Harry Potter and the Scabbard of Excalibur [AU]
- Location
- Ostren
[X] Learn Astrology
[X] Ornias Is My New Friend And I Want Him In The Next Family Photo
[X] Ornias Is My New Friend And I Want Him In The Next Family Photo
[X] Ornias Is My New Friend And I Want Him In The Next Family Photo
X] Ornias Is My New Friend And I Want Him In The Next Family Photo - Dedicate a portion of your free time to figuring out potential alternatives to Ornias' current accommodations. +Ornias; a happy worker is an efficient worker. However, your grades might suffer.
[X] Overcome Language Barrier - Make sure that Ornias can speak modern English, first. Makes any learning with Ornias faster in the future.
-[X] Write In: You're not going to make the mistake of thinking of demons like tools. Sapient beings aren't tools, they're allies. Actually bother to get to know Ornias. Ask him about what he likes and doesn't like, what his life is like when he's not on Earth, ask him about his interests and learn things while you're at it. Maybe he knows something about the millennial supernova? Maybe he would like some books to read that you could talk about, (what are his thoughts on your astronomy text?) or maybe there's something else you can easily do to help him keep entertained
[X] Prepare for All Hallow's Eve and Samhain, both ritualistically and spiritually; bring honor to the Ancestors while also attempting to have some closure in regards to the Dursleys, having been unable to say goodbye...
-[X] If Ornias has some words of wisdom to impart over the celestial governances of the day, seek a way to integrate them into the ritual.
[X] Overcome Language Barrier - Make sure that Ornias can speak modern English, first. Makes any learning with Ornias faster in the future.
-[X] Write In: You're not going to make the mistake of thinking of demons like tools. Sapient beings aren't tools, they're allies. Actually bother to get to know Ornias. Ask him about what he likes and doesn't like, what his life is like when he's not on Earth, ask him about his interests and learn things while you're at it. Maybe he knows something about the millennial supernova? Maybe he would like some books to read that you could talk about, (what are his thoughts on your astronomy text?) or maybe there's something else you can easily do to help him keep entertained
[X] Prepare for All Hallow's Eve and Samhain, both ritualistically and spiritually; bring honor to the Ancestors while also attempting to have some closure in regards to the Dursleys, having been unable to say goodbye...
-[X] If Ornias has some words of wisdom to impart over the celestial governances of the day, seek a way to integrate them into the ritual.
[X] Ornias Is My New Friend And I Want Him In The Next Family Photo - Dedicate a portion of your free time to figuring out potential alternatives to Ornias' current accommodations. +Ornias; a happy worker is an efficient worker. However, your grades might suffer.
[X] Overcome Language Barrier - Make sure that Ornias can speak modern English, first. Makes any learning with Ornias faster in the future.
-[X] Write In: You're not going to make the mistake of thinking of demons like tools. Sapient beings aren't tools, they're allies. Actually bother to get to know Ornias. Ask him about what he likes and doesn't like, what his life is like when he's not on Earth, ask him about his interests and learn things while you're at it. Maybe he knows something about the millennial supernova? Maybe he would like some books to read that you could talk about, (what are his thoughts on your astronomy text?) or maybe there's something else you can easily do to help him keep entertained
[X] Prepare for All Hallow's Eve and Samhain, both ritualistically and spiritually; bring honor to the Ancestors while also attempting to have some closure in regards to the Dursleys, having been unable to say goodbye...
-[X] If Ornias has some words of wisdom to impart over the celestial governances of the day, seek a way to integrate them into the ritual.
[X] Overcome Language Barrier - Make sure that Ornias can speak modern English, first. Makes any learning with Ornias faster in the future.
