| Details for Herbology Assignment |
| Summary: | Professor Beery has a year-long assignment for all of his students. |
| Date: | September 6, 1937 |
| Location: | Gardens, Hogwarts |
| Plot: | Centaur Civil War |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Gardens, Hogwarts
Sculpted box woods and grafted flowering trees border fountains and statuary, benches of a wide variety of shapes and sizes affording a person the opportunity to stop and appreciate the beauty here or a quiet moment from the courtyard. A riot of salvia and geraniums are visible from one angle, maroon begonias alongide tall and bright scarlet bee balm blaze from the southern corner. Black eyes susans, contrast with rising sunflowers, tightly-clustered heads of sunny marigold and goldenrod bob lazily in the breezes that blow from the west. Across from the sunflowers, a profusion of green in the form of hostas and ferns coupled with Canterbury bells and even a few pitcher plants twist in a wilder jungle of more loosely-controlled foliage. Deep blue foxgloves, creeping lobelia and Siberian iris serenely fill the northern corner. Seventh Year Herbology students tend the garden of their own House's colors, those who truly care for their duties obviously taking visible pride in the health of their flowers.
Professor Beery in all of his bald headed cheshire cat smiling glory stands on a large decorative rock that's been carved with the Hogwarts Crest. There is a very large crowd of students so he places his wand against the side of his throat and gestures with the other hand in grand theatrical sweeping motions. "Gather around ye good students! It is so good of you to come. I shall not make a big production and get right to the crux of why I have gathered you here. Everyone this year will explore the gardens here, you may venture north a little to the Fringe of the Forest, but no venturing very deep. Stay in groups. Don't wander off alone and be back here within two hours with a plant of your choosing. Grass is not an option, Mr. Hart or Mr. Higgins." Cue Shelta muttered curses from the crowd. "The plant you select will be cared for by you throughout the year, at the end of the year there will be a presentation on your year with the plant and what you've both learned about each other. Now, all manner of pots have been stacked here beside the rock. Let us Sally Forth and Tally Ho!"
Hephaesta stares incredulously at Professor Beery. She doesn't have time for this sort of side-project! Unless…her mouth twists up to the side as she contemplates possibilities. As she goes to collect the largest pot she can find, her eyes scan the other students for the largest boy she can find. She's going to need a sturdy pair of arms for what she has in mind.
Noalan Sits patiently on the edge of one of the fountains as the class fills up. At least the class is taking place outside today. As nice as the green house can be in the winter, it tends to be way to stuffy. As the professor speaks up and gives them the meat of their assignment he glances around, appearing disappointed at what he sees. He stands up, "Well, who wants to help me dig up and carry back an Ash Tree?" He jests.
Herbology is a class that has some people excited. People like Cillian are excited as well. He's all well uniformed up, not a hint of nakidity. He's just quiet and listening as he idly scratches above his eye patch and he gives a cheer from where he's standing, pumping a fist in the air and then he gives a tiny bounce, seeking out a good sized pot and he hmms thoughtfully. Find a plant indeed, he checks to make sure he has his wand tucked securely.
Avery doesn't like Herbology, really. Okay, let's be honest, she really just doesn't like /dirt/. Kind of a problem. It's with great reluctance that she enters the queue for the pots and takes one, holding it with her fingertips and giving it the same stare-down treatment most everything gets. "I wonder if I can find a plant that grows in the air," she muses to herself.
Liam blinks a few time as he hears the professor's words, shaking his head a little bit. "Hitta plantjavlen…" he mutters to himself, before he looks around for the others now, shaking his head a little bit at Noalan's words. "I'd prefer an oak," he comments, a bit lightly.
Idrissa blinks as she lifts her head as she takes in everything that was just said. They get to go find plants, and bring up back? She smirks at Noalan. "I think that might be a little hard unless it is a little tree." This said with a soft murmur, mostly to herself while she holds her Herbology books grasped tightly to her chest. A glances around the class pondering whom all is to be found seeing how they have to partner up with someone. Can't it just be a one person team?
Hephaesta perks up at Noalan's jest, and suddenly there is a round-faced Ravenclaw in his face. "I will! I mean…if you'll help me with a tree as well." She bites her lip, looking hopeful.
Cullaine walks over to the pots, and takes a good look at them, selecting one abovut the size of his head. Turning it upside done, he taps it twice, to make sure there's no loose dirt inside, and he places it on his skull, like a terracotta helmet. Whistling, he walks towards the forest, hands in pocket, pot on head.
