked politely on the ajar door to Snape's office. He waited a few beats, then knocked again, before he poked his head in. Snape looked to be already talking to a couple other students, who seemed to be there for similar reasons as him. He didn't want to interrupt, so he tucked himself against the wall and tried not to bump into any potion vials.
Lucky fought the urge to cringe in remembrance of the last time he'd set foot in the office, when Kaspian Kettles took the lead while he simply stood there like a grinning idiot. That wouldn't be him this time. He'd use his words. And, once the others received their own tasks, Lucky dug for his ingredients and took a step forward. 'Got those five ingredients for you, Professor.'
00 | 
22 | 
20
December
