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Herbology Lesson 2: Planting Hope Despite the gorgeous day outside, everything feels bleak and June Flamsteed is trying but barely able to fake a smile as she waits for you outside Greenhouse One. |
Kale Trent was learning to live for the reprieve of outdoor lessons. The fifth year appreciated flowers more than ever and he would’ve given anything to steal a few to make some flower crowns for the kids in the Room. Just to lighten their spirits. But he didn’t thank Flamstead for bringing them to such a beautiful place. He didn’t even acknowledge her as he sat on one of the stools. Professors were worthless and spineless and Kale Trent, who it took a lot to catch his ire, loathed the lot of them. Save Schmoe. He knew what that man had done for them. Even if he failed. So silently, Kale waited for the lesson to start. |
Fresh air and flowers were almost enough to earn a genuine smile from the fifth year, truly, and she'd been putting in quite the effort to be positive lately despite everything going on. Mostly this was for the benefit of the younger kids, Sammy included. The way WWW had made her feel in the room after only one comment had been enough to convince her that how she acted and spoke mattered, especially when it came to anyone that looked up to her. "Hello Professor," She greeted politely. "The flowers are really beautiful." Cappi would love them, she was sure. Finding a stool by Kale, Cece gave him a little nudge and then waited for class to begin. |
Mamie did not dislike Herbology as much this term as she previously had. Perhaps...the rarity of outdoor time helped with that. Still, she felt pretty apathetic (not towards Herbology, just in general) as she made her way down to the greenhouses and found Professor Flamsteed waiting for them outside. "Hello, professor," she said with a small smile. At least she wasn't late, thanks to their escort. And...would probably never be late again. But also would never have to be awkwardly the first one there, since the Room children all arrived together. She sat on one of the stools near the middle of the area, and waited quietly for class to begin. |
The flowers were so pretty. That was Claudine's first thought when she arrived at the Greenhouse along with her Roomies and idiotic chaperones. It would make for the perfect sketch later on when she had free time. Merlin knew there was more of that now for her. "Hi, Professor." The fifth year nodded to the woman then moved in to find a seat. For this lesson, she opted for a stool at the very back. Just like the old times when there had been no imprisonment written in her stars. Claudine clutched her book bag which was resting on her lap. What would today's lesson be about? |
Catherine felt she was in a constant state of stifling her terror. She'd been staring at the floor a lot more often than she did, and the fact she didn't know what was going on with some of her people made her feel awful. It didn't help most of her people were Gryffindors and she was also in a constant state of fearing for their lives. Only theirs, because she knew better to keep herself safe by being quiet and compliant. The Ravenclaw looked at the colourful flowers behind professor Flamsteed and blinked. They were nice, but she couldn't bring herself to acknowledge them in any way. The older witch did not get a nod for a greeting either, as Catherine's thoughts were nowhere near the Greenhouses that day. |
Violet was having trouble feeling interest in her classes lately, or in anything else, for that matter. It was easier if you just shoved your feelings down and tried to pretend they weren't there, and after a while, you stopped having them at all. It was always a bit of a relief to have outdoor classes, especially when it was warm--even in the spring, the Room felt cold and damp and some days Violet thought she never would get warm. The flowers were nice, too, she supposed. Anyhow, it was nice of Professor Flamsteed to have planted them. "Hi, Professor," she managed to say as she walked past and sat on a convenient stool without thinking about it. |
The flowers were absolutely ah ah AHHHHHHHH...... beautiful. He winced at the tension built up in his temple when he didn’t sneeze near the flowers. It had been a while since he had seen flowers and the seventh year had wanted to get as close as possible to admire their beauty. What he had forgotten about- however- was the fact that he was allergic to pollen. He hadn’t actually forgotten about his allergy. Mind over matter. Mind over matter..... he was not allergic to flowers. Not allergic at all. It was ALLLLL mind over matter. His eye twitched. Mind over matter, yes? He felt a tickle in his nose and his eyes suddenly became watery. Clearing his throat, he walked towards the stools as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Ah..... slight brief relief. “Good Afternoon Professor,” he said as he took a seat on a stool near Mamie. |
Those flowers were like JOY and LIGHT and NEW BEGINNINGS, and Phoebe felt totally empty inside about them. She registered that they were beautiful, but she couldn't find a way to feel any certain way about them. Her eyes flickered over the professor and the flowers and her classmates, but Phoebe kept her head down as she picked a stool. "Good day to you, Professor." She struggled for something else to say, but being witty got her in trouble and being flip got her in trouble and every single polite comment she tried died on the tip of her tongue. They tasted insincere. So good day was good enough. |
Fresh air felt nice. It was one of the few things that helped Lilith breathe a little easier. She still had the luxury of living in her common room, but it came with a huge wight of guilt. Lilith often repeated to herself that there was nothing she could do. The hoods were stronger and more experienced than she was. All she could do is stay low and make sure she didn't shift any attention on her. Coward. Spotting the flowers by the professor had zero effect on Lilith. She was tired and ther was no way she'd pretend everything was okay. Her resentment towards the professors grew and grew every day. With every lesson and their inability to keep them, the students, safe. Cold pale blue eyes greeted the professor. Full of resentment. With the same question they always asked every single day. Why aren't you doing anything? Tearing her gaze from the woman, Lilith made her way to one of the stools, away from the recent arrivals. |
The fresh air was wonderful. Louise took a deep breath of the outside air as she, along with the other students that had been trapped in The Room, was escorted to the lesson. Though Louise was happier than she had been in ages, merely because she was outside, it was hard to tell. The dark circles under her eyes had grown darker, her shoulders slumped, and even her freckles seemed to be less prominent these days. The Room was really getting to her. She didn't greet the professor as she found a stool - she was too tired to. Plus, it seemed like all the professors who weren't locked up these days were working with Rosier, and if that was the case then she didn't want to say hello to them anyway. |
At first, Nem couldn't work out if they preferred the idea of a lesson outside of the greenhouse today as opposed to inside it, but quickly came to the conclusion that, actually, it didn't matter to them at all. They simply did not care. Plants were plants. Herbology was Herbology. The only variable that really mattered was the weather; it was a decent enough day, but Nem still felt the chill, although the situation might have been much the same if they were sitting inside Greenhouse One instead. "Professor," Nem greeted Flamsteed as they joined the group, picking a stool that was set slightly further back and so gave them a good view of everyone present. They took a seat, folded one leg up so their ankle rested on the other knee, propped their head in their hand, and waited. For class to start. And then to end. Obviously. |
Fiona did like outdoor lessons and when the weather was perfect, they were even better. She quickly made her way to Greenhouse One and greeted Professor Flamsteed with a smile and a "Hello, Professor," before she found a seat that was somewhat near Nem. |
Herbology. Dahlia's second favorite class and only that due to her slightly stronger passion for creatures. Two things she missed dearly now that most of her time was spent in The Room. Things she had taken for granted when she had been able to come and go as she pleased. She still did her very best to drop by the barn and the greenhouses during her two daily walks but with her time being so limited it wasn't always easy, not to mention the way they were all constantly being watched. Her young mind was always on overdrive now. Just being ushered from The Room to outside where the lesson was being held strike fear within her. Having any of the Hooded Minions near her caused her to flinch. Silence had become safety and that wasn't the Dahlia way... well not formerly. The entire walk her head was kept low so the scent of fresh flowers was smelled long before they were seen. When she did see them, all the colors, the tiniest smile tried to form on her lips. "Hello, Professor Flamsteed," Lia managed in a small voice. She choose a stool as close to the flowers as she dared to get and sat down, her bag on the ground at her feet. |
