Grab Bag Writing Challenge - October 2019
aware breakthrough curious detect examine experiment explore find hidden insight invent location observe smoke undiscovered
by Emily Spencer
The day started out relatively calm enough. Anyone who had bothered to look up at the sky, would have marveled at the unbroken blanket of blue spread across it; a day so perfect that not even a hidden cloud dared peek through to disturb the view. You certainly would have been hard-pressed to find anything to hint at the terrible day it would turn out to be.
As in so many cases, the trouble started with an experiment gone horribly wrong. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time too. The young girl had seen her mother and older siblings brew all sorts of wonderful, colorful, enticing, and utterly fascinating things in their kitchen. She decided that it was her time to invent some magic of her own. In the back of her mind, she was aware that Mummy might not be too happy about having her explore all of the stuff in the cupboard, but that wasn't about to stop her. Oh, heavens, no! Besides, once Mummy saw what good work she had done, she couldn't possibly be mad!!
Bottles and vials were pulled randomly from the shelves. The writing on the labels were a curious gobbledygook of markings that made no sense to the girl's untrained eye. She uncorked a rather ornate bottle filled with amber colored liquid and was awarded with the ghastly smell of rotten eggs. She hurriedly corked it back and decided that there was no need to further examine any of the others. If they were on the shelf, they must be useful, right?!
Ingredients? Check! Cauldron? Check! Pretty glass bottle? Check! Chortling happily, the girl was ready for her breakthrough debut as the family's newest potioneer. Yes sir, she was anxious to bring forth all of her undiscovered talent and make the best potion ever! She might even turn out to be better than Sophie and SHE was practically a grown-up! With goggles firmly in place, she was ready to begin!
A pinch of this, a dash of that, and, hey, these blue flowers are really pretty, so a whole bunch of those! Into the cauldron they went...PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! The girl stirred vigorously and with no hesitation, but she could detect no change in the sodden mess. Maybe just one...more...thing. Eureka! There wasn't really much of that purple powder left in the bag anyway, so all of it went into mix. That should do the trick nicely!
And whaddayaknow?! It worked!! The mixture started to bubble and foam. A rather impressive cloud of blue-green smoke filled the room and sparks started to fly from the cauldron. She had done it!! She had made the best potion the world had ever seen! Much, much better than Sophie had ever done...FLASH! BANG! and then darkness.
She awoke in an unfamiliar location to the sight of Daddy, Mummy, and some strange-looking women in white robes standing over her. And Mummy did not look happy at all!!! It seemed her wonderful potion had blown a hole through the kitchen wall and the house was now filled to the brim with pixies who did not seem inclined to abandon their new home anytime soon. This was...not...good.
I'm happy to say that the girl survived both her injuries and Mummy's wrath. With age came a certain wisdom and with a much clearer insight, she knew how very foolish she had been and how very lucky she was to have come out relatively unscathed. Sophie, drat her, was now a Master Potioneer and she loved to trot out the old story at every family gathering. It was always good for a laugh or two.
Of course, she couldn't complain, really. Leaving plants and potions to those far more skilled than herself, she had followed in her father's footsteps and became an Auror. Anyone who was lucky enough to observe her work said that she was the best in her field. She had certainly done her parents, Neville and Hannah Longbottom, proud. That being said, if ever she should get the silly notion to brew up another concoction – RUN!
The day started out relatively calm enough. Anyone who had bothered to look up at the sky, would have marveled at the unbroken blanket of blue spread across it; a day so perfect that not even a hidden cloud dared peek through to disturb the view. You certainly would have been hard-pressed to find anything to hint at the terrible day it would turn out to be.
As in so many cases, the trouble started with an experiment gone horribly wrong. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time too. The young girl had seen her mother and older siblings brew all sorts of wonderful, colorful, enticing, and utterly fascinating things in their kitchen. She decided that it was her time to invent some magic of her own. In the back of her mind, she was aware that Mummy might not be too happy about having her explore all of the stuff in the cupboard, but that wasn't about to stop her. Oh, heavens, no! Besides, once Mummy saw what good work she had done, she couldn't possibly be mad!!