-[X] Write In: You're not going to make the mistake of thinking of demons like tools. Sapient beings aren't tools, they're allies. Actually bother to get to know Ornias. Ask him about what he likes and doesn't like, what his life is like when he's not on Earth, ask him about his interests and learn things while you're at it. Maybe he knows something about the millennial supernova? Maybe he would like some books to read that you could talk about, (what are his thoughts on your astronomy text?) or maybe there's something else you can easily do to help him keep entertained
[X] Prepare for All Hallow's Eve and Samhain, both ritualistically and spiritually; bring honor to the Ancestors while also attempting to have some closure in regards to the Dursleys, having been unable to say goodbye...
-[X] If Ornias has some words of wisdom to impart over the celestial governances of the day, seek a way to integrate them into the ritual.
- Location
- US
[X] Ornias Is My New Friend And I Want Him In The Next Family Photo - Dedicate a portion of your free time to figuring out potential alternatives to Ornias' current accommodations. +Ornias; a happy worker is an efficient worker. However, your grades might suffer.
[X] Overcome Language Barrier - Make sure that Ornias can speak modern English, first. Makes any learning with Ornias faster in the future.
-[X] Write In: You're not going to make the mistake of thinking of demons like tools. Sapient beings aren't tools, they're allies. Actually bother to get to know Ornias. Ask him about what he likes and doesn't like, what his life is like when he's not on Earth, ask him about his interests and learn things while you're at it. Maybe he knows something about the millennial supernova? Maybe he would like some books to read that you could talk about, (what are his thoughts on your astronomy text?) or maybe there's something else you can easily do to help him keep entertained
[X] Prepare for All Hallow's Eve and Samhain, both ritualistically and spiritually; bring honor to the Ancestors while also attempting to have some closure in regards to the Dursleys, having been unable to say goodbye...
-[X] If Ornias has some words of wisdom to impart over the celestial governances of the day, seek a way to integrate them into the ritual.
Preparing for Samhain is a pretty cool idea. After all, we chose Astrology as a Tris pick, so we can tap into important moments like that.
[X] Overcome Language Barrier - Make sure that Ornias can speak modern English, first. Makes any learning with Ornias faster in the future.
-[X] Write In: You're not going to make the mistake of thinking of demons like tools. Sapient beings aren't tools, they're allies. Actually bother to get to know Ornias. Ask him about what he likes and doesn't like, what his life is like when he's not on Earth, ask him about his interests and learn things while you're at it. Maybe he knows something about the millennial supernova? Maybe he would like some books to read that you could talk about, (what are his thoughts on your astronomy text?) or maybe there's something else you can easily do to help him keep entertained
[X] Prepare for All Hallow's Eve and Samhain, both ritualistically and spiritually; bring honor to the Ancestors while also attempting to have some closure in regards to the Dursleys, having been unable to say goodbye...
-[X] If Ornias has some words of wisdom to impart over the celestial governances of the day, seek a way to integrate them into the ritual.
Preparing for Samhain is a pretty cool idea. After all, we chose Astrology as a Tris pick, so we can tap into important moments like that.
TaliesinSkye
Occasional Editor
- Location
- Northeast Ohio, United States
This seems a little out of nowhere; this has never been Harry's religion, and he's had no exposure to any of it.
But he has been catching up about wizarding customs and is intensively studying Astrology now - so he knows about the importance of special days. Dursley tragedy still haunts him and seeing it's a day of the dead celebrated by the whole castle, it won't be uncharacteristic of him to follow along and try to make peace with his survivor's guilt.
It could be an interesting thing to focus on instead of just the festivities and the stations of canon..
Last edited:
Orion Ultor
Everything’s Got A Price.
- Location
- East Coast
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Beyond the fact that when I wrote this up the intent was less on introducing him to religion but more to a cultural practice that focuses on familial remembrance [beyond the fact he would have seen actual Halloween decorations go up and Geist would have commented as much] as a Celt/Roman/Briton/Germanic/Nordic (did we ever go in depth into his cultural
Also this.
TaliesinSkye
Occasional Editor
- Location
- Northeast Ohio, United States
It's nice that you want him to have a productive way to grieve, but this feels like a strangely sudden level of commitment and ultimately out of character.
