Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
With the same account, complete eight different threads where your character interacts with eight different usergroups. At least one must be a non-human, and one a student.
Did You Know?
Braces, or suspenders, were almost universally worn due to the high cut of men's trousers. Belts did not become common until the 1920s. — MJ
With both the NEWTs and introductory classes under his belt, Rory was starting to get the hang of this whole professor thing. It wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he’d imagined; in fact, it was rather fun. He liked seeing the first years hopeful, curious faces as they poked and prodded at their little sproutlings. He was impressed and validated by the NEWT students’ ambitions and keen interest in their hybrids. Now all that remained was his OWLs.
Greenhouse #1, which had been split between introductory and OWL, was once again tidied up and rearranged. This time there was a grouping of three to four different species of adolescent plants in the center of the bench every few feet or so. Each one had a small specimen placard with a number on it. As the students piled in and settled in their seats, he gave a quick introduction (“Good afternoon, my name is Professor Carrow…” etc.) and then launched into their first assignment.
“Today we will be examining the various plants that have been situated before you. Some are toxic, some medicinal, and some are both depending on preparation. By the end of today’s class, I’d like you to identify the following,” Rory turned to a small chalkboard near the back and flipped it over. There where three questions listed in his best handwriting. “Firstly: is the specimen you’ve selected safe, toxic, or conditionally safe? Secondly, what is its primary magical property? And lastly, how might one safely safely handle or harvest it? Bonus points if at the end of each specimen report anyone can identify the name and genus of the various types.
Now, you may pair up in groups of two or three or attempt the assignment alone. I shall be making the rounds to help answer any questions and award house points for correct answers so make sure your writing is legible.” He flashed a knowing grin. “I myself have trouble with this at times too.” Then, with a nod, he said: “You may begin.”
Kitty found herself position by a Belladonna plant. After Earth Magic last year she felt confident of her answers and as such looked to the student next to her with a smile. "Shall we work together?"
With careful work her quill inked the words "Belladonna" at the top of the page and listed it as toxic but that it could be used for beneficial purposes.
One would think that Toby, son of apothecary owners, would thrive on such a subject, and yet....
"Ah, not toxic, right?" He asked his partner as he poked the plant. Only to have the bulbous green plant shoot stinky green sap at him. Merlin's trousers it had been a stinksap plant.
The plant Eros had ended up with was a Puffapod which he recognized by sight from previous Herbology lessons. He thought for a moment before classifying the plant as being conditionally safe. It wasn't outright toxic like a poison plant might be but the spores did cause dizziness. But only if triggered. It was completely safe if handled properly.
He continued writing down the rest of his answers as he pondered the plant before him.
The plant Lincoln had chosen was the flutterby bush which was pretty safe. It emitted a scent to lure the unwary according to his textbook but that was pretty much all it did. A lot of people used it for decoration. The main thing he had to read up on was how it was harvested. It seemed it was mainly used as garden shrubbery for magical households.
Given what had happened in the Hufflepuff common room, Wren expertly navigated away from the plant she knew could spray smelly sap at her and towards one that looked more likely to snap at her. Oh, joy. She didn't understand how people like Herbology when the plants always seemed to want to do something bad to you. And then she felt guilty for thinking that for a variety of reasons.
Wren opened up her textbook, looking at the plant with a somewhat confused face, "What do you think it is?" she said, turning to the person nearest to her. It definitely did not look safe.
Morgan Valenduris genuinely enjoyed Herbology: It was one of the few subjects that didn't involve wandwork and thus was a class she felt confident in regarding her abilities to succeed and that confidence reflected in her mood. She'd been very excited to head out to the greenhouses that morning with her fellow OWL students and meet the new Herbology professor. His task also seemed simple enough and she smiled at the older Hufflepuff - Katherine Arundell she remembered her name was - when she spoke to her and nodded.
"If it's okay with you. This is Belladonna isn't it?" She asked, gaze lingering on the poisonous plant.
It was a striking plant, almost deceptively so. Its pale green leaves framed delicate trumpet-like purple flowers, still blooming in the early September warmth...however those weren't the only thing thats plant bore. Nestled at the base of the star-shaped sepals were clusters of berries - some still green and unripe, others dark and glossy, ripe-looking and inviting.
The name Belladonna, she recalled, meant “beautiful lady” in Italian... however the plant had another name, a name that truly revealed the danger in thinking that the plant was merely something beautiful: Deadly Nightshade.
It was certainly beautiful. But so very dangerous and deadly. The berries she knew could kill children who consumed them recklessly and even handling barehanded them could be risky. Even touching the plant could irritate the skin - her father grew some in his green house and the rash that she'd gotten from accidentally touching it once had been enough of a lesson regarding its danger.
Morgan found herself wondering about the people who had named it. Who had called the plant Belladonna? And why? And what did it say about them, that they had chosen a word that meant beautiful lady.
Electives: Earth Magic, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Art
Clubs: Garden, Potions, French, Art and Leisure Sports.
Child of Professor Valenduris and Irish Twin to the "Creepy Twins" who disrupted their (and her) Sorting Feast, and eventually one left the school after a professor died.
Maeve stared at the plant for a moment and then shot a friendly grin at Wren.
"It's Fanged Geranium." As her grandfather and mother were in the business of plants she knew more about them then she cared to admit and had she been another person she may have used her knowledge for the powers of good. The little beauty that Professor Carrow had managed to dig up looked especially menacing.