Did Auntie June know that she was LITERALLY the only reliable role model one Atlas Leonel Flamsteed had left? Because she was. It had been so long since Professor Williamson had been tossed into the room and hope squished a bit...and then with the Potions Mistress being tossed into it next that hope was squished even more and the pressure excruciating. And NO, he did not want to hear about how extreme pressure is what created diamonds or that it could also create to copious amounts of thrust. He didn't want to hear it. He wanted to wallow and feel the weight of despair that had overtaken Hogwarts, thank you very much. And now his nightmares included the presence of not only green flashes of light but also black smoke. Today...that weight was beyond soul crushing...and he couldn't even bring himself to look at Nemesis Upstead let alone move anywhere in their general vicinity. Instead, today, he opted to move silently over to where Dahlia was and plopped himself on the stool beside her. The flowers hardly received nary a glance from the Gryffindor, but A big ol' kicked and sad puppy kind of look. A pleading look. A look that conveyed a VERY REAL NEED for her to NOT do anything to warrant herself being tossed into that room and out of his reach. Please? "...hello...professor..." |
Hi Nem Know where she was sitting today? RIGHT NEXT TO NEMESIS UPSTEAD. Why? It was very simple. Nem didn't disappear from class, they made everyone else disappear. Or rather...they didn't make people disappear, it was the kids who decided they still wanted to be heroes. Godric Gryffindor could take his sword and go shove it into the ground somewhere far away from her. Emmerson wanted to LIVE and Nem was doing the best job of that so far. They even had a nice little badge to prove it. Not even the prefects had badges anymore. Nem must have been doing a bunch of things right. "Hello, Professor. I'd like to say the flowers look nice but," The 12-year-old paused then turned to her new Herbology buddy in green. "Are...are pretty flowers still allowed?" She whispered loudly, not wanting to go compliment rule breaking. Good girl, this one. Live girl, this one. |
SPOILER!!: greetings It was almost time. And then came in Miss Cambridge. It was almost heart warming to see the girl's spirit still intact - if not entirely the way it had been a few months ago. Her question was on brand with her personality too, a thing she had expected, though hoped wouldn't come up - because she sat next to one Nemesis Upstead - which only made the brunette scared for the young girl. "Pretty or not, these are plants and plants are allowed," she simply said before moving to the front and so to have everyone in view. "Alright. Let us begin" June started, before gesturing toward the plants she had spend months on now. "I want you all to look at these plants closely and tell me if you recognise any" It really was that simple. "And if you do - I want you to tell me what do you know about them" SPOILER!!: the flowers OOC: First question is up, you guys! I'll continue in the next 12/16 hours hopefully. Also, for timeline purposes, this class is set after the potions class. |
Fiona thoughtfully gazed at the array of flowers to see if she could recognise any of them. Sure enough, her eyes fell upon one so she raised her hand. "I recognise one of the flowers as being the iris. The iris is a perennial flower that can bloom from bulbs when in a more parched climate." |
"I know that one there!" Emm said. It was important to get in her answer before the actual herbology scholars started pouring in with information she still didn't understand how they could possibly know. Was it in a textbook? Was there a textbook? Know what, there was a textbook. One day, when the boredom grew exceptionally mind numbing, she may try to read it. "It's a yellow flower. Commonly found with other yellow flowers--in fields, the fields where you wear a flow-y dress and skip through while someone off in the distance has a camera and they move it into slow motion after and there's ...there's a gentle breeze and your hair is whipping around--it doesn't really work with blonde hair. Too much yellow. You gotta have darker hair for the contrast otherwise I'd look amazing doing it--you'd probably be fine, but you'd need to be holding a little kid's hand while you skip for the right imagine.....although I guess that depends more on the sort of aesthetic~ you're going for, huh?" Wait, what was the question again? Oh! Right. "But yeah, that's a yellow flower. Sure as day." She was very good at this. |
Been here all along! *started this before we moved on & didn't want to scrap it all* Heath had trudged down the path to the greenhouse along with the other students from The Room, keeping his head down in an effort to block out his surroundings. Inside lessons or outside, it didn’t matter to him. His dark eyes momentarily flicked toward the flowers. He’d give Professor Flamsteed credit for trying, but they did nothing to boost his morale. Only one thing could do that, getting out of The Room for good, but with each day that passed, that hope slipped farther and farther out of his grasp. Too dejected to actually say anything, he acknowledged the professor with a nod and took a seat next Claudine before the lesson began. Heath looked up, forcing his eyes to the front as Professor Flamsteed started speaking. It was hard to care about anything or even pretend to care anymore. Most of her words just went in one ear and out the other, but he got the gist of the question. Best get answering it out of the way now before the other students beat him to all the obvious ones. Just surviving day to day took so much out of him that he had no energy left to think outside the box! “Hyacinths,” he said after raising his hand, gesturing toward the pink, white, and purple flowers. “Their flowers grow in clusters around a stalk.” There, participation. |
Sure, Morgan knew several of those flowers. He was actually pretty good in Herbology - when he wanted to be or had the focus - as it was a favorite of much of his family. But his heart really wasn't in it today. He propped his chin in his hand as he leaned his elbow on his table and stared at the flowers. "That pinkish purple one is a Chrysanthemum," he blurted out suddenly when there was a lull in the answers. "A lot of people call them mums. And my mum likes them." He suddenly missed her. "They also bloom mostly in the autumn," he added. But that's all he felt like saying. |
Yes, little James was on her way. Not that she had much of a choice. She liked Professor Flamsteed plenty, but participating in class was hard. It was hard when your professor singled you out for being something you weren't trying to be. It was harder still when you knew they were always watching. When they knocked out your sister's teeth. When they turned the subject into something foul. When they killed someone right in front of you. When a friend was vanished. But Kinsay could tell it was hard for Professor Flamsteed too. So, yes, little James was here, depending on your definition. She was present. She was sat on one of the stools. She was trying. Not because she wanted to or because she had the energy, but because if she didn't try she might be vanished too. That's the last thing she wanted, to be taken away from her family. So as Professor Flamsteed gestured over to the colorful array of plants, Kinsay looked with eyes glazed over. Nothing was registering. Lifelessly, she raised her hand in hopes that she would think of something to say by the time it reached her turn to speak. Luckily she had caught some of Heath's answer. "The clusters are nice. It's like they're a family." She lowered her hand slowly. That's all she had. No real answers. No off topic questions. |
Claudine thought that the professors ought to stop pretending as though everything was okay, to be honest. A lot of them saw through the façade the adults put up, this fifth year included. With a couple of her friends missing from the lessons due to what occurred in the recent Potions lesson, she was glad that Heath sat with her. The anger she had been feeling since being locked in the Room was quickly evaporating and it was leaving her drained. Really, Claudine wanted nothing more to lean against Heath and rest her head on his closest shoulder but… this wasn’t the time. When Kinsay mentioned ‘family’, the Snakette immediately felt tears burn behind her eyelids. Her own family had been on her mind every single day over the last few months and well, her heart just hurt knowing that she and them stood on different sides of this wizarding mess. Not waiting to cry in front of everyone, Claudine bit her lower lip and zoned in on a cluster of flowers before rasing a hand. “The white ones… I think they’re from a White Hawthorne tree. If so, they turn light pink before they fall.” |
Leave it to Emm and Kinsay to actually manage to get a proper smile out of Cece, even if it was a faint one. While Emm’s answer was the most detailed non-answer in the history of ever, creative but probably not exactly what the professor was looking for, Kinsay’s comment on clusters being like family was sweet and very her. ”I recognized the hyacinths too, Professor. They smell nice. I actually think maybe each color has its own smell, is that true?” |
Violet was looking at the little yellow flowers, on stalks curving u pin the shape of a cup. She knew she'd seen those before, the name was on the tip of her tongue, but she just could think of it. She wished she'd got her hand up sooner--she could have named the iris or the chrysanthemum. Sighing, she looked around at the others. Was that purple one what she thought it was? Raising her hand, she said, "Is that kind of bushy purple one a Chinese Aster?" Though she thought the aster might be bushier than this was. |
