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 Thorne Perry on Aug 28, 2023 5:30:46 GMT 10
Thorne had always admired MJ's get-up-and-go. She always seemed to know what she was doing, and did it so cool and collectedly! So today, he thought he'd take a little initiative. Last year, he'd barely known what he wanted to do. This year, it was much more firmly fixed in him mind: he wanted to be good with plants, and he wanted to make toys and other fun things.
Part of that - as much as he didn't want to admit it - had to do with potions and getting better at those too. He'd gone through the list of potions that students could make and, in the end, lit upon one that sounded absolutely delightful.
A beanstalk?
That people could climb?
That seemed a free-time activity worthy of his attention (and, honestly, maybe skill? He definitely wasn't ready to try anything that had to be drank yet)! He neatly copied down the recipe and set out to collect the ingredients he would need to try it.
He already had lariwort, so he checked that off with a nice bold checkmark. That left frogspawn, silkmoss, fluxygrass and two toadstools. He tucked his list in his pocket and waited patiently at the front gate for his partner in at least the first part of all of this.
Thorne didn't have to wait long in the chilly fall air, and soon a smile grew on his face.
Post by Orla Fallwater on Aug 28, 2023 6:06:23 GMT 10
Orla had woken up cold this morning, and much earlier than usual, due to the fact that she'd somehow kicked her blanket off onto the floor during the night. The chill seemed to have settled in her bones, but despite a day by the fire feeling very tempting on a brisk November morning like this, Orla was excited to spend time with Thorne.
She hurried through the school and out under the cloudy sky with her cold hands shoved deep into her pockets. A yawn made her eyes tear up and, as the blurry figure of Thorne came into view, Orla waved and ran the last few metres to him.
"Mornin'," she puffed, her breath fogging briefly in the air before dissapating. "What are we up to today?"
Post by Thorne Perry on Aug 28, 2023 7:02:19 GMT 10
For a moment, Thorne paused - had his friend had tears in her eyes? Surely she wasn't crying about something--? Was it too early? He'd waited until after breakfast! But no, she was at his side quickly, and she didn't seem upset, so Thorne breathed a little sigh of relief for reasons he wasn't...quite sure of himself.
"I want to brew a beanstalk!" he said with a grin, turning to head towards the sloping lawns that surrounded the school. Somehow, he knew Orla would probably find those words intriguing.
...well.
Hopefully she would.
"We need fluxygrass first, though. Which...I know it's not interesting, but it's close!"
Fluxygrass blended well with regular grass, as if to deliberately evade those seeking it -- requiring effort and careful attentiveness to spot. A closer inspection helped with identification, then it could be plucked from the ground.
Post by Orla Fallwater on Aug 30, 2023 6:02:41 GMT 10
Orla had turned follow Thorne but almost immediately did a little leap of surprise and excitement when he told her what he was planning to brew.
“You’re joking!” She exclaimed, striding to stand in front of Thorne. She reached her hands to the sky as she walked confidently backwards down the path, thinking about a great big green beanstalk stretching high above their heads.
“I want to brew a beanstalk too! Are you going to climb yours as well?”
Post by Thorne Perry on Aug 30, 2023 8:56:33 GMT 10
"I would never joke about something like that!" Thorne said - but with a tone in his voice that could only be seen as joking. And he wasn't! He grinned at Orla as she walked in front of him, though he also kept an eye on the path behind her just in case.
"I have all the ingredients listed and everything! And it's all easy to find stuff, mostly..." Except the lariwort. How could they get Orla that? They weren't supposed to go in the Forbidden Forest...
Well. They could cross that bridge when they came to it.
"Of course I'm gonna climb it! What else would you even do with a beansprout?" And like that, they were on the lawn, surrounded by grasses and weeds. Thorne peered at the slightly damp ground beneath their feet.
"I know Fluxygrass looks....a little different from normal grass, but I don't exactly remember how...."
He crouched down, hands fanning through the grass, looking for a difference in the green blades. Was it this one-? No, that one had just been stepped on so it was a little muddy.
Was is this- oh, wait, nope. That one had a little snail on it, leaving a slick, shiny slime trail. Thorne hurriedly let go of that one, wiping his hands on his trousers.
Was it this one? He thought back to the pictures he'd seen, the little spurs sticking out from the grass, and let out a yelp.
"here we go, this is it!" and he tugged two blades from the grass with a satisfying duo of sharp snaps.
Last Edit: Sept 1, 2023 1:55:44 GMT 10 by Thorne Perry
Post by Orla Fallwater on Aug 31, 2023 21:59:37 GMT 10
Orla stood by as Thorne began scanning the thick carpet of grass beneath their feet, pursing her lips in thought.
“You’re probably right about brewing a beanstalk for climbing…I can’t think of any other reason to grow one!”
Perhaps MJ might think of another reason to grow a beanstalk, but Orla could only think of the thrill of pulling herself higher and higher into a bright green tangle of beansprout branches.
She settled into a crouch and hugged her knees as Thorne’s hands flitted to and fro over the ground, pausing here, hovering there before her gave a slight shake of his head and moved on.
Orla watched with a smile; if Thorne asked, she would help him look, but something told Orla to let her friend try first. It would probably be rude to butt in and take over, and she knew MJ would wait patiently with an encouraging smile.
