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 Aug 27, 2022 15:21:04 GMT 10
Her plan had worked surprisingly smooth aside from a few dents so far. After class had ended she had rushed to get downstairs in hoped of catching the fifth years coming in from the greenhouses.
And she had arrived just in time to see Amelia Twiggs disappear behind a corner. As she had followed her in some distance, she had almost be discouraged from her plan when she saw that the red head was walking with Kassia Saenz, yet luck was on her side when Twiggs headed alone into a bathroom on the way.
Once Reena was sure the pair was headed to the dungeons, she turned around and more or less sprinted towards the staff room, one hand placed over her nose for any students she passed to see.
Now to the hard part of the plan.
Making sure she was alone, Reena hid behind a curtain on the hallway and unstoppered the blood red potion and gulped it down. She had disturbed some dust moving that curtain and some tears came to her eyes as she fought a sneeze.
Good. She could use some tears.
So far she had banished all flares of her conscience about her plan and focused solely on the execution. She ignored the ball of anxiety and probably guilt rolling around deep, deep in her stomach and held her hand to her nose for real as it started bleeding.
Then, once again making sure there was no one on the hallway, she discarded of the vial and staggered the last two corners towards the staff room.
She could see her hand oozing red by now as she lifted the clean one to knock at the door.
Her heart beat sped up, making her nosebleed even worse as she waited, now beyond the point of no return.
Last Edit: Aug 27, 2022 15:21:34 GMT 10 by Reena Ashworth
The door was opened by Professor Rivera, who squinted at an upside-down book covered in runes. Shaking her head in exasperation, she lowered it -- then gasped at the sight of the bleeding student before her. She tossed the expensive-looking book into the staff room, ignoring an exclaim of alarm.
'What--?' Rivera grasped Reena by her shoulders, serving her towards the wall to get a better look at her under the torchlight. 'What happened? Be honest now. Did someone do this to you?'
Her concerned tone brought Professors Hathmore, who rubbed his arm from having had a book thrown at him all of a sudden, and Archerose. River shot them a look to stay back, as she had a handle on the situation and needed to ensure Reena didn't feel overcrowded.
They didn't question why she'd gone there rather than the Hospital Wing, as perhaps this was closer or she needed somewhere safe. A room full of Professors was about as safe as it got.
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 28, 2022 4:42:01 GMT 10
Reena could barely believe her luck when it was Rivera who opened the door, one of the professors Amara had picked out as a safe bet to get away with the lie she was about to tell. She hadn't been sure Rivera would be here since she had just seen her in class but she supposed it may have taken a while to find out about Twiggs' whereabouts.
And Amara seemed to be proven right by the way the Charms professor reacted upon seeing her bleed. It was almost comical to see her toss that expensive looking book in worry about her, had it not also produce a pang of guilt in Reena.
She also needed to stay convincing, so gladly let herself be swerved towards the wall. It was amazing how well Amara had anticipated the teachers' reactions as Rivera jumped straight to the conclusion that it was done to her.
As she opened her mouth to answer, blood trickled from her lips onto her tongue and she almost gagged at the taste and she quickly repositioned her hand to cover her mouth - which showed off her nosebleed even better.
She nodded in response to the question, trying to compose herself believably, even more so now that she had recognized Hathmore as one of the other professors peeking out of the staff room. She quite vividly remembered his Detector Orb from their first class this year. She had stayed away from it back then and she sure as hell would try to stay away from him right now.
Hopefully her aversion to the taste of her own blood would help sell her story, as she took a moment longer to wipe it away and stop the flow with the back of her hand so she could speak, looking at professor Rivera with pleading eyes.
"Amelia Twiggs punched me in the girl's room," she brought out, then looked away. It dawned on her that feeling shame about the lie might even work in her favor, as it could be interpreted as shame or confusion about having been physically overpowered. There was even a quiver in her voice, side effect of a combination of being grossed out by the nosebleed and feeling queasy about being dishonest
"Said Amara should stay away from her brother, but I don't even know what Amara would want with her brother or what that's got to do with me. I just talk with Amara and sit with her sometimes, so I don't know...", she trailed off as she started to ramble.
The lie came shockingly easy over her lips once she started, having had time to think on it yesterday.
She heard the distinct sound of thunder rumbling in the distance as she switched between looking at Rivera's hands and her face as though the answers would be written between the professor's eyes.
Last Edit: Aug 28, 2022 4:44:24 GMT 10 by Reena Ashworth
'Okay. Thank you for telling us.' Professor Rivera nodded.
It made sense, especially after the scene Tobias Twiggs made against Amara Seabrook that time over breakfast. Did Amelia get payback for it? Rivera frowned, more concerned about Reena. She conjured a cloth as effortlessly as one breathed, and had Reena use that instead of her hand. Rivera glanced at the other Professors.
Professor Hathmore watched Reena carefully, expression unreadable.
