Bait and Switch!

Harcourt was having his lesson outside today. It was a beautiful day and the garden was in full swing, with tons of herbs and vegetables. Healer Alys and the Herbology professor have been doing a fantastic job caring for the plants. He conjured up tree stumps for the kids to sit on and had a table for his desk. He put an apple and a cherry on his desk.

He waved to his students as they came running down the hill. He laughed as they took their seats.

”Good morning class and welcome to the Hogwarts Gardens. Today, we will be learning The Switching Spell. This is a fairly simple spell compared to beetles to buttons. But, this is very useful. For example......”he said, tossing the apple to Arya. He drew his wand and pointed it at the cherry.

”It’s very simple. Make a fish with your wand and focus on your target. Then, say Virga.”he said, closing his wand and concentrating. The apple switched places with the cherry.

”See? Now, go into the garden and pick two vegetables or two herbs. I recommend something small to begin with. Once you mastered that, try bigger objects and then we'll work on switching places with classmates, if we have enough time.”he said, sitting on his tree stump, quite happy with himself. His class then went running into the garden.

Kolby breathed in the fresh air, happy that spring was finally here. After being in the castle for the whole winter, Kolby was starting to get cabin fever. Now, April was here and Professor Harcourt was starting outside lessons.

Kolby sat on a tree stump, barely listening to Harcourt's instructions. He was staring into the Forbidden Forest, which was about 100 yards away. He thought he saw Dessa or a centaur. Or, maybe something more nefarious. He couldn't say for sure.

He snapped back to his senses and went into the garden with the rest of the class. Something small.... he thought to himself, looking at everything. He picked a strawberry and a cheery tomato. They were around the same size.

"Boo!" Devan yelled, popping out from behind a tomato plant, scaring Elsa. Kolby laughed and headed back to his tree stump.

"Stupid Slytherins!" Elsa jabbed. Kolby shook his head and rolled his eyes, giving Devan a high five.

Arya sauntered through the gardens, looking for a victim. Two victims, actually. Victims by the names of Tomato and Rosemary. She figured it wouldn’t make sense to have two of the same thing. How would she know that they’d switched?

“Excuse me, Arya?” she heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Uh, yes?” she turned. It was Charles Stone, who also tended to the gardens with the Herbology professor. “Oh, hello there.”

“Yes, hello,” he nodded uncomfortably. “Might I talk to you in private?”

She shrugged and nodded, and they walked to the edge of the gardens where no one could overhear them.

“Am I in trouble?” she asked, assuming she was. It was nothing new to her.

“No, no,” he assured her. “Well, maybe. Look, I know you use the pitch unsupervised –”

Arya sputtered incoherently. How was she going to get out of this? Charles laughed and shook his head.

“I don’t mind,” he said kindly, before getting serious again. “But I checked the storage this morning. There are at least two brooms missing, and other equipment. I know it wasn’t you. Just keep a lookout.”

She nodded and he patted her on the shoulder and walked away. Arya walked slowly back to the class, picking up a tomato and a sprig of rosemary on the way, and absentmindedly took a seat.

Adelaine was a bit late to class. In her defense, she had no idea it was going to be in the school gardens. Somehow, she hadn’t gotten the memo.

“Sorry I’m late, professor,” she huffed.

She quickly took a seat on a stump next to Arya, trying to catch her breath. Adelaine wasn’t the greatest runner. Thankfully, Quidditch didn’t involve much running. She took a deep breath and looked at her friend.

“Everything okay?”

Arya looked confused – a breath of fresh air compared to her usual ‘I’m going to kick you’ expression. The Gryffindor didn’t look like she’d heard her, so Adele stood and went to pick a couple herbs. On the way, she ran into a friendly face.

“Hello, Marigold,” she smiled.

Christiare had hardly been seen outside of clases since easter, butm she wss making an effort to come. Eager to learn the spell, she happily selected from the garden a marigold and a pea pod, bringing them back with her to her stump.

Marigold already had her two fruits picked out: a peach and a blackberry, when Adele came walking up to her. She smiled at her friend.

"Good morning, Adele." she said happily. It was a beautiful day and Marigold felt at home in the gardens. She had one near her house, not as big as this one, but enough to live on. They grew a little bit of everything so she knew her way around farms and gardens.

