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sweetpinkpixie · #1 (**permalink**) 07-06-2019, 05:25 PM

The temperature drops as you approach the front gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. The castle that can usually be seen off in the distance is entirely obscured by the thick mist that has settled. Just a glance makes it difficult to see where the mist ends and the sky begins. It is as if the entire castle is engulfed.

An eerie silence hangs about. No birds fly overhead and there are no creatures big or small scurrying in the vicinity. The occasional rustle of unseen leaves are all that occasionally step in to break the silence.

There is an ominous feel as you get closer, a dread you cannot explain but it weighs heavy on you the closer you get. Just nerves? A justifiable fear?

The mist almost seems to watch you as you approach. As if it is its own living being and the feeling is enough to send chills up your spine. What lies ahead?

Quote:

This thread is a special 'out in the field' thread for employees of the Ministry of Magic RPG. Please do not post here unless you have been given permission to do so..

Lislchen · 07-08-2019, 09:05 AM

Olly was NOT a born leader.

At all.

When she'd accepted the position as Department Head, she had not thought that the job would entail her leading her entire department on a dangerous mission. She might have declined if she'd been aware of that. DERP had seemed like such a...not-dangerous department too. If you knew your way around plants, that is of course. Yes, you had to be vigilant inside the greenhouses at all times but you still, usually, knew what to expect.

Not today, though. Not here.

With her wand in her hand, Olly had slowly made her way up from Hogsmeade, feeling more and more anxious the closer they got to the castle's gates. She trusted that her team were following her, she could even see some of them out of the corner of her eyes. She hadn't spoken unless somehow had asked her a question and she didn't intend to. If they had been waiting for an encouraging speech from her, they would be disappointed.

She slowed to a halt outside the gates. Rubbing her arm absently, Olly stared up at the castle...or rather, where she knew the castle to be. She couldn't actually see much through the mist surrounding it. Simply being this close to it made a small shiver run down her spine. Why couldn't the Aurors have dealt with this? Or Mysteries maybe? Basically anyone besides her own department.

She'd hugged Schuyler and Evie extra hard this morning before leaving for Hogsmeade.

Jessiqua · 07-08-2019, 11:17 AM

He'd known about the mist, of course, but being actually near it was a something he couldn't have prepared for. It was cold, even though Archer wasn't usually one to feel the cold. But it was seeing the gates of Hogwarts, but no Hogwarts. The mist was surrounding it entirely. "It's a haunting sight, isn't it?" he said as he came to join Olly.

He didn't want to be there. His wife and children were safe at home, and this he kept telling himself. But being here did not seem right. Not at all.

Ginevra · 07-08-2019, 11:28 AM

Lucy felt very uneasy as she joined Olly and Archer, her two bosses at the gates that led to Hogwarts. "I feel like something horrible has happened," the red-haired witch said to Olly and Archer in a tone that showed how uncharacteristically fearful she was at the moment.

She took in a small breath as she waited for her co-workers to join them.

Jean Granger · 07-08-2019, 12:20 PM

Carrie had dreamt of returning to Hogwarts one day, but not like this. She could not help but shiver slightly as she followed Olly and the team up to the school gates. It was impossible to make out the castle even from this relatively short distance due to the thick mist covering it. So this was the mysterious mist everyone was talking about... now that she was seeing it for herself, her fear heightened. Mixed with the feeling of dread was also concern for the people in the school. What exactly was going on?

Holding her wand in front of her, she stood silently next to her coworkers and looked around for any clue or sign of danger.

oh its Erik ok · 07-08-2019, 01:11 PM

Responsibility Sucked.

Has anyone else said that yet because it was all Alexander Brian was thinking about. He couldn't even nope out of the ministry office and go to a his favorites in really whatever country he was feeling at the moment. As long as his work gets done and the Juniors get their research in. Which reminded him Caroline still needed training at the greenhouse.

Well he will just remember that for later.

"You know i think this will feel like i'm back underwater, but anyway where is Kat?"

He said stopping by them well more by Olly and looking at the mist through the gate. Our fearless leader on this particular assignment. Tho technically it was Olly. But really this wasn't Olly's area of expertise.

Wont really be able to see, no creatures you could hear and all he had was his wand. Normal day really expect this mist looked different. Which is to be expected considering this is a Hogwarts issue.

Nothing is ever normal here.

