#ill put him in a big nice enclosure

[deanflannelscoded]

It breaks my heart whenever Dean is considered a meathead. Because for all his fault, supposed or otherwise, let's not forget this man built an EMF from a walkman, cheats at poker and cesspool since early adolescence, engineered a machine out of seemingly thin air to delete the Ghostfacers' files after Morton House, learnt how to break into protected camera footage from Frank, restored Baby who knows how many times to perfection, did good in school (Dean himself said he didn't but I'm more inclined to believe Sonny), is a battle strategist (I'm looking at you LARP ep) and in the end they outsmarted Ultimate Digivolution God y'know so yeah he might not like doing Sam-style research but he's not a brawn for brains.

[redorich]

We Didn’t Start the Fire (part 3)

ao3 link

part 1

part 2

part 4

part 5

Tommy has a nice day. If only Tubbo were there. :)

The wind in the End was never kind, and the same could be said of its farlands. There was never a breeze; the air was either stagnant enough to smother a human or frenetic enough to sting as it whipped across skin.

Massive towers like a blight stood on the End island in defiance of the howling wind. Some were pure obsidian, some ugly bedrock structures, and some were so palatial that Tubbo could almost pretend they had been built by humans.

“Dddo you know how Wa-tcherrrs get their power, Tubbo?”

He didn't dare turn to look at the gargantuan entity behind him. Picking at the sleeves of his green shirt, he answered, “No.”

“We eat other Watchersss,” came the void-person’s bone chilling rattle. Tubbo stiffened. It didn't matter, not when there was nowhere for him to run.

His captor reached around him, limbs like fog. It held a vaguely spherical glowing thing, arcing with pseudo-electricity. Tubbo recognized it, and his stomach dropped.

“Is that-- Tommy’s memories?” he said weakly.

“We eat other Watchersss,” his captor repeated, rattling with sick glee.

Tubbo felt the color drain from his face. “No.”

“You w-ill… consume his memmmories, and become strong.”

The Watcher brought the sphere closer, but Tubbo pushed it away. It made his fingertips tingle unpleasantly. “I'm not going to eat my friend, you sick freak!”

The sphere came close again, scraping his cheek. “You sssaid you would be good,” the Watcher rumbled.

“I won't do it,” Tubbo protested, trying and failing to attack the viscous void-person. “I won't! You can't make me!”

Looming over him, the void-person made a noise like old knives scraping metal.

“You will.”

The sphere was shoved into his face. Eye-searing pain like fire and frost and the bite of every sword he'd ever held tore through his mind. He hadn't even known minds could hurt. All he could think was everything he could think, 

Oh God.

I’ll kill this bitch-- I’ll behave.

Vive L’Manberg!-- We trusted you, Eret!

Ha, that’s a Tubbo moment-- Big Law?

A bee goes buzzing by…

------------

The day was lovely. The sky was clear, the sun warm but not uncomfortably so, and beyond the grassy clearing Tommy was sat in, a wall of sturdy oak trees created a sense of enclosure. He lounged on a picnic blanket with Wilbur, attempting and failing to make flower crowns from clover flowers. Ever since Wilbur had found Tommy in his unused house, staring with eyes so dead Wilbur couldn't help but think… Well, it didn't matter what he thought. The whole server was glad to have Tommy back, and they took turns keeping him company, but none so much as Wilbur. On a deeper level, he couldn't help but feel as though it was his fault Tommy had been abducted in the first place. He knew he was trying to make up for Tommy’s disappearance and somehow absolve his own self-imposed guilt by being available for the young man whenever possible, but it seemed to be working, so. Something about broken clocks being twice right, and all that.

Wilbur tuned out the sounds of good-natured fighting-- an open clearing was as good a place as any for sparring, Dream and Sapnap had decided, and then Techno had come along and bragged about being able to do crits now which of course put a stop to everyone's plans for the day in favor of more sparring.

A shing of metal echoed through the clearing, accentuated by the sound of Sapnap’s sword embedding itself in the ground two feet away from the picnic blanket.

“Hey, watch it!” Wilbur yelped. Tommy idly sprinkled a handful of clover and grass on the blade.

“Yeah, Sapnap, watch it,” said Dream, who had been the one to disarm Sapnap in the first place.

Sapnap was at a loss for words. “Wh-- you--” he stammered angrily.

Techno drawled, “Ladies, you're both beautiful.”

Sapnap and Dream looked at each other, nodded, then in unison attacked Techno.

