Those pesky little gnomes

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella, quite intrigued by last week's lesson in Charms was quite determined to get a better grasp on the Impediment Jinx. She knew that there really wouldn't be any problem blasting away at a few gnomes, as the little pests were notorious for destroying beautiful gardens. Deciding that she could only do the school a favor and beat a few into submission with her practicing she strolled to the gardens, a box of Bertie Bott's every flavor beans in her hand. Personally she hated the things, she had gotten a few too many that were grotesque for her liking. She spilled a few on the pathway as she strolled through, quite glad to find the garden relatively empty. Most of the younger students had classes right now. It was quite nice not to have them up in her face and asking what she was doing constantly, in awe of the magic fifth years were able to cast.

She stepped lightly through the gardens, her boots making a slight imprint in the dirt as she appreciated the various flora and fauna present. This seemed to be the perfect battleground.

Soon, she had caught her prey; a little beady eyed gnome scuttled towards her, viewing the box of beans greedily. With a smirk she held up her wand, stating simply, "Impedimenta!" A weak jet of red light spiraled from her wand, hitting the gnome in the chest and sending it backward onto its bum about a foot away. She frowned; it had been a decent attempt, but she knew that she could do much better.

 

[Apollinariya Dimitrova]

Apollinariya, quite curious about the school she was going to be at for the following year had decided to take a walk around the grounds to get a feel for her surroundings. She had been stopped by Jaken before making her way to the garden and now didnt know what to do. Should I give these people a chance? It's not really in my nature to do such things but I suppose it would be alright, Not the younger ones obviously because even Jaken thinks their untamed. But the older ones maybe... thought Apollinariya as the entered the garden. She quickly noticed a trail of bertie botts every flavor beans along the ground and decided to go on a different path not wanting to be on the recieving end of something nasty even though she could probably beat whoever it was, The Hogwarts New Zealand people were not really worth having to defend herself against as of yet.

As she walked Apollinariya took out her wand and pointed it at wilted flowers, she muttered an incantation under her breath and watched as they stood back up and brightened once more. She didn't have much of a fondness for people but she loved plantlife and animals. Not that anybody knew that of course. She did this with every wilted plant she saw and even killed some pesky weeds as she passed. She eventually came up behind a girl and saw the trail of beans from earlier leading up to her. She then saw a little gnome running towards the girl eating the beans off of the ground at it did. She cringed in disgust Those little creatures are horrible! Apollinariya thought looking at the ugly little thing. The girl infront of her took out her wand and casted a pretty weak Impedimenta, Sending the gnome back about a foot.

Apollinariya looked at the wand in her hands. She had always had a particular flair for destructive and fighting spells. I'll show this girl how to do a good Impedimenta she thought as she gripped her wand the right way and pointed it at a gnome that had followed the first one along the trail. She walked up beside the girl to make sure her target was clear. "IMPEDIMENTA!" Apollinariya roared with a great force, a mighty stream of red light bursted out of her wand and struck the defenseless gnome in the chest. She watched with a satisfied smile on her face and a sadistic glint in her eyes as the gnome was blasted back about 10 feet and was partially frozen.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella jumped a bit as someone behind her roared off an Impediment Jinx, her jaw taut as she attempted to keep the fact that she was a bit startled out of her expression. Her dark eyes fell to a girl whom she did not recognize, but was definitely her age. Although she felt that she had been bested and was a little embarrassed that someone had been able to pull off a spell better than her, she stated, "That was pretty good! I take it you're from Durmstrang?" Estrella wasn't overly friendly, but enough to be cordial. She had not seen this girl in any of her classes and figured that she wasn't from Hogwarts Scotland.

Her eyes fell back onto the gnome, who was immobile, contrary to the one she had blasted, whom was gaining its consciousness. She attempted to hold herself regally, although it was rather a futile attempt as she had just been shown up dramatically on her faulty attempt with the Impediment Jinx. It embarrassed her even all the more as she was rather proficient at Charms.

 

[Apollinariya Dimitrova]

Apollinariyas eyes danced in amusement as the girl jumped but quickly went back to the blank pools of blue they usually were as the girl turned to her. She listened as the girl complimented her and asked if she went to Durmstrang. She stood a bit straighter reaching her full height of 5'11" and looked down at the girl. "Thank you, and yes I do go to Durmstrang." she replied looking the girl over, her tone cordial but not friendly. By a first judgement she would say the girl was around 14 or 15 and was a Hgwarts student. She couldn't figure which one but to be honest just didn't really care all that much about it.

