Double, Double, Toil And Trouble

Chapter 5

Dear Mum.

  You remember that girl from earlier? Three Dollar Bill? She’s really nice and we are quite the pair. This is how we sort of… Met. Oh yes, and a troublesome boy named Isaac Stowe and a sweet girl named Skyler Church.

  Alexa, Jacob and I were finally revealed. I accidentally forgot my bracelet behind the Knight armor and now I have a detention from Professor Balog. He’s sort of strict you know. Didn’t even listen to my thought out explanation. It included a mysterious house elf.

  I sighed as the detention was set for tonight at 11pm with Professor Darkstorm. Along with two others, Three Dollar Bill and Isaac Stowe. Three Dollar Bill has nearly levitated Professor Quilmane on purpose, and Isaac Stowe rigged the Slitherin broomsticks to whack them in the face and chase them to the girls’ bathroom.

  At exactly 11 I headed through the door and to Professor Darkstorm’s office. He was tapping his toe impatiently on the floor, a girl who was about a head shorter than Professor Darkstorm waited nervously at his side. I met that girl earlier, if I recalled. Skyler Church. She had asked me what I was sending at the owlry once. I smiled slightly and said hello, just before a boy with a beaked mask charged down the hall chased by my dear friend Three Dollar Bill.

  “Help! She’s trying to kill me!” he called, he looked about 18 or 19 and looked quite funny being chased by a 12 year old.

  “THIS’LL TEACH YOU NOT TO GIVE ME A CANARY CUSTARD CAKE!” she roared and was near tackling him. Her hair and sweater was littered with vibrant yellow feathers and she gritted her teeth most unladylike.

  “I WILL NOT TOLLERATE THIS MUCH TROUBLE.” Professor Darkstorm boomed and everyone froze. The blood drained from Anne’s face and she righted herself. Jacob straightened his plague doctor mask and slinked over to our little band of troublesome children. “Skyler here, has joined us now on behalf of Professor Tudor’s recommendation.” Professor Tudor is our Herbology teacher. I have an O in her class.

  “U-um yes, we are going into the F-forbidden forest for some Dragon Fruit flowers at full bloom and some Ipomoea petals for Professor Nivera…” she said timidly, she seemed to think we were all troublemakers. I intend to prove that wrong.

  “Dragon fruit flowers can help heal, improve eyesight, and improve memory.” Professor Darkstorm said brightly and nodded. Three Dollar Bill snickered,

  “Hear that from Professor Nivera, did you?” she asked and we all let out a few giggles. Professor Darkstorm blushed slightly then continued through the taunts,

  “And Moon flower is a very severe poison that Professor Nivera wants to study.” He said and led us all to the Forbidden Forest in silence.

  We arrived at the forest edge when Professor Darkstorm stopped and looked at us all in turn,

  “I forgot, there’s a teachers meeting tonight, Isaac, you’re the oldest, you’re in charge. Go collect the plants and no others.” He warned darkly then hurried off before we could protest. We stared after him for a bit, then to each other then Skyler said with less a stutter,

  “Let’s go find the p-plants.” She announced with a small smile and led us deeper into the dark woods. My lantern hit my hip repetitively as I headed deeper and deeper in. To pass the time, Sky described the plants to us,

  “The scented, nocturnal flowers are 25–30 cm long, 15–17 cm wide with the pericarpel 2.5–5 cm long, about 2.5 cm thick, bracteoles ovate, acute, to 2.5 to less than 4 cm long; receptacle about 3 cm thick, bracteoles are linear-lanceolate, 3–8 cm long; outer tepals lanceolate-linear to linear, acuminate (tapering to a point), being 10–15 cm long, 10–15 mm wide and mucronate (ending in a short sharp point). Their color is greenish-yellow or whitish, rarely rose-tinged; inner tepals are lanceolate (tapering to a point at the tip) to oblanceolate (i.e. more pointed at the base), up to 10–15 cm long about 40 mm wide at widest point, and mucronate, unbroken, sharp to acuminate (pointed), and white. Stamens 5–10 cm long, are declinate, inserted in one continuous zone from throat to 35 mm above the pericarpel and cream. The style (bearing the stigma) to 17, they are 5-24.5 cm long, stout, 6–8 mm thick, cream, and up to 26 stigma lobes, they can be whole or sometimes split at the top, cream, about 25 mm long. Nectar chambers are 30 mm long. The fruit is oblong to oval, to 6–12 cm long, 4–9 cm thick, red with large bracteoles, with white pulp and are edible; seeds are black.”

