"Breathing's.....returning to....normal." It now felt like a mild panic attack than like he was about to die. A good thing to be sure. Ronan was still thankful for the stretcher, though. He was feeling weak, thanks to the whole incident. Plus, his head was aching from its impromptu meeting with the floor. Which lead to wondering why Hogwarts didn't install carpets? Would be much softer to land on (obviously he was also a bit loopy, because stone floors just belonged in a castle.).

“That’s good to hear sugar, how long have you had this allergy darlin’?” Penny asked curiously as she led the stretcher into the hospital wing, and then levitated him onto a bed. “There we are sugar, much comfier then that floor you were on.” She chuckled softly and she moved to clean her hands and then summoned a few potions from the storeroom.

“Now, let me get this head wound taken care of, and I want you to sip on this blood replenishing potion for me okay?” She asked as she handed the potion to him carefully, and slipped a straw into it to make it easier for him to drink.

“Now drink that slowly, and let me know if your stomach starts to feel upset.” She cautioned him as she moved around to his head and started to move her hands through his hair, looking to see what exactly had happened when his head had hit the floor.

Argh, was he going to get in trouble for this?

He'd been searching and searching and endlessly searching the school grounds for the small creatures, hoping to encounter one, and eventually he did find one, except- well, their encounter was the reason he came to the hospital wing, one hand clasping the other - lightly bleeding - one behind his back, and a scratch hidden by his fringe that he wasn't even aware of.

Never mind that the small bowtruckle - the very same that had attacked him - was snuggled comfortably in the pocket of his robe, only a twig or two poking out every once in a while when it scouted the new surroundings. When he'd gotten too close to the tree it guarded in his excitement to have finally spotted one, it had likely believed he'd wanted to harm the tree, so the bowtruckle had attempted to claw his eyes out, though he'd guarded them just in time, and the back of his hand became the victim instead.

... until he'd offered woodlice, and the bowtruckle had immediately become his friend, and a very clingy one, hence the reason it was safely tucked in his pocket. Not because he'd taken it from its tree, but because it clung to him, and he adored the small creature.

But he still needed to treat those nasty scratches. The hospital wing was eerily quiet as he stepped inside, curiously looking around for the healer. "Hello?"

Penny was back in the storeroom as usual fussing over some supplies, she had made a list of what she needed and was going to send it off to St.Mungos, so far the injuries this term had been fairly light, but she wanted to be well prepared in case something drastic happened.

Those hawk drawing were somewhat unsettling.

A voice pulled her from her thoughts and she hurried out to see a small boy there.

“Hello sugar, what can I do for you?” She asked kindly as her eyes took in the slightly rumpled appearance of the child. As well as the slight movement in the pocket of his robes.

Had he been in a fight?

Oh, the way she was scrutinizing him... but coming from their ever so attentive healer, Daehyun wasn't surprised. He only hoped she wouldn't see the gashes on the back of his hand that he held behind his back, still clasped with the other. Surely she had better things to do than treat the scratches of a silly, curious boy, more important matters to attend to.

Right. His reason for being there. "H-hello," he said. "I-I'm sorry to bother you with this, I was just-I was wondering if, hypothetically speaking, someone-err, got attacked by a bowtruckle..." Just hypothetically speaking, he was a naturally curious kid, after all. "What would you use to avoid scarring? Would murtlap essence work?" Juuuust out of curiosity. "Oh, and-they've got no venom, right?" RIGHT? That would just complicate things a bit.

Just then, he shook the fringe that was poking in his eyes, revealing the gash with dried blood just above his eyebrow, which he still wasn't aware of. Oh Merlin, save him. If he ever ventured in the Forbidden Forest to meet acromantulas, he would likely be too excited to notice a colony of them eating him alive. He also failed to notice the small bowtruckle that was attempting to climb out of his pocket and up his robe.

Well well well, someone had been naughty. Penny raised an eyebrow as he spoke about his hypothetical situation, and she stood there, her arms crossed a bit as she kept her blue eyes on the boy.

“Well Hypothetically, you would need to use a healing cream to avoid scarring, while murtlap essence will help heal the abrasion and ease the pain, it won’t prevent scars. ” She said as she watched him shake his fringe out of his eyes..

She caught the scratch there as well as the tiny creature that was climbing out of his pocket.