"How's your chest feeling?" she asked Adele. The antidote to the poison worked wonders for Adele; she was better in a relatively short amount of time. Of course, she did have to spend all that time in the hospital wing, listening Alys talk about wedding plans and Millicent and Marigold argue over trivial matters, like which way to stir a Calming Draught or which way to wrap bandages.

But, Marigold helped Adele a lot in the hospital wing, making sure she didn't fall behind on lessons or keeping her updated with the group or just keeping her company. Of course, she had visitors; Marigold had to kick Symon out multiple times. Gavin and the rest of the boys stopped by from time to time but they always left when time was up.

"Did you hear that?" Marigold asked, hearing a twig snap in the Forbidden Forest, her paranoia coming out a little bit.

(OOC: A visit from Dessa? Let's call it to a vote. Say 'Yes' if agreed, remain silent if you disagree.)

Mira tripped over a lifted root and nearly rolled down the hill on her way to the gardens. Luckily, someone was there to pull her upright before she could fall. Unfortunately, that someone was Symon.

“You alright?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Y-yes, I’m fine, yes,” she sputtered, not making eye contact. “Th-thank you.”

Adjusting her gown, she quickly walked away, avoiding the strange look he was giving her. If she didn’t believe him to be secretly evil, she might have felt sorry for her behavior.

“You’re late,” Jon said when she arrived. “We’re learning the switching spell, pick two herbs or vegetables.”

Mira glanced around to see what everyone else was doing. Only a few people had started to attempt the spell. It looked to be a rather difficult one. She picked a rose and a weed and found an empty stump by Marigold and Elsa. It occurred to her that it might be easier to use the stump as a desk, so she sat on the ground.

“Here we go,” she sighed, pulling out her wand. A twig snapping in the distance caught her ear. "I heard it too, what was that?"

Harcourt looked towards the Forbidden Forest once Elsa and Jon expressed their concern for all the noise. It's awfully close to the edge for a centaur. he thought, approaching the Forest with caution. He smiled when he saw who it is.

"Hello Dessa." he said, petting the unicorn. She whinnied happily.

"Do you remember the first years? Do you want to say hi again?" he asked. Dessa seemed to nod and Harcourt put the rope around her neck. He slowly walked her out, with was of course accompanied with gasps and instant chatter from the first years.

"Alright class. You may pet Dessa again if you answer these questions." he said, writing them on the board.


"You have ten minutes to answer all of them correctly. Then, return to the spell." he told his students, turning over a timer. He pet the golden unicorn gently and she nudged his hand with affection.

Tari looked up from her work when she noticed the unicorn. Going back to her work, she decided it would be best simply to let others enjoy the company of the unicorn, and not bother it in excess by attempting to pet the beautiful creature.

Arya was lost in thought. Who would have stolen the equipment? Surely no one in her group had done it. Perhaps she should question them anyway? Looking over at Adele and Marigold, Symon and Jacob crossed her mind. She didn’t know them very well; would they steal it?

“That’s ridiculous, they have their own things,” she muttered to herself, getting a strange look from a Hufflepuff boy across from her. “Bugger off!”

A whinny caught her attention. She didn’t even want to look. The “awww’s” from the students gave it away, but Arya didn’t want to believe it. It can’t be.. she thought, rolling her eyes. Dessa.

“C’mon, Arya,” Elsa said, pulling her up off the stump and running over to the baby unicorn.

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” Arry said, shaking her head.

In her mind, Arya and Dessa were sworn enemies. Last time they had met, the unicorn kicked her in the stomach. Sure, there was a pack of wolves stalking them. But that was no excuse.

Kolby was again fascinated by Dessa. She still had her golden color, but white patches were coming in on her mane and tail. She also had a tiny horn coming in on her forehead. Kolby quickly jotted down his answers to the questions.



Kolby had to guess on the bonus. He stood up and turned his paper into Harcourt. Harcourt nodded to his answer and gestured to Dessa.

"Hi." Kolby said gently, petting her mane. She whinnied and shook his hand off. They do prefer a woman's touch. he thought. He sighed and petted her again before returning to his seat.

"Alright. Time for the actual spell." Kolby told Devan. He put the strawberry and the cherry side by side. He closed his eyes and focused on the cherry.

"Vigra." he said, making a fish. He opened his eyes nothing. He furrowed his brow.