"Oak, ash, it's all good. I say we all get big trees and bring back half the forest." Noalan says to the resonance. "I know my common room could use more green." That said, he moves over to the stacks of pots. Despite what he said about the tree, he picks up a one of the smaller pots and tucks it under his arm. Seeing some students already heading towards the forest, he heads that way himself.
Alcimus looks over the pots, then out toward the gardens, then toward the other students, thinking for a while. "Well, there's certainly a lot of choices, of plants and people." he comments. "Now let's see… Who looks like a good partner…" Eventually he focuses on Idrissa and steps toward her. "Why don't we work together?" he asks.
Briar calls out when she sees the Gryffindor firstie wandering off alone with a pot on his head. She looks around at the collective Gryffindors. "Someone might want to call back Pothead over there, before Beery starts striking points…" Her voice raises, though she cups her hands around her mouth as if it would keep it from reaching Beery's ears. "Don't go alone group up first!"
Avery knows some people here! Sort of! It's been a long week, okay? So she looks around in a panic and then takes off after … Pot-head-boy? "That's a funny way to carry your pot," she tells Cullaine, falling into step with him.
Idrissa moves onwards to pick up a pot, which is about medium sized and easy to carry. At the voice she blinks and looks to Alcimus curiously, a soft oh escapes her and she ponders. "Well… Alright." Is finally said as if she had to /really/ think about this. With book tucked under her arm and pot in hand she starts to follow after the others. "Ah, do you know a lot about plants?" This questioned curiously to her 'partner'. A glance is sent his way. "I'm Idrissa by the way." Might as well get that over with.
Cillian has been left alone, its true but he just worries his bottom lip and turns in a slow circle before taking a few steps forward and he takes a deep breath. It takes a moment as yes…he's removing his shoes and tugging off his socks and then stepping back on the ground, closing his eye and taking a deep breath…toes a wiggling. "Where are you little plant.." And he starts walking.
Cullaine rolls his eyes, over his shoulder, attempting to hide his glare from the professor. Looking over at Avery, he shrugs, rustling the pot on his head. "Keeps my hands free, doesn't it," he asks, with a smile. He slows down a bit, not trying to force the girl to walk faster than her normal gait. "Know anything about plants," he asks, curiously.
Muttering something under his breath, Liam snatches up one of the pots, shaking his head a little bit. Moving to join those others preparing to go forth and get their plants now, still muttering a little to himself.
"I suppose," admits Avery slowly, as if she suspects his somewhat rhetorical question to actually be a trap. Her own pot is tucked under her arm, being not very big. "A bit, but not much. I've read a book or two."
"Not really," Alcimus notes. "I thought you might though," he adds. "You kind of look like the kind of person who would know about plants." Maybe it's the height. Or the eyes. Or the fact that she's in Ravenclaw, they know everything. "Well, I'm sure we'll be able to figure this out together."
Hephaesta watches Noalan go with a frown on her face. Letting out a frustrated huff, she looks about among the hundreds of students still milling about. Aha! It's Ellbert Winston, Ravenclaw Beater! Now that's a pair of strong arms. She waves excitedly at him as she hurries over. "Ellbert! It's me, Phae!" The tall boy looks a bit skeptical, until she whispers her plan in his ear, eliciting an ear-to-ear grin from him. As they make their way toward the forward, she calls out, "Cillian!" The boy is walking alone, and that's a recipe for disaster, even on the outskirts of the forest.
There is a chuckle from behind Cillian, "Cute, say, does that actually work?" Colton Higgins really isn't great in Herbology. Not when it comes to this sort of nurturing something all year long. "Oh hey! Do you know if there's a plant that can breath smoke and exhale all sweet fresh smelling stuff?" Yes, leave it to the Irish Traveller to want to turn the Year Long Herbology project into something that will allow him to get away with smoking in the dorm room. All buddy buddy with the little patchy eyed lion now, Colton moves to sling an arm over his shoulders hopefully. "Oh look, it's Phae…she's smart. I bet she knows about a smoke eating plant. Let's go join up with her!"
Idrissa knows a good amount about plants, though if this was Magical Creatures class she wouldn't have a problem in the least! "Well, I know a good amount. What I do know I find out though." Is offered with a soft tone as she chews on her lip. She hears Hephaesta and glances back curiously hearing the 'Ravenclaw Beater' bit. Though her attention turns back to Alcimus. "We're find something, bunch of plants an so forth."
Cillian's eye snaps open when he hears Hephaesta and he lifts a hand to wave. "Hello Oh Wise and Wonderful One!" Then he looks to Colton with a snort and a shake his head. "Ye lookin' for a smoke smellin' plant, put the smoke in, get pretty smells out? Oi…" He actually seems tickled pink as he does head in that direction. "If she doesn't maybe she can be makin' ye one…"
Cullaine clucks his tongue, looking towards the forest. "Well," he says, dryly. "I guess we'll just make it up as we go along." He squints, focusing his eyes on the treeline. "I doubt they'd let us around anything -too- dangerous, though I've heard a mandrake can kill you with its scream." He looks over at Avery, and smiles weakly.
