31 Aug, '93 - Hogwarts Gates, Hogsmeade side

This load of flowers was surely her last!

Charley could hardly believe how much flowers weighed. Someone really should have taught that in Herbology class at Hogwarts. Craning her neck up at the wrought-iron gates, the urchin stared at the forbidden sight in front of her. Just because she couldn't walk through it anymore didn't mean she couldn't do anything to it.

Like make it prettier than it had been in centuries, she was certain!

The urchin got herself to work, pulling out stems of flowers from her bundles and threading them through the bars of the gates. She was up high on the gates themselves, clinging to the bars with one hand and her feet while trying to make an arrangement out of the embellished logo set in the gate, when Charley noticed someone standing there watching her.

"They're all paid for!" Charley had to take the stem out of her mouth to shout down, nearly losing her balance in the process. The poor flower crushed against the gates as she hugged tight against the cold iron. It was hardly anything worse than the state the others were in.

She had only gotten them cheap from Miss Crouch's shop since they were rejects. "Unsuitable," as Mrs. Mann had declared them. Charley must have taken that as a challenge, because here she was, making the flowers suitable. And calling down to the person looking suspiciously up at an urchin climbing high on the Hogwarts gates.

"I en't a thief!"

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(Open to Hogwarts staff, students or Hogsmeade residents, anyone around really)

  

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Gus wasn’t sure he was ready to be back at Hogwarts for another thrilling school year; despite being a professor for a little over two years he still wasn’t sure he enjoyed it, and it was like each passing day made him want to run off to be a curse breaker again. Something though, kept bringing him back to the castle.

Right now it was suffocating and if Gus stayed one more second in his office, in his classroom, in his chambers the walls might close in on him. He needed some fresh air and a walk to Honeyduke’s was just what the doctor seemed to be ordering — the school year was looming with the students making their entrance tomorrow, and Gus still needed to stock up on his emergency stash of candy.

Hopefully this time a student wouldn’t try to steal it.

(This time Gus had put extra measures in place to ensure that sticky fingers wouldn’t be able to touch it, and if they managed it would be very obvious who managed to break his curse.)

Deciding to walk to Hogsmeade rather than floo, Gus breathed in the warm air of August, letting it fill his lungs. He breathed out as soon as he got to the gate, his hands curling around the iron to push it upon… only he didn't, finding a girl threading flowers through it. He arched an eyebrow at her, more curious than accusatory, arms crossing loosely around his chest.

“Didn’t say you stole ‘em.” Gus chuckled as he shook his head; they were weeping and looked nearly dead, so he hoped she didn’t steal them. “Do you erm… need help getting them to look more, um… alive?”

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   Charley Goode

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The urchin could have been plenty happy just to go back to her task. The professor didn't think she was stealing, and he didn't look like he was about to blast her off the fence. Of course, he may not have been a professor, Charley didn't recognize him from her classes, but he seemed like the professor sort. Plus, he was on the wrong side of the fence to be a random villager type.

"More alive?" Charley felt her face scrunch up tight, glaring down at the little professor through half-slits for eyes. Who was he to be judging her flowers? She wasn't a student and this wasn't some class assignment, anyway. "You telling me they look dead?"

She scoffed. The urchin wasn't about to take guff from anyone, not even a professor. He could have told her how nice it looked or whether it needed more blues.

No, it definitely needed more reds.

"You look deader than this lot," Charley told him, surveying her flowers. Fine, she could admit it, they could use a spray of water. Maybe the urchin could borrow Mrs. Mann's watering mister after the whole thing was done.

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The last thing Gus wanted to do was hurt someone’s feelings, especially that of a child’s, and the way the girl scrunched her face up, he realized he may have done just that. He winced and shoved his hands in his pocket as he stared up at her, watching as she seemed to hold tight to the gate. She didn’t look like she was a student, and he wondered if maybe she was going to be an incoming first year. Well, Gus better make a good first impression.

