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**Wilber Winterbottom** · #1 (**permalink**) 12-27-2022, 12:45 AM

Graphic credit: sweetpinkpixie

Lying off the path between Hogwarts castle and the Greenhouses lays a quaint little garden for students and staff alike to enjoy. Like many magical things, it seems smaller on the outside than it is on the inside. It's surrounded by yew hedges which stretch all around the boundaries, opening into one arch-like opening in the center of one wall.

Once inside, winding paths will take you through many different habitats containing both local and cultivated plants, each growing in its season. There's the Meadow, with grasses, flowers, and the pollinator garden, which at the right times of the year is filled with butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. The Woodland area has all sorts of raised wooden walkways and platforms which let you reach right up into the shady tree canopies. A boardwalk maze made of split logs threads throughout the Mars, which is filled with its own mysterious plants growing on the shoreline and in the murky water. And then there are the water gardens, with fountains, waterfalls, and several convenient benches in case you get tired.

Among the many small gardens dotted here and there is the Culinary Garden, which is filled with various edible and medicinal plants, each with its own little plaque describing what it is and what it's used for. Don't be afraid to take a sample of something that strikes your fancy--there's nothing dangerous growing here. And then there's the Sensory Garden, with sections of plants designed to tickle your five senses--sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Go ahead and take a sniff, touch a petal, or break off a leaf to taste--that's what this garden is for.

Some grassy, shady areas here and there along the boundary line are just perfect for a rest, a picnic, or to sit and catch up on your reading. Feel free to enjoy this fascinating space in whatever way you wish! (without breaking any school rules, of course).

sweetpinkpixie · 09-30-2025, 02:37 AM

The Discovery Garden was really a space for HUMAN discovery into the wonders of nature, but Bria was certain the creatures deserved their fair share of the space too. Ducking (which reminded her to go visit her feathered friends later) through the archway, she padded off the path until she found a shady patch of grass tucked between the Meadow and the Woodland and set basket of treasures on the ground with a delightful thunk. Acorn caps, bark curls, pebbles, moss tufts, feathers (not just her own, thank you very much - but waste not!), wildflowers, and other handy treasures from the great outdoors were piled haphazardly into her basket... though a couple of acorn caps tumbled out with a soft plunk as the basket hit the ground.

"YEP," she declared, hands on her hips. "Yep yep yep!"

The air smelled like sun warmed flowers and damp earth... so if this wasn’t the best place to make a fairy village then Bria didn't know what was. Not exclusively faires, of course. Several of the bowtruckles back home appreciated her little houses (or at least they hadn't knocked them down straightaway) and if Picketta of all bowtruckles approved then surely the Hogwarts bowtruckles, fairies, and even the cheeky pixies would too. She was always the hardest to please and earn the trust of!

Blonde hair falling all over her face (because who had time for braids and ties when there was work to do!), Bria knelt down and began stacking twigs into walls and used blades of grass to tie them together. Acorn caps made wonderful window boxes, moss became a roof, and the pebbles laid a neat path straight up to the doorway or for leveling uneven patches of earth. She felt giddy just thinking about which curious little friend might stumble upon her creations first.

Kolyander · 10-01-2025, 06:32 PM

Okay.

So most that know her would probably be confused by this fact but... Amphitrite wasn't just about surfing, skateboarding and tracking down new creatures. Sure she was pretty much her twin sisters opposite in nearly every way but she liked girly calm things too. Like this place, the flowers and grass and the butterflies that fluttered about were pretty relaxing. Taking a nap right here would be so easy.

A nap wasn't in the schedule for today however. The goal for the moment was to unwind and simply enjoy all that was around her. Breath in the fresh air and clear her head. The area may appear simple but there really was so much to take in and inspect. It was during her walk and the checking out of various flowers that she realized she wasn't alone. What the other girl was doing, Amph had no idea but there wasn't a need to be rude. "Hello there." Just a small greeting so as not to startle the other girl with her sudden presence.

sweetpinkpixie · 10-07-2025, 12:47 PM

"Hello!" Bria chirped back, a little sing-song still as she peeked up from where she was crouched near a mossy patch. It wasn't as sing-song-y as it had been the start of term feast but it also wasn't quite back to normal yet either. A speck of dirt decorated her nose and a crown of dandelions sat slightly askew atop her curls. "Careful where you step! I think there’s a whole bowtruckle neighborhood forming right under that fern."

Or maybe there wasn't - wishful thinking and manifesting were a favorite pastime.

She pointed with her fingers (two of which were currently holding a glued-on acorn cap together) toward a cluster of tiny houses made from twigs, stones, and flower petals. "I'm just making sure the roofs are sturdy enough before word gets out. Wouldn’t want any pixies complaining about drafts."

Bria leaned back on her heels, still mid-squat, beaming up at the older Gryffindor. "I’m Bria! And this is… um..." she squinted at her still in progress handiwork, "Mossbottom Village, provisional name. Do you like it? I’m accepting visitor feedback before the bowtruckles and pixies move in."

Kolyander · 10-09-2025, 04:52 PM

A gentle friendly smile played on her lips as she curiously watched the other girl. About to ask what the girl was doing, mouth slightly open in question there was no time as she leaped backwards. "Bowtruckle? Are you sure?" This was much more important than what she had previously been about to ask. Amph knew a great deal about creatures thanks to both her dads as well as her mum. If she had happened to move forward and unknowingly step into the fern and gosh forbid harmed one of those bowtruckles... Oh my it would have been a bad day for it AND for her. Getting attacked by a Bowtruckle was no joke and she didn't need that right now.

