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 Oscar Tinkle on Oct 2, 2022 20:43:18 GMT 10
Oscar had somehow managed to survive the afternoon lesson and, after he had finally made his escape at the end, had taken to walking the castle halls as he plotted how to spend the rest of his day.
He very much wanted to just go back to his dorm to check on Basil, but he knew himself well enough to know that was a sure way for the afternoon to disappear on him with nothing having gotten done. He was not sure that was a good idea, not when he had a note burning a hole in his pocket and a special fruit tucked away in his bag begging to be used.
Oscar may still doubt that the hat had really meant for him to do all that he had, or that he would even be able to figure out anything else, but he knew that he could not keep the ancient fruit for himself. Not when there was a poor creature that it was meant for.
That meant heading back to the mirror room, but to give the fruit to who it had been grown for, he could do that. He just had to find out how to actually get there first. Lucky for him he had yet to lose the handy little clue that he'd run around the castle for.
He absently leaned one shoulder against the wall of the corridor as he reached into his pocket to pull the parchment out. He really hoped that it would once again be readable and tell him where to go.
Last Edit: Oct 2, 2022 21:00:52 GMT 10 by Lena: testing out the new mod button
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 2, 2022 21:05:27 GMT 10
Lucky for him the note felt like being helpful that afternoon, Oscar still had to read it over twice though before the words actually went in.
"Step five.. left," he mumbled, glancing this way and that down the hall. His writing hand twitched as if to remind him which way was which, and then he stepped one, two.. five steps in the opposite direction to it.
Oscar looked over the note one last time, just to double check, and then looked up at the wall.
When he took that fifth step onto the right spot, a section of the wall between pillars turned into the door-sized mirror. Having experienced it before, Oscar knew to press his palm to the surface of the mirror.
Same as last time, there was a brief resistance before he could move through it. Once he'd stepped into the room, the mirror would fade from the outside wall so no one else could stumble upon it.
Despite the change of door location, the large room was exactly as it was before. It was lit by torches and otherwise empty, except the door on the other side. The floor was typical Hogwarts stone, without the appearance of the puzzle -- his progress was retained; he didn't have to solve it again.
The door at the end wasn't locked.
Inside was spacious yet empty and dimly-lit, except for the sleeping beast in the middle of the room. Though he now knew the name of it, the ancient beast was no less intimidating. It resembled a massive, scaly bear with curved tusks and had three eyes. Hopefully, this time his encounter would be more successful.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 2, 2022 21:53:12 GMT 10
The appearance of the mirror was a good reassurance that he was on the right track. How embarrassing it would have been if he had got his left and right mixed up at that moment.
That did mean that he had to actually go through the mirror once more though. He hoped he was not going to have to repeat everything, but there was only one way to find out.
Oscar put the note back into his pocket as he approached the strange doorway, and then, with his bag strap gripped tightly in his left hand, pressed his right one to the mirror and pushed in.
It was a bit like walking through water with the resistance, he thought. Just less wet.
Soon enough he was in the familiar room, though he was relieved to see no puzzle in sight. That was something at least.
Oscar took a calming breath and then walked through the room to the opposite door. He paused long enough to shift the strap of his bag over his head so that it hung across his body - all the better for running away - and then pushed open the door into the next room.
There it was. The very same creature that he had almost been trampled by on his last visit because he had been too busy gazing at it in fascination before his self-preservation instincts had kicked in.
It really was an intimidating sight, yet Oscar found his excitement was still there too. It was a whole creature that he had never even heard about before that year, how could he not find that exciting?
He was not as excited by the thought of disturbing its sleep though. That seemed like a good way to get eaten. What else was he to do though? Go back and try again another time? Knowing his luck the room would never reappear.
Another calming breath and Oscar reached into his bag to pull out the fruit. He thought it was probably best to have the distraction out in the open, rather than shut away uselessly in his bag.
"Hey Gerry," he called out after clearing his throat, the ancient fruit held out in front of him. "Look what I have, buddy."