Amid the shrieks of three man-children, Wilbur returned to his book. Thankfully, he wasn't actually trying to read it, else the noise would have made it near impossible. The book was more of a shield, really. To cover his tired eyes, to hide his rumination. The last thing he wanted was for Tommy of all people to worry about him.

"Quit fucking tickling me!" Dream demanded. Wilbur looked up. Techno was holding Dream down, looking for all the world as though he'd rather be sleeping, and Sapnap sat on top of Dream, fingers flying evilly.

"Admit it, you lose!" Sapnap said triumphantly.

"Hell no! Suck a-- ahahaha, okay! Jesus, you win, I'll be good, let me up!"

"How do I know you won't attack us when I let you up?" Techno asked.

Wilbur heard a strange noise, and looked for the source. Next to him, Tommy was letting out a quiet, strangled whine. The crappy flower crown he'd been making for the past twenty minutes was falling apart, a bloom crushed in his white-knuckled fist.

"Tommy?" Wilbur asked warily.

"I said I'd be good, stop it!" Dream yelled, kicking out at Sapnap. Tommy trembled.

Wilbur snapped, "Guys, shut up!"

Any protests died on their lips when they heard Tommy murmur, "Tubbo..."

The men were around Tommy in a heartbeat, giving him space to breathe, but watching attentively.

"Yes?" Dream asked, "do you remember something?"

“It was going to kill me. It-- Tubbo-- He…” He drew in a shuddering breath. “He said he'd do what it wanted if it let me go. I couldn't move, I kept telling him not to, I-- It still has him!”

“What has Tubbo?” Techno asked.

“Big. Fog. Void-thing,” Tommy gasped. Wilbur placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder to ground him, but Tommy shivered so violently that Wilbur's hand fell off his shoulder.

“Breathe, Tommy,” Sapnap said. Tommy ignored him, or perhaps didn't hear him at all.

“I can't remember.” Looking up at Wilbur, Tommy rasped, “It hurts so much, Wilbur. Why does it hurt? Why can't I remember?”

Sapnap and Techno were confused and worried for the poor boy. Dream backed away fearfully, and Wilbur felt his heart catch in his throat. Tommy was crying. Blinking moisture from his eyes, he said, “What is a Watcher?”

[earthlyemily]

I’m struggling so much financially and honestly just wanted to vent somewhere. I’ve always lived in poverty and I think in my whole life I’ve had maybe 2 years where I didn’t have to stress about money and not be able to buy groceries or pay rent or be put into collections for not being able to make payments etc and that was when I was in college. For at least the past 5 years I’ve been struggling but I never talk about it. I don’t even know where to start haha I don’t even know what it’s like to not stress financially and be in debt. I’ll just start with the first things that come to mind with what I’m owing maybe. So it’s Dec. 23 and rent was due yesterday because we moved into this small suite attached to someone’s house on Nov. 22. It’s $1200 which is so expensive, but also the average price for BC if not even cheaper for a one-bedroom with a yard, utilities included. and no first and last, no pet deposits, etc because this is just short them for 4 months until the end of March because i reached out and asked and they said yes.

After 1 month I already remember why we went into the trailer almost 2 years ago and it’s literally because we can’t afford any other lifestyle. I think that’s the difference between us and some people that live in trailers, vans, etc. like we lived in a mouse & mouse shit infested trailer for 6 months breathing in their feces and urine and having it all over all our belongings. i literally had to take my whole life to the dump and we officially have no food storage because they ruined it all. there were at least 50-60 mice because a few birth cycles happened in the ceiling. I could write a whole post about my experience of living with field mice, but now isn’t the time so for rent, i only had $600 yesterday so that’s what I gave them. thank goodness they were okay with me asking for a few more days to make the other half. but I don’t even know when that’s going to be :(

