Help Wanted
Date: Saturday, December 13th, 2025.
@Rosalyn Willows
Harvey arrived at the greenhouse late Saturday morning and his expression would tell anyone just how he felt about that. The boy couldn't think of anything he rather do less than to be gardening in his free time. He should be out on the broom or cozied up with a book by the fire. Hell, he'd rather be rereading his History of Magic textbook than spending a good part of his day toiling through the dirt, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
As far as his school work went, Harvey was almost flawless. A solid O average was about all that any Hogwarts' student could ask for, but when he had presented his report card to his grandfather at the end of his first year, a glaring A in Herbology had earned Harvey extra chores over the summer. The start of his second year had come with a harsh waring that a repeat of such thing would be punish even more severely and the boy was bound and determined to escape his grandfather's wrath by any means. So, when he realized that his grades in the subject were not improving, Harvey had done the unthinkable. The lad out up a sign in the Slytherin common room asking for help.
The embarrassment of seeking a tutor had been nearly enough to kill him, but fortunately someone had answered his call. He did not know Rosalyn well. All he did know was that she was a first year and that fact nearly blinked Harvey out of existence. Not only was he in need of tutoring, but it was going to come from a first year to boot! Merlin surely had cursed the boy! However, he could not deny that her talent in the subject would prove helpful, so to the greenhouses he went.
Rosalyn would find him already there upon her arrival and what a pitiful subject he would prove to be. Harvey's nose was wrinkled at the stench of fertilizer and manure. He wore safety googles which only enhanced his look of disdain and he fidgeted from one for to the next as uncomfortable gripped him. They were to repot a couple of bouncing bulbs, an assignment that he had failed miserably. "Shall we start?" He asked in the driest tone humanly possible...
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Help Wanted
“Hi there! You must be Harvey! I’m Rosalyn, but you can just call me Rosie if you want to! But you probably already knew that.” Rosalyn said, absolutely terrified to be here. Now, don’t get her wrong, she loved to help people and she loved plants, so this was a win-win! But the boy she was tutoring looked rather scary. Eh, it would be okay.
“Erm, yeah! We can start!” she said once he suggested it, starting to pull out all the stuff that they would need.
“Can you grab that pot? Up there? I can’t reach it.” she asked, pointing to the one that she meant, on a shelf higher than her not very tall self could get to.
“Okay! So, the first step is to get the thing to not smack us in the face. I don’t know the spell yet, but can you use the fire one? That’s how we can wither it. Counter-intuitive, I know, but it’ll grow back. This is the only way it won’t escape and/or attack us.” she asked, hoping that Harvey knew the spell, because she didn’t.
She set the pot that had the Bouncing Bulb in it in front of him so it would be easier for him.
"After we do that, it should be a lot easier to work with. Then, we can move on!" she said.
She fidgeted with a curl while she waited, not in a rush. She just loved being in the greenhouse, with the smell of nature and life all around them.
"Don't you just love gardening?" she asked, curious to know if he felt the same way.
“Erm, yeah! We can start!” she said once he suggested it, starting to pull out all the stuff that they would need.
“Can you grab that pot? Up there? I can’t reach it.” she asked, pointing to the one that she meant, on a shelf higher than her not very tall self could get to.
“Okay! So, the first step is to get the thing to not smack us in the face. I don’t know the spell yet, but can you use the fire one? That’s how we can wither it. Counter-intuitive, I know, but it’ll grow back. This is the only way it won’t escape and/or attack us.” she asked, hoping that Harvey knew the spell, because she didn’t.
She set the pot that had the Bouncing Bulb in it in front of him so it would be easier for him.
"After we do that, it should be a lot easier to work with. Then, we can move on!" she said.
She fidgeted with a curl while she waited, not in a rush. She just loved being in the greenhouse, with the smell of nature and life all around them.
"Don't you just love gardening?" she asked, curious to know if he felt the same way.
Reducio
@Harvey Barrows
Help Wanted
@Rosalyn Willows
Harvey shot Rosalyn a skeptical look. She seemed too eager. Too excited to be locked in a muggy greenhouse that stank of dung. Who was this Slytherin that was so eager to help? What was her angle? Perhaps Harvey was just being a little too paranoid. Some people liked to help just for the sake of being a good person, but those weirdos belonged in Hufflepuff, didn’t they?