Hephaesta's eyes widen a bit when she sees that Colton has joined up with Cillian. For a moment, she considers letting them go their own way. But she'd rather not inflict that upon Cillian. She puts on an awkward smile and waves. "We'll be safer if we're all together. Ellbert, this is Cillian Peele, and I think you and Colton are familiar. Cillian, this is Ellbert Winston. He was a beater for the Ravenclaw team last year."
Avery follows his gaze towards the forest and screws her face up in an awkward fashion. "If it's alright by you, I'd prefer we maintained a distance from the forest. I saw two students racing and then one of the trees tried to grab them, so I think it might be best to just…not go near." On the other hand, "Though I was hoping to gather perhaps a moss or something." At this new information regarding mandrakes she looks singularly unimpressed. "Everyone knows mandrakes are deadly."
"Right," Alcimus says. "So, which way should we go?" He looks again toward the plants in the garden. "Should we go for something safe, or something more interesting?"
There's one boy who is particularly keeping his distance - as much as possible - from everyone else. However, there is full interest at the mention of the forest, even if it isn't very deep into it. Idly Gage wonders about picking up a small critter secretly rather than a boring /plant/. Ahem. Anyway, he is not going to approach anyone for a group, and because it was stated he scowls and withdraws further away from the class. His dark blue eyes dart about, looking for someone in particular. Ah, there! He starts toward Kyte, but stops when he notices his brother already talking to a group and frowns. Gage turns away. Maybe he'll get away with going himself.
"Mallowsweet…maybe some Sage…" Cillian worries his bottom lip. "It might be work it, aye…"
Cullaine exhales heavily, at the 'everyone knows' comment, but looks away, and back towards the forest. "Well, did you know that moss grows in dark places," he says, looking back at Avery. "Yep, it doesn't grow well in large, sunny places. Tends to grow best in places with shade… like a forest." He crosses his arms, and cocks his head to the side. "But if you want to stay here, and bring back a dandelion, feel free. I'm sure a Ravenclaw wouldn't mind receiving a deficient grade on this project."
Noalan looks over and see's notices his least favorite Ravenclaws heading in the same direction he is. "You're not going to try cursing me again are you?" He asks Gage as their paths converge. "You know, you Ravenclaws, Gryffindors too, have it easy." He says, brushing his fingers across some of the plants with his free hand. "Those of us below ground level are going to need to pick up mushrooms or some other plant that thrives in the dark and damp."
"Safe works." Idrissa offers, well she is totally not a risk taker so this shouldn't be a surprise. "Maybe we an find a Flutterby Bush?" This questioned to Alcimus as they walk along. "It's a type of bush that quivers and shakes. An every hundred years it ha flowers that gives off a scent to attract prey." So maybe she does know about plants to some degree. Hearing a voice she looks over to catch sight of Noalan and frowns slightly at the Ravenclaw bit. "An just what does that mean?" Is questioned to Noalan, though she does catch sight of Gage, whom gets a slight wave.
Hephaesta tilts her head curiously. "What was that, Cillian? Anyhow, I need to go into the forest. But I'll understand if you'd rather not."
Avery gives Cullaine an unpleasant look. "Yes, I know that moss prefers shade." There's a moment of dithering fleeting across the Ravenclaw's face before she exhales unhappily. "Fine. But if something comes for us, I'm pushing you down and running."
Cillian offers a smile to Hephaesta and shakes his head slowly. "Oh c'mon…now…" He offers a hand. "We'll 'ead into the forest." He raises his voice. "Oi! Cullaine! Beautiful Claire! Me friends, come and join the bunch…we'll go get bits and come back out, all freshly plant diggin' out…there's a promotion innit for ye Cullaine!"
Cullaine chuckles, and starts walking towards Cillian. "If something comes for us, Miss Avery," he says, levelly. "It's probably going to go after the loudest sound. Why don't we join Cillian?" He smiles back towards her, with a sardonic grin transfixing his face. "If you don't have to waste time pushing me down, you can flee even more quickly."
Noalan turns and gives Idrissa brief lopsided grin, "Oh, Hey, you've escaped becoming a tree yourself, good to see you out in the fresh air. What do I mean by what? If it's about Ravenclaws having it easy, well, it's hard to grow roses underground isn't it? A nice airy tower with lots of windows would make the task a bit easier. I'm Lan by the way."
