Participants:
| Scene Title | Field Test |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Fred talks some younger students into trying some enchanted sweets. |
| Location | Hogwarts - Lake |
| Date | April 3, 1995 |
| Watch For | Neville's gift of tongues |
| Logger | Egbert |
Spring is an excellent time to gather about the lake, and the Monday evening is no different. Kids of all houses and years are playing about in their last few hours of free time, some even brave enough to wade into the water, their trousers hiked up above their knees. Neville is not so daring. He is sitting on one of the table benches, a sack full of Hogsmeade goodies from the past weekend to the town. He picks out an ice mice candy and pops it to his mouth, letting his teeth chatter as the icy thing rolls about in his mouth.
Coming from the direction of the school grounds one of the Weasley twins is heading towards the lake. Arms swinging as he whistles a jaunty tune a little to loud for it to be just for himself. Fred Weasley spots Neville all by his lonesome and without warning slids into the seat across from his fellow gryffindor and says with a grin on his face, "Howdy Neville! How goes?"
And there's another couple of students over there, just joining the fray. "--Moody and Moldavia ever team up, we're done for, we won't even get as far as facing down any dark--" That's Egbert, hands gesturing in the air as he walks and talks with Melissa. "—oh, but never mind that now, d'ye see over there? The purple ones." He points to a stretch of water that's just settling back to a smooth surface after a group of boys swum through it.
Neville jumps! But perhaps that's due to his chattering, clicking teeth. "'L-l-o-o!" The young Gryffindor attempts to greet back. He starts to laugh at his predicament, clapping a hand over his mouth. "Wotcher, Fred," he wonders after the candy's effects wear off.
Melissa peers out at the lake as Egbert points. "It's… kind of hard to see anything," she says. "Especially something purple…" There's a brief ripple at the edge. "Oh! There, I see it now…"
Fred doesn't bother stiffling a laugh at the younger boy's expense, though it is good natured, "A little cold for ya Nevlie?" He asks as he plops his school back up on the tabletop with a thud, "Ah and I'm just out to find some fresh air, Georgy boy disapeared on me to gosh knows where. Soooo I figured I'd grace you fine folks with my presense." Always the talker Fred gives a flick of his head towards the bag Neville has of goodies, "What ya got there?" He asks.
Neville reaches forward, pushing to bag to Fred. "Well, /thanks/," he replies with a friendly bit of sarcasm. "Few rum cakes left, chocolate galleons, ice mice, even some of those cherry filled chocolate quidditch balls. There are some bludgers left if you want." Neville fishes out a quaffle. "Take what you want."
Egbert nods, squinting to get a better look himself. "Looks like some sort of eel, only I haven't been able to get close enough. Maybe I should try taking a broom out…" Straightening up again, he looks around at the crowd and does a double take. "That's George Weasley, isn't it? Thought those two were attached at the elbow…"
Fred makes an audible /oooohhhh/ face and reaches for a quaffle in the bag, "Always one of my favs." He plops the quaffle into his mouth and leans over the table hapahzardly, "Thanks." Fred says with his mouth still full so it comes out vaguely sounding as it should. Then his brother's name catches the red heads ears and Fred looks about for the source. Seeing Egbert he raises an eyebrow towards the Hufflepuff and his Ravenclaw companion.
Melissa adjusts her glasses to get a better look. "Yeah, it is," she says. "I wonder what's going on with them…"
Neville peeks out from behind Fred, seeing the other students, he munches on his treat, finding this one having a full cheery in the center. This causes a wide smile. "Whatssit?" he asks of Fred, looking nervously around.
Egbert wasn't thinking of how close he was to the Gryffindors, and so he manages to miss Fred looking back at him. Instead, he turns his attention back to Melissa: "I don't know, but I bet you something goes up in smoke before the day's out. Hey, you want to head down to shore before it freezes up for the night?"
Melissa nods towards Egbert. "Oh, all right then. We might be able to get a better look," she says, already heading closer to the edge. "I might have to look up a guide to the fish in this area…"
Swollowing his treat Fred shakes his head lightly towards Neville, "Oh nothing, nothing at all old boy." He reaches out a hand to pat Neville on the shoulder a little to hard unless the younger boy moves. The mention of smoke coming from somewhere alights Fred's eyes and he turns back to Neville, "Anyways…I was wondering if you might be up for a little test of sorts?" Fred asks with a glimmer in his eyes. His eyes flicking back to the two walking by Fred calls out to then, "Oy, you two there. Got a moment?"