my etsy shop veganveins has been doing so bad lately for more than one reason, most of my orders are just postcards and stickers, and while I’m grateful for them, that $1-3 profit isn’t going to keep my business going. and it’s so hard for me to work lately. the wifi doesn’t work sometimes for hours and I always get distracted by shawn and the dogs working from home in a small space. I need to get better at my time management. I got up at 8:30 today which is actually early for me so I’m proud of myself. I’m chronically ill and I really need to go get a blood test and see what’s happening because I haven’t gotten one since being diagnosed with graves disease again 1.5 years ago. anyways. i switched to a print on demand method this year for veganveins for some shirts and sweaters because i couldn’t afford to keep ordering shirts in bulk, and it’s honestly been so, so expensive and i barely make any profit. I’m currently owing my t-shirt printer $999 on one invoice (it was originally $2196 so I’ve at least paid half of it) but that was 2 weeks ago and I still need to pay it. Mario, my t-shirt printer has been with me since I started veganveins and I’m so grateful he gives me extensions on paying the invoices. every other t-shirt printer I’ve ever asked has said no. in addition to the $999 there’s going to be another $2200 invoice I’ll be receiving this week for my last order. I think because of the holidays he’s going to give me some time to pay off that too, but the problem is when I have outstanding invoices he doesn’t print new orders for me. He’s closed now until Jan. 4 so I just need to somehow make that much before then.

btw I don’t have a credit card ($8500 all used on veganveins and it got put into collections last march) and I had a fully used $5000 line of credit but I got a debt consolidation loan for $16,000 1 month ago and my payment for that is $167 a month. it fully paid off and closed my credit card and line of credit + $3000 overdraft which is nice. but now I don’t have any extra money except for what comes in. my credit is only 640 which is really bad in canada so I won’t get approved for a new credit card or loan until I build that up, which is going to be a few months of regular payments. so for regular payments, the $167 for the loan is due on Dec. 27. Yesterday the trailer loan which is literally unliveable from what the mice did until we renovate it came out for $260, that’s how much I pay once a month for it on the 22nd. I didn’t have $260 in my account so it got rejected and I got charged a $48 NSF fee. omg if anyone is reading this long i’m shook. i’m genuinely just writing this for myself to process my feelings and in case anyone was curious about my financial situation here you go haha. maybe some of you can relate, maybe some can’t. anyways. so now I somehow have to get $260 in my account for that for when they try to take it out again in the next few days.

another payment that was supposed to come out yesterday but hasn’t, but I’m sure will come out today is our truck loan. they deferred it for 8 months because of covid which was so nice, but we started paying it again 2 months ago. for both those months I called and made my payment a later date and that helped, but there’s barely any service here so when I called 4 times yesterday to try and change the date the payment comes out, I was on hold for 20-30 mins then my phone would disconnect and hang up. so that’s $586 and it will come out today, I have $0.46 in my account right now so it will get rejected and I’ll get charged another $48 NSF fee. this is why being poor always costs more and the banks are always harsher on those who don’t have money. today I’ll try calling again to see if I can ask for it to come out on a different day like january 10 instead, so I can first have time to pay rent and the trailer and also our $190 truck insurance which got rejected from my account 3 days ago, which was another $48 NSF fee. oh and something else i’m so stressed about is CIBC is going to put me into collections on December 28 if I don’t pay $1000, $700 of which is purely their fees. I have a $300 overdraft which they said i have to cover by then and the $700 is literally their $48 fees added up over the past 3 months. I got a text from them today saying my account is over and it’s because an amnesty international $11 monthly donation came out and obvi there’s no money in there, so that’s another $48 they charged. they’ve already given me a month to pay it and don’t want to wait any longer :(

I owe everyone in my family money, my sister $1650, my mom $700 and my brother also lent me $700. none of my siblings have money either and my mom definitely doesn’t so I hate that i had to borrow that much, and it’s literally been months. thankfully they’re so patient but i can’t wait to not owe them that

omg and i can’t even think about the amount of money shawn’s grandma has lent us. she’s genuinely the only reason we haven’t been completely homeless. but it’s a lot. like i don’t even want to say the number on here. she let us use it from her line of credit over the years and we’ve been slowly paying her back, but she lets us go months at a time without making a payment which i honestly hate doing, but have no choice. i’ve felt a lot of shame and guilt about this, but I also know that she genuinely would rather help us than see us suffer.