Stella Glorion
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Stella Glorion
After several, fruitless attempts to get Ornias to consume tea - and the demon's annoying insistence it couldn't - they settled on a compromise where Ornias would pretend to sip the tea and occasionally comment on its satisfactory flavor. The enjoyment of teatime with a demon would be shattered whenever it commented something ridiculous, such as the tea having a fresh minty aftertaste when it obviously didn't, but Harry simply ignored any such and pretended that Ornias was capable of taste. Geist subtly derided Harry's attempts to accommodate such a being, but in truth, Harry was doing it more for himself than Ornias. He'd always wanted to have tea with the devil.
It says a lot about your interests. I am starting to believe the Sorting Had might've had a point.
As months in Hogwarts went, pale October was so uneventful it was strange. No one had been cursed, sent to the hospital with a sprained ankle or wrist bent at an impossible and uncomfortable angle, or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As always, Snape was oily and unpleasant, Dumbledore was old and strange, McGonagall was strict but fair, and Sprout insisted on moderation in applying runic enchantments to the Hufflepuff Common Room, especially after Harry managed to get one of the older Hufflepuffs to share books on the subject. His stupendous alacrity in recombining and applying symbols of power only increased with unrestrained access to the Futhark.
It was All Hallow's Eve. Harry was on edge as he walked from his fourth period to the Great Hall, to have dinner with Ron and Hermione - apparently, Neville was busy chasing leads on the potion theft, and Daphne was desperately studying for something.
Although the horoscope he'd prepared confidently asserted nothing of significance would happen in October, the prophecy applied solely to Harry, and even with his limited experience, Harry was able to tell horoscopes were a form of divination scant in detail, and often deficient in their accuracy.
According to the faculty members and senior students, the celebration of Halloween at Hogwarts was cursed. Something bad, or at least concerning and inauspicious, would invariably occur on Halloween every year, much like the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position would depose its present holder. At least, until Sirius showed up.
All things being fair, the curse I cast has a stipulation that it won't affect people who are equal or better teachers for the subject than me. Apparently, your godfather is. Although I suppose we'll see how much water that holds once you're in your second year and learning actual things instead of trivialities for keeping children occupied.
Are you saying I should not pay attention in, or to, DADA?
Harry considered the possibility and saw a font of potential merit. An hour and a half, unwasted on learning about minor and trivial household pests, but instead spent on bettering his actual skills, the ones that had practical uses? He couldn't practice Astronomy or Astrology in the middle of class without getting caught or laughed at, but he'd easily be able to read his other textbooks or even practice drawing runic arrays on paper, so long as he was careful about not setting anything on fire. And besides, his stroke length ratios could use work...
I was not saying that, as a matter of fact. Also focus on where you're walking, idiot.
Harry stopped in his thoughtless march, a second before he stepped into a fellow First-Year; a Slytherin boy staring at him with some kind of strong, determined intent in his pale silver eyes. Harry recognized him, though vaguely - from the distinctive platinum blonde hair and facial appearance. He was some bigshot son of the aristocracy.
"Draco Malfoy," the Slytherin introduced himself, hand outstretched, fingers extended; to shake. A problem was made apparent, that Draco and Harry realized a moment later; Harry's arms were busy holding onto a small mountain of textbooks that he frequently carried on himself.
As Draco sheepishly moved his hand back, Harry focused - textbooks were no excuse to forgo meeting a new, potential friend with proper manners. He opened his arms, releasing the books, but holding them aloft by sheer force of will. As casually as he could, he took a step around them, and closer to Draco.
"Harry Potter," Harry replied adroitly, catching and shaking the hand before Draco could finish his withdrawal - though, now, he was gawking at Harry's feat of wandless, silent levitation with speculative awe. Harry released the boy's hand.
"Listen, uh, Harry, I was looking for you - I have something to tell you, actually."
