12 Jan 2021, 06:37
We are such disappointments, lol.
@Heinrich Bezuidenhout
Okay.
This was going to be harder than expected.
The allure of free house points and an opportunity to expand his social circle had drawn the boy into what he would have normally deemed to be an unnecessary time sink. However, no one had warned him about how cold it was going to be. The sound of footsteps on weathered stone tiles echoed throughout the courtyard. Valentine could not keep still. He was restless, the hairs on his arms standing up as the piercing cold assaulted him even through his clothes. The wind was howling all around - a furious flurry of snow and ice coupled with a gale likened to frozen daggers. In all honestly, he missed the sun-kissed shores of Wallasey Beach. Memories of the good times he spent in his childhood came flooding back without restraint. He didn't want to remember now, especially not now.
It was at that moment that the snow beside him parted as if someone was there. He turned and looked toward the disturbance with piercing grey eyes. A curtain of whistling arctic wind drifted through his messy brown hair as he regarded the individual before him. To whoever it was, his face would betray no hint of the passing moment of nostalgia he had briefly experienced.
"Hi," he greeted. "Are you Heinrich?"
Discord: Valentine#6117
18 Jan 2021, 09:16
We are such disappointments, lol.
The young boy was only getting used to the frigid temperatures of this foreign country and walking into the middle of a magically curated blizzard was not very ideal. Snow. The sheen of white that blanketed the entire courtyard's surface was at most knees deep. Heinrich had never seen so much snow in his entire life.
Of course, he was there for a reason. House points. Only recently had the naive boy grasped the concept of houses and very soon the idea of house points. Having lived a life as a farm boy homeschool and mostly secluded from other children, Heinrich was not very social, however, the errand he stumbled upon to start a simple fire seemed pretty simple, but he looked over the more important fact that that task was to be carried out in a snowstorm.
There was no turning back now that he had already signed up. Even when his entire body trembled in a struggle to keep itself warm and conscience begged to escape into the warmth of the castle, Heinrich was quite the determined child. For once, he wished he was in his other form, if only he had a thick coat of fur on him, that would make this endeavour a little easier. He would attempt to find a partner, shuffling through the thick snow. It was not long before the Gryffindor greeted him.
Heinrich was not very well known around the school yet he would not question how the other kid knew his name only confirming the other boy's query with two coupled nods. "Do you have a wand?" of course he did, everyone in the school would be in possession of the magical instrument. However, such a question was expected from a boy who was in no way skilled with any social interactions. "I-I don't know much m-magic." In a train of stutters, he would speak.
Of course, he was there for a reason. House points. Only recently had the naive boy grasped the concept of houses and very soon the idea of house points. Having lived a life as a farm boy homeschool and mostly secluded from other children, Heinrich was not very social, however, the errand he stumbled upon to start a simple fire seemed pretty simple, but he looked over the more important fact that that task was to be carried out in a snowstorm.
There was no turning back now that he had already signed up. Even when his entire body trembled in a struggle to keep itself warm and conscience begged to escape into the warmth of the castle, Heinrich was quite the determined child. For once, he wished he was in his other form, if only he had a thick coat of fur on him, that would make this endeavour a little easier. He would attempt to find a partner, shuffling through the thick snow. It was not long before the Gryffindor greeted him.
Heinrich was not very well known around the school yet he would not question how the other kid knew his name only confirming the other boy's query with two coupled nods. "Do you have a wand?" of course he did, everyone in the school would be in possession of the magical instrument. However, such a question was expected from a boy who was in no way skilled with any social interactions. "I-I don't know much m-magic." In a train of stutters, he would speak.
20 Jan 2021, 03:32
We are such disappointments, lol.
@Heinrich Bezuidenhout
On the contrary to what he thought, Valentine had been waiting for him specifically. The errand was a group venture, and Heinrich had been paired up with him on the roster. Had he forgotten perhaps? Well, even if he did, he had found his partner nonetheless; even if by a stroke of luck.
“I do!” Valentine yelled over the roaring winds. Not that him having a wand would help. “I don’t think it’ll be of much use though!”
He had no qualms with admitting his lack of skill either. For all his gifts as a duelist - especially as a Hogwarts duelist - Valentine was surprisingly inept at starting magical fires. As such, he had opted to do it the traditional Muggle way. At his feet, a small pit the diameter of watermelon had been dug out. Using the tip of his shoe, he had begun to kick small pebbles and rocks into the hole.
He had hoped that his partner would be able to offer some magical aid to their endeavor, but it appeared that he wouldn’t have the luxury of relying on someone else today.
“Have you ever started a fire before?” he inquired while covering the base of their fire pit with various stones.
On the contrary to what he thought, Valentine had been waiting for him specifically. The errand was a group venture, and Heinrich had been paired up with him on the roster. Had he forgotten perhaps? Well, even if he did, he had found his partner nonetheless; even if by a stroke of luck.
“I do!” Valentine yelled over the roaring winds. Not that him having a wand would help. “I don’t think it’ll be of much use though!”
He had no qualms with admitting his lack of skill either. For all his gifts as a duelist - especially as a Hogwarts duelist - Valentine was surprisingly inept at starting magical fires. As such, he had opted to do it the traditional Muggle way. At his feet, a small pit the diameter of watermelon had been dug out. Using the tip of his shoe, he had begun to kick small pebbles and rocks into the hole.
He had hoped that his partner would be able to offer some magical aid to their endeavor, but it appeared that he wouldn’t have the luxury of relying on someone else today.
“Have you ever started a fire before?” he inquired while covering the base of their fire pit with various stones.
Discord: Valentine#6117
24 Jan 2021, 23:46
We are such disappointments, lol.
