Herbology Essay

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Marietta Macmillan

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OOC First Name
Conor
Wand
11 in., Alder wood, Phoenix feather core, surprisingly swishy
Marietta needed to find a place to work on the homework assignment Professor Woodlock had given her. She looked over her notes and wondered what plant to write about. Could it be any plant? Should it be a magical plant? she asked herself. She sighed. I know nothing about magical plants. Maybe Arabella would know of some, or maybe I can ask a class mate for help. She pulled out one of the books she borrowed from the Library, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. She flipped through the pages, wondering which one would be best to do. She walked into the Student Lounge hoping to find a classmate working on their assignment.
 
Broderick wasn't sure how to go about writing the Essay him and his classmates were given. There were so many plants he could use; Shrivelfig, Bubotuber, Devil's Snare, Gillyweed, Leaping toadstools, Venomous Tentacula, Mandrake, and so MUCH more. He let out a sigh. Perhaps I could ask a classmate for some advice, he thought. Although he dreaded the idea of asking someone for help. He was never good with people and his social skills were somewhat mediocre.

The Ravenclaw got up from his to head for the Library, when he spotted a familiar face. A Hufflepuff in his Herbology class entered the Lounge. Maybe I can ask her for help, he thought as he walked in her direction. Just a quick question. Not a full study session. The thought of a study buddy was nice, but he was especially anxious towards girls in a conversation compared to boys. Either way he approached where she was. "Excuse me, um, you were in my Herbology class, correct?" he wanted to make sure of it just in case. "It's just I'm having a bit of trouble with the assignment he gave us and I was wondering if you could help."
 
Marietta was looking around the Lounge to find that a boy was approaching her. He looked very hesitant. His words sounded nervous, but she didn't understand why he was so afraid of her. She recognized him though, in Herbology. He was sitting somewhat a distance away from her, but she definitely knows his face. "Yeah, I-I was. Though, I'm also having a bit of trouble with essay," she started to explain. "My mother never taught me anything about magical plants, so I have no idea what I can possibly write about." She held up the book she had, "I thought I might be able to use this, but I'm still having trouble with choosing which one. It's somewhere between a Mandrake or a Venomous Tentacula." In truth, the only thing she could use to help this Ravenclaw was the book. Her knowledge was very limited on magic.
 
"In my opinion, I think you should go with the Mandrake. It's a bit more interesting considering it's properties and its human behaviour," he replied after listening to her crisis. This girl can't help me, he thought, He sighed and started walking back to his table. Then he stopped. I know I'm going to regret this... He turned to the girl, "Do want to, um, study with me? I can help you with your essay and you can help me with mine." He needed to get over this fear of girls, before the semester ends or he'll never get over it. This was a good place to start a new friendship.
 
Marietta's eyes lit up and she smiled. A study Buddy!! she screamed in her head. And a new friend. This day can't get any better. "Yeah that sounds awesome and thanks for the Mandrake idea." They walked over back to where he was sitting before. Marietta took out her quill, ink, and parchment for writing the essay. Before she started writing she introduced herself, "My name's Marietta what's yours?" He was going to make her third friend since she got here. Maybe sometime she'll introduced them all together. The thought made her fill up with joy.
 
"I'm Broderick," he said with a shy smile. Marietta seemed so friendly and nice, of course, what else can you expect from a Hufflepuff. "Um... I still don't know which plant I should write about. Do you mind if take a look at the book you showed me earlier?" As he waited for her answer, he also took out his quill, ink, and parchment, same as her. He never really knew much about Herbology, only potion making. This girl really came prepared with that book. The lesson the professor gave wasn't that much help either. Anyway, to stop complaining and get on the homework.
 
Evander had homework. It was History of Magic homework, and while it was possibly the easiest thing he had ever received in his entire life, he just could not concentrate in the Slytherin Common Room. He had to find a little quite place to sit and answer questions, and he also had his Defence Against the Dark Arts work too - which was just thinking up a question. But what question? It sounded so simple, yet it was actually quite complicated. He couldn't go back to Professor Styx without something clever written on the parchment. The man was over seven feet tall! Evander wasn't even three feet tall because of his goblin ancestry - how could he possibly stand up to someone that big.

