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 Ezra Ashworth on Jul 18, 2024 22:50:46 GMT 10
Apparently not wanting to go inside yet even with the temptation of researching how to go super fast, Ezra found himself at the Pumpkin Patch instead. But that was okay, his research could wait for a bit longer. Who knew, maybe in the time it took him to get around to it he would have figured out more things to look up to help him crack super speed.
In the meantime, helping out at the Pumpkin Patch wouldn’t hurt him. Maybe he could even make it fun!
Well, if he could find a task there that needed doing anyway.. Hmm..
Waving hello to the scarecrow on guard, Ezra then proceeded to poke around to see if anything needed doing immediately.
Despite the cold and snowy season, the Pumpkin Patch was well protected by some unknown sort of spells. It wasn't the warmest place, but enough that the pumpkins were unhindered. And as Ezra wandered, it became clear what sort of task he faced today.
There were several dull-toned pumpkins -- even down to the browning leaves and stiff stems. The soil was crumbly and parched. A relatively simple task, but quite a lot of water would be needed to fully restore these huge pumpkins.
There was a heavy, self-filling watering can nearby that would do the trick -- though it certainly made the task more of a physical challenge. Otherwise, it was nothing a proficient Water-Making Charm couldn't handle.
Post by Ezra Ashworth on Jul 24, 2024 23:27:39 GMT 10
Ezra’s face brightened when the scarecrow waved back. It was alive! How exciting!
How were they alive though? Was it from a spell? The magic of Hogwarts? Or were they secretly a magical creature?
Ezra was buzzing with questions, unfortunately he had a task to do, one that looked quite desperate once he noticed it. The poor pumpkins needed water!
Determined not to let the pumpkins die on his watch - how would he explain that to Mr Hagrid or the scarecrow? - Ezra grabbed the watering can. He was about to try to figure out where to fill it, when the can filled itself.
Letting out a cheer at the wonders of magic, he began to drag the can over to the nearest dull looking pumpkin. Oh boy was the can heavy though! This was going to take a lot of work!
Ezra grunted from the hard work as he lifted the can to pour water over his first pumpkin, his arms wrapped around the can in what was pretty much a hug. That watering can was definitely a two arm job! “Your pumpkins sure are thirsty, Mr Scarecrow!” He said once he had given that first one plenty of water and had set the can back down for a rest.
“Oh!” he squinted back at the scarecrow. “Are you a Mr Scarecrow? Miss Scarecrow? …King Scarecrow? Or do you have another name?”
Wondering if he was going to get an answer - how alive was the scarecrow? - Ezra decided to carry on with his task as he waited to see. With that he hefted the watering can into his arms once more to water some more pumpkins.
He was amazed by how much water he managed to pour out from the can! The pumpkins took a lot of water each and somehow there was still enough water to keep going. He wondered just how far the self-filling of the can would go.
Heavy as it was for the 2nd year, the Watering Can was doing a good job of revitalising the soil and pumpkins. Perhaps a bit too well, as he was soon faced with several emerging slugs and snails that needed to be removed before they could harm to the renewed pumpkins.
They were slimy and sticky. Thankfully, there was a compost area nearby, which was usually the perfect place to toss weeds or debris but it would surely get rid of any pests as well. How that worked... well, it was probably best not to think about it.
Post by Ezra Ashworth on Jul 26, 2024 8:26:44 GMT 10
Had he mentioned the watering can was heavy? Because it was, and he was super tired from lifting and pouring it.
Tired enough that after watering the latest struggling pumpkin, Ezra put the can back down and then flopped back on the ground for a rest. He’d earned a break, right? Well, if he had or not, he was taking one! He didn’t think he could lift that can a single inch more without his arms becoming jelly.
Blowing out a breath in an attempt to dislodge the hair clinging to his forehead, Ezra decided that he definitely did not want jelly arms. No thank you. He was going to go on strike before he let that happen!
Not that he really understood what that meant. He’d just heard an older student threatening to do it from classes last year, after the whole desserts go bye thing. Ezra hadn’t really understood why someone wouldn’t want to go to class then, and he still didn’t now, but it sounded cool.
So strike it was!
Strike, he decided, definitely involved more sweets though. That student had threatened it over dessert, so surely it requiring sweets would make sense.
That was his logic for pulling out a packet of Minty Bats from his bag anyway.
“You don’t have a name? Or you can’t tell me?” he asked the Scarecrow, finally turning his attention back to the figure after he had slowly chewed his way through his first bat.