That's a tall order. Neville can help but allow the nervous lines of his face to deepen. "What sort of—" he starts to ask, but instead shifts his eyes to the other students. The boy comically motions to them a finger across his neck and that they should /run/. Save yourselves! This all, of course, behind Fred's back as much as possible.
Egbert starts after Melissa, but then turns as Fred speaks up. "Who, us? What is it?" He motions to get Melissa's attention as well - and catches sight of Neville's gesture, but what does it mean? Run or you're in trouble? Don't run or you're in trouble? With a shrug, he just waits to see what the ginger has in mind. Thanks for trying, though, Nev!
Melissa turns curiously towards Fred. "We're not doing anything, really," she says. "What's your plan?"
A mischievous grin spreads across Fred's face, though he was trying for an innocent and sweet one, "Would you three mind trying something for me?" He asks with that oh-so-sweet salesman tone tainting his voice. Ruffling his shockingly red hair with one hand he reaches into the bag with his other and comes out with a smaller bag that looks filled to breaking point. Neville attempts to save the other students goes unnoticed by Fred, or at least isn't commented upon as he tries to get victims….no participants.
Neville 's face falls and he settles for a stiff nod. "All right, Fred," the boy levels with a hiccup in his voice. "But before we start I should probably at least write a note to Madam Pomfrey…"
Egbert peers at Fred. Then at Neville. Then at Melissa… and back to Fred again. "I guess we can give it a go," he says. "Er, what is it?" Dangerous, likely. Embarrassing, almost certainly. But surely they'll live through it, right?
Melissa frowns. "Why would you have to do that?" she asks Neville, looking between him and Fred.
Fred blinks towards Neville and looks astounded at her fellow gryffindor, "Ye have little Faith in me Neville. I'm hurt, I'm crushed!" He exclaims and says to the younger two students, "Pay no mind to this nay-sayer you two. I have complete faith in myself." He proceeds to pull out some custard creams from the bag and attempts to hand them to the other three student.
Neville props an elbow to the picnic table, cocking his eyebrows at Fred. "Fool me once…" the boy recites at him. He eyes the custard creams and hesitantly takes the one offered to him.
Egbert reaches out a hand, picking up another one in his turn. "All right, then— all four of us on the count of three?" If Fred actually agrees to this, then that's a good hint that it's safe. Ish.
Melissa nods. "Yeah…" she says, agreeing with Egbert, after taking hers. "I'm only doing this in the name of science. Or… magi-science."
Fred pulls out a notebook and a quill from his bag now as the students take their custards, "Well someone has to watch and see how well they work." He smiles to Neville with that oh so dashing grin and shakes his head, "Honestly Neville, have I ever lead you wrong. I always got you to the hospital wing promptly." Fred then winks to the other two, "Don't worry, I swear I know what I'm doing."
"Can't fault you there," Neville mutters, opening his mouth and pushing in the custard cream into his mouth with a slow pointer finger. Chew. Gulp. Neville squints his eyes, waiting for his doom.
"Explain that to me after we wake up?" Egbert shrugs at Melissa, then tries his own cream as well. If Muggle science means 'try dangerous things and see what happens', well, no wonder they're such a crazy lot…
Melissa shrugs back and chows down. Why yes, that would be the definition, if it weren't for the fact that Mythbusters hasn't been invented yet.
As the three younger students devouer they custards Fred leans back from the table and taps his quill on his notebook lightly, watching with a placid face. In a flash (well not really a flash more like a zing) the three students are no more and insteads three canaries are fluttering in the air. Giving a quick look around for teachers Fred grins wioth a look of triumph on his face and looks down at the watch on his wrist. Counting silently in a matter of second the students are back to normal, "See nothing to worry about, you three feel anything funny?" He peers at them then a smile crosses his face after a brief flash of what might have been guilt, "Oh blimey Neville!" Upon Neville's face sit a perfectly proportioned to his body beak, instead of his regular mouth and nose.