No greeting? Tsk. So hurtful, or whatever. Nem met Flamsteed's eye and noted the look they saw there. Unsurprising, that she was one of the disappointed ones. They kept seeing it - disappointment, hurt, betrayal, that kind of thing - and it was anyone's guess why everyone was taking this all so personally. It was sort of interesting to see who wasn't shying away, however, like Jenovick, and Cambridge, little Ez's little friend, who sat right next to them. Nem glanced her way, over to the flowers in question, then back again, and smiled. "Yeah. They're allowed." Flamsteed confirmation too, how nice. So. Whatever. Flowers. Nem, who had been planning to sit out the question and answer portion of the lesson, did actually have something to provide. "On the topic of chrysanthemums," they added, still with their head propped in one hand. "There are countries in Europe where some types are symbolic of death. Like in France." The Big Man had a French name, didn't he? A flower related one at that. All roads lead to Rosier. "So they're used for funerals, and laying on graves." Funny how these things worked out. |
Mamie was not particularly interested in flowers, but at least she wasn't as allergic as Noah clearly was. She peered at the flowers their professor had grown. They all looked vaguely familiar, but one looked like something her family had in their garden. The one Emmerson had pointed out, that would look nice in dark hair. Mamie had brown hair, maybe she could get some flowers to braid in after class. Probably not. She raised her hand. "Professor, is that yellow one related to garlic chives? It's kind of the same shape, but a different color." Unless she was confusing it with something else. Which was entirely possible. "You can eat garlic chive flowers. They taste like garlic." |
Rubbing her tired eyes, Ivy tried to think of something to say about the flowers. Fortunately, some of the others were faster than her, naming most of them or at least guessing at it. It made it easier for her to focus on whatever came to mind about them based on the names. Finally, her hand was raised. "A couple of these flowers, the iris and the hyacinth, were among the ones being gathered by Persephone before she was abducted by Hades in Greek mythology. It happened during the spring time, so...they grow around that time?" Yeah, that was...the best she had. Thank Merlin for Cooper and his myth story times. |
Louise's tired eyes looked over the flowers before resting on her favorite kind: Chrysanthemums. She loved Chrysanthemums. Her mum planted them, along with many others, in the garden at home. It was that time of year again, too. She wondered if her mum was tending to her garden like she normally did. Or if she was too busy worrying about her daughter, who she hadn't heard from in months. Louise was certainly worried about her. Her vision blurred for a moment and Louise blinked back a couple tears, pulling herself out of those thoughts. She sniffed and raised her hands. "Chrysanthemums, ma'am," she said, gesturing to the purple ones. "They're perennials, meaning they bloom every year for quite a few years. My mum has some in her garden too," she said, looking over at Morgan, who had also mentioned his mum. |
It still felt so so so so SO weird to be called Mr Flamsteed by Auntie June, but it was kind of nice feeling weirded out by something like that as opposed to...other things. Head down, for the most part, Atlas didn't really feel much like participating today and he was mostly keen on being outdoors and being in the presence of family. Flowers were an okay bonus, he supposed, too. Settled into his seat, and casting a fleeting glance at the Ravenclaw he was seated beside while offering her a small smile, the Gryffindor's attention shifted at the professor's request. As luck would have it, it COULD identify several of them so his hand went up and he spoke once called upon. "That's a cornflower," he pointed to the vibrant blueish purpleish looking one. "You can tell from the intense blue color and how the petals are in that...ray floret design on top of a disc floret coming out of the flowerhead." Was that how that phrasing went? He knew he had heard those terms before but it had always been a little wishy washy at retaining. All he REALLY knew was that the shape tended to remind him of an anemone. "And you can put it in tea...as a herbal remedy for fever and some other things." |
SPOILER!!: answers "Lovely" June smiled, genuinely this time - because as always it made really happy how smart these kids were. "You got them all. Except Miss Cambridge's yellow flower" she said, picking up the chalk and moving to the board, "they are called Fennel" she added and wrote it on the board herself. "I have been growing these for some time now. They are all a delight to have in anyone's garden. They also have one thing in common. Can you tell me what that is?" June asked, before bending down to pick up her working pair of gloves and putting them on. Quote:
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Oooh, they were naming flowers! Lia knew what each one was but so did her peers. Not wanting to repeat the same information they had all already given, she kept quiet for the moment until the next question was asked. The first year sat up a bit straighter on her stool. Flowers could have many different things in common. It really depended on what exactly Flamsteed wanted to know. Being at Hogwarts though Lia was hopeful that her answer was what the professor was looking for.. and even if it wasn't, well than oh well. "They all have magical properties," she answered once her hand was in the air and she had been called upon. Short, sweet and straight to the point. Was she supposed to give examples too? Cause' she most definitely could. |
Nem smiled. They could see, they were frankly certain that Flamsteed would not have responded quite like that if certain revelations not recently come to light. Much like her colleagues, and her students, she was letting her feelings get in the way of business. Nem couldn't exactly say they were disappointed, not if they'd never really expected anything else from these people to begin with. "I think your personal opinion just insulted the customs of several countries." In one breath, too. Who knew she had it in her. "Hope no one here was too offended by that." For the record, Nem was not the easily offended sort, and had merely passed along a fact, so they were good. Carry on. Having made their contribution for the day, Nem reverted back to their original approach to the lesson and sat in silence for the foreseeable. Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. |
Ah, fennel. That's what that yellow one was. She knew only a little of fennel, but she did know that it was often used in food and teas and things of the sort. Louise observed the flowers as Professor Flamsteed moved onto the next question. And then there was Nem. Louise let out an audible sigh when they talked back to the professor. She was annoyed, at this point. Annoyed by Nem's blatant betrayal to the rest of the school, annoyed by their quick tongue and their quick disregard for basically anyone else. Flowers. Think about flowers. Louise raised her hand. "Are they all perennials, ma'am? I think most of them are, but I'm not so sure about the Hawthorn." But she knew that almost all the others were. |
Those flowers all had something in common? What would it be...other than the obvious fact that they all had colorful petals? Dahlia had a good point—that they all had semi-magical properties and could be used in potions and what not. But Avalon couldn't really think of anything else. So she didn't raise her hand to answer this one, only scowling at Nem's rude response to Professor Flamsteed. She didn't know that it was possible to hate someone more than she hated Nem. Especially lately. Though she itched to grab her wand and send a langlock jinx their way (or something much worse), she knew that would only spell disaster for herself. So she settled for a retort instead. "My family is from France, and it didn't offend me," she said pointedly, sending the Slytherin a glare. Couldn't get in trouble by Nem's beloved Neo-Alliance for that, could she? She was simply making a comment. |
"Because of the space they are sharing right now - and the environment, they are a family, they have become one" Kinsay knew they weren't just talking about flowers anymore. It was bigger than that; so she nodded quietly, holding onto the words like they were all she had left. Even as the next question was posed, Kinsay couldn't quite take her mind off of these words spoken by her professor. She was trying though. She really was. Her eyes widened when Nemesis spoke, then again when Avalon pointedly replied. Worried, Kins quickly looked to Emmerson, to see what she thought. These things were important Sometimes she put her hand up and hoped an answer would come to her by the time she was called. It was a risky game and she didn't like it very much. But the alternative felt like an even bigger risk and... and she couldn't really have that either. "They're... all... um... they're nice to look at," she began, immediately feeling silly. "We have a window in our room, but its too tall and you can't see things - just black." Did Kinsay know where she was going with this? Not entirely. "Maybe if we could see the flowers... it wouldn't feel so sad." She didn't feel any less silly after .... "clarifying" though. |