She gently reached forward and slowly gathered the bowtruckle into her hands and started to make soothing noises to the creature.

“I take it this is what scratched you?” She asked as she looked down at the boy, “And I also take it you aren’t aware that you aren’t supposed to have these in the castle. Bowtruckles belong down in the barns with Professor Wayland. I’m going to call him to come get this, and in the meantime, I want you to sit on that bed over there and let me heal those scratches you seem to have.” Her voice was stern, but kind.

“Come on sugar, onto the bed we go.” She said as she shot a fennec Fox out of her wand and sent it down to Professor Wayland.

Healing cream? Oh, boy, where was he going to find that? He was used to the most basic bandages for small scratches and he had some murtlap essence in his trunk all the time, but this was only a bit more- complicated. Would he find a way to make it himself?

Sigh.

And then, before he knew it, the healer moved closer to grab something and-

... his eyes went impossibly wide as she grabbed the bowtruckle out of his pocket. "I-I didn't-I found this one by the lake, I-I promise I didn't take Berry from the barn, I would never-" Was he having a mini panic attack for unknowingly getting in trouble? Though that part was true, he was very aware they weren't allowed to take creatures out of the barn. "I was going to put him back, but he clung to me-can I, um..." Deep breath. "Can I be the one to take Berry back, please? I will, I promise. I-I was going to, after getting these treated," he said, waving his scratched up hand in the air. And yes, he'd named the bowtruckle Berry, but he didn't realize he was calling the little guy that in the middle of his frantic rambles.

Obediently taking a seat on the bed, he watched the fox she'd conjured, and couldn't help the small "Whoa." Oh, how much he wished he could cast a patronus.

It was lucky that Tristan had been in the castle heading to Kalen's office when he got the patronus from Ms. Penny. He didn't make it up to the castle all that often but things seemed to work out just perfectly when he did.

This call was actually a little upsetting for him. Bowtruckles, though feisty, are very fragile creatures and shouldn't be taken away from their natural habitat when they are born in nature. He quickly ushered into the hospital wing, closing the door behind him.

Ms. Penny hadn't given many details, but he was even more upset to find that it was Daehyun that had taken the Bowtruckle from it's home tree. "Hello, Healer Macmillian," he greeted her with a warm smile before turning a stern eye on the young Gryffindor, "I hear there is a Bowtruckle in the castle. Would you like to explain yourself, Daehyun?" He crossed his arms and continued to look at the young boy with disappointment. Of course, He had just missed the young boys explanation to the healer seconds before.

Daehyun really, truly wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole when professor Wayland arrived. He was beyond mortified by the situation he'd gotten himself into - for not fighting his newest clingy friend off his hand - that he was unable to greet the man. And once he saw the disappointment in professor Wayland's eyes, he couldn't meet his gaze anymore either, so he focused on his lap, where his hands were intertwined and he was nervously picking at his nails.

"I didn't take Berry from the barn," he explained once again, still unknowingly using the name he'd given the bowtruckle. "The last thing I want is for you to forbid me to go there, professor." Oh, Merlin, only the thought of it made his breathing shakier. "I-I know the rules, I would never break them." Then he thought about the baby auguries he and Shera had befriended, and his intention of asking professor Wayland if it were possible to adopt one of them...

He shook that thought out of his head, or else he might break down in tears soon. And that would be beyond embarrassing.

"I was going to take him back at the end of the day, or bring him to you," he muttered, meeting the professor's eyes only for a brief moment, before smiling at the small creature nestled in the healer's hands. "Berry's a loving little fella, I couldn't say no just yet." He would accept whatever punishment, but he wasn't going to regret befriending the kind bowtruckle.

The same kind bowtruckle that had first attacked him, but it was all forgotten already.

Penny tutted a bit at the boy as he explained about the bowtruckle and she put one hand up, the other still had the creature safely in her hand. “Explain to Professor Wayland sugar, I’m just the healer.” She said as she smiled as Tristan made his way into the room.

Ahh, he was a handsome fellow, if she was thirty years younger.. well she’d be thirty years younger wouldn’t she? He did remind her a bit of her late husband. She shook her blonde head as if to shake the memories and the thoughts from her mind and turned back to what she was doing.