He cleared his throat. “Well, erm… no.” He shifted his attention toward the flowers, lips pursing as he carefully considered his words. “I didn’t mean to imply that they were dead. Quite the contrary, they’re vibrant, but you can make them even more… vibrant, if I could offer some advice?” Gus knew absolutely nothing about plans and gardening, but he had picked up some tips from when Mason decided to talk his ear off about plants. Well, he didn’t talk his ear off because Mason wasn’t that big of a talker… but still, Gus was sure he could conjure up some advice that wouldn’t make him look like an idiot.

Laughing then at her insult, Gus ran his fingers through his hair. He felt deader than those flowers. He shuffled closer to her as he shook his head. “What I meant was, I know a spell or two that can open up the buds and maybe make them a bit bigger?” He could salvage this. “It’s nice, seeing something like this on the gate.”

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   Charley Goode

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"Oh," Charley said simply, then stopped. She didn't know what else to say to that. The urchin had found herself wired for a fight from the moment the idea lit up her mind, she just couldn't put a finger on why. It wasn't like she could really do anything if someone tried to stop her, except maybe make them bleed a little for it. That didn't stop her fingers from winding themselves tightly around the gate's bars or soften her glare any faster.

It was probably just something misagreeable she ate today, or yesterday.

She turned back to her work, threading another blue flower into place. Then it came out again, there were far too many blues already. Charley's glare fixed on the flowers instead, scorching the too-soft petals and the bug-eaten flowers with her eyes. They would actually look a little better with some magic, Mrs. Mann just hadn't taught her the spell she used for flowers in the shop yet.

"Really?" she asked the professor-man. It was the first kind thing he had said about her work. Charley leaned back from the gate, her fingers a little looser now, hoping she could spot what he saw. Then she shook her head and peered through the bars at him. "I mean, you do? Know a spell or summat to make them bloom more?"

Charley didn't stop to wonder why he was being so nice for a moment, a blooming spell was just the sort of thing to bring the whole arrangement together. If the urchin had still been able to attend Hogwarts, a blooming arrangement of flowers was just the sort of thing she would have wanted to walk under to start her year. It had a cheering effect, or it would once Charley had everything right, anyway.

"What kinda spell?" The urchin felt the pockets of her trousers and vest before realizing she had left her wand in the bottom of the basket on the ground. Well, it wasn't going to do her any good up there. "It's not the engorgio one, is it? 'Cause I tried that one on a flower and it made all the petals explode."

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Gus tilted his head up as he smiled at the girl while examining her flower arrangement with a keen eye. He wasn’t sure what she was doing, moving flowers and here but he wasn’t going to question her again. Could probably help her keep the flowers from falling too, but Gus knew he’d be really overstepping his bounds and the last thing he wanted to do was make a child cry by insulting (or ruining) their work. She seemed particularly proud of what she was accomplishing and who was he to ruin her pride?

"No, no, not the engorgio spell," Gus chuckled, shaking his head. "That would indeed be a bit too explosive for delicate flowers.” He couldn’t help but wonder if her stand had been wrong or if her wand movement had been too stiff to explode flowers, but it didn’t seem like there was any harm done. When he got back to his room, the professor would try it just to see if flowers were too delicate for the spell. He cleared his throat. “The spell is herbivicus. It's a gentle spell that encourages plants to flourish and bloom beautifully.”

Blue eyes blinked, seeming to think before he nodded. “Do you want to come down and learn it? Or would you prefer that I cast it on your flowers so you can see?” This was his favorite part about being a professor, getting to watch his students learn practical spells to help them in their everyday lives. If she was a student or an incoming one, she had to have a wand, plus he was a professor, so underage magic was expected to be used with him overseeing it. He wasn’t sure if she’d ever use herbivicus again, but it was always a nice spell to have in his back pocket if he wanted to impress someone. Gus tugged his wand out and let it dangle from his fingertips.

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   Charley Goode

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"Oh, issat what that one is?" Charley's eyes widened at the name of the spell, instantly curious. She peered straight through the bars at the professor, who had managed to draw her attention away from the arrangement now. "I seen Mrs. Mann using that, but she always just goes an' hums while waving that wand of hers. And it don't do it for me no matter how much I hum."