"Did you know that apparently you can tell how old one is by the amount of rings on its fangs?" She said and playfully looked around, eyeing the boys mischievously. She wondered who amongst them she could talk into sticking their head in to check. She had a feeling the newly appointed Prefect would be far too clever but the boys....... it was a shame Jimmy Fletcher was no longer in her class.
Tag: Wren Burroughs (I hope this is the one you meant? You didn't mention it so I had to guess)
Maeve is in the Gobstones, Creatures, Art, Charms and Transfiguration Clubs.
Maeve's Electives are Ancient Studies, Care of Magical Creatures and Ghoul Studies.
"It is." Kitty smiled at the younger girl, remembering her from their introductory courses when the girl had been a first year. If she remembered correctly the girl was one of Professor Valendurious's children. "Careful, the whole plant is toxic." She warned, not entirely sure if the girl would know that. "What do you know about it?" She asked to try and make up for her quick assumption. Her quill was at the ready to jot down any notes the girl might have to contribute.
Forsythia did not care much for Herbology, mainly because she did not enjoy the feeling of dirt under her nails and on her fingers. Plus some snapped at you which wasn't very nice. Thankfully, she had ended up by a flutterby bush, which was relatively harmless and smelled nice. Unlike the Mimbulus mimbletonia that Toby Seacoal had set off. Stinksap, the fluid the plant produced, smelled gross.
Eros noted down that his plant produced large pink pods that were full of beans. Beans that flowered when they came into contact with a heavy object. One would obviously have to wear gloves to squeeze the beans out - but how would one get the beans without causing them to flower. Now that was a headscratcher.
As far as Lincoln could tell, a flutterby bush was pruned much like any muggle plant. So he imagined it must be harvested in much the same way. Cuttings and all that. He gently prodded at the plant and wondered if Professor Carrow might be inclined to let him take it home at the end of the term. It would look pretty on his bedroom sill.
Wren looked doubtfully at the fangs. Could it be true that one could determine the plant’s age with them? Absolutely. Did that mean Wren wanted to go anywhere near them? Absolutely not.
“Is that part of the assignment?” she said, “Also, do you think it counts as ‘toxic?’ Wait, are they venomous?”
Wren backed further away from the plant, just in case.
Morgan returned Kitty's smile and tried to put her most confident foot forward and prove to the older student that she was at least a somewhat competent and useful partner. "Belladonna's other name is Deadly Nightshade." She said and her voice took on the tone of recitation from one who had put in the effort of memorising a little too many facts.
"It blooms over the spring and has berries that start to ripen throughout autumn. From the leaves that cause skin irritation to the berries that are far too toxic to even safely handle Deadly Nightshade is one of the plants that lives up to its name. Its berries look enticing but can kill or at least make those who decide to try and eat them very sick." She took a breath and scowered her memory for any other fact that she might be able to add and her voice lost it's previous tone of recitation.
"We were taught the rhyme 'Deadly Nightshade - A touch may itch, a taste may end.' as a way of remembering it ... Oh! and it's cousin is the potato which of course is definitely not toxic!" She added and felt rather proud of remembering the last fact of course - it had not been featured in her Herbology text as the humble potato was rarely mentioned but instead she'd stumbled across the fact in one of her library books when she'd been searching for information about quite a different plant and had found the relationship between the two plants quite amusing as it showed how different and yet similar two plants could be.
She squirmed, hoping she'd proven her competence to the older girl.
Electives: Earth Magic, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Art
Clubs: Garden, Potions, French, Art and Leisure Sports.
Child of Professor Valenduris and Irish Twin to the "Creepy Twins" who disrupted their (and her) Sorting Feast, and eventually one left the school after a professor died.
Maeve's attention swung back Wren at the mention of the assignment and she stared blankly at her for a moment as she was taken off guard and tried to remember exactly what Professor Carrow had said they were supposed to be doing their assignment on. His words had essentially gone in one ear and out the other. She'd been paying far too much attention to the change in location, people and interesting plants and had counted on whatever pair she ended up joining remembering what exactly they were supposed to be doing and figured her random knowledge would get her by. She knew she ought to try harder to be focused in class - afterall her mother and grandfather would be less than impressed with her if she failed Herbology of all classes.
"I mean.... maybe?" She said, hazarding a guess about her random facts inclusion in the assignment. Maeve stared back at the geranium. She wouldn't exactly call them toxic, or venomous or poisonous... or whatever the correct term was they were just bitey... and she kinda couldn't fault them on that since wizards were eternally harvesting their teeth for random potions and things. If she had people randomly yanking her teeth out without a by your leave she'd probably get bitey too. Her classmate had backed away of course which was probably the correct move.
"It's.... probably none of those things... What were the questions we were supposed to include again?" She asked and turned her attention back to the plant. Could she see more chompers budding in its gums or was that a trick of the light?
Maeve is in the Gobstones, Creatures, Art, Charms and Transfiguration Clubs.
Maeve's Electives are Ancient Studies, Care of Magical Creatures and Ghoul Studies.
October 15, 2025 – 7:15 PM
Last modified: October 15, 2025 – 7:15 PM by Ambrose Carrow.
HPs awarded for statements engaged in the assignment, about the plants themselves, or just academic and studious in nature. Things Rory might overhear as he surveys the groups.
With both the NEWTs and introductory classes under his belt, Rory was starting to get the hang of this whole professor thing. It wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he’d imagined; in fact, it was rather fun. He liked seeing the first years hopeful, curious faces as they poked and prodded at their little sproutlings. He was impressed and validated by the NEWT students’ ambitions and keen interest in their hybrids. Now all that remained was his OWLs. 
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