As if the possibility of bowtruckles weren't enough, pixies too? Amphitrite blinked, her gaze moving slowly from the fern towards the little twig homes. Now that- that was something she hadn't done in AGES! Back when she was so much younger while her parents worked she would build things just like this. It kept her busy and from getting completely in the way but she also learned tons about the creatures that were around. "Definitely not. No one wants to live in a drafty home. How could they have families without fear of them all becoming ill?" Drafts could cause colds!

The younger lioness's smile reminded her of some of her other friends. "Hey Bria! I'm Amphitrite, you're a uhhh... Third year, right?" Names and faces could be remembered but not always did she recall what year someone was in. Not that it made any difference buuuut it was nice to know. Mossbottom Village, eh? Nod nod. "I like it. Has a nice ring to it and it totally makes sense." Given the mossy patch nearby. "Would you like some help with it?" Another set of hands could get things done faster annnnnnd be useful in holding the little homes together while the roofs were being added onto them.

sweetpinkpixie · 10-14-2025, 11:54 AM

"Oh, I’m fairly sure," Bria assured her cheerfully. Funny how certainty and manifesting were overlapping plenty these days. "I also saw one yesterday... or maybe they saw me because it gave me this very stern look and I am a bit rusty on my Bowtruckle but also pretty confident that the clips and ticks were not particularly friendly. I positive they've been scouting the area ever since!" She lowered her voice dramatically, as if the ~~nonexistent~~ bowtruckles might overhear. "They’re terribly clever little things, you know. Can tell right away if you’re the sort to respect the trees or the sort to think it a fun pastime to carve your initials unnecessarily into bark."

Pleased by their agreement over the nasty business of drafts, Bria’s whole face lit up. "Exactly! You get it! A happy bowtruckle means a happy tree, and happy trees make for much friendlier grounds. Practically improving Hogwarts’ morale one mossy roof at a time!" . Of course, happy feathered friends also made for friendlier grounds AND skies - they were on her beatification agenda next. "Would I?! Yes please!" She scooted over immediately to make space in the grass and adjusted her basket of natural finds so it would be right in between them both. She held up what appeared to be a dried algae, iridescent-y and glinting green in the sunlight. "Perfect for a little fairy porch light, don't you think?"

"After a moment, she added as an afterthought, "And yes! Third year! What about you?"

Kolyander · 10-21-2025, 04:19 PM

"I'll keep my eyes wide open for them," Amph assured her with a simple yet firm nod of her head. "I'm not the best at speaking Bowtruckle either but I would agree with you on that." Every creature had its own way of telling others to keep away, Bowtruckle included. All one had to do was look for the signs. Which she knew how to do. Normally. "Not to worry, I was raised to respect everyone and everything." From the forest to the sea, she had no shortage of learning about creatures from all of her parents. Each one of them (both her dads as well as her mum) all had their own specialties.

The younger girls smile caused her to smile as well. Smiles were contagious after all. "Absolutely! We are in their home grounds and it's only right that we help them out whenever we can." She would much rather live amongst happy creatures than angry ones. Amphitrite knelt down beside Bria in the grass. "Alright then, what would you like me to do?" It was only fair of her to ask since this was Bria's project and she was simply helping her with it. Nod nod. "I thought so. Fourth year, so just a little older than you are." One year wasn't very much at all, especially when they had things in common. "Oooh, that would make for a really cute light when the sunshine hits it." How interesting to use algae! She wouldn't have thought of that!

sweetpinkpixie · 11-09-2025, 12:45 AM

Bria’s grin widened at the assurance, the edges of her eyes crinkling. "Dad is fluent. He learned it here after meeting Picketta - OH, that's his bowtruckle...but if you ask her she i more likely to tell you that he is her human, or her Home Tree in human form,” she explained with an excited wiggle. “My gift of the tongue is more with bird calls...but even if you can't speak the language of a creature, I think they can still tell what you mean as long as you are being sincere. I think you can do that with people too. I mean, mum and dad have taken us loads of places where we don't know the language but still manage to communicate mostly - even if a lot of it might be through gestures.”

Communication, after all, wasn't just about words...even if this Gryffindor was rarely ever short of them.

At Amphitrite’s question, Bria shifted her basket between them, a few acorn caps still rolling lazily in the grass. “Well,” she hummed, picking up a feather that had escaped earlier and held it between two fingers “If we can find more of these, and maybe a few bits of lichen or driftwood, it’ll help balance the texture. Oh, and if you see any snail shells that aren’t occupied, they make the prettiest curls of light once there is algae inside...just as long as they aren't overstuffed.”

Kolyander · 11-20-2025, 10:31 PM

A gentle laugh fell from her lips at hearing that. "That's honestly pretty cool. My mama and my dad's all work with creatures but none of them can speak Bowtruckle." Nod nod. This younger girl had a life growing up with creatures as well! To truly understand it is to live the life. "Absolutely. I've been around all different creatures but I really like ocean creatures and unicorns." It was safe to say she was her dad's daughter.

Gryffindor's did tend to have the gift of gab, didn't they? Amph always seemed to have something to say as well.

Her head tilted slightly to the side as she eyed the feather. Gathering the needed items was a job she could easily do without any trouble. "Sure. I'll see what I can find." All she needed was a good eye and to not disturb anything in her search. "Let's see what we can find..." Slowly getting to her feet, Amph wandered a few steps away, eyes scanning the area around them for anything that might be useful.

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