Mamie was unsurprised that her answer was wrong. And equally unsurprised by Nemesis's sass to Professor Flamsteed. Obviously the Slytherin didn't respect professors anymore, that much was clear. She did not know a lot about flowers. They had colors? But then she stared at the list on the chalkboard. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Things started clicking into her place in her brain. These flowers came from her family's kitchen, not their garden. Not flower related, she had thought, but apparently flower related. Who knew? She raised her hand eagerly. "Tea! You can make tea from them!" she said. |
"They smell sweet to me, too." She offered the professor the ghost of a smile and then looked down. It felt wrong to be looking at and smelling beautiful flowers when Kale was...well, he was gone. Just gone. It hurt her heart that he wasn't here for this. Nem's reply to the Professor, and then Avalon's response to them, made Cece uneasy and she waited to see if the older student's reply would inspire Nem to take any actions against her. They'd proven to everyone what side they'd taken and the fact that they had power to act against professors and students now worried the Gryffindor. Angered her too, though she did her best to keep that at bay. She'd made promises about keeping herself safe, after all. "It's their meaning, Professor. They can all be used to represent the same thing. ...Hope." |
Oh. She had actually been right. Good to know. Claudine made her notes, putting in a brief description of the flowers along with their names. Later on tonight, she’d do sketches of the flowers from memory. The sketches may come in handy for exam studies. In the meanwhile, she just glared at Nem. She thought they were so stuck up, hiding behind the so-called protection of the Alliance. Ugh. Claudine hated them so much right now. But she was now worried for Avalon. Oh no. I hope nothing bad happens to her,’’ she thought, biting her lip nervously. As for the next question… “Um. They can just be planted for beauty. To make some particular place look even better.’’ Her eyes darted to Avalon as though checking to ensure her friend hadn’t gone poof. |
Oh good the pretty flowers were allowed and she wasn't currently sitting in on an illegal class that was about to be crashed and Merlin knew what else. Without a doubt, she would throw Professor Flamsteed under the bus. Nothing personal, just...she was 12....and wasn't in charge of her own education. The little girl deflated some when her answer was all but dismissed, sure it'd made at least some sense--and it had to be the best by default if no one else had mentioned it. Losing when there were no other competitors, it was becoming the story of her life her at Hogwarts this term. Emm shrank a little in her seat, allowing the others around her to give their obviously better answers. She wasn't sure she'd attempt the second, considering she didn't....really know the answer and didn't even know what these flowers were called until maybe...2 minutes ago. But participation was likely not optional. "They...they're all used in potions to cure werewolf babies of werewolf baby disease." Never let it be said she never tried. |
No one tell her, but Atlas was pleased with the little bit of validation. Not that he ever NEEDED validation or anything. Nope. Totally and perfectly just fine and confident right over here on his own...said no one ever of Atlas Flamsteed but he was going to stick to that reality right now as the lesson moved along. Though...he really wasn't sure about...how...well...he was just going to hold his breath at any and all interactions with Nemesis Upstead AND keep his thoughts to himself. Living in fear was hard and the Gryffindor did not know what he would do if Auntie June were also taken away from him. So...could she just...not...please? And also could his chest and head stop being so confusing when it came to the older Slytherin...please? Half paying attention to what all was going on around him and the answers being provided, so he had no idea if what he was offering up had been said already or not. "...they can all be used in tea." Auntie June liked tea. Loved tea. Had mentioned some of the others were edible so therefore...all tea. They were going to make tea today. |
Flowers? Apollo appreciated Professor Flamsteed's efforts to maybe cheer them up with a lesson about flowers, but with the way this year was going Apollo wasn't sure much could be done in cheering them up unless it meant all the extra adults in the castle could maybe LEAVE them to their education?!? And all the older gryffindor kids come back to the common room. Please? What did the flowers have in common? Yes, what Dahlia said about the magic thing. Was Flamsteed trying to send some sort of message here. But technically muggleborn kids were capable of magic too. That's what he'd been trying to comfort Bernedette with in Muggle Studies class. He wasn't sure that knowledge had sunk in though. He also wasn't sure it was something that the neo-alliance agreed with. "They need water to survive and thrive." Was Apollo's answer however. Because it was something that wasn't stated and though it was an obvious answer and was one that was true of ALL plants, not just limited to the flowers present, it was still true of those six flowers. |
Violet had been sitting, listening to the other students' answers and Professor Flamsteed's responses. And there was Nemesis Upstead mouthing off again--they were growing more arrogant by the day now. Violet could not believe she'd ever thought them interesting and mysterious. Why, Nem was just a bully, with the confidence of having a big, bad gang backing them up, too blind to see that they were getting in over their head. Fennel, that was it! Violet knew she'd seen those little yellow flowers before--it was in her uncle's garden out back of the kitchen. How stupid of her not to remember it. And cornflower--what a funny, ordinary name for such an exotic looking flower! So now they had all six identified--what did they have in common? Violet thought and thought, and then a smile slowly came to her face as she raised her hand. "Hope," she said, "all those flowers stand for hope in flower-lore." That was something they could all use more of this year. Well, most of them, anyway. |
SPOILER!!: replies SPOILER!!: the correct ones June smiled. And it wasn't the smile she had been forcing all term long, it wasn't her usual smile - it was a smile that came straight from the heart. "Indeed, Miss Summers. Hope. It's what connects them all" she finally announced, giving Miss Blackthorne an appreciative nod as well - before turning back to the class, and addressing them all, "These flowers - all of them, have different meanings - but one meaning that represents them all is - hope" "And this reflects in the energy in the area they are planted in as well" A reason why she had been planting them for some time now, and though she couldn't exactly express it in words, the sentiment was very much visible on her face. Hopefully - they understood what she meant too. Because she couldn't say more. She just couldn't. "They are also known for their benefits when it comes to medicinal uses, as well as the positive energy they radiate when you are working with them - which is why today you will be getting your hands dirty and will be helping me collect their leaves, and roots" Bending down, she chose Iris for herself. "Pick a plant you like, and de-plant it from the ground, and collect as much as possible from them, " she explained, as she dug through and carefully pulled one out and moved it to a work station inside "Follow me" Once inside, she continued, "You have to be very careful with the roots, you may collect the dried parts of it - and leave the rest so we can replant it again" she said, as she demonstrated picking out the leaves before using her wand to snip off the dried roots. "Alright, lets start" OOC: Mini Activity is up, you guys. June will be moving around for any questions and struggles. Will be moving the class along 24/36 hours! |
This time around, Claudine wasn’t right in terms of her answer. That was okay. And was the meaning of the flowers being used in an attempt to lift their spirits? Well, except Upstead. This fifth year could really appreciate Flamsteed’s thoughtfulness if this was the case. Merlin knew they could all use said hope. But she was careful of how much hope to hold onto because… what if Rosier and his men never were defeated? Collecting roots and leaves sounded like a great activity. Claudine didn’t mind getting dirty in the soil and whatnot. She got to her feet to move carefully pry a hawthorne plant up and then to follow Flamsteed. Once at a workstation, the Snakette began plucking out the leaves. They were set to one side of the workstation. She worked in silence, almost robotically to get the task done. |