Harry smiled at him sunnily. "Yes?"
"I'm not sure how to explain it, though. Not without sounding like a nutter, or like I'm pulling at your strings."
Harry moved his head to the side, and promptly, almost instinctively, folded his arms. "I mean... go ahead?"
"It's about Daphne Greengrass. Do you know about..."
Harry's smile fell. "Who she works for?"
Draco nodded.
"I do."
An uncomfortable silence filled the empty corridor.
"Daphne, she's, uh..." A little stiff, Draco scratched his temple, frowning and looking down, as if debating internally with his emotions and rationality. Then, Draco looked around the empty hall they were in, to ensure no portrait, ghost, or student was nearby to overhear. "Ah, damn it. She's completely lost the plot, Potter. That trollop Bellatrix ordered her to do something involving the deeper dungeons. You know there's something going on down there? I don't know what, but it's got something to do with the missing animals and potions ingredients over the last couple of months, and all the other weird things. I was going to try and talk her out of it, but now she's gone, no one knows where she is, and it's Halloween. I have a bad feeling about this entire situation, but I don't know her as well as you."
That doesn't sound good.
At Harry's side, the levitating stack of books fell and clattered to the floor. Harry winced, gritting his teeth.
"We..."
Hold on. I know you want to announce a search, but that could be a terrible idea.
Why?
If she's involved in the potion theft and pet kidnapping, even as an accomplice or accessory, she might be expelled from school if the faculty finds out. Do you remember the potion ingredients stolen? Salamander blood, Harry - it possesses healing properties. It's textbook Dark Arts preparations - animal blood can be harvested periodically a number of times by dosing the animals on healing and replenishing potions. It's the most ethical and efficient method of excusing rituals that don't demand lethal sacrifice. If she's involved, and you tell anyone, the criminal charges might be enough to justify the use of truth serum. And that'll untangle her other involvement in spying on you, working for known terrorists, and Merlin knows what else. It'd undermine the position of you, the Death Eaters, not to mention possibly get Daphne herself in prison. Almost certainly, she's accompanied by at least one other individual - an older Slytherin, probably, who actually knows the ritual and stole the ingredients before we arrived at Hogwarts. First, we need to determine if she's in danger, though she probably isn't.
We can't do any of that if we can't find her.
Then look for her. I have not the slightest clue what ritual she or her friends are planning to execute, but it must be powerful if they were preparing for this before the school year began. I can't imagine a purpose, either. Assassinating Dumbledore? It'd be more efficient and sure to work to Imperiate someone in a solid position to get close to Dumbledore, have them sneak into his bedroom when he's sleeping, and cast the Killing Curse. And besides, Dumbledore isn't at school right now - he's off attending to his duties as Chief Warlock, remember? This is unrelated. It's a Death Eater plot, but not to kill Dumbledore.
To revive you?
I don't know. It's probably not anything we should worry about. If their plot is to revive me, there's not much we can do to effectively intervene.
"Potter! Snap out of it," Draco cussed, pushing his shoulder, and thinking that Harry froze. "We need to do something, and we can't tell the teachers or they'll throw her out like a disowned dog. Any ideas outside of the obvious would be appreciated!"
"Calm down," Harry turned the tables around, thinking. "We need to find her, and we need to figure out if she's in danger. It'd be completely mad to go into the deep dungeons ourselves to look around. We don't even know where they might be, and it's not like we have a convenient map. We need something else."
---
Make a plan, in which you select any combination of actions you want - however, do be cautious; too many cooks spoil the broth, and you don't want the cooks cooking each other instead of the meal. And I recommend you be fast; as far as you know, you might be on a timer.
[ ] Star-Plucker's Gaze - Surreptiously summon and command Ornias to search the dungeons. It's not much, but the demon's fast and thorough, with his abilities lending him some natural advantage in searching through dark places. He won't enjoy the task of moving deeper underground, but it's necessary. There might be significant risk if you have other people searching the dungeons at the same time, however.