“Hello Professor Wayland, here is the little guy he had.” She explained as she handed the small little bowtruckle to Tristan. Once the creature had left her hand, she summoned the healing cream and started to gently fuss about Daehyun, trying to see where the scratches were and what she could do to heal him.

That was her job, and she was good at it.

Tristan gently took the Bowtruckle from Ms. Penny, resting it on his shoulder. "Thank you, Healer Macmillan." He said with a grin. He could tell the little one was very frightened; it was trembling a little. He quickly pulled out his container of dried wood lice and fed the little one which helped it to calm down some. He did all this while listening to Daehyun's explanation.

He knew that the young boy was very interested in creatures, he was almost as informed as Derfael was about them, but that didn't make this situation okay. "Daehyun, just because the little one wasn't in the barn doesn't make it okay for you to take a creature from it's natural habitat. With as small as this one is, it's probably an infant and you could have hurt it. Though it seems as if it got you pretty well." He looked at the young boy's face and sighed.

"Daehyun if you want to become a Magizoologist one day you have to learn that the only reason to take a creature away from it's natural habitat is if it is sick or injured. You should have come to me straight away. These creatures are not allowed in the castle at all because they are vulnerable to the creatures that are allowed into the castle. Cats, for example, even if the Bowtruckle can scratch and poke, a Cats jaw can break them in half." He paused to give the young boy a concerned look, "Healer Macmillan keeps me stocked on healing cream because I get injured often, I could have fixed you right up and we could have taken the Bowtruckle back immediately." He paused with a sigh, feeding the little one a few more wood lice and thinking about his options here.

He pulled the little 'truckle off his shoulder and give it a good look over. It seemed to be in good shape other than being frightened. Though he did notice rather quickly that this in fact was a female. "By the way...Berry is female." He said with a small smirk. He put the little one in the pocket on his shirt. "You also haven't told me how you got her." He wanted to hear the full story before he made his decision.

Daehyun was too distracted to notice healer Macmillan fussing over his scratches, which were completely forgotten, so he blinked in surprise when he did notice her, so he remained quiet and unmoving as she treated his wounds, nervously chewing on his lower lip as he listened to professor Wayland.

... who had a good point.

Actually, many good points.

"I understand, professor," he said, still too scared to meet the man's eyes and see the disappointment in there. "I'm sorry, I never meant for any harm to come to Berry." He would argue that he'd do literally anything to protect the small bowtruckle, even if it meant wrestling a bunch of hungry cats, but he supposed it wasn't the right moment. He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips when professor Wayland pointed out that he'd been the one to get injured instead, because Berry could pretty much take care of himself.

... or herself.

"I'm sorry, what?" Momentarily forgetting all about what they'd been talking about, his eyes widened at the discovery that Berry was actually female. Oh, Merlin... "I was sure-" he shook his head. Never mind that for now, he'd have to apologize to her later... that is, unless professor Wayland forbade him to ever come near any creatures on the school grounds. Which was something he really didn't want to think about.

As for how he'd come across Berry... "I found her guarding a tree by the lake," he said, his eyes fixed back on the cuticles that he was nervously picking at. "I wasn't even going to touch her, but I guess I got too close for her liking and, well-" he lifted his scratched up hand, pursing his lips to keep himself from grinning. "Then I offered her woodlice," but maybe he didn't have to know that Daehyun carried treats of all kinds in his pockets, much like professor Wayland, "and that's when she clung to me and wouldn't let go." And she'd pretty much turned him into her new tree. His eyes moved towards the professor's pocket, already missing the lovable bowtruckle.

"There's no way you would ever let me adopt her now, is there?" It had been his plan all along, though he'd imagined it going more smoothly. It most likely wasn't going to happen now, so he'd just have to work harder and slave away at the barn and do anything to earn the professor's trust again.

Penny knew Tristan had the situation handled, so she didn’t bother to add anything else. She just took his hands and treated the scratches as well as the one on his face.

She worked efficiently and quietly, not letting her movements interupt what was happening.

She stepped back and nodded at her work. The cuts were healing well, and they shouldn’t scar at all.

“Do you have any cuts anywhere else sugar?” She asked during a pause in the conversation, she wanted to make sure she hadn’t missed anything.

Daisy had finally managed to get Skylar to the Hospital Wing due to the fact that the laced cookies had weakened the Slytherin. The Hufflepuff certainly hoped that the Healer was free. She was starting to get a headache from Skylar's incessant laughter.

