Seventh Floor: The Tower Patch

[Marion Burbage]

Wait...did you just walk up all those stairs only to get turned around somehow and end up in the greenhouses somehow?

You may find yourself relieved to know that this is not the case, you are very much in the Astronomy Tower still, and that Hogwarts had not pranked you with its clever staircases. Overgrown and in quite the hugger-mugger state, this portion of the castle has certain seen better days. Among all the ivy and creeping buttercup you may be able to spot remnants of a mural quadrant and sundial through all the greenery and a weaving path just barely visible as well. Hedges and topiary that once neatly outlined this space have grown and in their expansion overtaken benches and two stone plaques that are no longer legible thanks to the foliage hiding it away.

Well, at least the paths are clear enough that you can walk amongst all the brush and make it to the other side where you can stand and enjoy an impressive view of the grounds? Just be sure to mind the nettles and thistles as those will not feel nice on your skin should you accidentally brush against it. Oh, and also ignore the occasional rustle and giggling that might come from the thicker areas of growth - it's probably nothing.

[Marion Burbage]

Oh he was siiiiiiiiiiimply do daaaaaaarling, sweet little Toddles. Marion had to admit that she had a soft spot for the little imp masquerading as a house elf, his antics reminding her oooooooooh so much of her dearly departed Henry in his youth, and were she a bit more solid she would be scooping the little elf up for a proper squish every so often … juuuuuuuuuuuuust like she YEAAAAAAAARNED to do to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Oh goodness gracious hEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAvens above, thinking on such things would positively make her WEEP. SO best not.

WHOOOOOOOO was teaching these children to greet their professors?! Marion must have a word with dear Wilber about these FINGERS. “Noooooooooo wiggly worms from you either, Miss Bryony. I am not a bird looking to get the worm,” she greeted kindly nonetheless to the little Miss. And there was a greaaaaaaaaaat difference between a finger wiggle to greet someone who was your educator as opposed to a friend, so need not get such pleasantries confused!

“Ah yes, I see, thank you my dear,” she nodded to Toddles and provided a couple of tender pats to his head without fully committing to the pat so as not to pass right through his noggin. Clearly the ghost woman had spoken a little too soon as Nimma appeared soon after and in truuuuuuuuuly a dreadful sort of state. “Nimma…Nimma….NIMMA, daaaaaarling. Nimma. Dooooooooo take a breath before you pass out, dearie. All is FINE and thank you so very much for the compost box.” Which meant it was time for one more quick announcements. “Yooooohoooooo! Darlings! Yes, if you would be so kind as to pause efforts juuuuuuuuust for a moment as I explain one final logistic! Yes, thank you. This box here has been enchanted to hold much more than its size would imply and I bet sharp minds like those in your possession know just how witches and wizards dooooooo such a thing. Anywhoooo, please place all weeds and clippings and such in here so that it can be turned to compost and disturbed across the grounds as well as right back here in the Tower Patch when the time is appropriate. That is all. Carry on!”

Floating a bit more in the Herbology professor’s direction, Marion nodded approvingly at the work being done. “I DARE say you will be set for the term with compost once we are done here,” she smiled at the studmuffin as her attention turned to all the work students and elves alike were accomplishing.

HmmmmmMMMMMMMmmmmmMMMMMM … well, just whoooooooo was over there in all those shrubs playing hide-n-seek?

“You are all doing siiiiiiiiiiiiimply amazingly. We’ll continue here for a bit more before calling it a day. Oh and either will suffice, Mr. JT. Do whichever you feel most comfortable with whether that is with your gloved hands or with your wand.”

[FearlessLeader19]

Both him and Bry had chosen deliciousness then. Ary grinned at Bry. “Right? Might have to drink this more often.” And why was JT referring to him with his full first name? The older Snake was so accustomed to hearing the shortened form of the name… “Call me Ary, JT.” Oh? The younger guy had experiences with gnomes? “They really aren’t that bad, just can be pesky, I suppose since they continuously return to where they were evicted from.”