“Awk he’s only wee!” Orla giggled as Thorne wiped his hands. The tiny snail he had almost touched seemed unbothered by the disturbance, and Orla would have been content to watch the slow and steady progress of the snail - but Thorne yelped in triumph.
“Well done Thorne!” Orla clapped her hands and came to look at the fluxygrass, nodding with approval.
Post by Thorne Perry on Sept 2, 2023 0:59:26 GMT 10
Thorne beamed proudly - and then instantly felt silly. All he'd done was find some grass that was slightly different from the other grass. It wasn't that big an accomplishment. But...Orla seemed happy regardless. He carefully tucked the grass away into his kit, wiping his hands off again.
"I know he's only little," Thorne protested, feeling a little silly about the snail too.
"Him being little doesn't mean he's not slimy. He can be slimy there and not on me." But even as he said it, his face broke into a bit of a grin and he waved his list. It was only a little damp from the dew on his hands.
There was a distantly loud roar overhead. Then a huge, winged shadow swept by castle windows and across the grounds; the unmistakable outline of a fully-grown dragon.
Hogwarts itself seemed to come to a stop, as if holding its breath. All eyes turned to the dragon -- taking in the details of its menacing claws, formidable wingspan, and sheer size of the magical creature almost no one got to witness in real life . Even to those who had familiarised themselves with dragon lore and knowledge, the breed of their sudden visitor was quite mysterious. And therefore, extremely rare.
Even to Sagemores, who had had a magical childhood so privileged that they had seen a few dragons before. From an extremely safe distance, of course. Nothing like this -- free flying overhead, and such an unusual breed. It looked quite out of place.
With another roar, the dragon did a low loop of school -- not close enough to touch anything or harm someone, so long as it kept any fiery or icy breath to itself. It seemed wholly uninterested in them, even the students it saw running around the grounds or flashes of spells (from classes or duel training) through the windows.
Thankfully, the dragon steered clear of the Quidditch Pitch area. Though obviously in a bad mood, it seemed rather lost more than anything. There were signs of injury, possibly from tight chains or ropes that were, mercifully, no longer present.
The dragon didn't linger long; keen to keep going, and towards whatever destination it hoped to find.
Post by Thorne Perry on Sept 3, 2023 22:46:59 GMT 10
Thorne froze, hands on his kit, and his eyes travelled upwards at the massive figure that eclipsed sun and clouds alike, catching first Orla, then him in its gargantuan shadow.
"O-o-orla?" Thorne stammered, hand going automatically for his friend's, trembling like a leaf in the wind...
Though after a moment, after that initial surge of shock and confusion, he realized he wasn't scared.
Okay, maybe perhaps he was a little, but he wasn't nearly as terrified as he could be. He was more in awe, struck dumb by the impressive sight.
[ooc: hand grabbing with Orla's permission!]
Last Edit: Sept 3, 2023 23:45:31 GMT 10 by Thorne Perry
Post by Orla Fallwater on Sept 4, 2023 8:31:21 GMT 10
Orla was tempted to tell Thorne about the pet snails they kept at home and how a few of her Aunts were tasked with collecting the slime, but her thoughts were interrupted in a spectacular way.
The wind picked up out of the blue, whipping Orla's hair across her face in a tangled mess. The grass beneath their feet made a whispering hiss sound as it was blown almost flat, and Orla looked in all the wrong directions before following Thorne's wide gaze up into the sky.
Her breath hitched, stuck in her chest between a scream and a yell of delight - the dragon above their heads seemed to swoop around for show, its scales flashing in the sun as Thorne took her hand. She trembled along with him, but it was from sheer awe; the dragon was the most beautiful creature Orla had ever seen, and she felt like she might burst from excitement as it turned away from the castle and back across their spot.
"Th-Thorne!!" Orla squeaked out, her fingers lacing between Thorne's as she followed the dragon's path across the sky. Its shadow passed over them and Orla held her breath and stepped close to Thorne, pointing out the shimmering belly scales of the beast silently as it glided over-head.
"What kind of drag...oh," Orla began then sighed, her eyes suddenly prickling with tears. She'd spotted great red welts around the dragon's neck. "I think it's lost...and hurt..."
The dragon had turned away from them now, flying beyond the lawns and over the main structure of Hogwarts. Orla had unconsciously pulled Thorne's hand to her chest - it felt achey and fluttery with worry, and she held his hand there as the dragon's roar echoed off the ancient Hogwarts stones.
Post by Thorne Perry on Sept 5, 2023 3:54:40 GMT 10
Orla's hand was so warm around his, and Thorne held his breath, even when she pulled it against her. He found himself wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she moved close, heart pounding in his own chest. He could feel it in his throat, a heavy thudding pulse as Orla pointed out his - hers? their? - wounds.
What could hurt a dragon that size so badly and not kill it?
He swallowed hard, hugging his friend close until the dragon soared out of sight, oddly graceful for a beast of their size, wounds or no wounds.
"Do...do you think they're here for...help?" He knew if he was hurt, he would likely want to come here. It felt safe here, like the staff and students could solve any problem, though he knew it wasn't fact. "Maybe...maybe Hagrid can hide them from...whatever hurt them...."
It seemed like the sort of thing Hagrid would do. Help the professors hide a hurt dragon...
He hoped they could help the dragon get better...
He also wished he'd noticed the wounds before Orla had pointed them out. Something about that seemed...wrong. He should have noticed on his own.
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