Skylar felt rather bad that she was heavily leaning on Daisy, considering she was like way bigger than the Hufflepuff, but she was also too busy laughing to care. And fortunately the Hufflepuff seemed to have made it okay; Isa must have been doing good with these Hufflepuffs on her quidditch training regimens that had the sixth year impressed.

"OH MY --... is that..... ooh, marshmallows?" Which totally wasn't, because it was cotton balls, but to the sixth year, who was uncontrollably laughing, it was all starting to look blurry to her. Excessive laughing could do that to you.

Daisy looked momentarily confused at the mention of marshmallows but then her eyes fell on the cotton balls. "No, those are not edible," Daisy told Skylar. She was struggling slightly as she looked around and called out in a not too loud voice, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

....

Was that.. laughing she heard?

Penny rushed out of her office as the sound of uncontrollable laughing hit her ears, right before someone called to see if anyone was there. Her blonde hair was bouncing as she rushed towards the students, running on her tiptoes in order to be quiet, and not let her heels clack on the floor.

“Yes I am here, what’s going on dears?” She said as she looked at the laughing girl with concern. She moved towards her to help shoulder the weight off the young Hufflepuff.

“Come on sugar, let’s get you to a bed and then see what’s up hmm?” She said as she started to help Skylar towards a bed.

...

Buttt... Skylar wasn't really listening to Daisy because uncontrollable laughing over here, so she was kind of in her own little world. WHICH meant , while the younger Hufflepuff was looking around for someone to help them, the sixth year went and plucked one of the little white puffs from its container and popped it her mouth.

Just as the healer showed up. Oops!?

Gulp. Gulp. Okay, Cotton swallowed, which helped subside the laughter for about two seconds before she took in the healer's appearance. And started laughing fit again.

Sugar? Was the woman talking to HER? Ha, did the healer even know her?? ALSO, "Youuurrr... hah.... lips...." She was amusing herself way too much.

Tristan's stern look softened a the young boy's apology. He knew that Daehyun wouldn't cause any creature harm. Maybe that was what upset him the most, that he had high expectations for the young Gryffindor. He needed to remind himself that his student was still very young and it was going to take time and mistakes for him to really understand the right way to treat animals. "I know you didn't mean to hurt Berry. It's okay." He said reassuringly. "But next time you come in contact with a hurt or endangered creature, please come straight to me." He said with a stern smile.

Tristan chuckled at the shock on the young boys face. "She is definitely a girl." He said with a wink. He then listened to the young boy's story on how he came across the little creature. "Firstly, never go near a tree if you see a Bowtruckle on it. They get very defensive. Secondly, that is why she clung to you so much. The females are very clingy to men and you fed her; food will make any creature love you. I have a little friend named Delilah in the barn who just can't get enough of me." He said with a smile, absentmindedly handing another wood lice to the little one in his pocket.

Tristan gave Daehyun a sad smile, "Sorry, but no. She is a wild Bowtruckle and needs to be taken back to her home tree as soon as possible. We don't take creatures from the wild." He gave the boy a pat on the shoulder. "I know it will be difficult to do, but you can't go looking for her again. She is free and needs to be kept that way. There are plenty of creatures in the Nursery barn that need someone to take care of them, though. Maybe we can find you someone there. Okay?" He knew this would be difficult for the young boy to get over, but he would eventually.

He took a deep breath. He knew he needed to give some sort of punishment to Daehyun, but he didn't have the heart to do it. "I am going to let you off this time, but if you ever bring another unauthorized creature into the castle, there will be major consequences, understood?" He said looking directly, and sternly into the young man's eyes.


He turned to Ms. Penny and smiled. "Thank you so much for contacting me. If you meet any other students with creatures they shouldn't have in the castle please let myself or the Headmistress know immediately." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and a wink.

Daisy was just about to tell Healer Macmillan what had been happening when she saw Skylar swallow a cotton ball. She groaned softly and told the Healer. "I was in the Library and saw a plate of cookies in front of Skylar. She began to eat one and she then began to laugh uncontrollably and consume more cookies. Her mind has become more addled with each passing moment."

Daisy retrieved the cookies from her bag and handed them to Healer Macmillan. "These are the culprits. I thought maybe they've been laced with some sort of potion. Oh and she's just swallowed one of your cotton balls."