Avery seems to think the plan to get Cillian eaten is an excellent one, since she goes without complaint towards the boisterous boy. "Just remember, you don't have to be fast, just faster than somebody else." The awkward brunette then lifts a hand and waves it to the group they're approaching. "Hello, Cillian. Who are your friends?"
"That doesn't sound too bad," Alcimus says. "If it's a bush it'll be a good size, so it'll be easy to see how much work we're doing. But it probably won't be as hard as some other things." He starts off into the garden, looking for shaking bushes, and also looking to make sure they aren't being shaken by other students.
Hephaesta chuckles at Cillian, taking the young boy's hand. When Cullaine and Avery arrive, she gives a little wave. "Hello. I've seen you around the Girls' Tower," she says to Avery, clearly referring to the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory. "I'm Phae."
Idrissa frowns while she watches Noalan a few moments. "Why would I beome a tree?… Oh." This said after a moment as she remember seeing him in the library during the morning. She clears her throat and nods slightly. "Well just depends on the plant. There's gurdyroot, ort of looks like a onion, and is root like." Totally why it is called gurdyROOT. "Or there is leaping toadstool.. or valerian root.." Maybe she knows more then she thinks. A glance is sent after Alimus and she follows along, though there is a curious glance sent towards the others as they go towards the forest, curious perhaps. "I dono if there is any in the garden, may have to actually go a bit further. Which I suppose is alright."
Cullaine says, "How delightlyfully cutthroat of you, Avery," under his breath. He smiles towards Cillian, and weakly waves to the others. "So," he says. "Whats the plan then?"
Cillian looks between Avery and Cullaine before looking back to Hephaesta with a grin. "Now that we're all introduced…by the way the lil' beauty with the brains is Claire Avery, ever so clean and I'm sure doubly as keen." He winks to the girl before looking back to the others. So…we all go in, get to pickin', find sometin' that catches our attention and 'ope when we put it in the pot it doesn't spit in our eyes or bite off our finger. Simple enough!"
Avery smiles at Hephaesta and offers her hand as is proper, "Claire, it's nice to formally meet you, Phae." Almost proudly she tells Cullaine, "Oh yes, the sorting hat very nearly put me in Slytherin." Cillian gets the Toad Look, as we'll call it, the bug-eyed look that says she just doesn't know what to do with him and his silver tongue. "I just want moss," she tells them all flatly. It's a perfectly boring plant for a seemingly boring girl.
Alcimus stops, looking back toward Idrissa. "Oh, right. We should find something that we're sure is here, rather than looking for something that might not be," he notes. "Oh yes," he adds as he overhears some introductions, "I'm Alcimus."
Hephaesta nods, "There should be plenty of moss in the woods. Everyone stay close now." Starting again toward the forest, she reaches into her robes, producing her Site-Rite Goggles. She makes a few adjustments to the dials and knobs on the contraption, and slips them on.
All of this talk about smoking has reminded Colton that he's forgotten his smokes. "I'll be back." He ruffles Cillian's hair, gives Phae a wink, waves to everyone else and starts to jog back to the castle.
As Gage starts to trudge he tries to use the crowd so that it's not so noticeable that he's not with anyone (not so easy when you're tall). Gage glowers over at Noalan as he speaks to him, returning his comments back with a silent stare. He quickly turns his head to look away from him, clenching his jaw as he starts to move again. Nope - not going to talk to him. No, no, no. He does look surprised as he catches Idrissa's wave though, and he tilts his head as both eyebrows lift. There's a small twitch of his lips as he smiles weakly. Then he turns to start for the forest again - you know, got to get that planet and all. Yeeeaaaa.
Idrissa finally gives in to peer presure it seems and points towards the forest fringe, everyone else is going that way might as well follow yes? "Well Alcimus… I give up being safe let's follow along. I don't think there is going to be a flutterbush around here." There is a pause and she ohs. "Nice to meet you, Idrissa." This said softly again before she peers back at Noalan. "Suppose that makes sense." An yes she did catch that bit of a smile from Gage.
"You sit so long you take root." Noalan answers, even though she already seems to get it. "Slow down slow down, I should write this down." Got to love Ravenclaws, he eyes Gage, well, some of them. "HEY NOW GAGE, YOU SHOULD KEEP CLOSE TO YOUR PARTNERS." Lan says, over loud so the teacher is sure to hear. He moves more towards Idrissa, "Any of those plants you named particularly easy to take care of?"
"All right then," Alcimus answers, getting closer to Idrissa. "Let's live on the edge! Just be careful."