Bottles and vials were pulled randomly from the shelves. The writing on the labels were a curious gobbledygook of markings that made no sense to the girl's untrained eye. She uncorked a rather ornate bottle filled with amber colored liquid and was awarded with the ghastly smell of rotten eggs. She hurriedly corked it back and decided that there was no need to further examine any of the others. If they were on the shelf, they must be useful, right?!
Ingredients? Check! Cauldron? Check! Pretty glass bottle? Check! Chortling happily, the girl was ready for her breakthrough debut as the family's newest potioneer. Yes sir, she was anxious to bring forth all of her undiscovered talent and make the best potion ever! She might even turn out to be better than Sophie and SHE was practically a grown-up! With goggles firmly in place, she was ready to begin!
A pinch of this, a dash of that, and, hey, these blue flowers are really pretty, so a whole bunch of those! Into the cauldron they went...PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! The girl stirred vigorously and with no hesitation, but she could detect no change in the sodden mess. Maybe just one...more...thing. Eureka! There wasn't really much of that purple powder left in the bag anyway, so all of it went into mix. That should do the trick nicely!
And whaddayaknow?! It worked!! The mixture started to bubble and foam. A rather impressive cloud of blue-green smoke filled the room and sparks started to fly from the cauldron. She had done it!! She had made the best potion the world had ever seen! Much, much better than Sophie had ever done...FLASH! BANG! and then darkness.
She awoke in an unfamiliar location to the sight of Daddy, Mummy, and some strange-looking women in white robes standing over her. And Mummy did not look happy at all!!! It seemed her wonderful potion had blown a hole through the kitchen wall and the house was now filled to the brim with pixies who did not seem inclined to abandon their new home anytime soon. This was...not...good.
I'm happy to say that the girl survived both her injuries and Mummy's wrath. With age came a certain wisdom and with a much clearer insight, she knew how very foolish she had been and how very lucky she was to have come out relatively unscathed. Sophie, drat her, was now a Master Potioneer and she loved to trot out the old story at every family gathering. It was always good for a laugh or two.
Of course, she couldn't complain, really. Leaving plants and potions to those far more skilled than herself, she had followed in her father's footsteps and became an Auror. Anyone who was lucky enough to observe her work said that she was the best in her field. She had certainly done her parents, Neville and Hannah Longbottom, proud. That being said, if ever she should get the silly notion to brew up another concoction – RUN!
by February Fortescue
Ever since she was old enough to understand, Lucinda had one dream: to find a cure for lycanthrophy. Her father had been bitten by a werewolf when Lucinda was only three years old and Lucinda had become aware of his condition when he had been forced to miss her tenth birthday party. Driven by curiosity and also by anger, she had quietly followed her mother down into the basement and found her father, chained to the wall, and transformed into a werewolf! After her mother helped her understand what had happened, Lucinda promised herself she would find a cure. Granted, while Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles Belby, does help with many of the symptoms (it turns the creature from a dangerous beast into a werewolf in full use of its faculties), it would be better if the person did not have to become a werewolf at all. The stigma the person often experiences can be horrendous and the lost wages while the person remains hidden during the werewolf stage can be considerable.
Now that she had graduated from Hogwarts, become a Potioneer, and had studied genetics at Muggle university, Lucinda believed herself ready to run the required experiments. She found a location where she could brew her potions and not be observed by anyone in either the Wizarding or Muggle worlds. She was hoping she could create a potion that did not rely on the ingredients of Wolfsbane Potion; Aconite, for example, is poisonous, thus making Wolfsbane Potion potentially deadly if brewed incorrectly. The ingredients are also expensive, so the price of the potion would make it too expensive for many sufferers. Lucinda had examined the literature, however, and she knew she'd have to begin with Wolfsbane Potion, and then, later on, work towards inventing a potion with safer and less expensive ingredients. Lucinda's insight also led her to believe, based on her Muggle schooling, that the bite of the werewolf added the werewolf gene to the victim. Her plan was to explore the addition of Bundimun Secretion, an acid she hoped would wipe out this werewolf gene, to the Wolfsbane Potion.
