The Pukwudgie Courtyard [HUFFLEPUFFS]

Trunk in hand, and siblings by her side, Wendy stepped through the Pukwudgie gate, desperate for some good news. She did not understand what this was, this day on disappearing trains and unyielding gates, but she was ready to find some rest while she waited for the Ministry to come save them, as her young, trusting heart assumed they would. She expected to be welcomed by like-minded youngsters, pulling them inside to offer rest and condolences before they all reported to the staff to see what was to be done next.

But these gates led not to the warmth of well-maintained castle halls, but to courtyards in steady decline. It seemed no one had been maintaining the greenery, and vines were prying greedy hands through gaps in the stone. Before her was a door, a door that certainly led into the castle, but strong vines had wrapped around the door. She reached forward and tugged fruitlessly at first the vine, then the little of the door.

She could hear voices from behind the door, Pukwudgies she imagined, who had been told of the mysterious train. Wendy turned to the group of Hufflepuffs steadily gathering. “What do we do?”

This whole thing got Luxanna both excited and concerned of what was going to happen to all of them. She did not know how to act or what to say, but as she was surrounded by other Hufflepuffians, she felt safer and better than before. They had some sort of magical unity in them and as they all gathered together behind Wendy, she allowed her bright blue eyes to scan their surroundings. Despite this place looking far more different than Hogwarts, she found it quite mesmerizing still.

She then observed the vines that did not give in to Wendy’s attempts to get them aside in order to open the door. Perhaps they could use a spell to burn them away? But what if this attempt would be a failure? She had to remember that this place was magical as well and the plants there were probably immune to the spells.

“Hmm,“ she tilted her head, her soft wavy hair falling over her shoulder. They couldn’t stay here for it was getting colder and colder (at least for her), but as it was clear that the door would not be opened any time soon, they had to think of an alternative. She looked up and sighed quietly, looking for some windows. Perhaps they could break one or two and get in through the holes? Hmm. That sounded like a bad idea honestly, considering that she’d be breaking a government’s property.

“Maybe we should try breaking it down?“ she finally asked in her typical, sweet and cirpy tone as she approached Wendy. They had to try something, didn’t they?

The young witch was entirely loath to leave her sisters, although after gathering her things she did dutifully trudge after her fellow Hufflepuffs. She emerged into the courtyard at the back of the column of students that were filing into the overgrown space.

Oddly, Orla felt a lot better upon seeing the foliage. She brought her hand up to a low hanging leaf and let her fingers trail over its surface, a soft smile alighting on her face.

At the sound of Wendy Fudge’s voice, the moment was broken and Orla crashed resoundly back into the moment at hand.

She pushed through the gaggle of Puffs towards the front where Wendy was stood by a door that had been barred to them. Orla nibbled on the inside of her cheek, anxiety shining in her features. How on earth were they supposed to get past that?

Orla winced at the suggestion that rang out from a girl who was stood not too far away from where she was. She hated the idea of them having to hurt the plants to get inside but she knew they’d probably have to if they stood any chance of getting inside.

“It’s not unlike a Devil’s Snare,” Orla piped up before she could help herself, taking a step forward. “Not quite but … the same family, I should think. Could we treat it the same way, perhaps?”

Finn wondered curiously now what it meant that she had started the day with an attempt to distance herself from her friend, all of whom were now in separate courtyards. Had her spirit somehow known, had her mind started preparations for when she would be forced to be more independent? If she believed in such things, maybe. But she didn't. It was an odd coincidence.

This whole day could be chalked up to a bunch of off coincidences.

Wendy was heading up conversation, her maternal nature making her a natural point that they could all head towards. Finn typically would have stayed out of it, but with only two others stumbling forward to help Wendy, Finn couldn't help but feel compelled to step forward.

Thoughts bounced from Wendy to Lux to Orla, and Finn tacked on the Hughes girl. "Some sort of fire, burn away the vines," she said. "They look to thick to cut. If we all use fire charms, we could clear the door - burn down the door if we have to."

Her therapist would have been so proud.

Luxanna smiled at Orla as she approached them as well, granting them the knowledge she did not think of. Although she was interested in plants and nature, it was not that type of curiosity that would have sent her to the library in order to gather all sorts of information about it. She was more of person who'd rather look at the plants while enjoying the beauty they held.

"We can try," she assured her blond companion and offered her a soft smile, but then her eyes wandered off to Finn whom she observed before offering a mixture between a nod and a shrug of her shoulders. Honestly she felt like burning the branches away was a better idea. Plants did not stand a chance against fire and hopefully nobody has protected those things with any sort of a spell.

So she took Orla by the hand as it appeared to Lux that the other girl did not like the idea of harming the wildlife. "We should try Your plan too, Orla," she suggested, feeling like they should consider every option here. It may be time consuming, but it may work. "Will you do the honors?"

Orla was the sort of person who could have been called a greenhouse-head. During her earlier years at the school, she had always found that the greenhouses were quiet at break-times. She could take a few sandwiches with her from the Great Hall at lunchtime and once she was sat on one of the work tables she could unravel her napkin of goodies and eat amongst the flowers. She was a great admirer of the pretty things. She had often tried her hand at drawing some of the great leaves, delicate flowers, and swollen fruits that characterised each plant differently. She couldn’t claim to be any good at it, though the leather-bound journal that her mother had bought her, into which she’d penned those drawings, was treasured by her. It was in her backpack, too, right next to her purse. She felt the urge to get down the likeness of the vines. Her fingers curled with the desire to do so but her rational mind reminded her that getting inside, or wherever it was that the door led, was meant to be their first task.

At the brush of skin against her hand, Orla was jolted from her thoughts. The warmth of another person’s hand enclosed around her own and the witch looked down and up again, her eyes on the latter course following the soft curve of the arm that was attached to the intruding hand. Luxanna. Orla rolled her lips together and raised a little smile, surprise dashing the expression when she realised just what the other girl was getting at – just what the other girl wanted her to do. She glanced over at the other girls. Her throat felt tight as she nodded. Part of her felt a little bit insolent at the thought of it having to be her. She tried to keep a horror-struck look from her face as she eyed the vines, trying to determine just where was the best place to cast her spell.

It was a first year spell. Something she could cast. She had only ever used it to light candles, though. She had never gotten her turn against the Devil’s Snare in Herbology that year. They had run out of time before the next class and Transfiguration was considered slightly more important than, well, gardening – regardless of much Orla believed in the contrary. This wasn't Devil’s Snare, though. That was what was important to remember. They were just some vines. Some vines that needed moving. She took a breath and nodded, glancing over at Luxanna again just in case she took back her words and decided that she was better off doing it, or perhaps even Finn was.

“I can do it,” Orla stammered out, reaching with her spare hand into the pocket of her jacket. She jostled with it for a few moments, wishing she could have relinquished her other hand from Lux’s but found herself just a touch unwilling to part from the reassurance. She produced her wand soon enough, though, and she turned the wand over in her hand, as though trying to remember the spell. She knew it. She knew she could cast it, too. It was just … whether she wanted to. And she didn’t, in truth. But they were just some vines.

Bringing her hand up higher, Orla swallowed, her mouth uncomfortably dry. “Incendio!”

She flinched and her eyelids slammed down over her eyes. She heard the slam of her spell impacting on something and she drew her wand arm in towards her chest, hoping that she’d not made a mistake, hoping that it was effective, hoping that she’d not hurt the plant.

“Did I do it?” She whispered, the words for Lux’s ears.