Kimothy · 07-08-2019, 03:22 PM

"Right behind you, Pappadeaux," the blond called out. She'd stayed a bit behind to make sure her team had made it safely and joined the bigger group. In normal days, Katrina Belrose would watch out for herself, her priority being her own safety as she had a husband and children to come home to. Cassidy had a thousand and one questions about today's mission and Kat did her very best to dodge them. However, today, she had the rest of her division to keep an eye on. She wasn't complaining. Clearly Olly had a bigger scope to lead. On top of that, it wasn't just her and her colleagues she had to worry about. There were children trapped inside Hogwarts. A kind of situation that would drive any parent mad and ready to send their howlers at the Board of Governors.

For the record, Kat didn't want to be here either. This was much more than the greenhouses she had to deal with in her line of work. This place wasn't enclosed in glass, with bars of steel holding the structure up and charmed to keep the temperature in check. This was exposed, out in the open. It was not entirely under her or her team's control, and that thought alone was just unsettling. Even more so when this was the circumstance brought upon her on her most recent visit to her former school. Kat couldn't make out the figure of the castle from where they were.

Katrina Belrose would never admit nor show that the sight of all this was tying knots inside her stomach. She kept a serious and inspecting face as she surveyed the idea, her wand in her hand. There wasn't much she could make out. "Not exactly the homecoming party we'd expect." She hadn't been here since she graduated, but this wasn't how she imagined her return to Hogwarts to roll out. The blond glanced at Olly, waiting for a go signal if ever.

She was also still holding Alex to that nice bottle of wine after all this, by the way.

nicole black · 07-08-2019, 06:10 PM

Quentin pulled his coat tighter, his high collar covering the bottom of his face like a knight's helm. The others seemed disquieted, almost fearful, but not him. the son of Durm was resolved, determined- his heart taking the lead. His mother was in that castle. His little brother was in that castle. Surrounded, and possibly scared. It was more than a duty that would propel him onward.

He kneeled, as if in prayer, and grabbed a pinch of dirt from the ground. It was cold, almost brittle. It was clear. Whatever this mist was composed of was killing anything it touched. A shiver went down the young man's spine. "I don't know how to begin... " Quentin said, brushing his fingers off on his dark corduroy pants. The young man wore a scowl as he surveyed the mist, all-encompassing, but ever so harmless in appearance.

TakemetotheBurrow · 07-08-2019, 11:47 PM

There are children in that castle.

That had been the constant for her, the fact that remained the same when so much else was up in the air. Those kids could be her nieces, her nephews... Whatever this mist was that was trapping them inside of that castle, Mariana was determined to help find its weakness and get rid of it for them if she could manage it.

"It's so quiet." She shivered as she approached the gates, the silence more than anything putting her on edge. It was unsettling and it weighed on her, causing her pack of supplies to feel that much heavier. She adjusted the straps on her shoulders and stopped beside Quentin, his words resonating with her. How did they begin?

She was a botanist, so she focused on plants. Had the mist damaged them in some way? Some plants were able to pull mist from the air to survive, but the condition of the soil made her wonder if they'd be finding any greenery. Wonder if they'd be able to see it if they did...

**The Narrator** · 07-10-2019, 08:17 AM

It was quiet. And still. The only movement being the gentle swirl of the mist as its tendrils coiling around the bars on the gate and seeped through the gaps...almost as though reaching out to grab a hold of any living thing that came with in its ghostly grasp.

A twig snaps in the distance. Another ominous rustle in the grass. More silence. And there was a feeling that easily made the hairs stand on the back of your neck and palms sweat anxiously.

But the grey encroached no further, its phantom-like presence seemingly tied to the Hogwarts grounds themselves.

Ginevra · 07-10-2019, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Narrator

It was quiet. And still. The only movement being the gentle swirl of the mist as its tendrils coiling around the bars on the gate and seeped through the gaps...almost as though reaching out to grab a hold of any living thing that came with in its ghostly grasp.

A twig snaps in the distance. Another ominous rustle in the grass. More silence. And there was a feeling that easily made the hairs stand on the back of your neck and palms sweat anxiously.

But the grey encroached no further, its phantom-like presence seemingly tied to the Hogwarts grounds themselves.

Lucy instinctively took a step back to distance herself from the gate. The eerie sight that appeared in front of her made her breath tremble in fear. "What do we do?" she asked the group but the question was directed mainly at Olly and Archer. Lucy was trying to keep a brave facade on her features as she held her wand tightly in her hand.

Lislchen · 07-10-2019, 05:04 PM

Haunting.

Yes, that was a good way to put it for sure. The mist, it made her skin crawl even if it hadn't come into contact with it. Olly nodded in reply to Archer's comment and glanced at the others who had come to stand next to her. She'd already heard about what the mist looked like from her Climate Controllers but seeing it, experiencing it herself was a whole other thing.

'What do we do?'.