Once she finished brewing the Wolfsbane Potion, she detected its pale blue smoke. “Hopefully I have brewed it correctly! I just don't have the money for very many mishaps or experiments!” she thought to herself. Lucinda took a vial of her father's blood, which he had donated for her experiments, and placed a small drop of blood on a slide. She placed the slide under her very magical Wizarding microscope. She added a very miniscule amount of Bundimun Secretion, dropping it directly on the werewolf gene. The gene dissolved immediately, leaving a tiny part remaining. Encouraged, Lucinda added the blood from the slide into the Wolfsbane Potion. Next, she added the vial of blood to the potion. Finally, she placed a small amount of the potion on a clean slide and placed it under her very magical microscope. She was hoping the remaining piece of gene with the attached Bundimun Secretion would attack the remaining werewolf genes.
Unfortunately, there was no breakthrough. The cure remained undiscovered. The Bundimun Secretion had corrupted the entire Wolfsbane Potion. Although she was disappointed, Lucinda knew she would continue with her experiments. She would never stop exploring different options and experimenting with various ingredients until she ended this horrible affliction.
Ever since she was old enough to understand, Lucinda had one dream: to find a cure for lycanthrophy. Her father had been bitten by a werewolf when Lucinda was only three years old and Lucinda had become aware of his condition when he had been forced to miss her tenth birthday party. Driven by curiosity and also by anger, she had quietly followed her mother down into the basement and found her father, chained to the wall, and transformed into a werewolf! After her mother helped her understand what had happened, Lucinda promised herself she would find a cure. Granted, while Wolfsbane Potion, invented by Damocles Belby, does help with many of the symptoms (it turns the creature from a dangerous beast into a werewolf in full use of its faculties), it would be better if the person did not have to become a werewolf at all. The stigma the person often experiences can be horrendous and the lost wages while the person remains hidden during the werewolf stage can be considerable.
Now that she had graduated from Hogwarts, become a Potioneer, and had studied genetics at Muggle university, Lucinda believed herself ready to run the required experiments. She found a location where she could brew her potions and not be observed by anyone in either the Wizarding or Muggle worlds. She was hoping she could create a potion that did not rely on the ingredients of Wolfsbane Potion; Aconite, for example, is poisonous, thus making Wolfsbane Potion potentially deadly if brewed incorrectly. The ingredients are also expensive, so the price of the potion would make it too expensive for many sufferers. Lucinda had examined the literature, however, and she knew she'd have to begin with Wolfsbane Potion, and then, later on, work towards inventing a potion with safer and less expensive ingredients. Lucinda's insight also led her to believe, based on her Muggle schooling, that the bite of the werewolf added the werewolf gene to the victim. Her plan was to explore the addition of Bundimun Secretion, an acid she hoped would wipe out this werewolf gene, to the Wolfsbane Potion.
Once she finished brewing the Wolfsbane Potion, she detected its pale blue smoke. “Hopefully I have brewed it correctly! I just don't have the money for very many mishaps or experiments!” she thought to herself. Lucinda took a vial of her father's blood, which he had donated for her experiments, and placed a small drop of blood on a slide. She placed the slide under her very magical Wizarding microscope. She added a very miniscule amount of Bundimun Secretion, dropping it directly on the werewolf gene. The gene dissolved immediately, leaving a tiny part remaining. Encouraged, Lucinda added the blood from the slide into the Wolfsbane Potion. Next, she added the vial of blood to the potion. Finally, she placed a small amount of the potion on a clean slide and placed it under her very magical microscope. She was hoping the remaining piece of gene with the attached Bundimun Secretion would attack the remaining werewolf genes.