"I promise," he told professor Wayland, also making a silent promise to himself that he would have to restrain his curiosity and do things by the book. Professor Wayland was right, if he wanted to be a magizoologist, he would have to do things the right way... until he was old enough to get his own place and build a whole sanctuary in there.

Daehyun couldn't help but smile at the man's explanations, and even his friend Delilah, but he soon sobered up and nodded in acceptance. He was curious if Berry would recognize him and not attack him if he did search for her, but he wouldn't, because he knew himself well enough to know that he would find it hard to part ways with her. And as professor Wayland mentioned the barn, he grinned. "Yes, I'd like that."

And... no punishment?

... nothing at all?

Oh Merlin, was he relieved to not have lost the house points he'd worked so hard for, or get himself banned from entering the barn. Blinking in confusion, he met the professor's eyes, nodded and said, "I won't do it again." That was a promise, and he didn't break promises.

As he'd heard Healer Macmillan speak, he shook his head. He'd been too distracted to process what she'd been doing that he hadn't realized she'd already worked her magic on him. "Thank you," he said, watching the scrapes on his hand heal with wide eyes. "Could you-I mean, if you ever have time-could you show me how to make this?" The awesome healing cream that left no scars? "Not that I plan on getting attacked by bowtruckles again!" he added hurriedly with a glance in professor Wayland's direction. "I just-I just have a newfound interest in magical remedies." Which was true.

... but he couldn't help but deny that it would come in handy to have some knowledge in healing, if he ever succeed in becoming a magizoologist. Because he wouldn't be dealing with flobberwoms then.

Penny looked at Skylar as she helped lead her to a bed and sat her down on it, she gave her a quick once over, checking for any side affects for a few of the laughing potions she knew. Thankfully she didn’t see any of them, which was a good sign.

She turned towards the young Hufflepuff and listened carefully as she explained what had happened and even produced the cookies that had made the whole thing happen. How efficient!

“Thank you darling, I appreciate this.” She said as she took the cookies and sniffed them carefully, she then pulled the treat back and looked at it. “There is definitely some sort of laughing potion in this, which one ok not sure. I’ll need to analyze them further to see which one, but I have a few remedies that should help.”

As for the cotton ball, well.. that would just have to pass naturally.

“All right Miss Diggory, let’s see if we can’t calm you down honey.” She said as she Accio’d a potion from the store room and poured a cupful of it in a small blue cup and handed it to Skylar. “Drink up sugar.”



Penny nodded, satisfied with her work on the small Gryffindor every scratch she had seen on him was healed and she waited until he was done to make sure that there were no more injuries that were hiding.

A slight blush came to the woman’s face as Tristan spoke and winked at her and she gave him a grin. “Anytine Professor Wayland, I’m glad everything worked out.” She said with a soft giggle, her hands fluttering around her hair before she turned her attention fully back to Daehyun.

The smile Tristan had brought on, changed a bit into a warm encouraging one as she spoke to the boy.

“I would love to show you how to make this sugar. It’s not too hard, I think after a few sessions of showing you, you’ll catch on, you seem like a bright boy. ” She said as she tapped her chin.

“Maybe a few times a week before dinner? Could you swing that?”

... why was healer Macmillan acting so odd around professor Wayland? He'd noticed the giggles and the hair fluffing and the blush and, confused, his eyes flitted to professor Wayland for a brief moment, before shrugging it off.

His face soon brightened though, as her attention was back on him. Nodding enthusiastically, he said, "Yes, I can do that!" He was probably going to stuff his schedule, but he wasn't going to be one to complain about it. With his new-found love for magical herbs came an interest for magical remedies as well, so having less free time didn't bother him at all. Even though he'd rather be treating sickly creatures than humans, he found that he would actually love to learn from healer Macmillan, and maybe give a hand if needed when he was knowledgeable enough on the matter.

Hopping off the bed, he nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much," he said. It remained unspoken that he was thankful for having his scratches healed and for accepting to teach him how to make that no-scar cream. And he would probably bug her later on with other things, too.

"Oh, you're very welcome," Daisy replied as the Healer grabbed the plate of cookies. She listened carefully to Healer Macmillan's diagnosis of Skylar. "Will she be okay?" Daisy enquired.