[ ] Find Neville - Although you trust Neville, you know he's been keeping secrets from you, and you don't have any idea where he is either. Attempt to locate him - maybe he'll know where to find Daphne?
[ ] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
[ ] All of Us - They might have darkness on their side, but you have an army. Run into the Hufflepuff Common Room and inform the members of the Inner Circle of the broad strokes of what has transpired, and that you need their help to safely and secretly locate Daphne Greengrass and stop a potential Death Eater incursion.
Although this option might seem to be an excessively risky and unthinkable proposal, and end with your own Housemates laughing at you, it's not actually that inconceivable. Historically, the House of Hufflepuff has participated - in a clandestine manner - in armed conflicts over far more petty reasons. All of the stories about Genghis Khan dying on a hunt, or to a poisoned arrow, or to old age are a myth - a team of motivated Seventh-Year Hufflepuffs was the actual reason, and the motive wasn't even political. If your friends are in danger, your House is sure to rise up in arms and support you - though, likely, they'll have to verify your claims first, and that might take a smidgeon too long...
[ ] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
[ ] You're Panicking, Calm Down - Maybe you're overreacting? Calm down and think logically about this, Harry - although she and the Death Eaters might be planning something that has to do with the Dark Arts, Geist has already determined it's certainly not the assassination of Dumbledore, and they almost certainly have no real interest in either you, the teachers, or the student body. Also, it seems their ritual is taking place in the deep dungeons. Her own comrades would have no reason to hurt Daphne.
As such, Occam's razor says the ritual is probably something that's attempting to subvert Hogwarts, either as a distraction or a long-term preparation for the future. Maybe they're planning to bust the wards or infect them with a virus, or something along those lines of thought. And besides, you and Malfoy could both be panicking over nothing, making baseless assumptions; for all you know, Daphne's sitting in a bathroom to avoid social interaction, eating pumpkin brioche. At any rate, even if something is going on, you'd be powerless to intervene, unless you contacted the teachers, which has all kinds of demerits. The most logical course of action, therefore, is... to do nothing.
It somehow feels wrong to do nothing. Harry's mood could be impacted, especially if this option is wrong - but the same is true for every option, so who cares?
[ ] Write-in
After several, fruitless attempts to get Ornias to consume tea - and the demon's annoying insistence it couldn't - they settled on a compromise where Ornias would pretend to sip the tea and occasionally comment on its satisfactory flavor. The enjoyment of teatime with a demon would be shattered whenever it commented something ridiculous, such as the tea having a fresh minty aftertaste when it obviously didn't, but Harry simply ignored any such and pretended that Ornias was capable of taste. Geist subtly derided Harry's attempts to accommodate such a being, but in truth, Harry was doing it more for himself than Ornias. He'd always wanted to have tea with the devil.
It says a lot about your interests. I am starting to believe the Sorting Had might've had a point.
As months in Hogwarts went, pale October was so uneventful it was strange. No one had been cursed, sent to the hospital with a sprained ankle or wrist bent at an impossible and uncomfortable angle, or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As always, Snape was oily and unpleasant, Dumbledore was old and strange, McGonagall was strict but fair, and Sprout insisted on moderation in applying runic enchantments to the Hufflepuff Common Room, especially after Harry managed to get one of the older Hufflepuffs to share books on the subject. His stupendous alacrity in recombining and applying symbols of power only increased with unrestrained access to the Futhark.
It was All Hallow's Eve. Harry was on edge as he walked from his fourth period to the Great Hall, to have dinner with Ron and Hermione - apparently, Neville was busy chasing leads on the potion theft, and Daphne was desperately studying for something.
Although the horoscope he'd prepared confidently asserted nothing of significance would happen in October, the prophecy applied solely to Harry, and even with his limited experience, Harry was able to tell horoscopes were a form of divination scant in detail, and often deficient in their accuracy.