"I think you need to focus on both at the same time." Devan told him. Kolby nodded and tried again, focusing on the strawberry and the cherry. He could just picture their redness and he could practically smell them.

"Vigra." he said again. He opened his eyes and smiled. They were switched.

Mira stared at the baby unicorn sadly. She would have loved to pet Dessa again, but she only knew the answers to two of the questions. Another time, perhaps, she told herself with a smile. Unicorns reminded her of horses; horses reminded her of days riding in the country with her father and mother when she was little.

“Any luck?” Jon said, plopping down next to her.

Elsa looked up and grinned, while Mira rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t Jon have a thing for someone else? Anyone else!

“Well, I haven’t attempted it yet,” she admitted, not looking at him. “I really need to concentrate.”

“What will you be doing over the summer?” he blabbed on, not taking the hint. “I don’t know how we never met before, Mira; we’ll have to hang out some time!”

Mira and Jon had recently discovered that they both lived in the same place. He lived on Butcher’s Row, she lived on Cloth Street. There was no way she could get out of this.

“I suppose we’ll see each other at festivals,” she said quickly, staring intently at her objects.

“Don’t forget about market days,” Elsa added mischievously, and Mira shot an icy glare her way.

Surprisingly, Adele decided not to go up and pet Dessa. Her mind was in a jumble and she actually couldn’t think of the answers to Harcourt’s questions. How embarrassing, she thought, feeling rather disappointed in herself. She always had an answer.

“We’re to switch the objects,” she reminded Marigold. “Mira certainly has the right idea.”

She had noticed the Hufflepuff sitting on the ground and using the stump as a desk. Doing the same, she sat her two herbs on the surface and took out her wand.

“So, what’s new?” she asked Marigold, studying the herbs. “Vigra.”

The herbs moved slightly closer to one another, but they did not switch. Adele sighed.

Arya had tried several times to switch her objects, but they just wouldn’t cooperate. It’s official, she told herself. Transfiguration is my worst subject. Looking around the gardens, she noticed Christiare sitting alone. She picked up the tomato and the rosemary sprig and headed over.

“Hello, Tari,” she greeted, sitting on the ground next to her. “Are you any good at this?”

She took a cue from Mira and the others and used her stump as a table. The news from Charles was still on her mind. Arry scanned the place and found who she was looking for.

“Kolby!” she shouted to the Slytherin. “Get over here!”

While she awaited her ‘ally’, she turned back to Tari. As far as she knew, they were the last students to use the pitch.

“Do you know anything about missing Quidditch equipment?” she quietly asked her housemate. “I’m sure it wasn’t one of us that took it, but Charles says a few brooms, bats, and pads have disappeared.”

((OOC: Madison, I was thinking that Slytherin Mischief group could be behind it? Or it could be what the fifth years are planning to do?))

Christiare placed her things on her lap and pulled out her wand, looking up at Arya.
"I haven't really tried.. I guess so? I dunno. As far as the brooms go, I don't know much.. I actually had considered borrowing one at the end of the year to practice over the summer, with the school's permission though." She smiled a little at Arya and moved around the stump as if to turn it into sort of a table the three of them could sit at. Then she looked at her vegetation and attempted the spell

"Vigra" She tried at first, being unsuccessful she attempted it again

"Vigra" She called again, almost encouraging the fruit and flower to change places, smiling happily as they did.

Kolby was playing around with Devan, Mick, and Elsa. They were in an intense contest with the Switching Spell. They wanted to see how many objects they could switch at once and how far away they could do it. It was currently a tie between Elsa and Kolby.

"Alright. The strawberry, pear, and fig, all at once, each five steps apart." Devan said, setting it up. Elsa went first. Kolby watched until a enchanted paper airplane landed beside him. He picked it up and read it.

Meeting: 1 AM Dungeon This Wednesday. Bring a broom.

Kolby furrowed his brow as he read it. He hadn't heard from the Ministry of Mischief since Jacob got expelled for capturing Mira and Deirdre. I wonder what happened to Deirdre. Didn't she marry a lord in Ireland? he thought. He looked around for Mira. Maybe she knows.

"Kolby. Your turn." Elsa reminded her. Kolby put the note up and attempted the contest. He was able to switch two but forgot the third, his mind on the note. They must have gotten a new president. I wonder who it is. Davy? he thought, as Mick and Devan congratulated Elsa.

