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 MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 12, 2023 15:57:14 GMT 10
MJ waited at the designated meeting spot, just at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and hoped Professor Rivera would show up soon.
Perhaps in this case, her eagerness to get started was her downfall. The night air had a chilly nip to it despite the cloud cover and she was glad she had opted to put on her scarf.
While she waited, MJ double-checked (again) she had everything she needed for tonight -- her Potions Kit, the knife she had recently acquired, her net, several empty jars and her gloves. Yes, this was as prepared as she could be for entering into the Forbidden Forest.
She also had a list of ingredients she wanted to find -- Lariwort, Crimson Vine and Higgus Spores. If they had time to seek out something else, she had some other ingredients she was interested in locating.
MJ rubbed her hands together and blew onto them, a mixture of excited and nervous about what was in store.
At least she would have Professor Rivera along to protect her.
Professor Rivera was dressed in a beautifully blue yet practical attire, as she made her way across the grounds without being guided by the Wand-Lighting Charm as if she'd memorised every step, rock, and landmark along the way to the Forbidden Forest.
It wasn't until she spotted MJ waiting for her that Rivera raised her wand and non-verbally lit it -- and with a rather impressive flourish, signifying her well-trained magical skills. It was unnecessary, for such a simple spell, but done in aim to help the younger student feel at ease that she was with an experienced Professor.
She'd changed in between leaving the Ballroom, then leaving the Castle, though her hairstyle was still a bit fancier. It was tied back, thus she'd left it for being practical as well as stylish.
'All set?' Rivera asked, giving MJ an encouraging smile. 'Let's get moving. You can take the lead, but stay close. I'm by no means an expert at Potion Ingredients, but I know the forest and ingredient list well. What are you seeking first?'
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 14, 2023 17:42:25 GMT 10
The night fell quickly and MJ took out her wand but Professor Rivera had arrived! She lit up the space with her own spell and MJ marvelled at how effortless it had been for her Professor.
And how cool she looked! MJ beamed at her head of house and nodded at her instructions, "Of course. I prepared a list of things I'd like to collect! Lariwort, Crimson Vine and Higgus Spores are top of it."
Without wasting more time, she strode in the direction of the Forest and beyond the treeline. She made sure to stay close to her Professor and within her globe of light, which helped MJ to see where she was going.
She wondered if she was supposed to light her own wand but that would require her giving up one of her hands when collecting ingredients too. Hopefully it wasn't necessary and there wouldn't be any problems.
"Perhaps we should tackle the Lariwort first? I've heard it can be a bit tricky to collect." Which was why she had been so eager to get the knife from Amara. MJ pat it in its special sheath that had been in her Potions Kit and hoped Professor Rivera wouldn't ask too many questions about it.
As much as she didn't like Amara, she wasn't about to go back on her word either.
MJ looked around for any signs of Lariwort, slowing her pace now they were further into the Forest. She looked up and hoped it wouldn't be too hard to distinguish the ingredient she wanted from the other vines and plants growing amongst the trees.
Professor Rivera had noticed the sheathed knife, but wasn't as surprised or as concerned as she perhaps should be considering it was owned by a twelve year old.
Having grown up with with the classmates she'd had -- several of which were also currently Professors at Hogwarts, she'd long since learned not to ask too many questions when it came to things like this. Rivera had no doubt that its purpose was for Potion-Making, so she simply nodded at MJ plan and gestured for her to wander deeper into the forest.
Her wandlight guided them, and Rivera remained alert. The night air nipped at any exposed skin, as winter was surely on the way. It was also considerably darker in the forest at this time of year; they weren't able to see too far into the distance, though the Professor walked confidently as if she could.
Rivera was familiar with Lariwort -- shuddering at a few memories, but she only kept a casual eye out for whichever ingredients MJ sought. This was a task for the student to handle, as the Professors had to keep an eye on their surroundings.
Some bushes rustled off to the far right. An owl hooted somewhat ominously overhead. The wind picked up a little, sweeping dry leaves over their shoes. There was an inherit sense of being watched.