Unfortunately, there was no breakthrough. The cure remained undiscovered. The Bundimun Secretion had corrupted the entire Wolfsbane Potion. Although she was disappointed, Lucinda knew she would continue with her experiments. She would never stop exploring different options and experimenting with various ingredients until she ended this horrible affliction.
by Gail Allen
The colour of the smoke coming out of the vial was a little unsettling to Jenny as she watched her brother pour in the next ingredient while examining the glass carefully, trying to detect even the most miniscule change. Jenny couldn't see any, but her brother seemed excited about whatever he observed in there. To Jenny it was all a little vague – her brother's experiments often were to be honest, at least to her. He'd always been curious, keen to explore and find out more. Anything that was still hidden or had yet to be invented was a challenge her brother eagerly pursued, trying to gain new insight into the workings of the world, leaving no corner, however small, untouched. In his eyes, it would be the greatest tragedy if something stayed undiscovered for lack of trying to uncover its truth.
It was really quite curious. He never seemed to even be aware that people who made these great discoveries and breakthroughs gained a certain amount of fame from it – which would have been Jenny's greatest interest in these matters – but seemed interested in them simply for their own sake.
From her location on the couch – well away from the experimentation zone – she shook her head and returned to her book, now that the cloud about the vial had turned a somewhat less alarming shade and didn't look like it might blow up any second now. It would probably turn out to be a rather ordinary day despite the best efforts by her brother to make it extraordinary and a day to go down in history.
The colour of the smoke coming out of the vial was a little unsettling to Jenny as she watched her brother pour in the next ingredient while examining the glass carefully, trying to detect even the most miniscule change. Jenny couldn't see any, but her brother seemed excited about whatever he observed in there. To Jenny it was all a little vague – her brother's experiments often were to be honest, at least to her. He'd always been curious, keen to explore and find out more. Anything that was still hidden or had yet to be invented was a challenge her brother eagerly pursued, trying to gain new insight into the workings of the world, leaving no corner, however small, untouched. In his eyes, it would be the greatest tragedy if something stayed undiscovered for lack of trying to uncover its truth.
It was really quite curious. He never seemed to even be aware that people who made these great discoveries and breakthroughs gained a certain amount of fame from it – which would have been Jenny's greatest interest in these matters – but seemed interested in them simply for their own sake.
From her location on the couch – well away from the experimentation zone – she shook her head and returned to her book, now that the cloud about the vial had turned a somewhat less alarming shade and didn't look like it might blow up any second now. It would probably turn out to be a rather ordinary day despite the best efforts by her brother to make it extraordinary and a day to go down in history.
by Iverian Gnash
Hidden inside a cave, miles from the entrance, was supposedly a treasure that had been undiscovered for centuries. Many have tried to find it, but some say it simply doesn’t exist. The mystery of its exact location is shrouded in misty smoke. However, I have been curious as to how this whole story started, so I set out on a journey to gain some insight as to its origin while keeping fully aware that I might not find anything of value. After a week of experimenting in different locations, asking the people who lived there, one grandfather seemed to hold the answer. He told this story.
“A long time ago, a group of people were traveling from one tribe to another. Along the way, they came along a cave tucked between two narrow mountain passages. Rain had crept up on them and they were looking for a dry place to stop for the night. Discovering the cave, one person from their group went in to examine it to make sure it was safe, while the rest stood outside and observed their surroundings. Once the cave was deemed safe, the rest of them came inside. They weren’t there for long and had barely set up camp when a few of them detected the presence of something else. They decided to explore deeper inside and before long came upon a room that sparkled. Approaching it, they realized there was a deep hole in the ground that was filled with treasures of all sorts. The travelers soon began inventing ways that they could pull up some of the riches to carry out with them. After thinking for awhile, they finally had a breakthrough. However, before they were able to put their plan into action, a growl disrupted their proceedings. An enormous creature, the looks of which were heavily debated afterwards, charged at them. They turned, running out, all thoughts of treasure forgotten as they neared the entrance of the cave. Their screams traveled down the passage and by the time they reached the end, any campers who stayed behind had their luggage packed up and were waiting outside in fear, ready for a fight. To everyone’s great relief, the creature stopped mere inches from the cave entrance and retreated back into the darkness. When the voyagers finally reached the tribe they had set out for, the story was received with a mix of disbelief.”