“Ok, Rosie it is then.” Again, Harvey’s tone was rather dry. He in fact did not know that was her preferred nickname. He had seen her around the common room, but that was about it. Harvey’s dark eyes followed her gesture as she pointed to a pot above them. His gaze drifted lazily back to her, his expression anything but pleased. “You want me to grab that, up there!” The boy held his arms out as if to say “look at me”. Harvey was part goblin and had inherited the shortness of his goblin ancestors. He did however unsheathe his wand and used the proper spell to levitate the pot and coax it down to them. “Here you go.”
Harvey did perk up a bit as Rosie began to offer instruction. This class had been a killer to him so far and he was determined to improve his grade. As much as it all seemed like a waste of time it was a required class for years one through five, so it had to be done. “Incendio, yes I can perform that spell.” While Harvey struggled with gardening, his spell work was above average. “So, just burn the plant first? You’re sure?” What a silly subject. How would destroying a plant help it grow! It was probably this restrictive thinking that had him in trouble though. With a shrug he took aim.
“Incendio!” A whoosh of flames singed and burnt the plant and it shrank away. “Ok, now what?” Harvey was awaiting further instruction when Rosie hit him with some small talk. His first impulse was to demand that they stay focused, but he was working on being more patient. He may think this was all a waste of time, but perhaps her talent in the subject lent to a witch worth getting to know. “No, not really. I am having a difficult time finding any joy or use for this subject. I can just simply buy these ingredients. I take it that you have been doing this for a long time? Does your family garden at home?”
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Help Wanted
"Thank you, and no, I wasn't asking you to reach it, I just sort of have my hands full so I can't use magic to get it!" Rosalyn said, setting down some of the stuff that she had just grabbed from the shelves. She had some soil, a little trowel, and a good spirit, as she loved being there.
"Yes, I'm sure! It'll make it so the plant doesn't attack us or something." she said, as she watched him perform the spell.
"Really? Herbology is super useful! Like...ooh! Do you like potions? Or, at least, use them?" she asked after he spoke, thinking about the different uses.
While speaking, she started to fill the pot she had him grab with some fresh soil for once they repotted it.
"If you plant and garden your own potions ingredients, you can save a lot of money buying them! You can still purchase them, but it's a lot less fun. And, gardening as a whole is just a very relaxing pastime. I love how I can watch something grow and know that I was the one that helped it." she said.
She finished putting the soil into the pot with the little trowel, and double-checked that it was a good amount.
"You may not like plants, but I do! And, well, my family sort of gardens. It's pretty much me taking care of all of them, but it's up to them now that I'm here! And I've been doing it for a little while, but not too long, probably since I was about 7? 8?" she said, remembering all of the times that she would be the only one keeping those things alive, and how her parent's had better be taking good care of them.
"Okay, now comes the pretty important part. Grab the Bulb, and make sure to keep a really strong grip on it. They will attack when threatened, but we've stopped it from being as strong by withering it. Once you grab it, move it over to this pot." she said, gesturing to the one that she had been filling with the fresh soil.
"Then, we'll add some more soil over it, and we'll be good to go!" she said, waiting for him to do the next step. It wasn't up to her now, it was his assignment after all, so she was just trying to be helpful while not taking over.
"Yes, I'm sure! It'll make it so the plant doesn't attack us or something." she said, as she watched him perform the spell.
"Really? Herbology is super useful! Like...ooh! Do you like potions? Or, at least, use them?" she asked after he spoke, thinking about the different uses.
While speaking, she started to fill the pot she had him grab with some fresh soil for once they repotted it.
"If you plant and garden your own potions ingredients, you can save a lot of money buying them! You can still purchase them, but it's a lot less fun. And, gardening as a whole is just a very relaxing pastime. I love how I can watch something grow and know that I was the one that helped it." she said.
She finished putting the soil into the pot with the little trowel, and double-checked that it was a good amount.
"You may not like plants, but I do! And, well, my family sort of gardens. It's pretty much me taking care of all of them, but it's up to them now that I'm here! And I've been doing it for a little while, but not too long, probably since I was about 7? 8?" she said, remembering all of the times that she would be the only one keeping those things alive, and how her parent's had better be taking good care of them.
"Okay, now comes the pretty important part. Grab the Bulb, and make sure to keep a really strong grip on it. They will attack when threatened, but we've stopped it from being as strong by withering it. Once you grab it, move it over to this pot." she said, gesturing to the one that she had been filling with the fresh soil.
"Then, we'll add some more soil over it, and we'll be good to go!" she said, waiting for him to do the next step. It wasn't up to her now, it was his assignment after all, so she was just trying to be helpful while not taking over.