Unlike the Gryffindor first year, it did not occur to Heinrich to check the roster before taking on the freezing cold. Fortunately for him, he didn't need to scour much of the courtyard before finding his partner. Then again, had he seen he pairings beforehand, he would have no clue who this Jackson of Gryffindor was. He barely knew the names of any of his classmates.
"It wouldn't? I thought there was the fire conjuring charm?" The boy enquired. Having never used the spell or witnessed a wand produce said flames, Heinrich would not know the practicality of the spell. Nevertheless, wrapping his coat tighter around himself, Heinrich would take a few steps closer towards the other as he spoke. Even as a lycanthrope with hearing keener than most, Heinrich still had to strain to hear the boy over the harsh winds.
Once again, the boy would nod in response to the Gryffindor's question. He did know how to make a fire. Long before he was taken in by the Bezuidenhouts, his father had taught him a few survival skills. Although he had spent much of the time on the farm, there were a few memorable camping trips into the nearby forest. Of course, never had he started a fire under such frigid conditions, but there was always a first time for everything.
"We need some logs, some sticks and rocks too." The Hufflepuff would pipe up a bit to enthusiastically. It was not always that he had a chance to put his own knowledge to use, after all, he was not the brightest person -- everyone in the school was far knowledgeable than a former farmboy like he was. "Uh - we need them dry. Y-yeah that is important." He would add.
"It wouldn't? I thought there was the fire conjuring charm?" The boy enquired. Having never used the spell or witnessed a wand produce said flames, Heinrich would not know the practicality of the spell. Nevertheless, wrapping his coat tighter around himself, Heinrich would take a few steps closer towards the other as he spoke. Even as a lycanthrope with hearing keener than most, Heinrich still had to strain to hear the boy over the harsh winds.
Once again, the boy would nod in response to the Gryffindor's question. He did know how to make a fire. Long before he was taken in by the Bezuidenhouts, his father had taught him a few survival skills. Although he had spent much of the time on the farm, there were a few memorable camping trips into the nearby forest. Of course, never had he started a fire under such frigid conditions, but there was always a first time for everything.
"We need some logs, some sticks and rocks too." The Hufflepuff would pipe up a bit to enthusiastically. It was not always that he had a chance to put his own knowledge to use, after all, he was not the brightest person -- everyone in the school was far knowledgeable than a former farmboy like he was. "Uh - we need them dry. Y-yeah that is important." He would add.
26 Jan 2021, 04:33
We are such disappointments, lol.
@Heinrich Bezuidenhout
“There is,” he replied. “I just suck at it.”
Valentine offered a toothy chuckle, to which he almost immediately regretted. The fierce wind clawed at his throat and inner mouth, prompting him to pull his scarf over his lips. He was reminded once again that they were in the middle of what was essentially a Siberian winter. The sooner they got this done and got out of here, the better.
“I’ve dug out a pit!” he shouted over the wind, gesturing to the small hole he had emptied out and filled with dry rocks. At least he had gotten part of it done. “I’ll try to find some firewood.”
Firewood was an overstatement. Valentine wandered over to a small bank where the snow was thinner. He then proceeded to rummage through it like a badger, searching for bark, dried leaves, or anything essentially that was flammable. When he did find a single, measly leaf, however, he was disappointed to find that it had been completely frozen over in a thin layer of ice.
Crap.
A few minutes more of searching yielded several more frozen twigs and leaves, as well as a plastic caramel wrapper. All of them had at least a millimeter of frost on them; with the exception of the caramel wrapper, but that was useless anyway. With a heavy sigh, he carried his findings over to the pit where he placed them out to dry; not to a great degree of success. So while he waited for his partner to get back, he pondered and thought.
All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. He remembered a charms lesson with Professor Vernatis, just weeks before he had resigned from his post in the school. He had mentioned something about the properties of the Lumos spell, and how it gave off heat like a torch. Granted, it was no Incendio, but it could get the job done (?)
Taking his wand out from his pocket, Valentine began generously applying the tip of his wand to the small stack of flammables he had collected.
“Lumos!”
“There is,” he replied. “I just suck at it.”
Valentine offered a toothy chuckle, to which he almost immediately regretted. The fierce wind clawed at his throat and inner mouth, prompting him to pull his scarf over his lips. He was reminded once again that they were in the middle of what was essentially a Siberian winter. The sooner they got this done and got out of here, the better.
“I’ve dug out a pit!” he shouted over the wind, gesturing to the small hole he had emptied out and filled with dry rocks. At least he had gotten part of it done. “I’ll try to find some firewood.”
Firewood was an overstatement. Valentine wandered over to a small bank where the snow was thinner. He then proceeded to rummage through it like a badger, searching for bark, dried leaves, or anything essentially that was flammable. When he did find a single, measly leaf, however, he was disappointed to find that it had been completely frozen over in a thin layer of ice.
Crap.
A few minutes more of searching yielded several more frozen twigs and leaves, as well as a plastic caramel wrapper. All of them had at least a millimeter of frost on them; with the exception of the caramel wrapper, but that was useless anyway. With a heavy sigh, he carried his findings over to the pit where he placed them out to dry; not to a great degree of success. So while he waited for his partner to get back, he pondered and thought.
All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. He remembered a charms lesson with Professor Vernatis, just weeks before he had resigned from his post in the school. He had mentioned something about the properties of the Lumos spell, and how it gave off heat like a torch. Granted, it was no Incendio, but it could get the job done (?)
Taking his wand out from his pocket, Valentine began generously applying the tip of his wand to the small stack of flammables he had collected.
“Lumos!”
Discord: Valentine#6117