Okay, so her answer had been correct but it also hadn't been. No worries there. It wasn't a huge deal that her reply hadn't been what Flamsteed was looking for. These things happen from time to time and it was how she learned. So all the flowers sitting before them represented, Hope. Hope was something each and every one of them needed right now. The more the better. Lia was all for this lesson right now, so thank you Professor Flamsteed. Getting dirty was not a problem. She was known to wear dirty like it was the newest, hottest fashion trend. When told to get started, the Ravenclaw got to her feet and went directly over to where the Chrysanthemum were. Selecting one that was a lovely shade of pink. Carefully digging a circle in the dirt around her chosen plant, she then lifted it gently from it's home, roots and all. With the flower cradling in the palms of her cupped hands, she made her way into the greenhouse and an empty workstation. Setting the flower down, Dahlia got to work slowly removing each leaf in the most delicate manner possible. Once she had finished with that she went about carefully getting the dried up bits of roots off. |
At the mention of what the flowers symbolised, Fiona had to use all of her willpower in order to not make a disparaging remark or gesture such as a roll of her eyes. The cynic in her was not feeling any hope. The activity didn't sound too bad, thankfully. Fiona made her way over to where the irises were and chose the first one she saw, before deplanting it and carefully carrying the flower to a workstation. With the aid of her wand and a softly spoken Severing Charm, Fiona began the delicate process of removing the leaves from the iris. After finding the dried aspects of the iris' root system, the Snakette began removing them using the same charm she had used on the leaves. |
Incredibly wrong. Yikes. There really was no winning for the Gryffindor today. Luckily, this reply didn't sting nearly as much as the first...mostly because she'd known going in that it was wrong. Emm was well aware her answer was dead in the water and had only been trying to make sure no one said she wasn't participating. This was fine. Everything was fine. Emmerson got her little digging trowel and moved over to the patch of flowers. She'd pick the ones she'd gotten into a ramble about. The...fennel ones? Was that what Professor Flamsteed called them? Sure, they weren't her colour but she now felt she had a bond. While she worked, she was careful about the roots, mostly because she remembered the last time she was hacking away at plants to the dismay of the woman. |
Yeah, she didn't think she was quite right. But it was at least a good guess. Though she did find it odd that flowers could represent something as broad and intangible as hope. She didn't understand how that worked. How did a flower represent hope? It was just a flower. Who even decided that it DID represent hope? Probably the same guys who declared national donut day a holiday. Whatever. Eager to get her hands dirty, Louise followed the professor and mimicked her steps - but with a bunch of chrysanthemums, of course. She pulled the plant carefully from the ground, taking the time to make sure none of the roots were snagging or breaking, and then carried it to a work station. She didn't use magic. Even though she was stuck in The Room where she couldn't do magic all day, she preferred to work in the greenhouses with as little magic as possible. The feeling of the earth in her hands and under her fingernails really just... calmed her. It made her feel like she wasn't living in a constant nightmare. "Are we just pruning for now, ma'am?" Louise asked as she carefully plucked some dry leaves. |
Who knew the spokesperson for all of France - plus several other countries - was sitting right there in their midst. Good on Sinclair for not being another easily offended one, at least... though one look at the glare on the girl's face proved that that assessment was an inaccurate one. Nem let out a little laugh and looked back at Flamsteed, eyes glinting. "Oh, I'm not worried." Good one, though. ... Merlin alive, hope. Just when these professors could not have possibly seemed more pathetic, now they were calling in the flowers to help them. Was it not obvious by now that hope was pointless. Why hope for something when you had the option to do whatever it took to reach out and take it. Why rely on anyone, or anything, outside of yourself. Whatever. Nem wasn't going there with these people. They unfolded their legs and got up off the stool, followed Cambridge to the flower patch, and chose a chrysanthemum. Digging it out so it fit, roots and dirt, in the palm of one hand, they carried it inside. Clearly uninterested, more so than before now that the lesson was all about the actual caring for plants, Nem idly snipped away dried roots and the like with a non-verbal Flipnsnipwitit charm. |
Kinsay blinked back some tears, hoping Professor Flamsteed wouldn't notice. These plants... they just... riddled with... it was allergies. That's all. Allergies that subsided very quickly when Professor Flamsteed suggested that she might be able to take flowers back to The Room with her after class. Really? Her first instinct was to voice doubt, but she remembered that Nemesis had said flowers were allowed. And. And if it came down to it, she would use that as her defense. He threw everyone else under the bus so quick. Kinsay could do the same to him if it came down to it. (No, she could not). In any case, Kizzy did appreciate the message of hope. She could use some of that right now. There wasn't a lot of it going around, especially not in her own heart. So she tried to hold on to their Professor's words as she slowly made her way over to the flower bed to stand next to Emm and began reaching for the hyacinths. Those were her favorites now. She just decided. |
CONTRARY TO APPARENT POPULAR BELIEF...Atlas was paying attention. And his answer for one flora was simply relevant for all the flora! But all he did in response was puff out his cheeks like a hamster and flush. It always was more poignant when Auntie June scolded him. So...hope. Right. Atlas did not have much of that anymore...save for the hope of seeing dad again. It was...kind of all he had and all he was holding on to these days. Even if it felt much more like desperation than hope, maybe something else that had a thin line between it. Like love and hate. Atlas did not get what Slipping off his spot, Atlas followed Dahlia towards the plants but ultimately veered off towards the cornflower since that was the one he had identified. Using his fingers to loosen up the soil, Atlas decided to give something a go and pulled his wand out. Other fist to his mouth, the Gryffindor coughed to clear his throat before casting his spell after a swish and flick of his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The cornflower in question's stem began to pull a little taut and the soil around it undulated a bit, like the soil had a heart beat. Tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, Atlas flicked his wand up and down a bit to try and pull the plant free from the flowerbed. Tugging and tugging and tugging... |
Mamie didn't really want to did in the dirt. With everything going on, and The Room, she did not want to get dirt under her fingernails because how would she ever get it out? Didn't they have magic so that they didn't have to get their hands dirty? Huffing silently, she slid off her stool anyway and claimed a bunch of, was this a Hyacinth? Maybe? She dug down into the dirt around its roots, loosening the soil with her fingers until the roots were clear and she pulled it free of the ground. Having noticed some other students using their wands, she pulled hers out as well and used a severing charm on several leaves -- making sure not to trim all the leaves, because how would it get energy otherwise? She made a little pile of leaves on the ground next to her, then started examining the roots. There were a couple of sections that looked fairly dry, so she gently untangled them and used the severing charm to make some clean snips. These dried roots got added to her leaf pile. She sighed, then exampled her fingernails. Yep. Lots of dirt. Sad day. |
Finally, finally Violet had got a smile and a nod from Professor Flamsteed for an answer--even if that Cecilia Summers got hers out a fraction of a minute earlier. Well, well, the day was looking up--or maybe it was the flowers that made her feel more optimistic? Hmmm... Filing that train of thought away for later, Violet went over to the small yellow flowers in the cup-like arrangement on their long stalks which had stumped her earlier--fennel. That was the plant with the licorice flavor that she hated the taste of, but she loved the little flowers. Kneeling unconcernedly in the dirt, she used a small trowel to carefully loosen the soil from around the plant, going carefully to avoid cutting off too many of the roots. She'd seen other kids using their wands, but, witch or not, she wasn't risking using magic and possibly damaging the plant. "Sorry about this," she murmured to the yarrow plant before she carefully removed it from the soil and carried it to a free workstation. Once there, she carefully laid the plant down on the spare handkerchief she had in a pocket and then began to gently snip away some of the leaves, trying not to take too many from any one spot. Then she looked at the flowers a minute--the professor hadn't specifically said what parts, other than the roots, they were supposed to take but Violet knew from watching their cook that the fennel flowers were edible. After a moment's thought, Violet clipped off a few flowers, too, for good measure. After she thought she had enough, she laid the flowers and leaves each in a separate pile and began exploring the roots, looking for dried ones to cut away. |