The Gerodenus sniffed the air, eager for the fruit. It was formidable and intimidating in size alone, never mind the tusks and fortified scales as well, yet there was a politeness about its manner as it studied Oscar for a moment to confirm.
Once given permission to claim it, the beast used its powerful jaws to gently retrieve the ancient fruit from his hand. The beast wandered to the far left of the room -- eating the fruit in one gulp. Its scales shimmered and glowed like pearls, then the Gerodenus returned to its slumber in the shadows.
The floor beneath Oscar's feet rumbled. Across the room, the wall changed and shifted to reveal his next task. There were four mirrors with a Hogwarts house crest above each. A phrase was carved in stone in front of the mirrors where Oscar stood. Its an ancient language, but the letters shift to English:
The hat chose yours, but to enter you must be whole. For each of ours, tell us how to test you. Show us your bravery, your loyalty, your wisdom, and your deepest ambition. Show us your soul, and the window shall become the gateway.
To use one of the mirrors, step close to it -- the frame will change to match its house colour. Be sure to specify which house you've picked. You can only use one mirror / house at a time. This task is co-op modded -- meaning your input is needed as part of the progress, when requested.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 3, 2022 12:18:49 GMT 10
Oscar held still as the Gerodenus studied him, trying to seem as harmless as possible. He did not think that the creature was going to attack, but he was aware that could change at any moment so he had better be cautious. His poor mother would cry if he got himself eaten by an ancient creature in a hidden room. Especially when he was supposed to be safely studying or something like that.
Finally the fruit was gobbled up and the creature wandered off for another nap. And all of Oscar's body parts had remained intact. That seemed like a positive result.
Oscar was shaken out of his staring at the creature by a rumble of the floor, and his head whipped around to stare at what had appeared.
More mirrors. Great. He hoped he would not have to travel through all of them too.
These ones were different though, they each had a house crest above them! His now empty fingers trailed across the badge on his own robes as he looked them over from a nice, safe distance.
A distance that he could not read the writing from. With a resigned sigh, Oscar eventually shuffled closer and read the sign.
He frowned as he read it over a second and then third time. So.. he had to show how he could fit any of the houses? That sounded difficult. He did not feel particularly brave or wise, never mind ambitious. And he was not sure how to show any loyalty that he may possess.
He suddenly had a flashback to his tiny eleven year old self at his sorting, when he was sure that he would not belong anywhere and the hat would just turn him away. He had made plans to go live in the woods during that panic.
As he stared at the mirrors, and the seemingly impossible task before him, Oscar wondered if it was time to dust off that plan once more. He was pretty sure that all the task was going to prove was that the Sorting Hat had been clutching at straws with him, and that he still did not belong in any of them.
He was still going to have to try though, wasn't he? Oscar did not see how he could just give up, not after he had promised himself that he would help however he could with whatever Hogwarts problem was. Even if that meant proving that he really did belong nowhere.
What was one mediocre student's happiness in the face of all that loved and relied on Hogwarts for so much?
Even with that thought, he was still not quite willing to risk his own house's mirror right away. He was not ready for that. Instead he turned to the Ravenclaw mirror. That had been the other house that the Hat had mentioned for him, so it seemed like a reasonable place to start. He still did not feel wise though.
Oscar moved to stand in front of the Ravenclaw mirror anyway, where he watched with bated breath as the frame lit up in the house colours.
"Wisdom," he finally muttered after staring into the mirror for a long moment, as if it would offer him all of the answers that he needed. He rubbed a hand down his face in frustration when he still drew a blank.
"Look, I'm not.. I'm not wise," he admitted to the mirror, hoping that if he could at least get some words out he might find some kind of clue on what he was supposed to do. "I know I'm not the best of students or anything like that. I'm awful at reading things, and my judgement is probably not that great either."
Okay wow, he really hoped this was not going to turn into him spewing his every fault to a row of mirrors as an ancient creature snoozed behind him.