Beery looks up when Lan shouts, "Why is it always Mr. Hart?" He mutters to himself and then calls out, "I do believe I made it clear that you must stick to a group if you go to the Forest's Fringe, Mr. Hart. Five points from Ravenclaw." Now that his attention is drawn to the stragglers he gives them five seconds to start looking like they are going to be rejoining the bulk of the students, if they don't he calls out more loss of points to whomever's House is straggling.
"What are those?" demands Avery, seeing Hephaesta's goggles. And then she hears points being deducted from her house and turns her head to glare at Gage.
Hephaesta joins in the Gage-glaring…though it is considerably less menacing through the goggles. "They're my goggles," she explains to Avery. "So I can see in the dark places in the trees…and keep webs and motes out of my eyes."
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Forest Fringe, Hogwarts
This large patch of open ground at the Forbidden Forest's very edge is covered in pumpkin vines giving the ground a dark green look with sudden and festive splashes of orange in places where the pumpkins can be seen through the leaves. The pumpkin patch is protected from vermin incursions by three large scarecrows randomly set on large poles throughout, dressed in brightly colored rags and floppy hats the wave and snap with the slightest breeze. The Forbidden forest to the north looms grimly even on the brightest of days. Many trees that should have brightly colored leaves here seem to only have the darkest of green leaves, so dark they nearly look black. Hanging and posted from many trees along the fringe are signs that read:
!!DO NOT ENTER FOREST!!
//The Werewolves will eat you, the Bugbears will suck your blood, the bowtruckles will stab out your eyes and the School will not be held liable for anything that happens to you beyond the tree line. Not to mention it will most likely end in your death. Good news, if you don't die, you'll only be suspended or expelled.
Thank you,
Hogwarts Administration//
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"He is with his partners!" Idrissa calls out and then oys as she hears the teacher. A glare is sent towards Lan. "I dono, find it yourself." She isn't going to help him anymore it seems. She isn't glaring at Gage like other Ravenclaws at least. "Go find your book." Is sent towards Noalan while she opens her turning a few pages and goes about looking for a piture of a flutterbush so she can show Alcimus it seems.
Cillian looks around warily as he ventures forth with his group, all nerves of steel and an easy going smile, his pot his shifted to hold under his arm as he nods slowly. "Alright…" He points to the trees. "Iffen get get a bit of moss, you'll probably need a bit of bark with it or whatever its growin' on…if ye look for baby plants then well…guess we gotta be gentle…"
"Not that is an adequate sign," says Avery as they near the fringe and she's able to read the notices posted along the treeline. "I'm not going in there," she tells Cillian. "She specifically said /not/ to enter the forest." Which is exactly what those trees say. "And moss grows on rocks, too. Perhaps I can find a nice rock with moss on it."
Alcimus is making sure to keep with the group and follow the rules. "So, do you think those bushes might be around here?" he asks Idrissa as he watches her look through the book. "Forests will definitely have different kinds of plants than a garden."
Hephaesta moves carefully along the treeline, inspecting each tree she passes and looking down to the book in her hands. This book, however, is not the Herbology textbook. Rather, it is a copy of a book on the subject of broomsticks.
Cullaine nods towards Avery, and whistles, watching the treeline for movement. He rocks froward and backward on his heels, looking like a man with a flowerpot on his head waiting lackidasically for a bus. "Woonder if dittany grows around here," he says, mostly to himself.
Ogg is just stepping out of the the forest, dragging along behind him something that's been covered up in a tarp. When some students get noisy he bellows and roars, "OGG!" Waving them off and glowering at the students that begin to make fun of him as he continues to drag the large tarp covered thing. Though all laughing ends when from the back of the tarp all the dragging makes a crumply noise as a large humanoid hand slides out of the hidden confines and flops onto the grass where it drags along lifelessly behind Ogg as he goes.
Can you slug someone with subtlety? Gage stops in spot at the yell from Noalan, scowling in his direction. He turns a nice shade of red, hunching his shoulders forward. Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't- He frowns as he's addressed by the Professor and avoids looking at anyone. Grumbling something under his breath, he slows down to follow Noalan then.
Noalan puts a hand to his chest as if wounded, "I was just looking out from my younger school-mates wellbeing. Better he should loose points than loose his hand to some ravenous beast." The sole glare Lan gets from pointing out the safty issue doesn't detour him, "Know do you know bioluminescent plants? Would really help the gloom of the dungeon to have some a fern that shines like the moon or…" He cuts off at the arrival of the roaring man. "What is that?" He says slowly, eyeing shifting from the hand to the man and back.
Cullaine watches the… things step out of the forest, and stops moving when it bellows. Standing very still, he blanches when he sees a hand flop out of the tarp. "Someone should go get a teacher," he says with an ashen face. "Now!"