Melissa is back, gasping for breath a bit, but she doesn't seem to have any bird parts- none that she can see anyway. "Is… is there any way you could make it so we shrink DOWN instead of- w-what happened to him?!"
Neville finds himself back on the bench, head turning up to look at the space he had been flying in. It had been an almost fun moment, his short flight. But now, Neville's head tilts back down, eyes crossing at the longer, more yellow nos… beak? Neville lets out a frightened yell, meant to say 'AHH' but it turns much more into a "CHIRP!" This, of course, scares the boy even more and he tumbles off the bench, right under the stone picnic table. "Chirp chitter chirp TWEET!" Neville is making quite a ruckus, rolling about and attempting to claw the beak off his face… if only it weren't part of his face, of course.
Egbert blinks a few times after he transforms back. "That was weird! I think I'm all right, though, you look all--" He reaches out a hand to Melissa's shoulder, just to double-check, then freezes as he hears the bird noises continue. "Oh no. Well--" Whirling to face down Fred. "—give him the antidote, already! We'll help hold him still!" Please tell us you brought some antidote, Fred?
Fred stands up quickly shoving his notebook and quill back into his bag. He also snatches the bag of canary creams from the table top and heads over to grab Neville's arm, "Calm down Neville. It's just a beak, nothing me and George can't fix." He shakes his head and say quietly, "The antidote's back with george, completely thought this batch would work fine and dandy, just throw your cloak over your face and come on." He makes a grab for Neville's arm to haul him off towards the dorms, making sur his 'beak' is covered.
Neville finds a thick bit of robe over his face. He can't, for the life of him, stop squawking, likely much like a song bird won't in times of excitment or trouble. He allows Fred to lead him away, his feet wobbly at the notion. "Peep twee whill chitt chitter chirp!" Which is very much bird for 'Just a beak! You stick one on your face, then!'
Melissa frowns. "Well, I hope he'll be all right…" she says. "Ugh, my arms are sore from all that flapping…"
Egbert shrugs as Fred leads Neville away. "Hope George really does have the antidote handy. And yeah, I guess you're right," he adds, stretching his arms out above his head, before motioning once again to the edge of the lake. "Well, we were birds for a minute, want to try being fish instead?"
Melissa grins. "All right," she says, moving towards the lake again, gazing into the depths.
Egbert follows after - at least his legs are still in good shape - and grins as well. One thing wizards do have in common with muggles is an appreciation for a good refreshing soak once in a while. "Hey, Melissa," just as they're reaching the edge, "been meaning to tell you something—"
Melissa turns her head curiously toward Egbert. "Yeah? What?" she asks in a friendly manner as she starts taking off her shoes.
Egbert kicks off one shoe and then the other, setting them down on a patch of grass, and wades a few steps in. "I like—" It's only three words, spit it out already! But he can't, he's too nervous. "…hanging out with you. It, it's different." Oh, brilliant, now you've gone and called her a freak show.
Melissa giggles. "Different? How's that?" she asks, with a bit of a smile.
Upon realizing that he's not getting his head bitten off, Egbert relaxes some. "Well, there's your family being part muggle, for one thing— I've got some too, but they're all over in Germany so I mostly just hear about them. I think you think about things a little differently. And you're friendly, that's what first— I mean, Ravenclaws are so clever they're kind of scary, you know? And they mostly like it that way. Except for Luna. And you."
Melissa smiles. "Well, I think I can be pretty clever sometimes," she says. "But I don't brag about it like some people." She has a few names in mind here but doesn't say them.
Egbert offers a faint smile of his own, but just wades further into the water. "Anyway, ever since Pet—" One more scary thing, that. "Well, ever since Pet, I've been telling myself not to wait so much to do things. Like tell you I like you." Then, realizing what he just let slip, he heads further into the lake and sits down so the water comes up nearly to his chin.
Melissa now laughs uncontrollably. "Oh… oh really? Well… I guess I like you too then, seeing as we always have so much to talk about…" She gives Egbert a big grin and then reaches her hand out to pull him up. Can't have him down there too deep.
Any additional notes fall to the bottom.