"But I know some things, so that has to count for something.. right?" he asked, looking up at the mirror with slightly begging eyes. His hands both had a white knuckled grip on his bag strap, already feeling stressed by the whole thing and he was only on the first mirror.
"I-.. I know how to care for animals. And my Nanna taught me to grow things," he said slowly. "I don't know everything about it all yet, but I'm learning. I want to still be learning that stuff. And that's kind of what's important?" He tried to sound sure of himself, yet it still came out like he was asking the mirror for reassurance.
It may have seemed counter-productive as he'd said it, but Oscar admitting his shortcomings in the face of having his wisdom tested -- that he was able to perceive his own level or lack of wisdom, not that it was fact... that appeased the Ravenclaw mirror.
Oscar was keen to keep learning, and that said more than he realised. He understood his own limitations, and was able to bear his flaws as a means of progress. In his willingness to do so -- the mirror's glass was no longer reflective, though whatever was behind it was too black to see.
One house was unlocked. Three awaited his approach.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 3, 2022 23:58:19 GMT 10
Oscar watched as the Ravenclaw mirror slowly changed, leaving only a darkness that he spent a moment trying to squint into. What had happened? Had he completed the mirror somehow, or was the change a hint that he was on the wrong track?
Since he could think of nothing else to say to the mirror, Oscar decided to hope that the change meant that the mirror had accepted him and so stepped over to the next. One possibly down, three to go.
His eyes briefly drifted to the Hufflepuff mirror, before he shook himself and focused on the newly coloured mirror that he had chosen as his next challenge. The Gryffindor one.
Gryffindor. Bravery. Maybe he had made a mistake.
"Right.. er.." he sighed and glanced back towards the Gerodenus. How he wished he could be drawing that creature instead of trying to reason out how any of the houses could fit him.
"Bravery. I mean.. I came back, right?"
Surely that had to count for something. The whole mystery had been stepping into the unknown and how was that not scary? Yet there he still was. Fumbling along.
"That's kind of brave, doing something even if it scares you." Or Foolish, but he thought it best not to tell the mirror that. Would it offend the mirror if he equated bravery with foolishness?
As Oscar didn't demonstrate anything or reveal something to be confronted, the mirror was unresponsive. The word bravery on the floor glowed bright for a moment.
However, it appeared that the emphasis was purely because it wanted Oscar to understand that this was how things would go... except for Gryffindor's mirror, which soon proved it would be different than the others.
Oscar's reflection vanished from the mirror, as if he was no longer a part of its purpose. Something else formed in his place. It was as if he looked into a window -- he could see and hear what was on the other side, but not be a part of it. The duplicate chamber was the same as the one he stood in, without the Gerodenus. It began to shift and change, as the form within the mirror took shape...
Co-op modding comes into play here. RP what the reflection turns into and how it acts -- it must be something Oscar fears, similar to a Boggart situation but can be anything. It will behave in a way of trying to get to him or attack him. It must affect him and seem very real.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 6, 2022 23:42:00 GMT 10
Oscar had glanced down just in time to be blinded by the bright glow of the word bravery. By the time he had rubbed at and blinked his eyes back into functioning, he saw that the mirror was changing.
He thought for a moment, somewhat hopefully, that it would be like the Ravenclaw mirror and that the whole task was turning out to be a lot easier than he had first thought it to be.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Instead the mirror showed a room that was very familiar to Oscar. His grandparents living room. Only, instead of the warm and cosy atmosphere that the room normally held, there was something about the whole scene that seemed off.
The fireplace had been blown out, his Nanna's wool basket had been knocked over, and there, behind the old faded couch, stuck out a pair of feet in a familiar set of slippers.
"N-.. Nanna?" he called, wondering if she'd had a fall and how he could help her if that was so.
She had not had a fall.
No, instead the couch was suddenly pushed forward with a loud screech, and out from behind it-
"Ahh!" Oscar could not help but to scream at the sight of the porcelain dolls stood over his Nanna's figure. His Nanna was still, her eyes open behind broken glasses, with a trickle of red down her cheek.