The strong, thick vine of a Lariwort hung from low tree branches. The area around it was rather clear, as if moss itself didn't dare grow too close. It wouldn't hesitate to strangle anyone in reach -- even to death, given a half a chance.
Lariwort won't be easily wrangled. Battling this plant required a second person in case something went wrong, as well as something to cut it away from the tree. It seemed like the sort of plant that would resist magic. A trip to the Hospital Wing afterwards may be necessary.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 20, 2023 3:59:52 GMT 10
MJ took Professsor Rivera's silence as a good omen about the knife and plunged through the forest. She kept her gaze sharp and attentive, ready to pick out the first sign of Lariwort and thankful that her company was providing the light.
She spotted some Lariwort but quickly realised it was too young to gather and moved on, happy that she was in the right sort of area. MJ cast her gaze around the trees and then smiled.
There.
Her footsteps stopped just short of the chosen target and MJ crouched to prepare her Potions Kit and make sure she had everything she needed to collect the Lariwort. With some mild amusement, she did note how the area around the tree was lacking the usual moss or other small fungi that might grow around them. Did this mean Lariwort was top of the food chain?
That just confirmed how dangerous it was going to be.
"Do you think I could use my scarf as a distraction..." She wondered aloud, happy for Professor Rivera to answer or not.
MJ unsheathed her knife first and then wrapped the scarf around her free arm, to cushion whatever the plant would do to her. This was held out in front of her as an offering to the plant and MJ waited to see what would happen.
It didn't take long for the plant to sense their presence and the thick, ropey vine reached out and curled around her arm. MJ let it get a hold and had confidence that Professor Rivera would back her up if need be.
The plant gave a few tugs and to MJ it felt like it was testing her resistance (or maybe to check how big a prize she was?). She dug her heels into the ground and tugged back, which reminded her of the games of tug-of-war they would play in Primary school.
She had always rather liked that game.
It wouldn't benefit her to rush through collecting this ingredient and the vine was strong and vibrant -- just perfect for potions. MJ didn't want to waste this chance. She waited for the vine to go taunt and then slashed at it with her new knife.
While it didn't cut cleaning through the vine the first time, MJ soon had the vine sawed off. The rest of the plant seemed to recoil from the point the vine had been sliced off and MJ backed up quickly with her reward.
Her arm had a dull ache that pulsed through it now the rush of the moment had faded. With careful movements, MJ stored the vine away in her potions kit before she checked over her arm. It was red and tender where the vine had grabbed on and curled around.
The squeeze power of that plant was no joke...
MJ sighed, both pleased and thankful it hadn't gone south. She looked at Professor Rivera, with a slight smile, as she sheathed her knife again, "One down."
She knew her arm was going to bruise up badly and she would need to make a visit to Madam Pomfrey. MJ was too stubborn to go now and hoped Professor Rivera would allow her to continue her venture.
"Crimson Vine next?" MJ suggested, already checking over her list in the wand light and deciding which direction would be best to start off in. Well, if she was wrong and Professor Rivera knew better, she would happily follow her professor.
Keeping an eye on the Forbidden Forest at night, and a 2nd year wrangled a deadly Lariwort plant, was a near-impossible task that Professor Rivera somehow made it look easy. Her wandlight pulsed brighter while MJ worked -- with the rather genius idea of using her scarf as a buffer. She'd nodded her approval, but Rivera's keen gaze focused mainly on the dark depths of the forest.
But there was never a sense of her being distracted. MJ was perfectly safe with her there, and Professor Rivera kept close as the student struggled against the deadly vine. Her knife made quick enough work of it, but of course there was no handling one of those and leaving unscathed.
'Let me see.' Rivera examined MJ's arm. 'We'll get this tended to when we return to the castle. But for now...'
She retrieved a strip of cloth from one of her pockets, then cast a cooling charm on it. Rivera swished her wand, and the enchanted cloth flew over to neatly wrap itself over MJ's injury and secured there. A makeshift bandage with a cooling effect to keep down any swelling. Her skin would still be sore, but the cooling distracted from it and enabled MJ to keep going for a while longer.