Flexing his gloved fingers, the fourth year continued in response to TJ. “Maybe a combination of both? It’s okay if you don’t know many spells that’ll help though. Doing the work manually won’t be bad.” Or at least, it shouldn’t. But like Professor Burbage said, it was up to the person to decide what they were comfy with.

“Hmm. We can start right here indeed… those benches under all those vines are closest.” Ary led the way over to them and immediately got to work by tugging vines from the seating apparatus. This proved sort of difficult since the vines were so thick, a mix of fresh and dead pieces. “Might work better if we cut these vines into pieces. The Severing Charm would work, right?” he asked his friends. “Do you know that one, JT?” Ary questioned, not really registering the rustling at that moment. However, the flash of colour had him looking around. “Did anyone see that?” The guy was bewildered, thinking it had just been his imagination. What was not apparently, was the growing rustling.

And yes. The red and yellow hints were completely missed.

[Nimma]

Nimma feels all colors and shades of relief that the Missus Burbage was not cross with her too like Algamus was so Nimma feels it was okay to stop stress tugging on her ears. “Nimma finishes with her earsies,” she assured Toddles with a very nice very tender head rubbing before the little troublemakesies house elf scampered off to help other studenties. Nimma needs do this too but first Nimma needs make sure that the big box was positioned nicely for all. The mama house elf also offered Missus Burbage a very very veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery deep bow of apology for being late and for causing the ghostie lady to feel concern for Nimma’s well being. “Nimma can do that, yes, Missus Burbage!” she promised followed by many a deep inhale and exhale while her long noodle house elfsie arms flapped slowly up and down in rhythm with her breathesies.

She did not follow any one set of studentsies as they went about Missus Burbage’s instructions, instead shuffling around and scooping up clippings and weeds to carry back to the box so studentsies need not shuffle back and forth too. Nimma especially makes lots of shuffling trips to carry the vines pulled from the benches so masters need not exhaust himself by moving back and forth. “Masters and Mistresses do good work and make great team!” she praised with some happy ear wiggling. The house elf’s twitched a different sort of way when the one young master mentions seeing something in the bushes nearby. “Nimma no sees but Nimma can looks!” she tooted, eager to please, and quickly shuffled ahead, dove into the rustling bushes, and mostly disappeared from sight.

[sweetpinkpixie]

"Here I am!" she chirped with a little TADA pose, arms raised and hip slightly jetted out, before reciprocating Aurora's friendship squish. "I'm not sure I remember this place ever being here," Anna agreed as she looked around at the scope of the work ahead and offer the present house elves big smiles and waves. Then again with lessons for Astronomy usually being in the evening and that not being the best time to wander around, the seventh year really hadn't had a particular reason to wander THIS high up in the castle even during her wanderings and when she had wandered this way she had mostly been migrating towards the Gryffindor common room on a subconscious yearning or otherwise was on her way to Ravenclaw Tower to meet up with Aurora. "But I think I read in a novel that nature can start to overcome that which humanity has created in as short a time as a few years when left to its own whims...so you combine the tenacity that is nature with the fact that seeds can be carried on the wind for long distances and animals have their ways as well...though some messier than others...suppose it isn't TOO surprising that there is so much overgrowth like this...especially if the groundskeeper was never asked to tend it too...though IS this still part of a groundskeeper's duties since its outside but technically in the castle? And since it is in the castle but also technically outside...does that mean that the house elves were always meant to do it...you know...maybe there was just a lot of presumptions and assumptions going on which would also explain...all this foliage." Hogwarts was HUGE, after all and she struggled to keep her section of the dorm clean and tidy.

In any case, the point was that it was like this now and she was more than happy to give it her best shot at restoring it to its former glory. Granted, she had no real idea what that LOOKED like per say, but she had read the Secret Garden a couple of times so she had a decent idea of what could be!

"It would be our honor, Toddles, to work alongside you!" she chirped, hand over her heart as she offered the elf a soft little bow. "If I were even half as capable at magic as you are I'm sure I would be using magic as well." So there really was nothing he needed to apologize for - but there WOULD be if she were to attempt a Severing Charm anywhere around here. Oh and she REALLY ought to have grabbed a muffin from Tinka before getting too excited about putting her not-so-green thumb to use.

