Lynn's efforts into finding her Daily Prophet arch has shamed me into finding my own, and I've decided something that can be both impactful but also be limited to a certain number of characters: an invasive species of magical fungi which sends characters into a sleep as deep as death.

The plant—yet unnamed—can sprout along the shore of the Black Lake, affecting any person, student or adult, who's spent time near it while it blooms. The plant will bloom one in the morning and once in the evening, with victims suffering noticeable drowsiness for 30-40 minutes before they just drop into a deathlike sleep.

So what do I need from you?

• Victims. NPCs, played characters, etc. They don't need to be notable characters to be affected, because when something new and scary starts attacking the community, any victim causes the alarms to sound! Students and Hogsmeade residents are your best bet here, unless someone from elsewhere happens across the plant before it's discovered.
  
  
• Scapegoats. People—beings, beasts, half-breeds, muggleborns, whatever—that get blamed for the epidemic despite no evidence suggesting they're to blame. Likely to add fuel to recent hysteria surrounding non-humans.
  
  
• Healers. Hogsmeade Hospital healers, especially ones who specialize in Potion & Plant Poisoning and Magical Bugs. St. Mungo's specialists/longtime healers/head of departments are also free to comment!
  
  
• A librarian or academic type. Someone who solves the whole issue. I have thread ~ideas for this character, so it will require more than giving a quote or two to the Daily Prophet!
  

Some questions I imagine coming my way:

Q: How long will this last, and how long will affected characters remain that way?
A: I don't expect this to last more than 3-4 weeks max. The best victims would be characters who don't have solid plans for the upcoming months, or ones who need a little ~boost~ to further their plots or relationship building.

Q: When will this happen?
A: Throughout the month of February, assuming I get the people I need.


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— set by MJ! —

I volunteer Gideon Ollivander as tribute for a victim. He's been noted previously as frequenting the lake and could easily have been hit by it when chatting with the merpeople (plot twist, they could become vital help to figuring things out maybe or could be blamed for it since he could have been seen last speaking with one?)

EDIT: And then obviously there's Fletcher Langley for healer if another isn't able to help but I don't want to hoard all the things for it.

The following 1 user Likes Fortuna Bixby's post:1 user Likes Fortuna Bixby's post
   Edric Umbridge

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

I have:

Sweetie Whitledge as a potential victim (lets see her family react to this).

I have my new healer Katerina Bass who could use another plot while she's fresh eyed and all.

And I have Earth Beck, who would be studying this for writing and research purposes, as well as helping others of course.

Edit: Let's blame the merpeople.

The following 1 user Likes Acacia Darlington's post:1 user Likes Acacia Darlington's post
   Edric Umbridge

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Magic by Elaine!

I can offer Thistle's father, Basil Potts, as a NPC victim.  He's a marine herbologist that works at the black lake so he could be among the fist stricken.

Also maybe Thistle :D I haven't decided as either victim or someone who might help solve it.  She's the unofficial scientist of the sisters so she is equally likely to join her father at the lake to investigate something new as to study it for a cure after he is found.

The following 2 users Like Thistle Potts's post:2 users Like Thistle Potts's post
   Edric Umbridge, Elsie Kirke

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Set by Bee <3

Personally unsure about merpeople as a scapegoat because (1) there are none actually played, and thus no opportunities for conflict directed that that group of people besides... bitchy people, I guess, and (2) I'm not sure what anyone would do about the merpeople, since they, you know, live in the water :P

I will make a list of people and send out dates soooon <3

  

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— set by MJ! —

Muahah Gemma could certainly fall victim, she goofs off in the park often enough. Fungi out in the middle of February would certainly catch her eye XD

Ummm, Elsie wouldn't super go looking to solve it, but could find info somehow? She's my academic.

The following 1 user Likes Elsie Kirke's post:1 user Likes Elsie Kirke's post
   Edric Umbridge

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MJ always makes her so pretty

I offer Paxton as a victim and Woopy once they're reactivated as a scapegoat or also victim! All the things

The following 1 user Likes Chester Lockhart's post:1 user Likes Chester Lockhart's post
   Edric Umbridge

Marmaduke Warbeck could work for this as either an academic or a victim. The former could give him a sense of purpose while being deeply unsettling toward the people he's trying to help useful; the latter could give me time to catch up with all this beautiful mad threading he has going on.

  

Billie will be so worried for Gideon. Omg.

I volunteer any of my characters as tribute! We could add it to the unfortunate things that happen to poor Archer Belby. Or I have other students! And then there's Zachariah who lives in Hogsmeade.

Basically, I would love to be involved in this in any way!

Edit: Also, all I can think when I read scapegoats was that it would be hilarious if a specific person seems to be present whenever someone falls into their sleep and gets blamed. Or that is my tired brain talking haha

The following 1 user Likes Billie Farrow's post:1 user Likes Billie Farrow's post
   Bella Scrimgeour

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MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

Also, all I can think when I read scapegoats was that it would be hilarious if a specific person seems to be present whenever someone falls into their sleep and gets blamed. Or that is my tired brain talking haha

Know that I have plans >D

The following 1 user Likes Bella Scrimgeour's post:1 user Likes Bella Scrimgeour's post
   Billie Farrow

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

Take Connie as a victim because lol and I vote blaming vampires because bloodloss = sleepiness and near death.

The following 1 user Likes Elladora Black's post:1 user Likes Elladora Black's post
   Edric Umbridge

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fabulous set by Lady <3

I second Lauren's idea about vampires only partially for selfish reasons and would volunteer Lyra for a thread where someone confronts her with that theory and she has to pretend to take their concerns seriously while trying to keep from laughing at how ridiculous that sounds.

Ernest Mulciber and Ophelia Devine are noteworthy Hogsmeade residents without plans for the next month if you want either of them!

EDIT: OH actually Ernest would be a good candidate for solving it. Particularly if someone in a position of authority in the Ministry told him to. also it could be a DoM experiment that contaminated the lake in the first place if you need a source because DoM screws with everything

The following 2 users Like Ophelia Devine's post:2 users Like Ophelia Devine's post
   Aldous Crouch, Edric Umbridge

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Oh yeah, on ^ note Marlena is also DoM and is a nerd. She'd defo be happy to show off.

  

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fabulous set by Lady <3

Oh yeah, on ^ note Marlena is also DoM and is a nerd. She'd defo be happy to show off.

Could make it more interesting when she realizes Gideon is a victim. (Assuming he'll be one)

  

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

I have Ari Fisk for all your HH healer needs, be that commenting/theorising/tending to the Sleeping xD

Also Ishmael if you go the vampire route!

And Elias could very easily be a victim! He spends enough time out of doors and this seems like his style of bad luck xD

  

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look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

I volunteer Azazel for all your vampy needs, Tilda MacFusty And Kingsley Wells for your healer needs!

  

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