Apollinariyas eyes too trailed over to the two Gnomes, Hers which was 10 feet away from them immobile like a stone sculpture rather than a living creature, and the other girls which was already gaining movement back. She noticed the girls attempt to hold herself proudly, It almost fooled her. Maybe she really wasn't embarassed but Apollinariya always assumed the worst in most things having been called a Pessimest many times in the past.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella's eyes narrowed as she was forced to crane her neck to look up at the girl; she exactly didn't appear to be the friendliest of the bunch. Well, she herself couldn't say much, as she was predisposed to be a block of ice at this moment. She could not help feeling a bit overshadowed by the girl, as she was so much taller than her and she had in fact showed her up with the Impediment Jinx.

Reveling in the awkward silence, she backed up a bit, squinting her eyes at the gnome she had aspired to knock back once before, holding her wand of oak primly. Waving it quickly with a more forceful flick she stated firmly, "Impedimenta!" She could not help baring her teeth in a grin of satisfaction as the gnome careened backwards, skidding on its bottom to the same spot that the other girl's had.

Turning back with a satisfied smirk, all embarrassment wiped clean from her face, she inquired a bit proudly, "What year were you in? The name's Estrella Drage by the way."

 

[Apollinariya Dimitrova]

Apollinariya was amused as the girl had to crane her neck upwards to look her in the face. Oh how I love my height sometimes. she thought as she looked down at the girl who had her eyes narrowed. She didn't seem to be one of the friendlier ones of the Hogwarts group, Maybe this was the Prefect Jaken had been talking about. She seems to be up to scratch. she thought almost approvingly.

Apollinariya watched as the girl tried to cast Impedimenta once more. Feels the need to show me up...Another point to her, But I refuse to be outshone. I'll wipe the smirk right off of her face. she thought before flicking her wand at a third gnome coming to see what had happened to the other two. "Impedimenta." she said simply watching as the gnome was blasted back with the other two that were still frozen in place.

She turned back to the girl waiting for the smirk to slide off of her face. "Fifth year, Apollinariya Dimitrova's the name." she replied to Estrella her tone of voice just as proud as Estrellas had been.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella smirked, hoping that the girl would get the memo that she was over the intimidation with the girl's height; it had been startling at first but now she shrugged it off. With family members of rather large stature she always felt quite the dwarf, which was an odd thing considering she was rather tall for her age at 5'4'. It was quite odd how so many people, especially girls, were so gargantuan.

Her lips contorted from a smirk to a frown as the girl cast the impediment jinx on yet another gnome, shrugging. In any case the girl hadn't placed the gnome any farther away from hers and with that she was satisfied. Having no more gnomes to blast she twirled her wand between slender fingers, before placing it expertly in her pocket.

A slight grin reappearing on her face, wondering if it would be to the girl's displeasure, she intoned, "A pleasure to meet you, Apollinariya. I too am a fifth year. Ravenclaw and prefect, I might add." Her dark eyes flickered to the wrinkly little creatures situated in the patch of flowers, their expressions contorted into a grimace as they attempted to escape their paralyzed state.

 

[Apollinariya Dimitrova]

Apollinariya saw the smirk and was immediatly irritated but she kept her face and eyes blank, Why that little... she cut off her thoughts. I'll give you something to smirk about. her thoughts picked up once again. It was times like these she was happy she had had many years of experience at keeping her face a blank slate almost all the time. She brushed the annoyances off of her mind as she focused on the situation at hand. Estrella, Estella, Esrella or whatever her name was was trying to out maneuver her, and that just wouldn't do.

She gave a satisfied smirk of her own as Estrellas slid off of her face like syrup forming a frown. She considered reveving the frozen gnome and blasting it even further away just to show off but refrained That would be overkill. she decided, Having no other use for her wand at the moment she slid it back into her black leather wand holder that had 'Dimitrova' down the front of it in silver calligraphy type letters.