'Just be careful not to let it make contact with any potential ingredients,' Rivera added, refocusing her wand back to the forest. 'Since those and magic don't mix, as I'm sure you know. Let me know if you wish me to remove it for a moment while you work, if need be.'
The sudden sound of birds fleeing some trees overhead broke the quiet, reminding them where they were. Shadows grew deeper and the air remained bitey against their skin. Something moved in the distance, but it was impossible to tell what or if it was somehow a trick of the shadows. Rivera keep a serious eye out, and nodded for MJ to keep walking.
They were getting quite deep in the forest now, with trees towering endlessly over them and the ground further covered with decaying leaves or dried ferns.
Stretchy Vines clung to a smooth tree trunk. Any contact only demonstrated how ridiculously sticky they were. Those familiar with Muggle stuff would likely compare them to a Sticky Hand toy, only far more challenging.
Surprisingly durable, there wasn't much concern for breaking them; it seemed impossible, with their flexible, rubbery form. But they had to be kept clean. To be a viable ingredient, it was best to let them cling to skin or clothing in attempt to pull free the best-quality one.
The hassle of storing it somewhere safe was no easy feat, either.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 21, 2023 16:56:05 GMT 10
MJ watched in amazement as Professor Rivera did some complex magic and the cool cloth wrapped around her arm. It didn't take away the pain completely but it definitely felt a lot better, "Wow -- Thank you so much, Professor!"
She marvelled at her arm for a moment but quickly went back to concentrating on the task at hand.
Crimson Vine had sounded tricky when she researched it. The description had reminded her of those Sticky-Hand toys that her Granny and Great-Auntie had quickly banned from their home. Or Cleavers.
She had fond memories of her and Max trying to stick as many of those to each other's school uniforms as possible and getting into trouble for it.
Which was completely fair considering how much of a menace the twins had been with anything sticky. It was just irresistible!
"Hmm..." She considered how to tackle this one while she prepped her Potions Kit once more. She wanted to be ready to store the viable ingredient as quick as possible.
With a regrettable sigh, MJ removed her robe and approached the Crimson Vine. She held up her robe like a Matador, spreading it as wide as possible for the Crimson Vine to cling to.
She had double-checked her the back of her robe was clean enough for the task and had been satisfied by what she saw.
"Here we go--" MJ grinned, and snatched up the Crimson Vine with slow and careful movements. The plant stretched as she pulled it away from the tree. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sensation as it kept stretching like a rubber band.
It was a bit awkward to manoeuvrer while she kept her injured arm (with Professor Rivera's cooling patch on it) away from the Plant. The magic would interfere and ruin the ingredient for her.
MJ focused on carefully stepping backward and wondered how far she would have to go when she felt (and heard) the twang of a snap.
Peeking over her robe she saw it was now the proud owner of a new Crimson Vine. Exactly like the Cleavers! MJ was pleased as she put on one of her gloves to gently pull the Crimson Vine from her robe and place it into a special compartment in her Potions Kit. It seemed to have the right kind of material that the Crimson Vine couldn't cling to.
MJ took a pause when she was done and wiped her brow.
It felt like they had been in the forest for hours now and she knew they wouldn't dally. "All done, Professor. Shall we head for the Higgus Spores next?"
She was feeling a bit tired now but determined to complete her task. MJ wanted to strike off as many ingredients from her list as possible. When she turned towards Professor Rivera, her robe back on and her Potions Kit back in her satchel (which was slung over her shoulder next), she had a tired smile on her face.
This was tough but it was fun too. She felt like she was learning a lot as well.
'Very clever. A true Ravenclaw, I see,' Professor Rivera said proudly, seeing how MJ handled the Crimson Vine.
It was a miracle she got the thing in her Potions Kit without too much trouble, but those gloves tended to work wonders with the right ingredient. Things were going well thus far, though Rivera's expression remained serious yet otherwise unreadable as she kept glancing to certain spots of the distant forest.
At the mention of Higgus Spores, she couldn't help but let a grimace slip out. But this trip was always something one should take full advantage of, and if needs must... well, then they'd have to deal with some Higgus Spores too. At least they should be too tricky to find, and Rivera had a few spells up her sleeve if the state of things got desperate enough afterwards.