OH WELL! Weeding it was! Skipping ahead, Anna slipped on her gloves and tugged them so they stretched beyond her elbow before kneeling down and starting to dig up weeds covering what looked like it used to be a path of some sort. "For some of these bigger bushes that are still green...it would be nice to replant them instead of sacrificing them to the compost," she noted as she started dismantling a bush that was very much not alive - but some of the twigs would make for perfect marshmallow roasting apparatuses! Another couple of loud snaps and Anna's pile had grown substantially, perhaps time to carry it over to the box Nimma had brought up if Nimma wasn't already on her way to pick up the pile for the compost herself...which is why, as the Hufflepuffle looked for the house elf, she saw her leap into bushes in the pursuit of...something? Titling her head to the side, it was then that Anna heard another snap behind her...only she had certainly not been the one to make the snapping! "PSSSSSSST, AURORA!" she stage whispered while beckoning the Ravenclaw over - and Toddles too incase he wasn't too engrossed in his current task. "I think there is something IN here," she explained gleefully before pushing some more branches out of the way to try and get a better look at the movement behind the foliage. "Purple? I spy with my little eye...something purple?"

[Kolyander]

No wiggly worms? Her fingers weren't worms. This aD how she greeted EVERYONE. Always. Consider her little mind so very confused even if her smile didn't completely fade. There was work to be done and she was here to help. That's what she was going to try to focus on.

"Maybe for breakfast sometimes." It seemed like it could be a good morning drink. Perhaps with some waffles and bacon. Now she was making herself hungry. Sigh. Shaking the thoughts of food from her head, Bry turned her attention to Ary and JT. "If we're all working together it won't be too difficult." Bouncing on her toes she looked around the area as the boys decided on where to get started.

Dropping down onto her knees beside Ary, Bry got to work trying to tug some of the vines loose from underneath the bench. "We might need to.. these are really strong." Using a charm or two would be a lot easier. "See wh-?" Bry began as she reached for wand, at that very moment catching a glimpse of Nimma diving into the bushes. "Whoa!"

Had that been the cause of all that rustling? But what was flash of color she just saw too? Nimma wasn't wearing anything bright like that!

[The Narrator]

The tangled embrace that was the overgrown garden high up in the Astronomy Tower was about to become a little less warm and fuzzy and much more ... chaotic.

A riot of color that clashed and collided like a playful storm as lively fungi burst forth from the bush the house elf Nimma leaped into, a visual akin to any naughty person who had ever stuck a stick into the entrance of an ant hill. Vibrant caps of red and white with yellow spots soared high as they sprung into action while others remained a respectable skip just above the grass and moss, each one contributing to the enchanting pandemonium while flinging themselves towards students, house elf, and surrounding flora alike.

Feeling a disturbance in the force the flora, purple bulbs in various sizes fled their hiding and resting places, ricocheting unpredictably in a different direction with each bounce. Some bounced off the exterior wall and others tree trunks and dried shrubs towards nearby observers, some cruelly bouncing their way right into the food displays and sending breakfast delights into the air like they were fireworks launched into the sky.

Twisting tentacles of lush green color swayed and seemed to reach out for each contributor to the kaleidoscope of colorful motion that created a chaotic playground in the Tower Patch, batting at them like a kneazle after string. Or was it that they were trying to ensnare them as well as any nearby feet? Good thing that the brilliant canvas painted above in soft blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily on the crisp autumn breeze was the perfect setting to get a nice clear look at things.

[Nordic Witch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marion Burbage

“You are all doing siiiiiiiiiiiiimply amazingly. We’ll continue here for a bit more before calling it a day. Oh and either will suffice, Mr. JT. Do whichever you feel most comfortable with whether that is with your gloved hands or with your wand.”