Olly would have LOVED to answer Lucille's question with 'leave'. But of course, she couldn't. ~~Not yet anyway.~~ So instead she glanced at her Division Heads, first Archer, then Kat, then Alexander Brian. None of them were making any suggestions so she turned to look at Lucille and Quentin. "I think we should take a few samples from out here. So we have something to compare it to. And to see if the environment outside the gates is affected, too." Also it meant that they could stay out here for a little longer.

"Yeah?" She added, looking at the Division Heads again. Good?

Kimothy · 07-11-2019, 09:23 AM

Kat was paying extra attention to the movement of the mist, but Quentin kneeling down nearby made her look at him for a moment with an eyebrow raised. Herbology...wasn't exactly her strongest subject. It worked hand-in-hand with her exceptional knowledge in potions, but other than that and finding suitable alternatives to the lack of an ingredient, she didn't know that much. The botanists had better skills in that matter, and so the blond made a mental note to ask for more information on what Quentin deduced from the pinch of soil. All information, at this point, were necessary.

She then turned her focus back at the mist to observe its movements. Her grasp tightened around her wand as she watched the ghostly tendrils try to reach out for them through the gaps of the gate. Kat didn't know the extent of this mist's threats, but there were a few spells she had in mind in case anything went out of hand. And yes, she was aware that it might have seemed like a trial-and-error case. The only thing she was certain of was that her team had already proved that this mist wasn't some weather disturbance. That alone had already cancelled out a bunch of counter-spells on the list.

"The mist looks contained. Bound to the grounds." Kat's eyebrows furrowed at one of the ghostly tendrils, like it was mocking her. She glanced sideways at Olly then gave her a nod of agreement to her instruction, before looking for wherever that snapping sound came from. Probably from the inside. The blond decided that she did not like this. Not one bit. But her school friends had children inside that castle along with their classmates. Innocent kids. She was a parent herself, and she knew how worrying it could be.

She was actively going to ignore the fact that they might have to gather samples from inside the grounds later. She was dreading it already.

However they had an initial job to do, so Kat glanced at her team and gave then a signalling nod to get to work. She sent the plant removal specialists to work with and assist Archer's team of botanists, but kept her fellow rangers and the climate controllers nearby to make sure the mist stayed right where it was, behind the gates. The blond joined them in as a group of them set up the necessary atmospheric equipment to check that the environment beyond the gates was under normal conditions.

oh its Erik ok · 07-11-2019, 01:47 PM

Well at least Kat was here and he didn't drink more from the bottle he keeps at his desk. If they make it out of this he will buy drinks for her and his whole department. Don't look at him, this was way way out of Alexander Brian's area of expertise. He was good with being out on and in the water and everything related. Not being on school grounds and deal with a mist that looked like it had a mind of its own. When they actually go in the mist he and his team could be useful.

Right now not so much. Ok Kat was getting her department ready so it was only a matter of it before he had to say something and since Olly had the decision it was time to get this show on the road...preferably as far away from the school as possible. But as we know, not possible. Nice if they could run away and say see ya Hogwarts. Good Luck but cant.

As he said, Responsibility Sucked.

"Looks like it wants to grab us, spooky stuff..ALRIGHT SAMPLES EVERYONE..and get your mind ready for if we have to go in"

Even the juniors could take samples. Should be no problem. Talking mostly to his division but really the sentiment could be related to everyone here. Since that was settled he took some careful steps closer to the gate to see what the mist would do with his wand out of course. Leading by recklessness or example.

You decide

nicole black · 07-12-2019, 03:09 AM

"Yeah." Quentin said, half turning to glance toward Mariana at the witch's all too apt comment. Silence, utter and complete. It sent shivers down the Englishman's spine, the kind that would have made a lesser man run for the hills. He rose from where he'd been kneeling, the knee of his trousers now covered in cold, gritty dirt.

With a nod to Olly, Quentin had not needed to wait for the others to offer up their agreements or grievances, the botanist got straight to work. He pulled one- two- three- and four phials from his cloak pocket and sunk once more to the ground. With a decisive, but careful jab of his wand Quentin sent several pinches of dirt from earth to the first phial until it was full to its very brim. Satisfied, he capped it and began to move on to a location just to the left. "Medina, I'll take this side, you take the right." He assumed he would not have to watch her work, Mariana - from what the young man had gleaned since working alongside her - was clever enough to manage.

"If there's any vegetation still alive.. I suggest we bubble it and take it back to the ministry." He trusted he would not have to explain the reason why. Focused as he was, Quentin did not consider his rank, or his superior's feelings. Certainly, no disrespect was meant toward Olly or the other Division Heads, but was not the time for elaborate pleasantries or red tape.