Charley was only a little disgruntled that Mrs. Mann insisted on her learning more basic spells and techniques first. She even had Charley still watering by hand, despite the urchin spying her using a wand to set the watering can off on its own around the shop. It wasn't fair, her keeping all the good spells to herself, and Charley found herself following greedy eyes down to the ground when the professor offered to share his.

"Don't that spell take a lotta fancy wandwork?" Charley was sure she had read something about that in Miss Crouch's book. Or maybe it was something the shop manager said, Mrs. Mann was always spouting off about the meaning behind things. As if the urchin couldn't just look at a thing and see what it was.

Still, it didn't mean the urchin wasn't eager to learn a good spell herself. She covered up fetching her wand by setting her extra bundle of flowers in the basket, holding it up as a small triumph. Charley positioned herself near a group of flowers that could have used more than a little misting, and gave the professor a pointed look.

"So long as y'think I got the knack for it," she tried to sound casual about the whole ordeal, feeling anything but behind the even tone of her words and the shrug of her shoulders. Her fingers betrayed her with a flourishing swish of her wand, not even sending out sparks this time. A small grin of satisfaction snuck through onto her face, "I'll give it a whirl."

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Gus tipped his head back, blue eyes sparkling with amusement as he seemed to capture the young girl’s entire attention; while he still wasn’t sure if he enjoyed being a professor (it was a lot more work than what he was used to and he didn’t get to be outside as much), but he did like sharing his knowledge with young witches and wizards. It was interesting to watch some of them realize their magical potential, especially when they might not realize they had any to begin with.

The professor nodded. “That’s the one.” He confirmed. “Mrs. Mann —” whoever that might be, but Gus didn’t want to accidentally insult any of her friends and family so he didn’t ask “— Might have her own way of using it, but there’s always more than one way to master it. It does involve some precise wandwork, but we’ll practice together until you get the hang of it.” He offered her an encouraging smile as she crawled down from her place on the iron bars so they could properly practice; he’d have to correct her stand and her wand work, which would be easier if he could see her. It also might be easier if they were on the same side... so without much hesitation, the professor finally left the Hogwarts ground, squeezing through the gate to the other side.

He stepped up to stand near her, although didn’t dare venture too close in case he frightened her and she decided to run off. She faced the flowers and he nodded, raising his own wand. “I have zero doubt that you won’t be able to get the hang of it.” Gus cleared his throat. She seemed a bit too casual about the whole ordeal, but the way she grinned and swished her wand betrayed her. “Legs a little more apart and then really plant your feet. Can never be too careful in case your spell backfires on you. Now the wand movement isn’t too difficult, it’s basically a sideways lowercase s. Here, watch.” Very slowly, Gus drew the wand movement in the air. When he repeated the motion a second time, he made sure to use a spell that would leave the motion as a red light in the air, dissipating a few moments later.

Your turn," he encouraged, ready to guide the young girl through her first steps in mastering the spell.

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   Charley Goode

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Charley's confidence wavered just a little to learn the spell would take more than her basic swish and flick. If Mrs. Mann didn't keep holding her back from the really useful spells, or had Hogwarts had just let her attend one more year, there was no telling how powerful she would be by now. There was still plenty for her to learn, but the urchin was a witch just like the rest of them, too. All she needed was someone to show her how to be one.

Her eyes perked up when the professor stepped right through the gate, a giddiness welling right behind her tongue. They went up and up, until Charley realized just how tall the man was. To her great relief, he didn't step so close as to make her crane her neck back too far. She might have grinned at that, but the professor's voice shifted to that unmistakeable timbre that could fill the corners of a classroom. All the sudden, he was the teacher and she the student.

"Like this?" Charley asked, stomping each of her shoes down in a stance deliberately wider than before. It wasn't right, sitting so heavy on her heels. "Feels a bit off, innit?" The urchin shifted back to the balls of her feet, standing like she preferred, "This way I can dodge or dash if the spell goes off!"