"Ravenclaw Prefect...Hmm." She replied her tone blank So this was the girl Jaken said I'd find up to my approval. Well I must say he sure knows how to pick them. She doesn't back down...She may be worth talking to after all. Apollinariya thought her eyes too flickered back to the frozen gnomes. "So what do you suggest we do with these annoyances?" she asked casually

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella could not keep the smirk out of her eyes as she looked back to the girl, observing her. She seemed that she would be formidable as an enemy, but rather unflailing as a friend. However, she had to stay back, knowing that she couldn't pick people apart just by first experiences. Some, she still had to surpress the effort to keep from guessing what they were really like. It didn't hurt to look and see in any case. She was slightly amused to see that the girl had no more to offer as far as more gnomes were concerned.

"Yes," she stated, her voice trailing as her gaze moved to the rather immobile, ugly little pests. Thinking about it for a moment, she replied, "Leave them there. I can't think of anything else to do that wouldn't be borderline cruel." While she hated gnomes Estrella still had a sense of humanity clinging to her, something that she was glad to possess. "Even if they are rather demonic little buggers."

 

[Apollinariya Dimitrova]

A small glint of amusment danced in Apollinariyas eyes as Estrella seemed amused by her putting her wand away. I could remind you that you were the first one to stash their wand. she thought feeling a strange mixture of amusement and agitation. The amusement side won over in her expression or her eyes at the very least. This girl seemed the type that would be one of her more annoying enemies, but possibly an okay ally. She looked down at the girl realizing just how short she seemed to be. I'm wearing my two inch heeled boots though... she remembered one of the pairs that made her stand at an amazon like 6'1"

"I see..." Apollinariya responded cooly before going on to agree with Estrella. "Yes, leaving them here would seem to be the best thing to do here. I honestly don't feel like wasting any more of my time on such nasty little things." she looked over at the frozen gnomes, her face contorting into a small look of disgust. "Wait a second..." she said before whipping out her wand once more "Wingardium leviosa." she said simply pointing the wand at the gnomes and tossing them behind a nearby bush. Before putting the wand back in its holder. "No need to have them out to lower the gardens appeal." she said

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella smirked at Apollinariya, who seemed to be quite amused herself. She wasn't entirely sure what to think of this girl- would she be an irritant or a friend? She couldn't be quite sure yet. Knowing that the girl definitely seemed cold, she obviously had her magic straight- and things might get nasty if it ever came to a duel. Not that Estrella anticipated this, but she knew that the would definitely have a match as far as magic was concerned.

She nodded as Apollinariya moved to levitate the gnomes out of the way, agreeing that they indeed were like a sore thumb alongside the beauty of the garden, if carrying charm. Her eyes flickering as she looked to the Durmstrang girl, she asked, "So, do all of the Durmstrang students take classes on the ship or something?" She looked to the ship in the distance, possessing a rather monstrous, looming presence on the lake. The Hogwarts Scotland students were taking classes with them but she wondered about where the Durmstrang students were taught. Considering Jaken's affinity for cold she gathered that the Durmstrang students would probably like how cold it was going to get on that lake in the winter.

 

[Apollinariya Dimitrova]

Apollinariya kept her gave on Estrella, her eyes soon getting their judgemental frost like appeal to them as the thought. So, should I give her a chance? If I dismiss her from any hope of anything after Jaken said she was probably one of the best ones here then I'm going to have a very bad year full of untamed idiots. I've yet to see more than one spell, she may have some magical telent, she doesn't seem to be one of the overly friendly types either. she thought

Her eyes went back to what was considered for this meeting anyways normal as Estrella began talking to her. When asked if they attended their classes on the boat they had arrived in Apollinariya gave a short nod. She looked over to the bush she had leivtated the gnomes behind checking to make sure they were completely invisible from the pathway as it really would be a shame to have such uglt little buggers ruining such a beautiful garden. While Apollinariya would probably not get along with most in the castle and would more than likely avoid it, she would be out in the garden often, espically in the winter when the cold would remind her a bit of Durmstrang and nights at home when father wasn't around.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella nodded curtly back to the Durmstrang girl, remaining silent as she looked back to her. She did not really have anything to go off of, her eyes falling on a patch of what looked suspiciously like Bouncing Bulbs. She shuddered, absolutely detesting the things. She would never go near one again if she could help it. Her hand raised to a cut that she had received in Herbology due to the rather violent plants, having healed over pretty much. If plants were this dangerous in fifth year, what was it going to be like in later years, as she planned to continue with the subject?