According to the faculty members and senior students, the celebration of Halloween at Hogwarts was cursed. Something bad, or at least concerning and inauspicious, would invariably occur on Halloween every year, much like the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position would depose its present holder. At least, until Sirius showed up.
All things being fair, the curse I cast has a stipulation that it won't affect people who are equal or better teachers for the subject than me. Apparently, your godfather is. Although I suppose we'll see how much water that holds once you're in your second year and learning actual things instead of trivialities for keeping children occupied.
Are you saying I should not pay attention in, or to, DADA?
Harry considered the possibility and saw a font of potential merit. An hour and a half, unwasted on learning about minor and trivial household pests, but instead spent on bettering his actual skills, the ones that had practical uses? He couldn't practice Astronomy or Astrology in the middle of class without getting caught or laughed at, but he'd easily be able to read his other textbooks or even practice drawing runic arrays on paper, so long as he was careful about not setting anything on fire. And besides, his stroke length ratios could use work...
I was not saying that, as a matter of fact. Also focus on where you're walking, idiot.
Harry stopped in his thoughtless march, a second before he stepped into a fellow First-Year; a Slytherin boy staring at him with some kind of strong, determined intent in his pale silver eyes. Harry recognized him, though vaguely - from the distinctive platinum blonde hair and facial appearance. He was some bigshot son of the aristocracy.
"Draco Malfoy," the Slytherin introduced himself, hand outstretched, fingers extended; to shake. A problem was made apparent, that Draco and Harry realized a moment later; Harry's arms were busy holding onto a small mountain of textbooks that he frequently carried on himself.
As Draco sheepishly moved his hand back, Harry focused - textbooks were no excuse to forgo meeting a new, potential friend with proper manners. He opened his arms, releasing the books, but holding them aloft by sheer force of will. As casually as he could, he took a step around them, and closer to Draco.
"Harry Potter," Harry replied adroitly, catching and shaking the hand before Draco could finish his withdrawal - though, now, he was gawking at Harry's feat of wandless, silent levitation with speculative awe. Harry released the boy's hand.
"Listen, uh, Harry, I was looking for you - I have something to tell you, actually."
Harry smiled at him sunnily. "Yes?"
"I'm not sure how to explain it, though. Not without sounding like a nutter, or like I'm pulling at your strings."
Harry moved his head to the side, and promptly, almost instinctively, folded his arms. "I mean... go ahead?"
"It's about Daphne Greengrass. Do you know about..."
Harry's smile fell. "Who she works for?"
Draco nodded.
"I do."
An uncomfortable silence filled the empty corridor.
"Daphne, she's, uh..." A little stiff, Draco scratched his temple, frowning and looking down, as if debating internally with his emotions and rationality. Then, Draco looked around the empty hall they were in, to ensure no portrait, ghost, or student was nearby to overhear. "Ah, damn it. She's completely lost the plot, Potter. That trollop Bellatrix ordered her to do something involving the deeper dungeons. You know there's something going on down there? I don't know what, but it's got something to do with the missing animals and potions ingredients over the last couple of months, and all the other weird things. I was going to try and talk her out of it, but now she's gone, no one knows where she is, and it's Halloween. I have a bad feeling about this entire situation, but I don't know her as well as you."
That doesn't sound good.
At Harry's side, the levitating stack of books fell and clattered to the floor. Harry winced, gritting his teeth.
"We..."
Hold on. I know you want to announce a search, but that could be a terrible idea.
Why?