'Mr JT.' At the sound of his name he involuntarily flinched and not very subtley either. He couldn't help it. He should be used to the school ghosts by now, but this particular female ghost just gave him the chills. Watering his lips to buy himself some much need time JT raised his head and eyes to reply to the ghostly professor in what he hoped was a nice and respectful manner. "Thank you Madam Burbage I'll do that. I'll use my wand if the shrubbery proves to be very difficult to weed out with just my hands."

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

“Call me Ary, JT.” Oh? The younger guy had experiences with gnomes? “They really aren’t that bad, just can be pesky, I suppose since they continuously return to where they were evicted from.”

Flexing his gloved fingers, the fourth year continued in response to TJ. “Maybe a combination of both? It’s okay if you don’t know many spells that’ll help though. Doing the work manually won’t be bad.” Or at least, it shouldn’t. But like Professor Burbage said, it was up to the person to decide what they were comfy with.

“Hmm. We can start right here indeed… those benches under all those vines are closest.” Ary led the way over to them and immediately got to work by tugging vines from the seating apparatus. This proved sort of difficult since the vines were so thick, a mix of fresh and dead pieces. “Might work better if we cut these vines into pieces. The Severing Charm would work, right?” he asked his friends. “Do you know that one, JT?” Ary questioned, not really registering the rustling at that moment. However, the flash of colour had him looking around. “Did anyone see that?” The guy was bewildered, thinking it had just been his imagination. What was not apparently, was the growing rustling.

And yes. The red and yellow hints were completely missed.

Turning to the older snake boy he blushed tomato red. "I uh of course Ary. I shall do that." Going over to the benches to start on weeding out the vines alongside Ary and Bry he nodded "Yes, gnomes tend to do that. They are like magnetes. They always come back to a place even if you make them leave." They were pesky as Ary labeled them, but in JT's opinion there weren't anything evil in the gnomes. They were just a bit of a pain in yards.

Tugging a very thick vine out from under the benches, JT cast a glance sideways at Ary. "Yes, I know it. Diffindo, right? We learned it last year in charms class." Or was it herbology? Some rustling got him to look more closely at the vine he was holding, but it was still so maybe he imagined it? Hearing Ary's bewildered question JT cast glances around them and shrugged "Nope, what did you see?" The flash of red, and more intense rustling from the bushes went unnoticed by this snake boy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Narrator

The tangled embrace that was the overgrown garden high up in the Astronomy Tower was about to become a little less warm and fuzzy and much more ... chaotic.

A riot of color that clashed and collided like a playful storm as lively fungi burst forth from the bush the house elf Nimma leaped into, a visual akin to any naughty person who had ever stuck a stick into the entrance of an ant hill. Vibrant caps of red and white with yellow spots soared high as they sprung into action while others remained a respectable skip just above the grass and moss, each one contributing to the enchanting pandemonium while flinging themselves towards students, house elf, and surrounding flora alike.

Feeling a disturbance in the force the flora, purple bulbs in various sizes fled their hiding and resting places, ricocheting unpredictably in a different direction with each bounce. Some bounced off the exterior wall and others tree trunks and dried shrubs towards nearby observers, some cruelly bouncing their way right into the food displays and sending breakfast delights into the air like they were fireworks launched into the sky.

Twisting tentacles of lush green color swayed and seemed to reach out for each contributor to the kaleidoscope of colorful motion that created a chaotic playground in the Tower Patch, batting at them like a kneazle after string. Or was it that they were trying to ensnare them as well as any nearby feet? Good thing that the brilliant canvas painted above in soft blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily on the crisp autumn breeze was the perfect setting to get a nice clear look at things.

"Watch out!" JT manged to shout out before chaos broke loose in a frenzy of caps of red, and white fungi that erupted from the bushes, and just suddenly filled the whole tower patch. Within seconds he was pelted in the face, and on his arms with floral bulbs causing him to throw his hands up to shield his eyes. "How do we stop this?" JT called out to nobody in particular, as he looked around for cover. Would he be deemed a hare if he ducked, and hid under the benches? Before he could move in any direction though he looked down with slight panic at the tentacles that now were encircling his feet. "Erm, I need some help over here!" He called out to Ary and Bry or whomever was closest.