Ivy...appreciated what Professor Flamsteed was trying to do with the flowers and them symbolizing hope, but...it unfortunately didn't lift her mood all that much. There was a tiny part of her that did still hold onto some semblance of hope that they'd somehow get out of this. But the flowers, though nice, weren't going to help them achieve that. They were just flowers at the end of the day. But at least they were doing something now. That was the kind of stuff she liked best. Just talking left too much time for her to think about...everything. The Ravenclaw knelt down and dug around some hyacinths to pull out of their spot, being careful to keep their roots intact and using both hands to hold them up. She followed the professor inside to set her hyacinths on a workstation. Next, she needed to remove the dried leaves and roots, so she focused on that, especially the dried leaves since there seemed to be quite a few on them. |
Truth be told, the Snakette hadn’t at firm realised that the leaves were done. It took a full minute of her hand feeling around what was once the hawthorne plant to realise. In surprise, she eyed the skeleton of the plant she held. Oh well. Onto the root. Wand in hand, Claudine followed Flamsteed’s example by using the same spell the woman had used. A bit of dried root was selected and the spell used. The root fell away onto the workstation, she moved onto the next bit, all the while staying clear of the green bits. |
Avalon thought that she would feel significantly better after making her pointed comment at Nem, but it had only made her feel more uneasy. Namely because she was now considering that she hadn't really seen it coming. Nem had always been, well, Nem. A little arrogant. A little sly. But Avalon never disliked them. Nor did she ever imagine they would turn against their classmates and professors like this. It made her wonder who else could be deceiving her. Perhaps she needed to be more careful with the company she kept. She appreciated Professor Flamsteed's attempt to bring some hope into the lesson. But Avalon wasn't feeling very hopeful as of late, and she wasn't sure that flowers could change that. Nevertheless, she needed a distraction. She was getting far too upset for her own good. So, the Ravenclaw picked out a cornflower, simply because she was drawn to its bright color. It took a bit of prying to get out of the ground, but once she removed it, she got to work on plucking its leaves. Avalon did so gently, not wanting to rip any of them. Next to her, she collected all the plucked leaves in a neat pile. Focusing on little, precise things like that was her way of keeping busy. So that she didn't completely fall apart. |
Dahlia was in her own silent little world. She worked quietly and carefully, making a decent little mess or dirt on her workstation. That was to be expected though and not a real problem, hoping it was a bath day though when she returned to The Room later. Taking a moments pause, Lia gathered the leaves from her flower into a pile which she moved to one corner of her work area. Another pile was made of all the bits of dirt that had scattered across the tabletop. The final pile was meant for the roots that she needed to continue cutting free from the remainder of the flower. It was with slow, careful precise movements that she went about in collecting what was left of the drier up roots. When she had finished she pushed the pile aside and sat there quietly. Nothing left to do but wait for the lesson to move on. |
If Catherine had been like some of her immediate family, the mere sight and talk of flowers would have lifted her mood. Alas. No matter how pretty or meaningful they were, they were only plants and they weren't going to change their current situation. The Ravenclaw did listen to the lesson and watched as the professor demonstrated what they were supposed to do next. They'd be collecting their leaves and roots... for medicinal purposes? Catherine would gladly use them in Potions. That was what plants were most useful for anyway. Catherine went to the deep blue cornflower she deemed the prettiest and gingerly dug around it, pulling it front the ground while trying her best to keep the roots as intact as possible. She followed professor Flamsteed inside and went to a workstation herself. After placing the plant down, the fourth year picked out the leaves, then got her wand and carefully snipped off the dried parts of the roots like their professor had demonstrated. Putting her wand away again, she looked up to see what to do next. |
Tug....tug...tug...tug... Atlas was feeling a little impressed with himself that his Levitation Charm was still working and things were following his command perfectly. Well, almost perfectly. There was a slight problem in that the ground was in the way and not entirely cooperating with him. So he was flicking his want a bit more persistently and firmly, the ground rising a little higher and more rapidly as a result. So maybe if he just kept this up he could get it... :jawdrop: The soil ceased its movements and...well..Atlas HAD, in fact, successfully pulled the cornflower free. Just, erm, the roots and a bit of stem were still in the soil. Basically, Atlas had picked a flower and it was now hovering in the air. ...oops. |
Cece sort of wished this lesson had come a bit earlier in the term. She'd done a lot of hoping at first, but it was like she'd run out of it now and no matter how hard she tried, managing any more was impossible. She was afraid even these pretty flowers weren't enough to stir up hope in the fifth year. Gloves on, the Gryffindor followed Professor Flamsteed, watching as she handled the flower she'd selected. She noted the care she'd need to take, and Cecelias sometimes had trouble being careful. She was going to TRY, though. Channeling Cappi plant powers all the way. She found a chrysanthemum that was both pretty and thriving, and started to carefully dig it up. On her feet again, she carried the plant over to her station. So far, so good. No plant emergencies here. Her wand, she needed her wand for this part. "Flipnsnipwitit." It was going to take her AGES, because being careful meant going S L O W L Y, but the blonde started working at snipping off the dried bits of the roots. |
By now, Violet had cut off all the dried roots, or most of them, anyway. She hoped. She was so afraid of hurting the plant that there were some questionable roots that she had left, because she wasn't quite sure if they were really dried or not. And she was afraid to cut too many. She laid the roots she had in a third pile and then stared at her work, wondering if they were supposed to replant the flower now or wait until Professor Flamsteed came around to check on them. Suddenly, Violet looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then quickly palmed a few flowers and a few leaves and put them in her pocket. Who knows, she might need those later, for something--tea, a potion. Living in the Room, they needed all the help they could get, and it didn't hurt to be prepared. |
June had honestly not expected the kids to be suddenly full of hope and merry. She herself had been working with these plants for months now and things felt completely dire. She was struggling with her emotions and faith - but something was pulling her along, something kept her going, and helped her imagine reuniting with her sister once again - so the point remained, because whatever was pulling her along ... was perhaps a flicker of hope buried deep inside her. And this flicker was what she wanted these kids to hold on to as well. What else did they have to lose anymore anyway. Moving around and watching them all work, June was mostly silent - and quietly marvelling at how good they were getting with their hands (at least compared to the first time she had seen them work). June was proud. Except of course when she saw Atlas break her plant, "Go work with Miss Summers, Mr Flamsteed. Observe her carefully and then try again" And she had thought he was better than Aries. Of course Aries would have killed the plant altogether but ... still. Making her final round, seeing as almost everyone was done, June spoke once more, "I know it is sometimes hard to believe in something intangible, and so it may seem hard to believe in the symbolism of these plants. What can hope really do - but I still want you all to really concentrate on that feeling, try to channel it as we move onto the next part of the lesson because that energy is what will help these plants thrive" Collecting her own plant, and a few others - she gestured them all to follow once again. "Think of the patronus charm - do you think it will work without that happy memory of yours? The happier the memory, the stronger the charm" Hope was just as powerful. It was a matter of perspective. "These plants are outgrowing my little patch - so I need you all to use the grounds to replant them. Find them a new home while also thinking about why these flowers may be needed in that space," she went on as she moved them to an already dug up piece of ground near Professor Williamson's hut. A place not picked at random but she would not admit. Bending down, she laid the flowers carefully on the ground and retrieved her wand. "The spell I am going to cast next is usually used by florists, or landscape designers - she explained before pointing her wand at the flowers in front of her, "Floribus Ordinare" she cast clearly and flicked her wrist; slowly the flowers rose - and in the next moment started shuffling about within themselves before revealing themselves to be like a beautiful bouquet. Satisfied with the arrangement, she carefully covered their roots with dirt. Looking at them all again, she repeated the spell, "Floribus Ordinare" "Alright then, start replanting these flowers" OOC: Sorry for the delay, guys. Weekends are a mess ;_; Anyway, main activity is up! June will be walking around, helping whoever is in need. Have fun <3 |