If she's involved in the potion theft and pet kidnapping, even as an accomplice or accessory, she might be expelled from school if the faculty finds out. Do you remember the potion ingredients stolen? Salamander blood, Harry - it possesses healing properties. It's textbook Dark Arts preparations - animal blood can be harvested periodically a number of times by dosing the animals on healing and replenishing potions. It's the most ethical and efficient method of excusing rituals that don't demand lethal sacrifice. If she's involved, and you tell anyone, the criminal charges might be enough to justify the use of truth serum. And that'll untangle her other involvement in spying on you, working for known terrorists, and Merlin knows what else. It'd undermine the position of you, the Death Eaters, not to mention possibly get Daphne herself in prison. Almost certainly, she's accompanied by at least one other individual - an older Slytherin, probably, who actually knows the ritual and stole the ingredients before we arrived at Hogwarts. First, we need to determine if she's in danger, though she probably isn't.
We can't do any of that if we can't find her.
Then look for her. I have not the slightest clue what ritual she or her friends are planning to execute, but it must be powerful if they were preparing for this before the school year began. I can't imagine a purpose, either. Assassinating Dumbledore? It'd be more efficient and sure to work to Imperiate someone in a solid position to get close to Dumbledore, have them sneak into his bedroom when he's sleeping, and cast the Killing Curse. And besides, Dumbledore isn't at school right now - he's off attending to his duties as Chief Warlock, remember? This is unrelated. It's a Death Eater plot, but not to kill Dumbledore.
To revive you?
I don't know. It's probably not anything we should worry about. If their plot is to revive me, there's not much we can do to effectively intervene.
"Potter! Snap out of it," Draco cussed, pushing his shoulder, and thinking that Harry froze. "We need to do something, and we can't tell the teachers or they'll throw her out like a disowned dog. Any ideas outside of the obvious would be appreciated!"
"Calm down," Harry turned the tables around, thinking. "We need to find her, and we need to figure out if she's in danger. It'd be completely mad to go into the deep dungeons ourselves to look around. We don't even know where they might be, and it's not like we have a convenient map. We need something else."
---
Make a plan, in which you select any combination of actions you want - however, do be cautious; too many cooks spoil the broth, and you don't want the cooks cooking each other instead of the meal. And I recommend you be fast; as far as you know, you might be on a timer.
[ ] Star-Plucker's Gaze - Surreptiously summon and command Ornias to search the dungeons. It's not much, but the demon's fast and thorough, with his abilities lending him some natural advantage in searching through dark places. He won't enjoy the task of moving deeper underground, but it's necessary. There might be significant risk if you have other people searching the dungeons at the same time, however.
[ ] Find Neville - Although you trust Neville, you know he's been keeping secrets from you, and you don't have any idea where he is either. Attempt to locate him - maybe he'll know where to find Daphne?
[ ] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
[ ] All of Us - They might have darkness on their side, but you have an army. Run into the Hufflepuff Common Room and inform the members of the Inner Circle of the broad strokes of what has transpired, and that you need their help to safely and secretly locate Daphne Greengrass and stop a potential Death Eater incursion.
Although this option might seem to be an excessively risky and unthinkable proposal, and end with your own Housemates laughing at you, it's not actually that inconceivable. Historically, the House of Hufflepuff has participated - in a clandestine manner - in armed conflicts over far more petty reasons. All of the stories about Genghis Khan dying on a hunt, or to a poisoned arrow, or to old age are a myth - a team of motivated Seventh-Year Hufflepuffs was the actual reason, and the motive wasn't even political. If your friends are in danger, your House is sure to rise up in arms and support you - though, likely, they'll have to verify your claims first, and that might take a smidgeon too long...
[ ] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
[ ] You're Panicking, Calm Down - Maybe you're overreacting? Calm down and think logically about this, Harry - although she and the Death Eaters might be planning something that has to do with the Dark Arts, Geist has already determined it's certainly not the assassination of Dumbledore, and they almost certainly have no real interest in either you, the teachers, or the student body. Also, it seems their ritual is taking place in the deep dungeons. Her own comrades would have no reason to hurt Daphne.