By her count, there would probably still be time or space for another ingredient or two. Even after the inevitable unpleasantness one endured by handling anything Higgus-related, they wouldn't have to rush back to the castle right after. Unless it proved too much for MJ, of course.
In an area with fewest trees, there was a strange swamp -- or so it appeared, at first glance. No, rather it was made from the amount of slime produced by several overfilled bulbs growing out of the ground. They were like large rocks, if not for their marbling colours.
The forest floor was thick with slime, so much that no leaves / moss or otherwise remained visible. It was easy to lose a shoe or slip over in the slimy muck, even with the most careful of steps and footing.
There was no denying the challenge ahead -- of digging to the bottom of the stoic bulbs to retrieve their spores. Being covered head to toe in the unpleasant yet odourless slime was inevitable. Gloves would be no help either; the abundance of slime rendered them slick and useless. A long shower was a welcome reward after such a task, assuming one could crawl or wriggle their way back to dry ground afterwards.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 22, 2023 18:49:27 GMT 10
A slight blush came to MJ's cheeks as she was praised by her Head of House. It felt good to have her skills recognised and she was glad that she was doing the right things to collect these ingredients. They were a lot more advanced than she had faced before and took some problem-solving.
As they approached the next location, MJ quickly saw this one was going to be less about problem-solving and more about just getting stuck in.
The goop reminded her of that slime stuff they would use on children's TV shows to dunk people in. What was it called again? Gunge?
Yeah, this looked like a gunge swamp.
Ew, even thinking the words made a shiver of displeasure run down her spine. MJ stopped beside Professor Rivera and decided to prepare before she would venture into that stuff.
She removed her robes and scarf even though there was a chilly nip in the air. The fewer clothes she got ruined by this muck, the better (and her robes would keep her warm and dry on the way back to the Castle, she hoped).
There were neatly piled next to her satchel. She crouched and took out her Potions Kit and paused. Glancing over at the plants she tried to gauge how many jars she could possibly fill...
Maybe two?
She would take two anyway, to be on the safe side. "I've never gathered Higgus Spores before but I get the feeling this is going to be very cold, very sticky and very smelly."
She sniffed.
"I take that back, it might not be smelly after all." MJ chuckled. That was a small victory.
There was nothing else for it but to get stuck in. She debated removing her shoes and then thought about how unpleasant it would be to try and put her socks and shoes back on again afterwards.
With a shake of her head, MJ headed into the 'swamp'.
It was cold. She bit her lip hard to stop herself from letting out a yelp at the sudden drop in temperate. The sensation wasn't unlike walking through water just a bit more resistance. This stuff was definitely coming from the plants ahead of her and MJ was amazed that such a thing could exist.
She couldn't help herself, she had to stop and marvel at the plants.
But her admiration didn't last long as she took a jar from one of her skirt pockets and held it up, "Right, let's see how I do this."
MJ was glad she had left her gloves behind before from the first touch of the bulb (and the slime) she knew that her gloves wouldn't have helped at all. She leaned over and into the first bulb and was glad to notice how sturdy it was.
She had thought earlier that they seemed almost rock like and was glad they were able to hold her weight.
With the jar safely in her hand, MJ reached down in and tried to scoop the spores into her jar. They moved like a piece of eggshell in egg white and it was a frustrating few moments of MJ figuring out she had to go slow in order to get what she wanted.
The jar was pushed through the slime slowly and MJ kicked her legs with excitement (which would be all Professor Rivera could see of her right now) as the first spore went in. Now to keep doing that until she had the jar filled.
It was very slow and messy, MJ ached all over now because of the effort of hanging into the bulb to reach the spores. Her injury from earlier was hurting more and MJ wondered if she would spend the night in the Hospital Wing before Quidditch.
MJ paused, her face paled and she bit her lip with worry. Would Madame Pomfrey prevent her from playing Quidditch because she decided to go on a jolly through the Forbidden Forest tonight.
