Third Seed; [Action]

[nearlychosen]

[Good evening, Luceti. It's just past sunset, and neighbors around House 26 might have noticed Neville outdoors a bit later than usual, fussing with an overgrown potted ivy. A wave of a wand and a cheated mumbled incantation later, the plant has grown to twice its size. From there, it's a bit of a boring magic show while he works with ineffective

Comments

[nearlychosen]

[It's an experiment! It's... just not going very well, is all. It also might be starting to win. Just a little. Don't suppose you've got a sword on you Ted?]

[nearlychosen]

[It involves a sharp thing! It could work!] Ah... Maybe just a bit, if you don't mind very much. [He forces a sheepish smile as the vines take a more forceful grip on his midsection. Kindly ignore the wheezing?]

[outwalks]

[ On his way back to building 6 after taking a wrong turn again. . . he turns his head towards the yelp automatically and-

What's that guy doing to the plant?

What's that plant doing to the guy? ]

Ah-excuse me!

[nearlychosen]

Yes-- is something the matter? [And as though wrestling with an oversized ficus is a perfectly everyday occurrence, he nods politely in the newcomer's direction.]

[outwalks]

[ Allen stops in his tracks, vaguely puzzled by this reaction. Usually, you know, when caught in the grips of something malignant, "help!" or "aaaaaah!" is appropriate. His stride as he approaches slows to a less urgent pace. ]

Sorry, I was just-Are you. . . all right?

[nearlychosen]

[But screaming just makes people pay attention to you. Neville tries not to shout unnecessarily.] I'm okay, all things considered. You don't happen to be carrying a bladed weapon, do you?

[loyalotter]

[Hermione hears the yelp and glances out the window... only to see that Neville is doing something. Not that Neville and plants are a terribly unfamiliar sight, but the way that one's hooking around him reminds her of Devil's Snare. Well, no time to sit around trying to decide if it likes or hates light and fire. She heads outside.]

Neville, what are you doing? Stupefy!

[nearlychosen]

[Thank you Hermione, for having more reasonable aim with your spellwork. Neville gives a sheepish smile and takes a step back from the plant. He hasn't yet had the time to work out how to alter the ivy's natural preference over temperature; the stunning worked well enough.] Hermione! I--I was just.. working on the house's security. Somewhat.

[loyalotter]

[Well that interests her and she squats down next to him.]

Looks like you're trying to grow Devil's Snare. Is that your security?

[She's amused more because it's not something she ever thought of and it's pretty brilliant, though hopefully it won't kill anyone. She makes a mental note to tell certain people to watch out for the plants out front.]

[nearlychosen]

Sort of. It's a little more challenging than I thought it would be... This ivy's not strong enough, but when I try strengthening it it stops coming out right. [Or he turns it to stone accidentally, but if Hermione didn't see that attempt he's not going to admit to it.]

[gravity_splode]

[...That is a rather active plant you've got there.]

[nearlychosen]

[Though all things considered, there are worse things that can happen to a person. Strangled by an errant devil's snare, for example, is leagues less painful than having one's eardrums explode from a mandrake's cry. Not that Neville's very keen about dying in either instance, but there's still perspective to be had.]

[gravity_splode]

[Who would want to die?]

Need a hand there?

[nearlychosen]

[Nobody wants to die, but everyone has to do it sometime or another.]

Well.. I don't suppose you've got some garden shears?

[skyborne_mage]

[Well that's, uh... interesting. Have a young woman with bushy pink hair on a broomstick peering at you, Neville (amusingly these features are probably not that surprising for him).]

Uh... do you need some help?

[nearlychosen]

[Not particularly! In fact, they're refreshingly familiar. Maybe she's from Beaubaxtons?]

Perhaps, if you wouldn't mind... Do you have your wand on you? I can't seem to properly stun it.

[skyborne_mage]

Wand? Never mind, I'll ask later. Just hold still for me, would you?

[She holds out her hand, aiming it at the plant, and concentrates a bit, said hand starting to glow. After just a few seconds...] Fireball!

[As one might expect, this spell causes a fireball (actually, three small ones) to burst out of her hand and crash into the Devil's Snare, thankfully avoiding Neville.]