He entered the Student Lounge, hoping to either find it empty, or just a small attendance within. The young Slytherin needed to talk to some people, but not to a whole bunch. To his relief, he only saw a couple students in the Lounge, and looked at them for a moment, trying to decide whether he wanted to approach them or not. Stuffing his two rolls of parchment into the pockets of his robes, he brunette smiled slightly at both the students, guessing that they were first years. Everyone looked big to him, but they didn't look like older students. He tucked his hair behind pointed ears, and decided to address them both for assistance. "Hey, um sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you could help me." They weren't in his house, or that was Gryffindor, so they wouldn't have had Defence Against the Dark Arts yet, but that didn't mean they didn't know anything, or didn't have questions about it that he could borrow. He had knowledge of other classes, but just not this one.
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OOCOut of Character:
Hope you don't mind! ^_^
 
Marietta smiled back at Broderick. His name is so adorable she thought to herself. And nerdy. When he asked about borrowing the book she said "Go ahead, but I still need for the Mandrakes info. I have no idea what they are, really." She slid the book his way as he took out his writing tools like she did. She started writing the things she definitely knew about Mandrakes, and that was that their screams could kill. At least, the scream of a mature Mandrake. An adolescents scream would just knock you unconscious. As she wrote and Broderick read, she saw a student walk through the door, a Slytherin boy. A very short Slytherin boy.

Marietta realized he was approaching them. Yes! a new Study Buddy she thought as he asked for their help. "Sure! what do you need help with?" she chirped. She doubted that she could help him too, considering the only class she had with Slytherin was the History of Magic class. But the Hufflepuff couldn't possibly say no. Perhaps he knew Arabella? Or not.

OOCOut of Character:
I don't mind at all! ^_^
 
Broderick was flipping through the pages, anxious he wouldn't find a plant for the essay. He automatically regretted giving Marietta the Mandrake topic. And, yet just as he thought all was lost, he found the plant he wanted, Devil's Snare. A dangerous plant that will suffocate whatever it touches. It's not really used to make potions though. It's more of a guard dog plant. Either way, it was plant he could definitely write about. As he read on about Devil's Snare, he heard a Student walk in.

He ignored it. He just kept reading and jotting notes for his essay. Marietta seemed to have spotted him, though. No Marietta please resist the urge to make friends, please, he thought hoping she would somehow read his mind. It was too late. The boy was walking over here. He secretively observed the boy from behind Marietta's book. This boy was a first year, just like them. Although, it was hard to tell that from how short he was. He must part Goblin as well. This was going to be especially awkward for him. When it came down to heritage, like being part creature or blood-status, he got weird. He's not used to how different people are here and he doesn't mean to be offensive. I'll just be completely quiet, he thought. When, the boy asked for help, Broderick could see he was also a Slytherin. Brod's father was a Slytherin as a student. He taught Broderick a lot about the Dark Arts, never any spells, though. Marietta agreed to help, but Broderick said nothing. Just continued reading and taking notes.

OOCOut of Character:
Nor do I mind. ^_^
 
Evander perked right up as he was spoken to by the girl. As if a flower receiving the first drops of water after a long Summer, he jumped right into conversation. "Oh, it's for Defence Against the Dark Arts," he replied, pulling the parchment from his pocket hurriedly in order to show them. He realised that it was the wrong parchment, and then returned to locating his blank parchment and un-scrunching it so he can write on it later. Ink ran the most horrid way when on an uncontrolled surface such as crinkled parchment. "It's not anything practical though, it's actually really simple," he added, deciding to elaborate on the topic. "I need to ask a question for the professor, who's also my Head of House." He was now standing closer to them, but kept the majority of his attention on the girl. The boy could wait if he didn't want to talk. "The problem is, I don't really have a question. But everyone else will have a question, so I can't not have one."

"My name's Evander, by the way," he added as an afterthought. Sometimes his name just didn't seem that important in the wide scheme of things. He looked at both of the students in front of him, and scratched the itch that had formed just behind his ear. "What're your names?" In all honesty, he was curious as to why the boy wasn't talking to him. He hadn't insulted him or anything, right?
​
 
It was hard for Marietta to keep her smile up when he answered her question with 'Defence Against the Dark Arts.' She hasn't studied anything about the Dark Arts. He continued explaining what he had to do for it, but Marietta had no clue what question to ask his professor. She's heard of Professor Styx before. Mostly negative things. Anyway, she was nodding quietly and thinking with a serious face. She turned to Broderick for help, but he seemed very interested in her book right now. Broderick has to know something, he helped me with my essay. He can surely help this boy, she thought. She quickly turned back to the Slytherin when he introduced himself as Evander. Marietta smiled and introduced herself back when he asked for their names. "I'm Marietta and this bookworm here is Broderick." She honestly felt she had to introduce for him, since he can't get his nose out of that book. She leaned towards him to ask, "Um... Broderick? Do you have a question Evander could use? It's just I haven't really gotten to studying the Dark Arts, so I don't know anything about it."
 
Broderick's eye twitched at the sound of that awful class. Defense Against the Dark Arts was definitely something his father made sure he knew. He knows nothing about the class or professor here, but learning those spells from his father and learning what dark spells were there gave him nightmares. The defenses were all well and good, but the Dark spells that they counter are terrifying. The worst were the Three Unforgivable Curses. Even now, they make him cringe in disgust. Luckily, First Years won't experience those. They'll probably just briefly go over them.