"Ugh, I hope not... Joe would be so mad at me..." MJ muttered to herself as she worked on filling the first jar.
When that was finally done, she pulled herself out of the bulb and checked that Professor Rivera was still standing nearby and not bored with MJ dangling inside the plant. This was probably a stupid way of finding out if the plant was carnivorous or not.
With a sigh, MJ pushed her slime-slick hair back and was glad she hadn't brought along her hairband that Joe had given to her. She had considered it but it would have been ruined by now! She was literally covered in this slime stuff from head to toe!
MJ turned and waded her way back to her satchel and deposited the first jar.
"I'm going to try and fill a second one, sorry. I think I have the knack of what to do now so hopefully it won't take as long." She told Professor Rivera as she grabbed the second jar. It slipped from her grip and she grabbed it again.
Awesome.
MJ turned and went back to the plant, doing the same as before and dangling herself inside. How was she surprised to be coated in Higgus Slime when she was doing this?
The second jar definitely went faster than the first but it was still a painfully slow experience. MJ could feel the slime coating her in layers as she urged each spore into the jar.
When it was finally full, she pulled herself from the plant and made her way back to Professor Rivera and her satchel. She was so tired now but happy to have two full jars of Higgus spores.
She held up the second jar in victory before she carefully stored it away (there was an attempt to clean her slimy hands off on her slimy skirt so she wouldn't get her Potions Kit slimy but it didn't work so well).
MJ couched and pushed back her slick hair, "I got the top items off my list, is there time to look for one more thing?"
If Professor Rivera said no, that would be fine. MJ had got the things she wanted the most but if there was a chance to get something else while she was here then she would want to take advantage of that.
Yes -- she was tired, cold and she ached all over, but it wasn't every day (or rather, night) she had a chance to collect ingredients in the Forbidden Forest like this.
"If so," She said as she prepared to move on, "I wouldn't mind looking for Spitroot."
'It's quite all right. Take your time,' Professor Rivera said, not the least bit bored nor concerned about the time. Well, aside from them both needing to be rested up for tomorrow's Quidditch Match.
She kept a cautious watch of the shadows, her wandlight pulsing as she held it steady. Her focus was only deterred by MJ's slimy arrival. It was so outrageous that it was amusing. Rivera didn't wish to laugh at her for it, so hid a smile behind her hand and shook her head.
'I think it would be best not to mess magic with all of... this.' She gestured to MJ. 'I think a good shower will do a far better job. It has even nullified the cooling spell.'
The strip of cloth stayed to MJ's arm, keeping it protected from the slime yet the spell itself no longer cooled her skin. But that was okay, as they'd be headed back to the castle soon. And there really wasn't much point cleaning MJ off regardless, once Rivera heard what ingredient they sought next. This was precisely why she preferred to buy her own potion supplies.
Rivera nodded at MJ's request for one final ingredient, as they may as well make the most of the trip. Lest anyone be tempted to try again, without Professor supervision.
Buried in the ground, only the green top of a Spitroot was visible among the blanket of leaves. And that was the easy part. It spits tingling pus at whoever disturbs them, making retrieval a rather unpleasant experience.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 22, 2023 20:00:31 GMT 10
"A good, hot shower and then straight to bed." She agreed with a nod -- had Professor Rivera thought about the same thing as MJ? She had Quidditch tomorrow and she knew her Head of House would be keen for all players to be present if possible.
She followed her teacher to the final ingredient and it took her a moment to spot it. Just green leaves poking out of the ground. MJ stopped and crouched quickly, slinging her satchel off her shoulder to remove her Potion Kit once again.
"I've heard some older students talk about this one... It's not a nice one, is it?" MJ asked but she didn't expect an answer.
How to approach this? There wasn't much to do about being coated in pus... She looked at her scarf. It was her only one she had for the winter months and she knew the House Elves would do a wonderful job cleaning it but she felt bad.
Why add to their workload if she didn't have to.
MJ sighed and approached the Spitroot, tugging on her gloves which felt unpleasant thanks to the slime that had semi-dried on her fingers. Ugh. At least her hands would be protected as she dug around the ingredient. Her logic was doing this would make it easier to remove.