Reducio
@Harvey Barrows
Help Wanted
@Rosalyn Willows
Harvey shifted back and forth on his feet for a moment when Rosie made it clear that her request was quite practical. He didn’t really enjoy being rebuked like that, but in his frustration it was clear that he was in the wrong. So, even though it irked him, Harvey let it go and tried to focus on the task at hand. It seemed rather strange to basically destroy a plant that you hoped would thrive, but he cast his spell perfectly and charred the bouncing bulb into submission. At least his wand work wasn't suffering.
"Yes, I use potions often and we have a whole store room of them back home too." Harvey was always fond of the potion room in their London residence. He was often tasked with assisting his caretaker in cataloging and organizing their stock. His grandfather always stressed the importance of keeping the their stores topped off at all times. No magical household should ever be in short supply. When magic was involved, you never knew what might happen.
"I don't see the problem of just ordering the potions already brewed for you. Why not just buy the finished product?" It was a rather privileged train of thought as surely not every household in the magical community could drop a fortune on potions whenever they felt like it. "However, I do see your point about having the ingredients readily available to you. In case of shortages or emergencies, I suppose. Perhaps one day if I acquire a property with the space I would consider a garden. "
Harvey listened as Rosie spoke of her home life. It always seemed so bizarre to him that these menial tasks weren't taken care of by hired help, but then again she spoke of it as if it were a hobby. Something to do for fun? Why anyone would want to toil in the dirt for pleasure was beyond him, but he was impressed that she had been taking care of her family garden since such a young age. "You really must have been a natural at gardening to start so young. May I ask where you are from? Do you have a large garden?"
Unfortunately the time for small talk had come to an end. The pot with soil was presented by Rosie, but now it was Harvey's turn to finish the task. With slightly nervous hands he grasped old of the bulb and pulled it up out of the soil. Now, this was the part he hated the most. While the plant was weakened that did not mean that it didn't struggle. It squirmed and twisted in his grasp and Harvey wanted nothing more than to set it down. While it did not frighten him there was just something about the sensation of handling a wild, living thing that he did not care for. However, he needed to figure this out.
So, maintaining a strong grasp as instructed he moved the bulb over and did his best to plunge it down into the new soil. It was a bit crooked, but a far better attempt than when he had first tried in class. "Ok, do I let go now?" Harvey really hoped the answer was yes...
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Help Wanted
"Yay! Gardens are so fun, and so is having a lot of land! You know, one of my friends has a family with a whole farm, and we used to explore for hours and get so lost in all of the fields...anyways, sorry, but yes, that's a great idea!" Rosalyn said, about to begin rambling but deciding against it.
She noticed how Harvey was shifting back and forth a bit, just a slight fidget. She didn't want to keep him there for any longer than he had to be, if he really didn't enjoy it, so she supposed they should move on. Alas, she loved being in the Greenhouses.
"Oh, I'm from York, England! My parents own a nice little house. Not too big, perfect size for it to just fit the three of us. We never had a huge garden, but I convinced my parents to let me plant one out back. We already had plenty of house plants, but those weren't the same. I took over watering those a while before planting the garden. It wasn't much, since our yard wasn't large, but I still loved it." she said, reminiscing. It had taken her over three months to convince her parents, but they finally decided that there was no harm in it. After all, Rosalyn was alone and at home enough to take good care of it, so they trusted her.
"Hold on for one more second..." she said to his question as she poured a bit of soil around the bulb, which was squirming around in his grip. She patted the soil down, making sure that the plant was nice and snug.
"Alright, you can let go!" she said, proud of the work they'd done.
"You may not like plants, but you're pretty good with them!" she said, looking at the bulb he'd repotted oh-so-well.
"Does it make you feel accomplished at all? Having done something like that? I don't know, it always makes me just...happy, you know? Like I've helped something living find its new home." she said, curious if he felt the same at all.
She noticed how Harvey was shifting back and forth a bit, just a slight fidget. She didn't want to keep him there for any longer than he had to be, if he really didn't enjoy it, so she supposed they should move on. Alas, she loved being in the Greenhouses.
"Oh, I'm from York, England! My parents own a nice little house. Not too big, perfect size for it to just fit the three of us. We never had a huge garden, but I convinced my parents to let me plant one out back. We already had plenty of house plants, but those weren't the same. I took over watering those a while before planting the garden. It wasn't much, since our yard wasn't large, but I still loved it." she said, reminiscing. It had taken her over three months to convince her parents, but they finally decided that there was no harm in it. After all, Rosalyn was alone and at home enough to take good care of it, so they trusted her.