The dolls heads twisted to look at him in one smooth movement at the sound of his scream. Their creepy little glass eyes boring into him.
They were his Nanna's dolls. The curly-haired, lace and silk covered things that he had been terrified of being in the same room as when he was a child. So sure was he that magic would bring them to life one day and they would get him.
As one, they abandoned the body of his dear Nanna and moved towards him.
It was coming true! Magic had got to them somehow and now they were coming for him!
Oscar scrambled away from the mirror as the dolls hobbled closer. How was he supposed to protect his grandparents from magic now?
The dolls continued to hobble closer, hands outstretched in yearning to get to him. To claim Oscar as their next victim. Then one moved ahead of the rest, taking the front and center. It reached the glass and banged against it, causing a ripple of magic in its effort to break free.
Fingers breached at the frame, but the doll wasn't yet able to step through. Not for lack of trying, though. It stared unblinking at Oscar.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 8, 2022 21:10:27 GMT 10
Oscar kept his eyes fixed on the horror in front of him, flinching with each bang the doll made against the mirror. The glass was all that was between him and those things, it had to hold!
Colour leached from his face as he saw the little fingers had breached the frame.
"No, no, no," he moaned, not wanting any of it to be real. He just wanted to go home and hug his family.
He managed to tear his eyes away from the doll long enough to flick them towards his Nanna's body in the background.
His Nanna. His poor, dear Nanna.
How could he be so worried about himself when they had already possibly killed her? What if she was not yet dead but his giving up had doomed her? And what about his Gramps? Would he be next if the dolls got him?
Oscar could not let that happen. He had to stop it! Or, he at least had to keep the dolls occupied long enough for his parents to arrive, they could save the day he was sure.
His hands shaking from fright, Oscar straightened up and forced a glare at the lead doll, trying to seem a lot more brave and ferocious than he felt.
"You won't hurt anyone else," he said, his voice not coming out quite as strong or sure as he would have liked.
He scrambled for his wand from his pocket and then pointed it at the lead doll, the tip not held as steady as he would have liked but it would have to do. Fighting the doll would kind of be like fighting in a duel he thought, electing to ignore that his only proper duel had not ended well for him.
"I can't let you," he said, and with that he fired the first spell that he could think of at the doll.
He was pretty sure that he was about to fail and the doll was going to get him anyway.
The spell hit the unbreakable, magical force of the mirror's glass and rebounded -- but had withered out by the time it hit him in the chest, so it was more of a light shove. Yet the intent and derermination of his attack was enough to halt the figure on the other side.
In the scene behind the glass, the dolls cracked and crumbled into dust. There was a burst of light, and the figures (as well as everything else) vanished. Appeased, the mirror's glass was no longer reflective -- though whatever was behind it was too black to see.
He was halfway done now; two houses were unlocked, with only two more remaining.
Post by Oscar Tinkle on Oct 8, 2022 22:09:11 GMT 10
Oscar fell back as his rebound spell hit him, the light shove enough to throw him off balance while he was already so shaken.
He looked up in time to watch with wide eyes as the dolls crumbled and the scene dissolved.
As the Gryffindor mirror ended the same way as the Ravenclaw one had, he reassurred himself that it had all just been a creation of the mirror. His Nanna was fine at home, probably busy cooking tea for his Gramps. She was fine.
He was going to write home as soon as he could escape the room of mirrors. Just to check in, he wasn't worried.
Oscar wiped at his suspiciously wet cheeks and then, his wand still in hand, stepped in front of his next mirror.
He just wanted the whole thing done with now, having had more than enough of the mirrors, so he finally picked the Hufflepuff one. If he ended up losing his house then so be it, going home no longer seemed like that bad an idea.
"Loyalty..." he sighed. "I don't know, am I?"
He did not feel very loyal right that moment, not when he was so resigned to losing his house and his spot at school. Could he even be called loyal to his family after that when he would be pretty much turning his back on magic? How disappointed the magical side would be.
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