Idrissa finds the flutterby bush pictures and lowers the book to show it to her partner. "Here it is." She points at the bush so Alcimus can see which one it is. "Well bushes are found at the fringe of the forst too." She is then pointing out towards the bushes that she can see. Hey did one just quiver? "maybe that is one?" Hearing Noalan she shaeks her head. "Really, if you cared that much you would have tryed to keep up with him then try to get him in trouble." Her bright gaze lifts and she pauses to peer at Ogg and blinks a few times, a soft ah escapes her while she shifts some to watch what he is dragging as he comes closer and closer. Is that a hand. "Alcimus… What is that?" Is questioned while she swallows, suddenly getting rather pale.
Cillian stares intently at the roaring man and his eyebrows raise as he stares at Ogg, mouth dropping open and he tilts his head to the side. He takes a deep breath. "Cullaine…get Claire and Hephaesta back a bit will ye…" He actually steps in forward a few steps, blinking and peering curiously. He doesn't drop his pot though! He just stares then offers with a wave of a hand. "….top o' the morning to ye? What's that ye got there? Breakfast? Lunch? M' particularly famished…say, do ye know anyting about smokeable weeds?"
Cullaine blinks; stares, and blinks. "They can bloody well get themselves back," he yells at Cillian.
Hephaesta boggles first at Ogg and his quarry, then at Cillian. She rushes over to the First Year, tugging at his robe. "Cillian…don't." Despite the boy's orders to see to her safety, it is she moving protectively to shield him from the sight. "Just…just concentrate on Professor Beery's assignment."
"Oh, that might be it," Alcimus notes, looking between the book and the bushes. "Maybe if I got closer to it I could check the leaves…" He then watches Ogg as he goes by. "Well… I think he's the groundskeeper. At least he looks like what Val told me about him," he notes (Val being Alcimus' older sister Valeria). "As for what he has in his bag… that would be the thousand-Galleon question."
To those perceptive enough, Ogg looks very rather sad when he realizes the children have witnessed the hand and that he's failed at protecting them from seeing it. flustered and being questioned by many different people at many different angles he gives another bellowing roar as he turns around to tuck the hand back into the tarp with actual great reverence. "Leave us alone." He growls under his breath.
Cullaine mutters to gunsekfm as the kids start forward. "No one bloody thinks," he says to himelf, spinning on his heel. Taking off at a fast jog, one of his hands is on top of his head, to hold the pot in place, as he makes for the Herbology teacher. "I'd prefer an auror, but a botnanist will do in a pinch," he says, in between breaths.
Avery watches Ogg quietly. Yah, otherwise, she's got nothing.
The little argument over house points is rather forgotten at this point. Nothing like a large, shouting man carrying, what may very well be a corpse, to command attention. "Who is the other person in this 'us' exactly?" Noalan asks, his eyes are drawn, inexorably to the hand again, "Do you need someone to get the school nurse? Or a Necromancer?"
"…'ave you no shame man! Get-whoa…" Cillian has to blink, taking a step back when he's tugged at and he blinks several times at the roar, tilting his head to the side and then the other side and he actually looks a bit sad now, biting his bottom lip. "Yeah…we-we shouldn't stare…poor bloke…" He holds up a hand to Ogg and points to his bad eye. "Dun worry sir! Didn't see anyting! Just a 'and…m' a half-blind blighter." He turns back to the others, murmuring. "We /have/ to get that…man thing a very large…cookie or somethin'…" He sighs and watches after Cullaine. "Oi! Get 'elp and ask 'im if he has any cookies!" Then he looks back to Ogg. "Don't worry mate! We're just gatherin' plants!"
Idrissa chews on her lip and takes in a soft breath. "I'm sorry…" Is said with a soft murmur as she hears Ogg talking about leaving them alone. She skitters bak a few steps and her book is dropped in the process and she follows after it scrambling a few steps before just sitting. Alright she's down and is going to stay seated for a few moments! Oh look more pictures in her book and she is eyeing it while trying not to look over at the tarp.
"Cillian! Shush!" Hephaesta scolds the boy, glancing nervously back at Ogg. "You'll only make him more angry." Suddenly being very maternal, she tries to usher Cillian away from the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. "He's half-troll, you know," she whispers to Cillian. "If he got mad enough, he might eat every last one of us."
Gage should probably start looking around more - you know, for a plant, or something else more interesting? (One can hope, ahem). His attention is whipped over to Ogg, or more importantly, to the tarp. He just stares for a long time, looking rather, well, scared. "Is that an injured centaur?" He swallows, assignment forgotten. And he certainly doesn't want to believe an animal is dead.