"Hold on for one more second..." she said to his question as she poured a bit of soil around the bulb, which was squirming around in his grip. She patted the soil down, making sure that the plant was nice and snug.
"Alright, you can let go!" she said, proud of the work they'd done.
"You may not like plants, but you're pretty good with them!" she said, looking at the bulb he'd repotted oh-so-well.
"Does it make you feel accomplished at all? Having done something like that? I don't know, it always makes me just...happy, you know? Like I've helped something living find its new home." she said, curious if he felt the same at all.
Reducio
@Harvey Barrows
Help Wanted
@Rosalyn Willows
"Fun?" Harvey cocked an eyebrow at the girl. Toiling in the dirt was not his idea of fun whatsoever. Not that he hated the outdoors completely. The boy enjoyed a beautiful landscape and gardens could be a nice accent to any property, but those views were best enjoyed from a seat of luxury. To each their own. A mentality that Harvey was trying and quite often failing to adopt. Owning a farm however did pique his interest a bit.
"Farm land is quite essential." A rather obvious statement, but being a land owner was a boon to anyone's financial portfolio. Harvey hoped to one day own his own estate and to fund such a venture would require working properties like a farm. "What kind of farm does your friend's family operate?" If he could one day have a ranch for livestock and land for growing magical plants that could be used to sustain a potion supply for personal use or sale. Harvey blinked away the thought. He'd have to pass Herbology first if he wanted to ever have a career.
Harvey nodded along as Rosie spoke of her home in York. He had been there once before while accompanying his grandfather on business, but he couldn't recall much of it. "Good of you to be persistent." That was a character trait that he respected. Many called him stubborn, but he didn't mind as long as he got what he wanted. Harvey much preferred ambitious when describing the pursuit of his desires. "Sounds humble, but I am envious of your outdoor space. We don't have any at our townhome in London." He often didn't mind as most of his hobbies were indoor, but it could lead to feeling cramped from time to time.
Harvey didn't waste a second when Rosie instructed him to let go of the plant. He rarely wore his emotions of his sleeve, but when she congratulated him the smirk that found his face could not be helped. "Yes, it is satisfying, I'll give you that." Harvey wouldn't find any joy in caretaking for a plant. It just was not in his nature to nurture. Completing a task efficiently however was always enjoyable. "I'll leave the caretaking to you, but that was much easier thanks to you. You'd make a good teacher." The compliment that escaped his lips was quite rare yet certainly deserved. Not that his professor hadn't taught him well. He mostly just needed one on one help to get past his own mental roadblocks with the subject. "Thank you for your instruction. I'm sure to get high marks on the end of year exam now. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Help Wanted
@Harvey Barrows12/13/25"Oh, Harvey, put that eyebrow down! It's not that crazy to find gardening fun!" Rosalyn said, noticing the way his eyebrow went very much up as he was probably thinking she was insane for that opinion. Oh, well, what could she do about it?
"My friend? His family has a lot of animals on the farm, like pigs and cows and all those, so livestock, I'm pretty sure." she said, thinking back to it. She'd spent a large portion of her childhood there, so not too difficult to forget!
"Thanks! If you're ever in York again, I'd be happy to show you my garden! It's not much, but it is mine, so I'm pretty proud of it!" she said, happy that he considered her 'persistent'. She hadn't really thought of it that way before, just that she bugged her parents for weeks, created a presentation and a demonstration and a blueprint for the garden layout before they finally let her have the garden. It is persistence, she supposed.
"No outdoor space? Bummer, how do you get by?" she asked, partially joking. She knew she wouldn't survive, but he might like it better that way, she didn't know.
"Oh, thank you! Perhaps someday, but I'm happy to help! If you ever need more help with anything, whether it's plants or not, just let me know!" she said, blushing a bit at the compliment. She appreciated it, especially since Harvey didn't seem like the sort of person to give out many.
"Repay me? Oh, no, not at all! Free service! Just let me know how you do on your exams, and consider us even!" she said, needing nothing at all. All she wanted was to know he felt more confident with his gardening abilities as well as his Herbology grade.
"Well, I think I should probably head back to my Common Room, since I have some homework of my own to do! I'll see you around, Harvey!" she said, holding out her hand to shake.