Charley rocked back onto her heels, following the movements of his wand with her eyes. It seemed simple enough, just a squiggle in the air. Her hand traced the pattern in front of her, taking care not to shower the professor with sparks this time. He was sure to appreciate that, and then he'd see her wisdom in how her feet were poised.

The urchin didn't notice her weight moving back towards her toes as she waved her wand a few more times to get the motion down. At the last squiggle, she flicked her eyes up to the flowers wound around the iron bars. Now that she really looked, their sore need for a bit of tonic or some sort. "Right then," Charley said with the weight of finality in her words, not her feet, "I'm all set, what's the big word?"

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Gus had no idea if it was breaking some sort of unwritten rule to teach someone outside of Hogwarts, but he was going to do it anyway. Technically she was underage, but at the same time he was a professor so he was giving himself a pass on this one. It wasn’t like the spell would do any damage if she misused it, and it wasn’t like she could harm someone with a spell that made flowers grow, therefore he felt comfortable teaching it. Hell, he’d teach it to his nephew too, and Seamus was still a wee babe. That resolved any of the questions he was starting to form.

Quickly shaking his head once she shifted her stand, Gus motioned toward her feet with a wave of his hands. “No, you’re too far back on your heels. You’ll fire the spell but it might cause you to become unbalanced enough that you’ll fall or erm… be sent flying somewhere you don’t wanna go.” Gus explained, although she seemed to sense that something was off herself, shifting the weight on her to where she seemed most comfortable. He was the same and tended to keep most of his weight in the balls of his feet. A small laugh escaped him as he nodded. “Exactly. That’s what I do too.” He needed it as a curse breaker, and old habits die hard.

Blue eyes watched with intent as she practiced the movement of the spell, lips pursing together in thought. While it wasn’t perfect, it was good enough that Gus was confident that she’d be able to fire off the spell no problem. “Herbivicus.” His eyes went down to her feet, and she might just have to learn the hard way. Well, they were just going to have to see how this went; most of his first years didn’t quite get their spells correct the first go around, but she looked a little older than that. “Her-biv-i-cuss,” Gus repeated for good measure, a little slower so she could hear the pronunciation of the word. He stepped back and took a quick look around to ensure that no one was around just in case.

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   Charley Goode

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The nod of approval was a spell of its own, working a little magic on Charley herself. She felt the glow of it pumping through her veins, filling her with an excitement that nearly made her miss the professor's word. That wouldn't help make her flowers bloom and shine as promised, so she made sure to pay extra attention to the word as he said it again, rolling the word around in her own mouth. "Her-biv-icuss. Her-biv-i-cuss. Herbivicuss!"

Charley's expression grew serious, not wanting to look like a fool in front of the professor, not for her first time performing a spell for a Hogwarts teacher in a year. It didn't exactly feel like school again, though it did seem better than the last few months of learning from Mrs. Mann. She didn't go quite as slow, or afford the urchin much patience in her instruction. Charley would have already been casting a spell by now, and getting chided for what parts went wrong while doing it.

Her fingers tightened on the grip of her wand, and Charley knew she was ready. No more practicing or fumbling, now. She raised her wand, steady eyes leveling on her targets. The softened petals and yellowing leaves were neatly hidden in the arrangement, but the urchin's eyes picked them out easily. They couldn't have hidden from her spell anyway.

"Herbivicuss! " Charley declared, her tongue moving over the syllables just the way she'd done a moment ago. Her wand made the ∿ shape as best it could after only a minute of practice, and at once the urchin rose up like she was floating. Confusion flooded through her, suddenly worried it had really been the spell for floating, and the urchin wasn't about to go through all that again.. When she reached the top of her tiptoes a moment later, Charley almost laughed at the foolishness.

She gasped instead. Before her wide, staring eyes, the flowers and leaves that had curled away in hiding were starting to emerge again. They were the limp, shriveled things of before now, but firmer and ripe again, like they'd been before Mrs. Mann had her cull them from the pots.