Hidden inside a cave, miles from the entrance, was supposedly a treasure that had been undiscovered for centuries. Many have tried to find it, but some say it simply doesn’t exist. The mystery of its exact location is shrouded in misty smoke. However, I have been curious as to how this whole story started, so I set out on a journey to gain some insight as to its origin while keeping fully aware that I might not find anything of value. After a week of experimenting in different locations, asking the people who lived there, one grandfather seemed to hold the answer. He told this story.
“A long time ago, a group of people were traveling from one tribe to another. Along the way, they came along a cave tucked between two narrow mountain passages. Rain had crept up on them and they were looking for a dry place to stop for the night. Discovering the cave, one person from their group went in to examine it to make sure it was safe, while the rest stood outside and observed their surroundings. Once the cave was deemed safe, the rest of them came inside. They weren’t there for long and had barely set up camp when a few of them detected the presence of something else. They decided to explore deeper inside and before long came upon a room that sparkled. Approaching it, they realized there was a deep hole in the ground that was filled with treasures of all sorts. The travelers soon began inventing ways that they could pull up some of the riches to carry out with them. After thinking for awhile, they finally had a breakthrough. However, before they were able to put their plan into action, a growl disrupted their proceedings. An enormous creature, the looks of which were heavily debated afterwards, charged at them. They turned, running out, all thoughts of treasure forgotten as they neared the entrance of the cave. Their screams traveled down the passage and by the time they reached the end, any campers who stayed behind had their luggage packed up and were waiting outside in fear, ready for a fight. To everyone’s great relief, the creature stopped mere inches from the cave entrance and retreated back into the darkness. When the voyagers finally reached the tribe they had set out for, the story was received with a mix of disbelief.”
by Maxim Trevelyan
"You’re not actually doing what you think you are doing?" Maxim twitched at the question that took him by surprise. He spun around to find Gary watching him with a judging, yet curious, look on his face.
"Whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it," Maxim defended himself as he turned back to the quill that was innocently lying on the table. The blond crouched down and examined it closely for any imperfections.
"You are aware that that comment did not help you in any way, right?" Gary moved closer to the table. If nothing else, it would be fun to observe whatever Maxim was doing blow in his face.
"I detect sarcasm," Maxim narrowed his eyes at his best friend and shooed him on the other side of his invention. "This," he pointed at the quill, "is a small experiment of mine that will revolutionize how we write."
"I’m a Pureblood and even I know that pens have already been invented," Gary mused as he looked at a rather unassuming, peacock quill.
"Blasphemer," Maxim glared at the boy. "I had a breakthrough last night, not that you would care. This is like unveiling previously undiscovered regions of the universe. We all thought this is what we have, but there are depths still hidden around us, Gary. Deeeepths," Maxim dragged out the last word and started puttering around the table, looking for something.
"Out of curiosity," Gary started, his gaze following his friend as he poured over his notebook notes, "Did you ask for permission before experimenting on school grounds?"
Maxim paused his turning of the pages, where he hoped that they would offer any insight. "…Maybe?"
Gary snorted, "I will take that as a no," he commented, crossing his arms.
Maxim rolled his eyes and lifted his wand. Murmuring Latin under his breath, he poked the quill on the table, which promptly caught fire, then exploded in green sparks and acrid, black smoke.
Wordlessly, Maxim stared at the, now smoking, quill. He looked at Gary who had a shocked expression on his face, which slowly morphed into resignation. Gary motioned at the quill. "Maybe we should leave the location of the crime before someone undoubtedly goes off to explore the explosion."
Nodding, Maxim used a packing spell and quickly went towards the door of the classroom. "You know, this is all your fault Gary," he said and pointed accusingly at his friend.
"How?!" Gary exclaimed, outraged. "You blew up half the classroom."
Maxim nodded sagely, "Yeah, but you let me do it." With that, two boys hurried back to their common room, hoping a professor would not cross their paths.
"You’re not actually doing what you think you are doing?" Maxim twitched at the question that took him by surprise. He spun around to find Gary watching him with a judging, yet curious, look on his face.
"Whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it," Maxim defended himself as he turned back to the quill that was innocently lying on the table. The blond crouched down and examined it closely for any imperfections.
