Open The Chocolate Frog Maze

[Ryan Fisk]

Open after Daphne posts with Augustus

It had taken several weeks, but Ryan was finally sure the weather was perfect for the experiment he'd been planning. Working with chocolate frogs was fickle enough without them melting, and today was just the right level of overcast that Ryan was confident they'd last at least an hour or so before their legs did that thing where they got too melty and they started hopping sideways. He'd grabbed Augustus and dragged him, as many books as they could carry, and the stack of chocolate frogs he'd bought out to the lawn as soon as they'd finished classes for the day, talking eagerly about the various maze designs he'd been drafting in class all morning as they made their way down from Ravenclaw tower.

Now that everything was on the lawn, Ryan set about making said mazes. "No, no put that one at a right angle, like this," He said to Augustus, holding his hands up to form a neat corner. "We can't have any gaps or the frogs'll get out," He explained, though Ryan was sure he'd mentioned that a few times already. Once he was content all the corners looked solid enough, Ryan moved to what he decided was the start of the maze, stacking the pile of chocolate frog boxes up and grinning excitedly. "Okay, help me open these and then we can timing them," Ryan said, beckoning Augustus over again so he could shove a few of the boxes into his hands and they could get started.

 

[Augustus Westwick]

Augustus was happy to go along with Ryan's experiments, especially one like this one that sounded both interesting and fun. He carried books as he followed Ryan, barely able to see over the stack in his arms, and settled with him on the lawn. The maze designs had been fun to make, and Augustus had high hopes for a few he had designed. Though he wasn't sure if he hoped the frog would be able to do it or would not be able to do it. He'd feel kind of bad, trapping them in a maze forever. They got started making the maze, and Ryan corrected Augustus, who let him take over for a bit to do it as he wanted. Ryan always knew what he wanted, which was something Augustus admired about him a lot. "Like that?" He said after putting up a few more walls of the maze. Then he helped Ryan open chocolate frogs, trying not to let them escape. It was trickier than he had thought, but he managed to keep them all contained. "I can take notes." He said. "Once we're ready."

 

[Ryan Fisk]

Ryan nodded contently as Augustus tightened up some of the walls of the maze, moving to straighten up a large atlas he'd picked for the first corner to dissuade the frogs from jumping out before passing Augustus some frogs for them to open. He always appreciated how Augustus just followed instructions, no pesky questions or complaints like other people always seemed to do. Not that the other boy never asked questions, but it was usually interesting ones. It was why he was Ryans favourite research partner by far. He just wished everyone would just do what he asked like Augustus did. "Good idea, I've got the watch to time them," Ryan said, once they had a few frogs from their packaging.

"Okay, releasing the first frog," Ryan announced, scooping the frog up and depositing it at the start of the maze, quickly checking his watch. "It had an Artemisia Lufkin card with it, not that I doubt that'll be a useful variable, but you never know," He commented off-handedly, eyes flicking between the frog as it hopped around the books and his watch. It didn't take long before it breached the wall of the maze though, hopping clean over Ryan's Charms book and making a break across the lawn. "Son of a banshee," Ryan muttered, scrambling to go after it and inadvertently releasing several of the other frogs they'd already unwrapped, stumbling over them as they joined their brethren in hopping about in the grass.

 

[Augustus Westwick]

Augustus took the frogs and started to open them carefully. He then watched as Ryan released the first one, and noted down the card the boy mentioned. "Maybe we name each frog after their card?" He suggested timidly. "Numbering may be more logical, but if we're keeping track of the cars anyway, we might as well?" Augustus asked, scribbling away in his notebook. Augustus then winced as the frog escaped easily and hopped away, and his pen stilled as he watched Ryan running after it. Then he noticed the other frogs were escaping, and he yelped, dropping the notebook in his haste to attempt to contain them. "No, bad frogs- no, Merlin you stay here." He said, grabbing the frog that had come with the Merlin card and firmly placing it back in his box, even as others hopped away. "Ryan!" He yelled helplessly.

 

[Ryan Fisk]

Ryan nodded thoughtfully at Augustus' suggestion before rapidly shaking his head. "No, no, what if we get doubles? Artemisia 2? Seems clunky," He said, though it wasn't a completely terrible idea. He was admittedly already kind of losing track of which frog was which. Maybe they should have opened so many at once.

As the frogs began to make a break for it, Ryan tried to leap after them, having not quite gotten to his feet. He could already hear his sister's voice in his head griping about grass stains as he managed to wrangle one of the frogs, though he'd managed to kick down one of the walls of their maze down in the process. "Dangit, where's my wand," He muttered to Augustus, scrambling to try and sit up as one of the frogs hopped across his back and over his hair in its bid for freedom. Hands full of the other frog, Ryan had a manic moment when he considered putting the one he'd caught straight in his mouth so he could catch more, pausing the knee-jerk reaction when he realized he could eat the test subjects. "Quick, quick, they're getting away," He said instead to Augustus, still half-stumbling to his feet and trying to decide the best way to contain them.