As such, Occam's razor says the ritual is probably something that's attempting to subvert Hogwarts, either as a distraction or a long-term preparation for the future. Maybe they're planning to bust the wards or infect them with a virus, or something along those lines of thought. And besides, you and Malfoy could both be panicking over nothing, making baseless assumptions; for all you know, Daphne's sitting in a bathroom to avoid social interaction, eating pumpkin brioche. At any rate, even if something is going on, you'd be powerless to intervene, unless you contacted the teachers, which has all kinds of demerits. The most logical course of action, therefore, is... to do nothing.
It somehow feels wrong to do nothing. Harry's mood could be impacted, especially if this option is wrong - but the same is true for every option, so who cares?
[ ] Write-in
- Pronouns
- He
[X] All of Us
[X] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
[X] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
TaliesinSkye
Occasional Editor
- Location
- Northeast Ohio, United States
It's unfortunate that we didn't learn anything at all about Ornias. Oh well, maybe later.
This is the safest combination of options, I think. Ornias is too good an option to pass up, but if we go with him we need to keep the remaining search team small. All Of Us is taking a risk on getting people to agree to help in time, and sensitive information spreading widely. Telling teachers could be bad for sensitive information reasons as well.
[X] Plan Reasonable Search Parameters
-[X] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
-[X] Star-Plucker's Gaze - Surreptiously summon and command Ornias to search the dungeons. It's not much, but the demon's fast and thorough, with his abilities lending him some natural advantage in searching through dark places. He won't enjoy the task of moving deeper underground, but it's necessary. There might be significant risk if you have other people searching the dungeons at the same time, however.
This is the safest combination of options, I think. Ornias is too good an option to pass up, but if we go with him we need to keep the remaining search team small. All Of Us is taking a risk on getting people to agree to help in time, and sensitive information spreading widely. Telling teachers could be bad for sensitive information reasons as well.
[X] Plan Reasonable Search Parameters
-[X] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
-[X] Star-Plucker's Gaze - Surreptiously summon and command Ornias to search the dungeons. It's not much, but the demon's fast and thorough, with his abilities lending him some natural advantage in searching through dark places. He won't enjoy the task of moving deeper underground, but it's necessary. There might be significant risk if you have other people searching the dungeons at the same time, however.
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[X] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
[X] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
[X] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
Orion Ultor
Everything’s Got A Price.
- Location
- East Coast
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] All of Us
TaliesinSkye
Occasional Editor
- Location
- Northeast Ohio, United States
Because they might take too long to mobilize, and everybody in the House might find out things we'd prefer to keep secret.
Having an army is useful, but they're not the right solution to every problem.
Rolen von Keng
Sleeping Green Bear
- Location
- The Wilderness
[X] All of You
TaliesinSkye
Occasional Editor
- Location
- Northeast Ohio, United States
Plan vote, guys. Otherwise with multiple options Birdsie can't figure out which to go with.
[X] Creative Plan Name
-[X] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
-[X] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
-[X] All of You - Either you or Draco, though preferably the former, will go to the Great Hall and conscript Ron and Hermione by explaining some of the safe details regarding the situation to them. It might put you back to square one, but at least you'll have more pieces to move with now.
-[X] Inform Teachers - Better going to court, being tried as a minor, and facing expulsion than potentially facing serious danger, right? It's not like Daphne would do anything immoral, besides, and Bellatrix didn't seem the kind of person to put children at stake, so it's highly probable Daphne's personally in the green. Inform the nearest faculty member that you can find, right away, of what you suspect might be happening, citing your mission to Dumbledore as reasoning. Even Filch and Snape are bound to take your far-fetched claims somewhat seriously if both you and Malfoy insist there might be a Dark ritual happening in the dungeons, especially on a Halloween night like this one.
[X] All of Us
Can we utilize castle's rat population to aid us in searching? And wtf, guys, rattle to teachers? I didn't know MC's name is Hermione
Can we utilize castle's rat population to aid us in searching? And wtf, guys, rattle to teachers? I didn't know MC's name is Hermione