The first bit of pus flew out at her as soon as her hands rested on the soil either side of the Spitroot. She flinched to dodge out of the way but felt something land on her ear anyway. It began to tingle uncomfortable and MJ had to fight the urge to rub and scratch at it.
"Great, you have good aim." MJ grumbled as she started to dig it out. She would do a weird sort of crouching-crab-walk around the Spitroot in the hope that if she kept moving it would be harder for it to hit her with the pus. This only half worked but she was lucky that most of the pus landed on her clothes instead of any exposed skin.
The skin that did get hit however, tingled painfully. MJ gritted her teeth and finally managed to yank the Spitroot out of the ground -- of course, this was done with as much care as she could manage. After all, it would suck to do all that work and ruin a perfectly viable ingredient.
She held it gently in her hands and did her weird crouching-crab-walk back towards her Potions Kit. She saw the compartment labelled Spitroot and stowed the ingredient away.
Once it was safely away MJ let out a soft yelp and started to rub and scratch at the tingling parts of her face, arms and legs, "This is torture!"
But she wasn't upset, not really and more excited she had managed to collect so many cool and useful ingredients. MJ gathered her things and made sure she hadn't left anything before and joined Professor Rivera again.
"Time to get out of here. Thank you so much for accompanying me, Professor." She took out her own wand in case she would need it now and was ready to follow her teacher out of the Forest again.
Of all the ingredients MJ had collected, including the ever-dangerous Lariwort, it was the Spitroot that Professor Rivera paid the most attention to. It wasn't exactly clear why at first, until the fact MJ was still covered in slime proved problematic.
As the slime was more of a byproduct than an ingredient itself, it didn't cause any harm to the viability of the Spitroot -- MJ kept the ingredient relatively safe, but that couldn't be said for the areas where pus touched her skin.
The slime and pus managed to mingle during her task, causing it to bubble a bit and grow. The tingling worsened, as the mixture made some sort of paste-like ooze at the affected spots. Professor Rivera noticed it as well, and agreed that it was time to head back to the castle.
'Of course.' She offered MJ a smile, then raised her wand. 'You did very well tonight.'
Their area seemed to brighten a bit more with the raised wand motion, though beyond their direct line of sight the darkness remained ever deep.
They turned back towards the castle -- not that MJ had any clue as to that being the way to go, but Professor Rivera walked as if she followed a path invisible to the 2nd year. She was never lost or unsure of their surroundings at any point in the trip, but it was most showcased now.
As the long walk proved, they'd gone in quite deep. Owls fled overhead, and something rustled in the distance almost as if it was following them. Professor Rivera remained seriously alert, and kept MJ slightly ahead of her at all times -- always in sight, should something happen.
It grew tense, and a sense of not being alone. Rivera nudged MJ's back suddenly, urging her out of the tree-line and back to the relative safety of the grounds beyond the forest. She winced, pulling her hand back afterwards -- nose crinkled at the presence of slime on her palm.
'I trust you'll head directly to your Common Room, and remain there?' Rivera asked, once they headed into the Entrance Hall and over towards the Grand Staircase. 'Good night, MJ. Do rest up well; big day tomorrow.'
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Oct 22, 2023 20:48:25 GMT 10
MJ didn't need to be told how important it was for them to leave the Forest as soon as possible. Thanks to Professor Rivera's wand light, their journey was easier than it probably would have been otherwise.
She walked quickly but felt something nudge her and knew it was Professor Rivera urging her to go. She quickened her step and broke through the treeline while panting. Not from fear but from rushing.
As Professor Rivera spoke, MJ nodded and had already turned towards the Castle, "Of course Professor. I'll be ready for tomorrow, too."
Quidditch was one of her most favourite activities she had picked up while at Hogwarts and MJ wasn't going to let down her Head of House. MJ hurried towards the Castle and found it easy to ignore the annoying tingling from the pus and the unpleasant feeling of the slime if she thought about the ingredients she had collected.
She took the steps two at a time to get back 'home' faster -- MJ was desperate for a shower now!
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