Cullaine pulls up breathless before Professor Briar. Pantong, he puts his hands on his knees then straightens up, taking a deep breath. "Ogg-thing. Tarp. Body in tarp. Dead body. Cillian. Idiot," he suys, gasping in between words. He points towards the forest edge. "That way."
Avery gives Cillian a sideways look. "Do you ever stop speaking?" she asks him curiously. Then, trusting that the school would not hire a murderous creature as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. This firmly established, and her partner ran off to do the bidding of a — yes, idiot — she folds her arms and waits for the dust to settle.
"There's a very thin line between angry and 'aving a pain in yer heart…" Cillian murmurs softly to Hephaesta, glancing to Avery with a wistful smile then he just blinks slowly. "He's half-troll? That just means 'is tears would flow further…can't ye see?" He eyes Ogg and the tarp. "Do ye see how he ain't flingin' it about and treating it carelessly?" He does have to point this out. A long pause, taking a few steps away and dropping to his knees as he just stares at the ground and frowns a bit, fingers idly picking a few growing things. "What is known is never known and what's not known is always seen, seldom do we feel the heart while screaming all the beauty sings…" He whispers softly. "The bark of trees is louder yet than the moans of roots below and no more do the wings of butterflies flutter as flowers are buried in snow."
Hephaesta maintains her protective stance over Cillian. "Even if that's true, it doesn't mean he won't eat you. 'Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus,'" she quotes the Hogwarts motto at him. "'Never tickle a sleeping dragon,' and leave angry half-trolls alone."
Beery blinks and with a flourish tosses his scarf around his neck one more time and then moves to hurry along and follow the panting little first year. "Away we go!"
Cullaine shakes his head, standing his ground. "You go on ahead," he says, pointing back in the direction he came. "I'll just stay here, and make sure everything is okay… here. Away from the Ogg. Could be a mite bit tricky, but don't worry about me - I've got this general area covered.
Very awkwardly Ogg does his best to now scoop up whatever is in the tarp. As the poor lout is struggling to hold the oddly shaped lump in the tarp there is a clatter and a snap as a quiver of arrows slides out the feathers are a bright grassy green for the fletching, the snap sound is soon followed by a broken at the shaft arrow with dark green fletching, the shaft stained in blood. When Ogg sees the Professor he gives a snarl and a snort. Beery gasps and says, "Cue dramatic faint." He doesn't actually faint though. He instead claps his hands and does a herding motion like a child does when trying to herd feral cats. "Back to your assignment students! Never mind the man beneath the tarp."
"…Right," Alcimus says, trying to shake off his nervousness and go back to approaching the bush that he was heading for. "Back to bushes… Let's see those leaves, then?" He closely inspects the leaves of one of the bushes that he thought might have moved.
Cillian notices the snap and the arrows and he actually tears up a bit before his jaw sets. He does nod though, slowly, bending over to brush his fingers against the dirt, feeling and tickling any shoots and grass his fingers may hit and he takes a deep breath. "Never again…" He murmurs softly. "Never again will this happen…"
For Lan, the question isn't so much, is it a centaur, but what happened to it. Since Ogg isn't telling them to run for the school, whatever caused it must not be close by. Still, something strong enough to lay out a centaur isn't something he wants to mess with. The arrows are a clue though. "Was it a clan war?" Noalan asks quietly. Feuding centaurs could cause some bad collateral damage. Still, better to give the dead their privacy. Clearing his throat he turns, "Uh, ya, so those Leaping tree roots, or whatever, what do they look like?"
Idrissa does peer up as she heara Gage question Ogg about the tarp. By now she has stood back up book in hand once more and she clears her throat. The sight of feathers is caught, bright green? Her eyes widen slightly as thoughts are already running through her head. Humanish hand, bright green feathers, an arrows… One is bloody looking. She looks up hearing the professor's voice and errs softly about to say or perhaps question something before she chews on her lip. She hears Alcimus and ohs, right the bush. Her gaze is lingers on the trap a few moments more before she turns to find that plant, though she is half listening to the conversation that Lan.
Avery has decided she's had enough. She reshuffles her hold on the pot and regroups with Cillian and Phae and tells them pleasantly, if flatly, "Perhaps moss is overrated. I believe that may be gurdyroot that way, however." The Ravenclaw nods thataway.
Hephaesta nods to Avery in agreement…well, at least in confirmation. She remains undeterred in her quest for the perfect tree. "Come on, Ellbert," she says, beckoning her Beater along. "I think I might see what we need."