Then, Kolby heard Arya calling his name. He walked over to her and listened to her hypothesis. He felt the note grow hot and heavy in his pocket. Should I tell Arya? I mean, we are allies. he thought. After a minute of silence between the two, he showed her the note.

"Do you suppose they took some?" Kolby whispered, sitting down in the grass beside her.

“All I know is that I better not be blamed for this,” Arya muttered to Christiare. “I’m on that pitch more than the Quidditch teams are!”

She noticed Kolby coming over and waited for answers. He passed her a note, and after a moment of befuddlement, she opened it. Bring a broom? she wondered, turning this information over in her mind. Arry folded the parchment up and tossed it back to the Slytherin.

“That’s great and all,” she began. “But who the bloody hell is it from?”

Arya grabbed up the note again and studied it. There was a little symbol written on it at the top. A fancy ‘M’ with a snake looped around it. Underneath, it miniscule letters, it said Ministry of Mischief.

“Well, that explains that,” she said, answering her own question. “Who is this ministry? Have you heard of them, Christiare?”

Tari blinked then shuddered.

"I wish I could say I hadn't... They are.. not the nicest folk.. Kinda drove me further into my shell... I remember clearly when they 'selected' me to test some potions they were inventing... Remember that day when I came in with bits of my hair burnt? That was from them."

She blinked softly at Kolby. Wondering if he was truly different from those vile teenagers who had tormented her so. Looking at him now, a thought slipped into her mind she attempted to dismiss, that thought being that he was rather cute, for a slytherin. Averting her eyes, she focused on the objects she had been switching.

“Vigra,” she said firmly for the fifteenth time.

Why wasn’t it working? With a huff, Adele manually switched the objects, hoping that would satisfy her; it didn’t.

“Vigra,” she said again.

No dice.

“I know Transfiguration isn’t my best subject, but this is ridiculous,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. “Vigra!!”

Finally, the objects scooted toward each other about a centimeter. Adelaine sighed. At least it was a start. She leaned back on the grass and looked around the gardens. Everyone else was having a rather joyous time. Except… That’s an interesting crew, she thought curiously. Kolby, Arya, and Christiare were huddled together around a stump, talking quietly.

“Seriously,” she whispered, turning to Marigold. “Remember at the beginning of the year when we thought Kolby and Arya were up to something?”

Kolby sat in silence as the girls talked about the ministry. He was hesitant to tell them that he was still a member, although he wasn't very active. He could feel Tari silently judging him.

"I wonder what they need brooms for." Kolby thought out loud. Ideas were racing through his head. Brooms could be used for a lot of things.

Kolby looked around the gardens. Marigold was lost in her book, while Edwin was talking to Adele, although Adele wasn't listening to him. He's probably talking about foreign goods or something. Kolby guessed. Edwin then got up and went to talk to Jon and Elsa. Students were milling around in their cliches and groups, talking and conversing. Harcourt should be wrapping up this lesson soon.Kolby thought.

"So, have you two mastered the spell?" Kolby asked off hand, trying to change the subject.

Arya listened to Tari’s story about the Ministry and frowned. How had these people not been expelled and sent off to prison yet?

“Maybe they want brooms to fly to Hogsmeade,” she guessed, not knowing that she was right. “Or to whack people over the head with.”

The name Ministry of Mischief sparked a very blurry memory. Hadn’t Deirdre said something about them once? Something about….No, no one is that cruel, she thought, shaking her head. She must have misremembered.

“I’m nearly there,” she said when Kolby asked about the spell. “I hate Transfiguration. Vigra!”

The objects moved! But, they didn’t switch. They were practically hugging now they were so close.

“Vigra!” she said fervently. It worked.

Tari blinked, her mind having been distant when the question first occured, but smiled encouragingly at Arya.

"Oh come on, this is easy. It's like flying a broom. You have to trust it to work, not just expect it too~." Making the appropriate motion with her wand, Tari dictated the incantation wistfully.

"Vigra!" The objects swapped positions, and Tari tucked her wand behind her ear.

"I rather like charms and transfiguration, mostly transfiguration though. Almost comes naturally to me I suppose~ Kinda like flying does to you, or mischief to young Master Parry here." Tari folded her hands infront of her.