'Perhaps we should get Minerva and Severus?' Professor Archerose suggested, given that Amelia and Reena were their students. He was rather cross that a student would hurt another student this way. 'They would be better suited to determined the punishment.'
'Yes, I'm sure Professor Snape would make short work of this,' Rivera said to Reena, which was intended to be reassuring. Though a Gryffindor hurting a Slytherin was going to earn his wrath, no doubt. 'Don't worry, bullying is not tolerated at Hogwarts. I'll leave you in their capable hands. I must be off, sorry.'
She fussed over Reena, not wanting to leave until the student could visit the Hospital Wing but she was being summoned and had to go. She sternly told Hathmore to make sure she got checked out, to which he nodded.
Then Rivera headed along the corridor, and vanished around a corner.
'We can speak with Professors McGonagall and Snape right now,' Archerose told Reena, while Hathmore continued watching her. What was he thinking? 'Just say the word.'
Post by Reena Ashworth on Aug 28, 2022 23:09:21 GMT 10
Nodding, Reena accepted the cloth from professor Rivera and held it to her nose. This was way less disgusting and a lot more efficient than using the back of her hand. Rivera's concern for her was touching and strangely reassuring, if only it wasn't for the fact that it was build on a lie.
But Reena knew she could not dwell on that or risk instant guilt and regret overwhelm her and confess then and there. And then it would be her who got into trouble. A lot more than Amelia probably would anyway.
She caught sight of Hathmore watching her when she looked at Archerose as he spoke up yet managed not to react to him and instead focus on the HoM and Charms professor in turn as they spoke.
Reena managed to keep a straight face throughout their discussion yet was sure some colour must have left her cheeks at the repeated mention of Snape. The plan was not to actually get Amelia Twiggs into trouble, besides she was certain it bordered on impossible to lie her head of house to his face.
It felt like her gut did a small twist when Rivera stopped fussing over her and left but she was relieved it was Archerose who took over for her.
"Mhh-", she shifted her feet as she thought hard on how to get out of this now. She could see this situation get away from her and started to actually get scared as she looked back up at the history professor.
"What if that just makes it worse? There's been so much going on with Gryffindor this year already. What if it escalates further?", she could feel her heart beat pound violently in her chest. She didn't think she had to pin point to any specific event, there were a few to pick from that she was certain the professors were aware of.
"Could you just - see me to the Hospital Wing? Please, professor Archerose. I'm sure we can resolve it ourselves. Yeah...", she mumbled the last part into her cloth as she looked at her feet, not daring to catch Hathmore's eyes.
Professor Archerose wasn't convinced, as it went against every instinct and duty of care to simply let the matter go unpunished. This kind of behaviour was not tolerated at Hogwarts, even while Reena also had a fair point about retaliation.
'If you don't wish to report it, we shall respect that,' Archerose decided, giving Hathmore a glance. 'Your Heads of House must still be informed of the incident, but...'
'No action will be taken at this time,' Professor Hathmore said, cutting in. 'Never mind that for now. You need to get to the Hospital Wing. I'll escort you.'
He gestured for Reena to get moving, not unkindly but maintained a rather professional manner. Hathmore was quite hard to read, but he stayed true to his word and led her the entire way to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey entered the ward from her office just as they walked in.
'Student altercation. Fist versus nose,' Hathmore quickly informed her, at Madam Pomfrey's accusing look.
She sighed, shaking her head at him regardless, and examined Reena's nose. She poked and prodded it a bit, which hurt but not as much as perhaps expected.
'Hmm, no bruising,' Pomfrey said. 'You were exceptionally lucky -- considering the amount of blood you've lost in the process. Hold still while I cast a simple healing charm.' She got out her wand, and tapped Reena's nose with it.
It was cold, then hurt, then nothing -- all in the span of a few seconds. The blood stopped, and her nose felt as good as new again. Pomfrey handed her a damp cloth to wipe up any dried blood or muck from the incident.
Professor Hathmore continued watching Reena, still unreadable. Confirming she was okay, he nodded and turned to leave. He paused, speaking over his shoulder to remind her that -- should she ever change her mind -- to find him or a Head of House if she wished to report it. Madam Pomfrey encouraged it, but respected Reena's decision as one bloody nose was not the worst she'd seen come through those doors on behalf of other students.
'You're free to go,' Pomfrey added. 'If this happens again, you're more than welcome to give me names.'
Post by Reena Ashworth on Sept 12, 2022 2:12:03 GMT 10
There was a pause, or perhaps Reena only perceived it as such, before Archerose responded to her plea. She looked up from her feet when Hathmore cut in, stating that he would escort her to the Hospital Wing.
Her stomach dropped a little at this, as she had wanted to stay clear of him as much as possible, but she knew there was no reason she could give him that wouldn't arouse suspicion as to why she would have preferred Archerose to walk with her.