Ginevra · 07-12-2019, 04:15 AM

Lucy nodded at Olly's instructions/suggestion and got to work. She headed for a location to the right of where her fellow botanist, Quentin was gathering soil samples. Carefully, she began to seek out any signs of vegetation but couldn't locate any flora. With a frown on her face, Lucy gathered a few phials of soil that to her seemed devoid of substance before placing the phials in the pocket of her coat.

The botanist was determined to find some form of plant and so she kept looking until she found a small daisy in between the crevice of a rock. Pulling out an enchanted phial, Lucy used her wand to place the tiny flower inside. The daisy was now in a healthy environment. She placed the phial in a separate pocket than the soil samples and slowly got up from the ground and quickly removed the dirt from her jeans, using a cleaning charm.

"Does anyone need any help?" Lucy called out to the group in general.

griffin · 07-12-2019, 05:30 AM

Investigating a mysterious, persistent mist was not something Elizabeth had expected to need to do in her job as a research and development botanist. Seemed like the sort of thing that was more the climate controllers’ expertise, you know? Magical weather alterations were in their job description after all. Perhaps this task was just too big for the climate control subdivision to deal with themselves. Here she was, a botanist, out here in the field in a very different way than her usual work. A chill went down Elizabeth’s spine as she approached the gates to the school. It had been many years since she had last seen hogwarts and this was not at all what she had hoped to see here. Both of her daughters had attended Hogwarts and although they had both graduated and were off in the world, Elizabeth still clearly remembered what kind of terrors her children had faced, the worry she had felt for them, the tears the girls had shed when they told her about the scary and terrible things that had happened here. Right now Eizabeth was so worried for the safety of those children. Most of all she sympathized with the parents whose babies were trapped behind this mist. Did they know about the mist? She had an eerie feeling from all this mist. Right, time to get to work. At the department head’s order, Elizabeth put on her dragonhide gloves and got her sample phials ready. Squatting down, Elizabeth plucked some grass and placed it in a phial. Was this mist affecting the plant life? It was difficult to say for sure what it might be doing to the vegetation further into the grounds. With the cold, some of the warmth loving plants were probably dying. Weird how the mist was only on the school grounds. ”Think we’ll be able to do any tests on the mist itself?” There was definitely something not right about that mist.

Jean Granger · 07-12-2019, 08:20 AM

She had to agree with Alexander - the mist did make her feel like she was underwater. Except most oceans were clear enough that it was possible to see things, obviously. And the fact that much was known and being studied about the aquatic environment made the exploration less... frightening.

Anyway, taking samples. Carrie nodded at her bosses' words - she could do that. Just pretend that this is the Great Lake and you are collecting plant samples for a Herbology project. The Great Lake. Was it affected by the mist? It was one of her favourite places at school, along with her common room, which she knew was filled with the mist and inaccessible to students. The thought filled her with sympathy for the inhabitants of the castle again and she put on her gloves with determination.

"I'm taking some leaf litter, if uh, if that's okay," she told the team, to let them know what she was doing... and also to check that she was doing the right thing. Plant litter could be useful in investigating ecological productivity, yeah? There were not many alive plants here at all, but there were a few leaves and twigs here and there on the ground. She crouched down and picked up a dead leaf with a gloved hand, observing its colour and texture.

**The Narrator** · 07-13-2019, 10:47 AM

Acting like a curtain into the unknown, the mist remained seemingly self contained behind the front gates with only the occasional puff creeping out through the bars as it undulated and allowed the Ministry employees go about their collections. The vegetation undisturbed save for the fleeing footprints of creatures escaping the area.

The only way to find any answers would be to step beyond the gate, creaking on its hinges ...if you dare.

Ginevra · 07-13-2019, 11:53 AM

Lucy knew that this mist needed further investigation which meant venturing through the gates of Hogwarts. This was something that she was not eager to do. She turned away from the gate and spoke to the group.

"Should we start investigating inside the grounds? This mist and any, er, consequences do need to be found out so we can begin to formulate a plan of action. Sorry for rambling on but I've never experienced something of this magnitude."

TakemetotheBurrow · 07-13-2019, 06:00 PM

Mariana also jumped into action, glancing at Archer briefly and offering him a tentative smile. This was a bit different than working side by side as a group in the greenhouses, higher stakes and higher stress. She was trying to detach herself from her emotions at the moment, though. If she could just treat this like any other plant related problem to be solved, she wouldn't panic, even as the mist waited menacingly for them just by the gates.

"I'm on it," She offered in response to Quentin's words, slipping phials from her backpack and carefully collecting samples with deft hands. She knew they'd need to go further, venture onto the grounds, but she was relieved to have this as a warm-up task. As she placed the stoppers on and returned each phial with care, she looked around at the others. Lucy was right, of course, but if they were going in...