The fifth year knew that there’d be more talk of ‘hope’ and was not at all surprised when Flamsteed brought it up again. In Claudine’s mind, hope was both good and bad. The feeling could give one the motive to persevere but it could also drive one mad if the hope was dashed. Claudine wasn’t sure that she could muster up a whole lot of hope, optimism and all that positive jazz at the moment but an effort could be made. Right. So, replanting. She observed Flamsteed as best as she could and thought, at the end of the demonstration, that she had it all down. The most difficult bit of this activity would be successfully casting the spell. Claudine got to work after randomly choosing some flowers. “Floribus Ordinare.” Cue a flick of the wrists. Would the spell work? The girl would know soon enough. |
As per usual lately, Dahlia remained silent the entire time Flamsteed spoke about hope. Hope was meant to keep these flowers alive, help them thrive. Which she was all for doing but it was sometimes easier said than done. As for a Patronus charm, well that was something she was a long long way from being able to pull off successfully. Floribus Ordinare looked simple enough but she doubted that would be the case. Quietly wandering back over to where all the flowers were, Lia selected a couple that she believed would work well together. Bright cheerful flowers is what she choose to go with. That was the easy part. Now she had to figure out where she wanted to plant them AND get this new spell to work for her. Might as well make a nice little flower arrangement first and worry about the rest afterwards. Kneeling down, the Ravenclaw set the flowers down in a neat little pile on the ground. Pulling out her wand she aimed it at the pile of flowers. "Floribus Ordinare," she cast nice and clear, flicking her wrist as she spoke. When nothing at all happened, she really didn't seemed surprised. This was becoming routine, expected. She would just try again, like always. This time she tried clearing her mind and picturing the flowers group themselves nicely. With a flick of her wrist at the flowers she spoke again, "Floribus Ordinare." Something must have been done right as the flowers floated upward off the ground a little, moving themselves around in a pretty little arrangement. A small smile worked it's way onto her lips. So far so good. |
Wow, Violet had worried she might have taken off too many roots and leaves, but watching Professor Flamsteed work her magic on some of the flowers, she was impressed once again by the power of magic. But--were the students supposed to cast that spell themselves, or was the professor going to do it? Violet heard several other students trying what seemed to her to be a rather specialized spell, so she decided to make a try at it herself. "Floribus Ordinare" She looked closely at her fennel plant but wasn't sure it looked any different. She wasn't sure how a long-stalked plant would rearrange itself into a bouquet, anyway--would the little flowers on top move around? She pointed her wand at it, closing her eyes and focusing on hope (I hope this spell will work), and repeated the incantation, "Floribus Ordinare!". She hoped the plant would look better when she opened her eyes. |
Kinsay wasn't any good with spells so she took lots of time to dig out her flower by hand. It... Might not have been the most effective way of going about things, but most of its roots were still in tact. Probably. She followed others to the workstations, setting up her own space just as Professor Flamsteed gave the next set of instructions. Concentrate on hope? Kinsay would try her best. She really, really would. But hope was hard. Not usually. But it was hard right now. Lots of things were hard right now. But Kinsay knew exactly where she wanted to plant her flower. That wasn't hard at all. She wanted to plant it where Mollywobbles was. As a sort of tribute to both Mollywobbles and Professor Williamson. Maybe the other creatures needed hope. Maybe Mollywobbles could use some hope too. So after repeating "Floribus Ordinare" quietly a couple of times, she moved towards the hut. Once there, she sat on her knees, and began digging up a spot with her hands again (thank goodness for gloves). How far was she supposed to dig before it was a proper home for the flowers? Um. Maybe she should've paid more attention. She usually did. |
Nope. The spell hadn’t worked. Claudine was not surprised. A sigh escaped her. There was nothing to do but keep trying. And so the girl did. What bubbled up in her mind was the suspicion for her lengthy failure: it most likely was due to the lack of motivation at present. However, anyone who knew Claudine knew that she could be determined to show that she was not by any means a failure. “Floribus Ordinare.” Wrist flicked? Yes. Hello, there. The flowers were doing their thing! Up they went, and like Flamsteed’s earlier, began arranging themselves neatly and tactfully. Finally. Success. |
So...he had a flower. He couldn't replant this, obviously, but he could give it to someone. Maybe unrequited crush and stomper of his fragile 11-year-old heart, Phoebe James? "Yes, professor," he swallowed softly as he glanced at the stub sticking out of the ground. Did plants regenerate? Would that one grow again? Or had...he sufficiently killed it? This was something he had never thought about until this moment. How picking a flower, snapping it from its roots, was in fact condemning the plant to a slow death. "I'm to watch and learn from you," he informed the older Gryffindor with a gentle tug on her ropes and a somber sort of glance at the cornflower in his nonwand hand. "...I killed this one." |
Fiona had been collecting a few irises and removing the dried roots and the leaves from each of the plants when she heard Professor Flamsteed talk about the next part of the lesson. The fifth-year observed the new incantation, though it wasn't new to her as she had borne witness to her cousin Lucille using the spell at home. Using a levitation charm to carry her irises, Fiona headed for where the flowers were going to be replanted which was near where Professor Flamsteed had planted her flowers. Using her gloved hands, she dug a small hole in the soil before pointing her wand at the irises that were now on the ground in front of her. Flicking her wrist, the Snakette cast, "Floribus Ordinare." The flowers soon arranged themselves into a beautiful display and Fiona covered their roots with soil. |
Helping Atlas! Quote:
The fifth year offered a faint smile, ruffling the younger boy's hair a bit as she considered his flower. "It might not be replantable, but it can still give someone hope. I'd hold on to it, maybe think about who you'd like to give it to." In the meantime, she could dig up another one of the flowers to show him the proper way. "Come, let's get ourselves a couple more chrysanthemums." Returning to Professor F's flower bed, the blonde knelt down. "So you want to make sure you dig up enough of the dirt that the plant comes out easy. That way it won't snap off." She demonstrated, actually smiling to herself. It was rare these days, and it felt nice. She wondered if seeing her teaching someone else about flowers might make Cap smile too. "And then once it's free like this one, you can trim off the dried parts of the roots. I use Flipnsnipwitit, but it's okay to use the actual tool if you're not used to the spell yet." She looked at him expectantly. "No you try getting a chrysanthemum." |
So much catch-up! SPOILER!!: question 2 & mini activity catchup Heath had just finished pruning the roots when Professor Flamsteed gave the next set of instructions. Again with the hope speech?! What did she know of how hard it was to believe in the intangible? At this point, he couldn’t tell if she was just naive or actually trying to deceive them; either way, he was concerned. His heart sank at the mention of the patronus charm. He had only just perfected that spell the month before he was imprisoned. Now even if he got his wand back for good, would he ever be able to produce it again? Never mind, he couldn’t allow himself to think about that now, or he’d become too sad to function. Blocking out everything else the professor said, he focused exclusively on the spell demonstration. That wand movement didn’t look hard at all, so he went straight to practicing the incantation. “Floribus Ordinare, Floribus Ordinare…” he repeated quietly under his breath. Practicing the spell was the easy part. The hard part was going to be summoning enough hope to actually cast it correctly. As Heath considered where to replant his hyacinths, one place immediately jumped out at him. The place where that muggle died in DADA, in hopes that one day Rosier would pay for all he’d done. That was the only hope he could bring himself to hold onto anymore. But that area near the gate seemed too far away. He didn’t want to completely separate from the group, in case he encountered the hoods, so he chose the next best place. Outside the creature barn, where all those muggles had been trapped, where he gave them false hope for their survival, where he lied to them… Flowers in hand, he walked somberly to the barn and dug a hole for them near the door, all the while thinking of those poor muggles. I hope he suffers for what he did to you, he thought. After gently placing the plants into the hole, he flicked his wand at them and cast, “Floribus Ordinare.” The resulting arrangement somewhat resembled a funeral wreath with a few flowers sticking out at odd angles around the edges. It was fragmented and tinged with sadness, like the hope behind the spell, but at least it was something. Satisfied with the arrangement he created, Heath gently covered the flowers with soil and stepped back to admire his work from afar. |