"You are aware that that comment did not help you in any way, right?" Gary moved closer to the table. If nothing else, it would be fun to observe whatever Maxim was doing blow in his face.
"I detect sarcasm," Maxim narrowed his eyes at his best friend and shooed him on the other side of his invention. "This," he pointed at the quill, "is a small experiment of mine that will revolutionize how we write."
"I’m a Pureblood and even I know that pens have already been invented," Gary mused as he looked at a rather unassuming, peacock quill.
"Blasphemer," Maxim glared at the boy. "I had a breakthrough last night, not that you would care. This is like unveiling previously undiscovered regions of the universe. We all thought this is what we have, but there are depths still hidden around us, Gary. Deeeepths," Maxim dragged out the last word and started puttering around the table, looking for something.
"Out of curiosity," Gary started, his gaze following his friend as he poured over his notebook notes, "Did you ask for permission before experimenting on school grounds?"
Maxim paused his turning of the pages, where he hoped that they would offer any insight. "…Maybe?"
Gary snorted, "I will take that as a no," he commented, crossing his arms.
Maxim rolled his eyes and lifted his wand. Murmuring Latin under his breath, he poked the quill on the table, which promptly caught fire, then exploded in green sparks and acrid, black smoke.
Wordlessly, Maxim stared at the, now smoking, quill. He looked at Gary who had a shocked expression on his face, which slowly morphed into resignation. Gary motioned at the quill. "Maybe we should leave the location of the crime before someone undoubtedly goes off to explore the explosion."
Nodding, Maxim used a packing spell and quickly went towards the door of the classroom. "You know, this is all your fault Gary," he said and pointed accusingly at his friend.
"How?!" Gary exclaimed, outraged. "You blew up half the classroom."
Maxim nodded sagely, "Yeah, but you let me do it." With that, two boys hurried back to their common room, hoping a professor would not cross their paths.
by Prof. Tarma Amelia Black
The mouse was aware of a curious scent in the room. She decided to hunt it out, to find out if it was one – edible and two – a danger to her. She skirted around the smoking stove and explored in the pile of wood sitting there by it. Nope. Then she explored the pile of newspapers, which were stacked neatly at the bottom, but then haphazardly towards the top. Nope. Next she examined the table, both the bottom part and, scurrying quickly up the side, the top where she had detected a faint fragrance of a favorite food. But … no. However, hidden behind the cushions of the sofa was an undiscovered bit of cheese. A small crumb, which she swiftly ate. Oddly, scurrying to that small crumb led her to observe another location, which she'd not previously thought of any value. All this time, the mouse was aware of the curious scent and, searching for the cause of it, the source of it. She started wondering about what it was, actually of 'what' it was, and not just if it was either edible or a danger to her. This breakthrough of thought led to another insight, which was that she was thinking and why was this? Apparently, the person who lived in the house had been experimenting again! But this time the invention was something unparalleled in the mouse's experience. Something which apparently sparked activities in the mind of the mouse, not just the intellect, but her very mind, by which she had a contact with a huge intelligence, perhaps of the planet? – and the intelligence had contact with her. The mouse's whiskers twitched. All very well and good, but she wanted to find … AH. There it is! The bacon!
The mouse was aware of a curious scent in the room. She decided to hunt it out, to find out if it was one – edible and two – a danger to her. She skirted around the smoking stove and explored in the pile of wood sitting there by it. Nope. Then she explored the pile of newspapers, which were stacked neatly at the bottom, but then haphazardly towards the top. Nope. Next she examined the table, both the bottom part and, scurrying quickly up the side, the top where she had detected a faint fragrance of a favorite food. But … no. However, hidden behind the cushions of the sofa was an undiscovered bit of cheese. A small crumb, which she swiftly ate. Oddly, scurrying to that small crumb led her to observe another location, which she'd not previously thought of any value. All this time, the mouse was aware of the curious scent and, searching for the cause of it, the source of it. She started wondering about what it was, actually of 'what' it was, and not just if it was either edible or a danger to her. This breakthrough of thought led to another insight, which was that she was thinking and why was this? Apparently, the person who lived in the house had been experimenting again! But this time the invention was something unparalleled in the mouse's experience. Something which apparently sparked activities in the mind of the mouse, not just the intellect, but her very mind, by which she had a contact with a huge intelligence, perhaps of the planet? – and the intelligence had contact with her. The mouse's whiskers twitched. All very well and good, but she wanted to find … AH. There it is! The bacon!