She simply nodded and hurried to get moving towards the Hospital Wing, while musing over the fact that Snape and McGonnagal would both be informed. Was Archerose doing so right now while Hathmore took her to get her nose bleed fixed? Would word get out before lunch had even begun? She had hoped she'd have more time.
Reena let Pomfrey tend to her, yet involuntarily flinched back when her nose was being poked. She was not surprised at all by the diagnosis, but just nodded in agreement that she had been lucky not to get bruised.
The healing charm felt weird, then uncomfortable - but that was over before she even knew it.
"Thank you," she said as she accepted the damp cloth and cleaned her face with it. It was a huge relief to have the bleeding stop but she was painfully aware of Hathmore's gaze on her. It made her a little uneasy, as though he could see right through her.
Eventhough his words seemed to assure her that she had been believed, she was not sure she could trust them. When Pomfrey added in, she suddenly felt like there was something really heavy sitting on her chest, making it harder for her to breathe.
"I will," she said, happy to leave. "Thank you again!"
After saying good-bye, she walk out at what she felt was a normal pace before she sped up in the hallway until she turned a corner. Once she had, she fell into a slower pace, suddenly uncertain what to do now. It was as though the walls she had built up around her conscience beforehand were crumbling down and she suddenly understood why it felt so hard to breathe before.
She desperately tried to push it away, as she could under no circumstances have it overwhelm her now, knowing that she would have to continue lying about it, yet she fished the Founder's Clue from her pocket, hoping that it would give at least a temporary distraction.
While holding it up to read, she gently blew onto her thumb as she tried to prepare herself to meet Lindsey for lunch and having to tell her about the 'student altercation' that never happened. Hopefully Amara would be there as well. And keep Kassia at bay, as Reena did not want to talk to her before having spoken to Amara.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Sept 28, 2022 20:24:59 GMT 10
The corridors were blurred together, she gripped her bag with one hand, along with her wand and the other hand hung to the wall of the castle. The doorway to the hospital wing was right there, she could see it.
"Madam Pomfrey?!" She called out as she entered the hospital wing and then collapsed to the ground. She struggled to pull herself up, but her body just felt heavy, her arm was burning. Her breathing was labored and she looked up with tears in her eyes.
'Oh, goodness me.' Madam Pomfrey dashed over, wand at the ready.
Everything was a blur. Next thing Lindsey knew, she was waking up on one of the beds. She was lying on the covers, so probably hadn't been there long. Her vision was clear, though all she saw was a potion vial offered to her by Madam Pomfrey.
'Drink up, quickly now,' she said.
The potion was vile and so sour her tongue ached. But it went down warm, and Lindsey found herself feeling much better afterwards. If she checked her arm, she'd see it was already healed though the bite area had left her skin a bit red.
'Good thing I know a Snuffron bite when I see one,' Pomfrey added, making a tsk tsk sound as she monitored Lindsey. 'Did you finish it off or shall I send Professor Hathmore to deal with it?'
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Sept 28, 2022 22:11:19 GMT 10
When she saw Madam Pomfrey head her way, she felt everything blur. It was like a spin and then she was in the bed. How long had it been? She had no idea, but she saw the vial and took it. Lindsey knew better than to wait, with her mother a healer. The vile flavor caused her to make a face and the sourness made her a little sick to her stomach. Even though it was warm, she really was just grateful it made her feel better after a moment.
Checking her arm, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it had already healed, though the skin was a little red.
"Thank ye, Madam Pomfrey," she said as she let her head fall back and little. Her body was still trying to recover the energy from the struggle to the Hospital wing. "No, dinna fash... I finished it before I made my way here... It just... Surprised me, I dinna have time to react before it bit me arm," Lindsey said as she let herself relax into the bed.
Her bag was there by her side, she let her hand rest on it and felt her wand had landed between her and her bag.
'They certainly do that.' Madam Pomfrey nodded, checking Lindsey's pulse. 'Well, you're free to go. Take it slow getting up while the antidote finishes its course, but then you should be fine. Come back if you experience any dizziness and nausea.'
She'd lost count now how many times she'd treated these particular bites over the years, but was always thankful the students made it to her care in time. Snuffron bites were a risky business.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Sept 29, 2022 0:28:46 GMT 10
Lindsey opened her eyes and looked at the healer when she felt her take her wrist to check her pulse. Her mother had done that so many times for herself and others, Lindsey had enjoyed watching her mother work all the time.
"I will, Madam Pomfrey, thank ye," Lindsey said as she sat there for a bit longer. She wasn't in any rush, she had the rest of the morning before lunch. But, while she sat, she opened her bag and looked at the jeweled key.
There had been no vision before... but her mind had been so blurred, it likely wouldn't have mattered. So, she let her fingers trace over it.
As a thought came to mind, she got up and left the Hospital wing... why not try there first?
Last Edit: Sept 30, 2022 0:23:19 GMT 10 by Lindsey Bryce
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