  Soon we had been walking for nearly an hour, from what I could tell. Before long we came upon a clearing, just as moonlight started to fill the area and several plants twitched and moved, blooming in the moonlight as it broadened its petals. Skyler let out a small squeal of happiness,

  “Dragon fruit flowers!” she whispered excitedly and watched in awe as the whitish flowers grew vibrant in the moonlit grove. The problem was, the moon was nearly directly overhead and needed to be collected in full bloom. I noted quietly then I looked at the surrounding area. Bubotuber plants coated the edge of the dragon fruit line.

  “How will we get the flowers!? Bubotuber pus is known for causing reactions, when undiluted!” I asked and Sky looked horrified,

  “We have to get them now, the Moon flowers will bloom any minute!” she cried and pointed to a row of flowers behind the bubotuber plants as well. Three Dollar Bill puffed out her chest,

  “I can get them, be ready to catch the flowers.” She said harshly and trudged into the knee high plants which withered on contact. Some exploded pus, but none touched her luckily. I bit my lip and watched Three Dollar Bill warily and moments later the first flower was thrown over to us. Then another and another. The moonflower started blooming as well now, just as the dragon fruit flowers closed it and shrunk into buds again. Three Dollar Bill started to trudge to the moonflower, when she suddenly pitched forward and fell into the flowers, crushing them and getting bubotuber pus on her hand,

  “OH NO!” I cried and Isaac held me back so I didn’t go rushing in,

  “I’ll get her.” He sighed and tiptoed through the plants and picked up the small girl who clutched her hand as it started to grow boils. Three Dollar Bill’s lip quivered but she didn’t show weakness. She nodded to the crushed moonflowers and I nodded,

  “I’ll get some. You guys take Three Dollar Bill to Madame Pomfrey. I am going to find more moonflowers.” I said and gave them all a glare in turn, daring them to say no. Isaac looked horrified but nodded, understanding, and hurried back to Hogwarts. I just hopped this plant would be useful.

  It took me a bit of time before I found and collected the nocturnal flower, but once I gathered enough into my satchel, I hurried along my way, lantern creaking with every swing and satchel banging my hip with every step. I started to day dream of vibrant flowers of purple and blue when I noticed something from the corner of my eye. A dark shape, like a stingray in midair, it rippled like fabric as it moved over the ground. It looked like a cloak. I tilted my head one way and the cloak seemed to notice me. It rushed head on to meet me. I yelped and pulled out my wand, shouting an incantation I’ve only heard of but never practiced,

  “Impedimenta!” I cried and the cloak froze mid-ripple, I tiptoed closer, tensely observing the half inch thick cloak. I recognized it as a dark creature, a Lethifold. I gasped a bit and the creature started to move again, I casted Lumos and ran as fast as I could to the Hogwarts Castle, not caring much for the amount of noise.

  I made it to the infirmary with a pale look of pure terror on my face, left unsettled and clammy, I joined the others while Madame Pomfrey made and gave a sky blue lotion like substance giving off pink smoke, to Three Dollar Bill, who seemed all but too upset. (I will in close the recipe for the Cure For Boils in the next chapter, as I did send it along with this letter.)

  “Amanda! You look so pale!” Sky fretted and took my satchel with the plants gratefully. Three Dollar Bill looked up as well, and Isaac wore a pained expression, most likely having been hit by someone with boils on her hands.

  “I… Saw… A Lethifold… It nearly got me…” I gasped and sat on a bed where I was soon smothered by questions. It took nearly an hour to answer them all and get them to believe I was alright, before I could leave to the Ravenclaw dorm.

What a tiring day. I assure you mum, I’m alright. Tell da, I miss him!

Your wonderful daughter,