Broderick the boy needed a question to ask the Professor. That's not too hard, he thought. It's just a simple question. Out of the corner of his eye Broderick saw Marietta looking at at him, but he just ignored her. When she finally turned away, the boy gave his name. Evander. Interesting name. Then again, Brod was one to talk. His name sounded like failed attempt at mixing Brody and Frederick. Then, Marietta introduced herself... and him. I'm sorry. Did I give permission to introduce me Evander? And to think he was starting to warm up to her. Well it's not like I haven't been betrayed before. he thought of his cat, Birger, making friends with his dorm mate. But not only did she introduce him, but then had the nerve to ask him for his help. He couldn't be rude for so long. He put down the book, turned to Marietta and Evander and said "Ask him about what kind of Dark creatures you will be studying this year." That's the question he would ask if he had the class.
 
The reactions of his fellow first years caused some concern to grow within him, as he realised that perhaps they would not have much of an idea about what he was talking about. For allher knew, they were muggle-borns or something and literally had no idea what he was talking about. Then again, they didn't freak out or anything - or ask if he were part-elf, so maybe it was just that they had not yet been in the class. Evander's parents had attended Durmstrang, so he was grateful that he did not need to go there, as he knew that they did not have Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Dark Arts themselves. This was so much better than what he could possibly have been doing - what his poor cousin would be doing.

Evander grinned at them. They seemed like good friends - it was really nice. They were helpful too, which made the small be very pleased. "Thank you, Broderick and Marietta." It was best to use someone's name over and over again, to ensure true remembrance, and since his ability to match faces to names was severely lacking, he tried his best to repeat people's names as much as possible in order to remember them. He climbed onto a coffee table, with his legs left to swing. "So, what are you guys up to?" He wasn't sure if he could help them with anything, but he was willing to give it a crack. He now owed them.
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Marietta was quite shocked at Broderick's blunt response, but grateful for his input. He might have been a little ticked off at being called 'bookworm,' but Marietta was just being playful. Either way, Evander thanked them both for their help, considering Marietta didn't really do anything. Evander made himself comfortable on a coffee table and what the two of them were up to, "Well, I was just starting to write my essay for Herbology on Mandrakes," she said with a smile. She still has very little writing on paper, since Broderick had the book. She didn't want to rush him though. All she did was look toward Broderick for his response to Evander. She didn't want to talk for him again, since he didn't seem to like that very much.
 
Broderick felt bad for acting so sour. He just didn't want to talk. Either way Evander still thanked them for their help. "No problem, Evander," Brod responded. Broderick was a bit surprised at Evander's politeness. Usually, Slytherins didn't ask for help and weren't ever this nice either. But Broderick was only going by stereotypes.

As Evander walked to a coffee table to sit upon Broderick closed Marietta's book and slid it over to her. He had everything he needed, but he would have to wait to write the actual essay. It would be rude to just up and leave Marietta and Evander in the middle of things. The small Slytherin asked what they were up to and Marietta was the first to respond with starting on her essay. Then she looked to Broderick for his response, "We were both starting on our essays actually. Mine's on Devil's Snare."
 
Evander grinned at Broderick as he spoke. Without these two, he would still be scratching his head, and then have the dreaded task of returning to Professor Styx without one question to present to the freakishly tall man, and considering Evander's rather tiny size, the Slytherin Head of House was even more intimidating. He felt as if he could be stepped on by accident whenever near that man. He observed the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as they responded, finding that they moved well together, not having to use a lot of verbal clues to figure what they other meant, a skill that Evander had yet to master with his communication with others. He tended to misread them, and find himself either insulting them, or just confusing them with a comment that was not suited to the task at hand. it was a problem he was trying not to create in this situation.

"I like mandrakes," he commented. "Have you worked with them yet? Do we get to see mandrakes in first year and work with them?" He had yet to have Herbology, and had been looking forward to the subject. Everything else was filler in his eyes. He wanted the plants. "I'm not too good with Devil's Snare though." he added, looking at Broderick apologetically.
​
 
Marietta was enjoying the company of the two boys. Evander's politeness and Broderick's intelligence was... unexpected. Marietta has never made friends with many guys, only girls. She used to think all boys were gross, but obviously she was wrong. Broderick and Evander seemed more mature than most boys.

Evander apparently liked Mandrakes and asked if they were going to work with the plant... thing? "I'm not sure, so far it's just been tools and rules," Ha, Tools and Rules. It rhymes, she giggled in her head. It was true though. Marietta was kind of bummed at not planting anything for the first two classes. She was sure that by the next lesson they would be planting something, or harvesting ingredients for potions. Maybe...

OOCOut of Character:
Sorry it's a bit short!! :doh:
 
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