"Jumpin' little merlin hats!" Charley gaped, lost for any more words at the tiny patch of wonder her spell had drawn among the vast arrangement.

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Gus watched her rather curiously, finding that she was quite similar to his students – excited about magic, but most importantly, being able to use magic. She was practicing saying the words, and he couldn’t help but inwardly wince as he noticed that she was saying it incorrectly, adding an extra letter or two at the end, but hey, she had to learn from her mistakes, so Gus pursed his lips together so as to not interject. At least she seemed to notice, because the words started to sound a lot more like what he’d been saying earlier.

Nodding that he approved of it, Gus couldn’t help but take a step back as her fingers tightened on the wand; it was a harmless spell, but the professor had no idea what would happen if someone was hit with it, and he certainly had no intentions of finding out. Not that he really expected her to shoot forward and not up toward the flowers that were still weaved through the iron gates.

“Good. Just concentrate.” He said, although as the young girl finally cast the spell and floated into the air, he winced again, wondering if he’d been the one to break her concentration. Gus took his own wand out and stepped forward, ready to anchor her back to the ground if need be, but luckily for both of them she landed back on the ground. Still, the professor didn’t loosen his grip on his wand, even as he flicked his gaze up as she gasped. A small smile played on his lip as he watched the flowers curl forward, a startling contrast to how they looked before.

In that moment, Gus couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in his chest; this was why he enjoyed being a professor, watching as the next generation of witches and wizards started to perfect their skills. It was a shame that Hogwarts required money because everyone deserves a chance to hone their skills. Gus glanced at her, giving her a nod of approval before he grinned at her. “Great job.” He tucked his wand up his sleeve. “The more you practice, the more flowers you’ll be able to do that too. I trust you won’t abuse it.” Because he certainly didn’t want her to get in trouble for using magic underage

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   Charley Goode

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Looking at the fruit —or bloom, rather— of her efforts, Charley felt positively weightless. She thought she could stand there all day admiring the flowers, with half a mind to summon Mrs. Mann to take a look at the things her neversweat pupil could accomplish. It was an odd feeling for the urchin to have, vindication for all the hours spent arguing and suffering her tutor's reprimands at their pace. Just in case it was all a dream, or a trick by a crafty professor, she raised her wand again.

Charley was stopped by the professor's praise, taking it as confirmation instead. It was like a drug, this power of success. All she had to do was practice a bit more, and with the sanction of an actual Hogwarts professor. No sneaking spells when Mrs. Mann wasn't looking, whose insistence that her underage pupil would be in serious trouble with authorities if they were performed otherwise only drew well-deserved eye rolling from the urchin. "You can trust me, cross my heart and hope to die!"

She said it with enough serious, the urchin was sure she could convince a headmaster. Even the notoriously humorless Professor Black had to agree the urchin had talent, enough that really should have kept her within those walls. The rules against doing magic outside of it were all that kept her from reaching her true potential. "Drop by the flower shop, the respectable one, Montague's, if yer really frettin'. Miss Crouch an' Mrs. Mann'll swear on their wands that I earn my keep." Gesturing to the basket at her feet, still half-full of flowers whose potential needed only a spell now to unlock, Charley pointed out, "That's where these are from."

If there was hope for the flowers, maybe there was still hope for her. One professor at a time.

Charley bent down to pick up another bundle of stems, giving them a swish with her wand to practice her new spell again. Their blooms straightened out, their colors deepening to the cheery selves they had been in the shop. It brought a smile to the urchin's face, who remounted the iron gates to find the right placement. There were still spots to fill in the meantime, and only a few hours before students would file through them to another year of school.

Another year she would miss.

Which reminded Charley that the arrangement still needed more than blue! She scrambled down to pull out more reds, yellows and whites this time. When she was finished, no one would believe that a little dropout urchin had made the Hogwarts gates into the cheeriest, not just the most protected, facade in all of Hogsmeade.

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   Gus Lissington

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