He eyed the Scarecrow from where he lay sprawled out on his back, uncaring of the mud that was getting on his robe.
“I’m gonna call you Lord Scare then,” he decided, plopping another minty bat in his mouth. “Because you’re the lord of the pumpkin patch! And, well, a scarecrow.”
Happy with that decision, and hoping that Lord Scarecrow did know that it was a Scarecrow, Ezra popped his last sweet in his mouth and quickly chewed it.
He was a bit bored. Maybe it was time to end his strike?
Ezra’s eyes narrowed as he spotted something crawling along the closest pumpkin to him. Was that a slug?
Oh no! Definitely time to end his strike!
He quickly jumped to his feet and reached for the slug. He couldn’t let it destroy Lord Scare’s pumpkins! It was so slimy though, it was hard to peel it away from the pumpkin.
“Ugh,” he muttered as he finally had the creature cupped in his hands, his nose wrinkling at the sticky feeling it was leaving him with. He hoped that Lord Scare appreciated this!
What exactly was he supposed to do with the slug though? If he put it back down then surely it would just go straight back to the pumpkins, and he couldn’t have that.
There was the compost area nearby.. Maybe he could put it there and the slug could make itself a new home there and then it would never bother the pumpkins again. That would be perfect.
Happy with his new plan, Ezra moved over to the compost area and dumped the slug on top. He hoped it would like its new home.
Believing that was his job over, he turned back to the pumpkins to admire his hard work. Only to spy more slugs dotted around the pumpkins, and was that a snail? It looked like he had more work to do!
At least the first slug would have some friends to share its new home with.
Eager to give the slug its roommates, and prevent them all from destroying the pumpkins, Ezra pushed his sleeves up and got to work on moving them all over one by one, running this way and that as he spotted more of the little pests.
He had to move them all! Even if each one somehow left his hands feeling stickier and stickier. He was just glad he had finished the whole packet of sweets before he started on this job. He was not sure eating them with slug slimy hands would have been a good idea.
Eventually his running slowed down as the slugs became harder to spot, until he was stood in one spot once more, frowning around at the pumpkins as he tried to wipe his hands off on his robes.
The space where Ezra worked now thoroughly watered and pest-free, it looked rather picturesque. His efforts paid off already, with the pumpkins being a healthy shade of orange -- their leaves now green and lush, and the soil rich.
As a bonus, there was a ripe pumpkin a little to the back. It took a bit of careful navigating to reach, and its vines were a bit stubborn but nothing a good tug or two couldn't rectify. It was perfectly ripe, and ready to be used or eaten.
Post by Ezra Ashworth on Jul 28, 2024 1:12:11 GMT 10
Ezra looked to see if there were more slugs hiding around the pumpkins, but he couldn’t find any. Instead all he could see were pretty shades of orange and green as the pumpkins had come back to life with his care.
Admiring the new scenery, he couldn’t help but be proud of the work he’d put in. It had been hard, and somewhat messy, but so worth it.
“Your pumpkins look better now, Lord Scare.” he told the Scarecrow, turning to give a thumbs up to the figure.
So good, in fact, that he could spot a perfectly ripe one a little to the back. Lord Scare wouldn’t mind if he took that one, right? The pumpkins should be put to use, and that one did look perfect already.
Ezra looked between the Scarecrow and the pumpkin for a moment before he shrugged and worked his way through the patch to reach it. He was going to claim it!
Well, if he could get there without damaging any of the other pumpkins around first. If he damaged the other pumpkins he would have felt too bad to claim one for himself.
Thankfully he managed to get through without stepping or falling onto anything. What a relief!
Now he just had to figure out how to release it from the vines..
Ezra considered the pumpkin and the vine that held it in place. The vines looked like they were tough ones, but maybe.. He gave the vines a tug to test them, before nodding to himself. Brute force it was.
That decided, he got himself into position, gripped the vine with both hands, and gave a big tug.
One, two- the vine popped free! And he had only nearly fallen over when it happened too.
Pleased that had worked, Ezra quickly got to work on clearing the rest of the vines until he could finally roll his pumpkin free. Because it was definitely his pumpkin now, there was no way he was leaving it behind!
Was he done at the Pumpkin Patch? Looking around the area, it looked like he was. On to his next adventure it was then!
With his new pumpkin safely tucked away in his backpack with his potions kit, Ezra worked his way back out from the patch.
“Bye, Lord Scare!” he waved as he walked away. He wondered where he would end up next. [exit]
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