We Didn't Start the Fire (except we did) Errand

────────────────────── 𝒜 ──────────────────────

Date: ?? January 2021
Location: Hogwarts Courtyard Siberian tundra
Interacting With: @Willow Anderson | @Astrea Soleil Neptune | @Ruby Cazares
The 'fit (except with this hat) and the 'do
Music to accompany reading
Hex Color: #0080FF
WC: 624
────────────────────── 𝒜 ──────────────────────

The courtyard had apparently become the North Pole. Ana generally participated in errands when they sounded particularly interesting, or she was looking for something to occupy a rare moment of spare time. She was technically dressed for it but felt as though she were wearing a thin sundress rather than her heavy ensemble. The wind seemed to be directed solely at her and she was half worried she might blow away. Her mission to start a fire sounded fair easier than it was. For a fire to do anything more than sputter out, there had to be some bit of kindling or something for it to feed on. All Ana could see in any direction was snow, which was notoriously not flammable.

She would have been lying if she said she particularly relished the idea of setting a fire. She had something of a reputation for it after more mishaps than she could count in her first and second years. Prior to the Blossom Ball, she had been abnormally fond of flames and the way they could provide both protection and danger. That had changed in the spring. Ana was still capable of casting Incendio when needed, but it was no longer her go-to spell, and her heart always seemed to rise to her throat at the sight of fire.

Massive mounds of snow reminded her of the Austrian alps, only less pretty and probably less suited to be climbed. Squinting through the blizzard, she turned to the group she had assembled upon hearing teams were permitted. "We ought to formulate some kind of plan of action," she said, raising her voice to ensure she would be heard over the howling winds. Whisps of blonde hair had already begun to come loose from her braided hairstyle, and she idly thought how peculiar it was that she was so accustomed to a hair color so different from the one she had had her entire life. Then again, she had become used to so many things that were different from what they had been for her entire life such as both parents being gone and dealing with responsibilities that were too much for any one person, much less a child to bear. But Ana was determined to make things work. It wasn't like she had many other options. Which brought her back to the matter at hand. Starting a fire.

Ana thrust her mittened hands in her pockets in an attempt to warm her fingers, which were already cold. She drew one hand out, now holding her wand. There were a great many spells she could think of that might aid the group in their pursuits. The hot air charm should theoretically help to dry out any wood branches they found so that it could serve as kindling, and perhaps an umbrella charm could help protect the fire once it was going. She was about to voice her thoughts when it occurred to her that she had absolutely no idea how to build any kind of fire. There were always servants at home should she want a fire, and previous times she had cast the spell, she hadn't exactly intended for the flames to last long. "Do any of you know how to go about actually constructing a fire?" Ana inquired. Astrea and Ruby had similar upbrings to her own, so unless either of them had some camping hobby that she was unaware of, Willow was the most likely option. Not for the first time recently, Ana resented her education. She was exceptionally talented at needlepoint and other arts deemed appropriate for her, but it was becoming more and more clear she was woefully unprepared for anything outside of her bubble of magic and pureblood society.