Avalon was trying to be hopeful. Really, really, trying. But as soon as Professor Flamsteed mentioned the Patronus charm, her heart sank again. She had been so close to achieving it that one day...before being locked in the stupid room. Without a wand. Not that she'd even be able to produce it anymore. There was nothing left to be happy about. She contemplated where she wanted to plant her cornflowers. Her first thought was to plant them where all the tents were—either near the lake or the courtyard. The Neo-Alliance surely needed some joy in their lives. They were miserable people. Plus, she wanted them to know that they couldn't get rid of all happiness. But she knew that venturing into that territory could get herself killed, so she settled for a neutral area—still a fair distance away from the Black Lake, but close enough for its members to see it were they to pass by. After digging a small hole, she cast the spell. "Floribus Ordinare." Nothing happened. Not that she was very surprised. Avalon never was very good at Herbology. And there wasn't much heart behind her incanctation. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the birds chirping in the trees and the smell of spring. As if those were the only things that mattered. "Floribus Ordinare," she said again, flicking her wand. The flowers started to move, albeit slowly, arranging themselves into neat arrangement. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it would do for now. At least she got something out of it. Sighing, she knelt down and covered the hole with some dirt. |
There were a bit more followers Claudine had remaining that needed to be planted. The entire cluster that she originally aimed to plant hadn’t been done at once just in case she messed the spell up; let’s just say that splitting the flowers up had been easier for her in terms of complexity. Since the first set had been planted… “Floribus Ordinare.” Claudine flicked her wrist and focused intently on the second group- which held about eight to ten flowers. It was a comfort to her when this set of flora followed the first by each flower arranging themselves neatly. It was a useful spell, if one were into plants. Maybe someday when she had her own house… but for now, Claudine was just content with being able to complete the activity. |
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Anyway. Be careful, Cecelia Summers, because you may find yourself with a more permanent shadow from showing too much kindness. Recalling how Aboli had turned on him in the hedge maze, Atlas decided it best not to insert his opinion on his cornflower bringing hope or not. He did not want to be abandoned in Herbology...or disappoint Auntie June further. So he did tuck it away into the pocket of his dress shirt to...well...he was probably sure who he was going to give it to later. But anyway. Nodding with a thick swallow and thinning of his lips, Atlas followed the older Gryffindor over to the chrysanthemum. Which was a flower name he never wanted to say aloud because he always tripped over his tongue when he did. Kind of like with anemone...but he had been WORKING on that to impress Miss Minnie. With a spade in hand this time, abandoning the whole wand logic for now, he watched as she removed the flower - an ADDITIONAL one to the one she already had...which meant that she had a spare. So, therefore, this one was his and the one she had before was hers. No more flowers would be harmed in the name of educational inquiry. So, at her invitation to 'get' a chrysanthemum...he reached forward to take the one she had just pulled out. TECHNICALLY he was following directions. "I know Flipnsnipwitit. I can do that one okay." |
Now that Dahlia had her small little arrangement of flowers all set up thanks to that nice little handy spell, it was time to get them into the dirt. Taking careful hold of the bouquet, not wanting to squish them or mess them up, she made her way over to a little spot of dirt that wasn't being used. Kneeling down in the dirt and setting the flowers down beside her, she got to work. Not at all worried about getting dirty the eleven year old used her hands to dig a hole in the dirt large enough to fit the flowers. Once that had been done, Lia set the flowers down into the hole, holding them in place with one hand, while using her other to push the dug up dirt back into the hole. Gently patting down the dirt afterwards. Sitting back on her heels, Dahlia studied her work. All in all, she thought she did pretty well. Hopefully the flowers felt the same way and would thrive in their new location. |
Violet wasn't sure if her attempt at the new spell was doing anything or not--it was hard to tell with fennel flowers. Well, it was really an herb more than a flower, wasn't it? Maybe the yellow flowers were standing up straighter? Or arranged into a more symmetrical circle around the central stalk? Anyway, the plant definitely looked healthy, so she dug a place for it in the ground, breaking up the earth inside the hole with her fingers, and then carefully laid the roots of the plant in and gently covered them back up. She stood back to admire her work--it was a pretty plant, even if it didn't really look like a florist's bouquet. |
This was, quite possibly, the most pointless lesson Nemesis had ever attended, and that really was saying something. Herbology was bad enough, but still had more than enough uses for them to continue engaging with it. But flowers, not even with a focus on their use as an ingredient or remedy, but for the sake of hope, decoration too, just pointless. The fact they'd ended up near Williamson's hut was ultimately the final nail in the coffin. What had Flamsteed said? Focus on channelling the feeling. Use the energy for the plants. If she believed that made any sort of difference, then she had no place to argue with Nem's decision to sit this one out. For the plants, or whatever. Wasn't a spell they had any interest in learning anyway, nor did they have any use for it. Ditching the chrysanthemum in the dirt by the nearest student, Nem retraced their steps, heading back for the flower patch via the greenhouse. |
Pointless to some, but meaningful to others. It was all about perspective. A belief June held above everything else as she made her rounds watching everyone work. It was especially interesting to see the places each of them picked. Their compassion was a remarkable thing to witness. Stopping by Miss Blaze, she bend down and observed her flowers and gave her an appreciative nod, "excellent work" she commented before moving on to Miss Donovon and Miss Sinclair. They were really great at this, did they know? "Very well done, guys" June wasn't sure about the kids but just seeing them work like this was lifting her spirits. Speaking of, walking over to Miss Blackthorne - the brunette noticed exactly how tense the young girl's shoulders were. "Good attempt, Violet. Now - take a deep breath and then try again." she smiled at the girl. Onto Miss James next, June walked over to her chosen place and sat down next to the girl as well, before adding and helping her with the digging - "just a little bit more and a bit wider" Once satisfied, she got up again but not before whispering quickly to her, "don't forget to take some for yourself, Miss James" Noticing Miss Summers assisting Atlas, June figured she could get to them in a bit. It looked like the older girl had things in control. Speaking of control, it was quite something to watch Mr Jones work. No doubt his place of choice said a lot too. Quiet in her movements, June stood nearby and simply watched him for a bit - letting him get there on his own. And he certainly did. As the boy arranged the flowers, June walked over and gave him an appreciative pat on the back, "well done, Mr Jones" Taking a deep breath and not lingering as much, June waited a bit before looking at her watch, "alright guys, lets wrap up quickly, time is almost up" OOC: Thank you for this awesome lesson, guys! Time is almost up. I'll be closing the thread in a couple of hours. You can have your characters wrap up the activity <3 |
Violet did try again, after following the suggestion to take a deep breath. She tried to relax as well--after all, this wasn't a matter of life or death (she hoped--plants could die, after all). Eventually she did get her flowers to look vastly improved, though she didn't think they were quite ready for a florist's shop yet. But at least they were alive and healthy looking, so that was probably the best she could do for now. And she still had those leaves and flowers in her pocket--they would probably be useful for something or other. You never knew. Gathering her school things, Violet got ready to leave the class, which also meant having to give up her wand to some random thug and return to the depths of the sub-dungeons. But oddly, this reality didn't depress Violet as much as usual. Hope was in the air--quite literally, she thought, as a gentle breeze wafted some of the flowers' fragrance toward them. |
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