Gage doesn't take his eyes off the tarp, just swallows again. He shifts uneasily when it's lifted and the arrows fall out. "Wait, no-" What can HE do that the Keeper can't? Gage turns his head and looks away, pushing up his eyeglasses as he rubs the heel of a hand against his eyes. Stuffing away his glasses into a pocket, Gage replaces them with his sunglasses and walks after Lan silently.
Alcimus looks back. "Do you have that book? The bush isn't moving right now, but… Maybe I missed something," he says to Idrissa.
Idrissa continues on over to Almius to look at the plant, though her mind is totally not on finding plants at the moment. She opens her book one setting the pot down and finds the page with the flutterbush on it. "It has light green leaves." So helpful right? "Suppose to wiggle and shake an stuff." She looks to the plant that Alcimus has found and reaches out to poke at it a few times. The bush next to it instead wiggles a few times. "Ah.. Maybe that is it?"
This class certainly turned solemn, and the edge of the forest has lost a bit of the mystique it held just a moment before. Noalan looks around at the plants, "If this is the start of a war between the grassy herd and the Deep forest herd, there may be a lot more dead centaurs coming out of the forest soon." He says, apparently to Gage. Not really the most knowledgeable wizard when it comes to plants, he mostly looks at the plants growing closest to where the trees get the thickest. If the plants there can survive with the limited sunlight the tree cover gives, then maybe they can survive a life in the dungeon.
Hephaesta spends the remainder of the two hours carefully hunting down the perfect young tree, and relying upon the strength of Ellbert to haul it back to Professor Beery. "Of course I could use a levitation charm," she is heard explaining to him, "But I'm not going to risk influencing it with magic until I know what I'm doing…"
Idrissa hums while she looks over a bit in her book and then closes it. Pot is picked up again and she kneels down next to the plant. "Careful like, don't want to hurt it or anything." Wouldn't want to hurt a bush that can shake around right? An thus she goes about digging up some of the dirt with the hands from the ground near the bush and puts it into the pot before working on digging up the plant, making sure there is plenty of dirt for the roots an so forth.
Gage doesn't really care all that much about looking for plants. It wasn't all that interesting before, and now the assignment feels more like a burden. The Ravenclaw stares at Noalan when he comments, and then looks away from him as his eyebrows disappear behind his shades. Silent and only partially looking around - part of him just wants to head back - Gage eventually says in a rough, low tone. "Do you know how to keep a plant from dying?" Because a full year? Gage couldn't keep a plant alive for a week, let alone a year.
"You really are good with plants," Alcimus observes. "I should learn to do things like that, or else you'll end up doing all the work." He smiles a bit.
Idrissa ahs softly as she hears Alcimus and peers over a thim. "I'm better with animals, creatures… But I read a lot so I've read plenty about plants." Well of course she reads alot! She is a Ravenclaw and they tend to keep there heads in books don't that. "I'm better with potions then plants.." An she is rambling again before she points towards her Herbology book. "It talks about taking care of plants and the looks. Good to get reading on it. I don't mind taking care of the bush but you have to help, or else." Or else what? No telling with Rissa, most likely nothing really. The plant wiggles and shimmies about as it is dug up and Rissa is careful not to break to many roots in the process, once she has as many gathered up as she can she places it into the pot.
"Of course," Alcimus says with a nod, trying not to imagine what she might mean by "or else". "It wouldn't be very Slytherinly of me to mooch off someone else and not take the initiative to actually work," he adds, looking down at the patch on his uniform. "I'll be sure to help out."
Idrissa peers over at Alcimus a moment, pondering this before nodding. "We're see I suppose." For the simple reason that he is a Slytherin is why she thinks this reason. With more dirt put into the pot, book tucked under her arm she picks up the pot and starts to head back towards the school. "Well, let's go get it some water an see what Professor Beery thinks about it?" The flutter bush shimmies and shakes now and then within it's new pot.
"Right," Alcimus answers, following close behind Idrissa.
Noalan lets out a soft pfts, "No. My favorite plant is a cactus, for that very reason." Not likely to find a cactus around here though. Giving up he turns to face back towards the guarden, "I think I'm going to go back and pickup one of those Pitcher plants from the garden. A plant that feeds it's self and gets rid of pests sounds like the best option to me."
You know, Gage is game for that now - to grab something from the gardens. He casts a glance over his shoulder, frowning and looking back ahead. He nods silently to Noalan, turning to follow him back. "Do you think he'll take them away at the end of the assignment?" he asks lowly. "Beery."
Noalan shrugs, "I couldn't say. If the plant was terribly valuable I doubt he'd let people take them to begin with." Not that he really cares one way or the other, "Ask him if you want to keep it."
Gage says nothing more as he follows Noalan out.