"We could use a rope. Have a lead at the front and an anchor back out here. A safety net so that everyone can find their way back. It's too thick to go off without one." She couldn't even see the school where scared students and staff were waiting for assistance and it was unsettling, unlike anything she'd ever experienced. She didn't dare volunteer to go first, her usual adventurous nature subdued by the sense of danger she got from the mist itself. It felt strange to be scared of it and not so much what lurked within, for the quiet made her think that anything that dared spend too much time lost in that fog didn't stand a chance.

Ginevra · 07-14-2019, 08:14 AM

Lucy nodded in agreement with Mariana's suggestion regarding using a rope. "I think Mariana's idea is a brilliant one. We need to do things with as much safety precautions as we can. Should some of us stay here while the rest venture through the gate?"

She involuntarily bit her lip as she waited for an answer. Lucy was prepared to investigate but she wanted to be careful.

Jessiqua · 07-14-2019, 08:08 PM

Archer watched the mist, his mind flashing through all sorts of possibilities. It was like a hand, and he took a step backwards. Whatever it was, it didn't feel good. He had left his wife with a kiss and breakfast, and he held onto her face. Yes, he would be returning to her tonight.

He turned to Lucy, and was about to reply when Olly glanced over. He tried to give her a look of confidence, but even for a grown man, Archer wasn't worried about showing his discomfort at the situation. He wanted to suggest they leave, but there were children inside. His nephew was in there. He gave Olly a nod. Samples. That was a relatively easy thing to do, and it didn't currently involve going into the mist.

He sent a nod out to Kat. Having her team of plant removal specialists working with his botany team would be of great value. He wanted to know whether this mist, even though not a disturbance of weather, was composed of water or something more ominous.

Archer went to get some phials from his cloak, and knew that his team had grabbed a supply for their samples too, without having to check. He had a look and used his wand to levitate a small amount of soil from near the misty tendrils, into one phial. With a marker, he wrote a short description before stowing it back into his cloak.

Archer knew they weren't just going to be collecting samples and going home. No, not when there were people beyond these gates needing assistance. He knew they would somehow be going beyond the gates, and his heart almost sank as Lucy and Mariana suggested it first. "I think you're right," he said to them both. He needed Olly's final word on this, because he couldn't go into any situation without being 100% confident of your leader. That was Olly. And today, as always, she had that confidence from him. So, it was to her he spoke. "I think if we're going in, we will need masks. Goggles. Full-body protection against the mist. Our own oxygen supply, perhaps."

Lislchen · 07-15-2019, 12:37 PM

Olly would rather not dare.

But it was become clearer with each second that passed that there was no way around it. They could only do so much with the samples taken from OUTSIDE the gates. Why them? Honestly. This task seemed to be much more suitable for Aurors right? They were the ones who were willingly going to dangerous places, putting themselves into dangerous situation.

They were just the Environmental Department.

Unfortunately, however, Olly was pretty sure none of the Aurors would be able to analyze any and all samples collected from their surroundings. Nor would they probably be able to collect them correctly. Without contaminating them. Which, in the end, it did of course make sense that THEY were here, and the Aurors weren't.

Not that that made the situation any better.

Mariana's suggestion brought her back from her little reverie (or nightmare?) and Olly blinked a few times, turning back to her employees. "Yeah. Yes. Good idea." She nodded in the general direction of Mariana. At the mention of protective gear and oxygen masks, Olly held up her wand a little. She cleared her throat. "Yes, before we go in, make sure you cast a Bubble-Head Charm. The mist doesn't appear to be toxic- at least not from out here but we can't be sure." She took a step closer to the gate again before looking at the team over her shoulder. "Put on your protective gloves if you haven't done so already." That should go without saying, seeing as they'd been taking samples, but...well, the more she talked, the more time they still had out here.

"Ready? Any more questions?" Before they used the Bubble-Head Charm, that is.

TakemetotheBurrow · 07-15-2019, 10:24 PM

Mariana simply nodded when her idea was well received. So they were really doing this, going in there... She was already wearing protective gear as far as clothing and gloves, so she had nothing left to do but apply the charm and take a moment to center herself.

This would be a challenge but they'd all be okay. This would be a challenge but they'd all be okay. This would be a challenge but they'd all be okay.

She repeated it over and over to herself, feeling like the more she said it, the more it had to be true. She also prepped a rope that they could use to hold on to.

"Who wants to lead?" Mariana looked to Olly, perhaps unfairly since the woman had a family at home, but she was the on in charge here.

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