To Autumn by Sky Alton
She nudged the leaves with the toe of her boot. When she was younger, she’d loved to kick through them, looking for undiscovered treasures. Her mum had hated it as usually what she found was mud or something far worse. She tilted her head back to watch the branches sway above her head. There was wood smoke on the breeze. Man, how she loved that bonfire smell.
She carried on around the edge of the forest, observing the comings and goings of the squirrels. They were too intent on stashing food in their secret locations, ready for winter, to bother much about her. When one nearly shot over her foot in a scrabble of paws, she had to laugh. It vanished with an affronted flick of its tail.
She checked her watch and let out a huff. Not wanting to have to invent a reason for why she was late to the library (again), she turned for home. The castle looked beautiful in that special, dull gold sunlight that you only got during autumn. Winter sunlight was white and only seemed to heat a very particular patch of air: like how water in a pan started to get hot in one specific area first. She grinned and wrinkled up her nose at that overly poetic insight and speeded up as she reached the lawn. She never usually bothered with thoughts like that. The crisp air must have gone to her head.
She shoved her hands in her robe pockets and wormed her fingers deep into the fleece lining. They encountered something hard wedged into the corner. She wiggled it out and was a little disappointed when it was only an orange every flavour bean. It must have lane hidden there since last Halloween when they’d all crammed their pockets full. She assessed her find, gave it an exploratory sniff and then popped it in her mouth in a spirit of experimentation. Pumpkin juice with just a hint of spice. Very appropriate. And lucky.
She stopped on the castle steps to examine the grounds one last time. She breathed in hopefully but couldn’t detect even a hint of wood smoke anymore. Never mind. There would be other days like it. And everyone would be curious about what had kept her. Holly certainly wouldn’t accept her lyrical breakthrough about winter sun instead of her insights on their Charms homework. She hurried inside, suddenly very aware of the cold.
She nudged the leaves with the toe of her boot. When she was younger, she’d loved to kick through them, looking for undiscovered treasures. Her mum had hated it as usually what she found was mud or something far worse. She tilted her head back to watch the branches sway above her head. There was wood smoke on the breeze. Man, how she loved that bonfire smell.
She carried on around the edge of the forest, observing the comings and goings of the squirrels. They were too intent on stashing food in their secret locations, ready for winter, to bother much about her. When one nearly shot over her foot in a scrabble of paws, she had to laugh. It vanished with an affronted flick of its tail.
She checked her watch and let out a huff. Not wanting to have to invent a reason for why she was late to the library (again), she turned for home. The castle looked beautiful in that special, dull gold sunlight that you only got during autumn. Winter sunlight was white and only seemed to heat a very particular patch of air: like how water in a pan started to get hot in one specific area first. She grinned and wrinkled up her nose at that overly poetic insight and speeded up as she reached the lawn. She never usually bothered with thoughts like that. The crisp air must have gone to her head.
She shoved her hands in her robe pockets and wormed her fingers deep into the fleece lining. They encountered something hard wedged into the corner. She wiggled it out and was a little disappointed when it was only an orange every flavour bean. It must have lane hidden there since last Halloween when they’d all crammed their pockets full. She assessed her find, gave it an exploratory sniff and then popped it in her mouth in a spirit of experimentation. Pumpkin juice with just a hint of spice. Very appropriate. And lucky.
She stopped on the castle steps to examine the grounds one last time. She breathed in hopefully but couldn’t detect even a hint of wood smoke anymore. Never mind. There would be other days like it. And everyone would be curious about what had kept her. Holly certainly wouldn’t accept her lyrical breakthrough about winter sun instead of her insights on their Charms homework. She hurried inside, suddenly very aware of the cold.