so i’m gonna talk about a big reason I’m broke this month especially - saving a pig named buster. his rescue cost me $1850 out of pocket that I didn’t have. but otherwise he was going to be killed in 2 days, he was my baby and I loved him so I had to do it. I somehow made $1350 that went towards it but I’m still owing $500, which I just asked for an extension for today until the new year. i’m not really supposed to talk about it but everything I’ve ever posted here has stayed here, so that cost was literally just from me buying the pig off the farmer. myself along with everyone else ive talked to is disgusted that he charged that much, but he wasnt budging and if that’s what it was going to take, of course I’m going to do it. I wouldn’t think twice about doing it for my dogs and Buster was smarter and more affectionate than them. i love him and I’m so happy he was saved. a non-profit organization transported him to a sanctuary and it was my biggest wish come true and the happiest moment I’ve had all year. my eyes are literally tearing up haha i love him so much. i could write a whole post about his neglect but basically he hasn’t had fresh water in weeks, he was only being fed handfuls of mixed nuts, he was constantly dirty in a muddy enclosure with an electric fence that he was always getting shocked on. he never got true love or affection except for when I gave him it. i posted an instagram story about him and asked people to message me and that i needed help, 2 people donated $111 and $120 each, and 2 other people donated $15 and $12. Someone also e-transferred me $20. These 4 donations equaled almost $300 ($277) and I was so grateful for those people wanting to help me help buster. if anyone else wants to help me with the cost of his rescue i still do need help and would appreciate it so much. this feels really weird and vulnerable for me to do and i’m sorry if anyone is annoyed by this post, I just genuinely am struggling and figured if someone does have extra and wants to help, there isn’t harm in that. but i do feel guilty for asking because i know there are so many other people struggling out there that need even more help than i do :(

i haven’t talked about it publically but i guess I will now, this farmer that I bought buster off of is the owner of the organic vegetable farm i was living and working at this past spring and summer. we worked really hard all summer to be able to stay there and park for free in the winter, but this past fall he told us no one was allowed to stay at the farm anymore, including us, so we had to find a new place to bring our 14ft trailer in to live. so that was an unexpected bummer and if we had known we wouldn’t be allowed staying there anymore (despite doing the labour of $1200 a month for free harvesting organic kale, for an off-grid spot he told us was worth $350 a month to park) we wouldn’t have driven 8 hours with the trailer and we would have stayed in the snow in northern BC and sucked it up and lived on the land we got the opportunity to rent this fall. Donna, the woman who is renting the land to us has been the biggest blessing in my life this year. I love her so much. Basically, she’s letting us live on 170 acres for $600 a month. letting us do whatever we want on the land (building a cabin, setting up rainwater catchment systems, having a solar passive greenhouse and a huge garden) LIKE WHAT. we could even open a farm sanctuary if we had money, i wanted to so bad but obviously that dream didn’t even come close to being reality. opportunities like this literally don’t exist in canada, especially not in BC. i cant even process my gratitude, i cry everytime i think about it. when we go back in the spring it’s going to be the beginning of the rest of our life :) i want to rescue so many senior dogs. everything we’ve always wanted to do we’ll be able to do, assuming we have money haha. but i want to have an organic farm and grow veggies to donate to families in need, especially since we live on stolen indiginious land and I see how the goverment actively restricts their access to fresh healthy produce. but anyways by then it was too dangerous to drive 8 hours back hauling a trailer in the snow and it was just easier to stay in the okanagan until the spring. i know the farmer probably doesn’t realize this and he’s also probably struggling financially but not being able to stay at the farm for the winter months we worked for, and buying buster for that price is a big reason I’m in the financial stress I am now so I figured i’d talk about it.

anyways. i think this is long enough and i think anyone reading this gets the point, i’m drowning in debt, my small business is almost costing me more to run and i’m not making nearly enough profit to live, the past few months ive been living off grid (not by choice) and just focused literally on surviving and not freezing and getting water etc and not having service or internet has affected me negatively. there’s internet now in the suite I’m in, it works really good in the morning and not as well at night, like for example tumblr doesn’t work past 5 pm for me to post photos. but ive been in a bad sleep schedule since i got here that i need to change. im sick and i need to heal myself. tomorrow i’ll set my alarm for 7:30. hopefully i make some money today. i got a social media managing job and it will end up being $1000 a month once i do the 3+ hours a day of work which im already feeling like i barely have time for my own basic life tasks. but i can do this.

if anyone reading this wants to help me out a bit, my paypal email is emilymiddin@hotmail.com or http://www.paypal.com/paypalme/veganveins

and my e-transfer email is emilymiddin@icloud.com i have auto deposit so you won’t have to ask a question :)

this is my first time in 7 years i’ve made a post like this or asked for help. i won’t do it again but figured i have nothing to lose. if you read up to here i love you a lot and thank you so much for being here <3

[multific]

Spider-Woman

Peter Parker x Reader

AU!

Requested by: blue-hairedbitxh 

Request: Okay I’ve been thinking about this for a while. And I was thinking what if Peter didn’t get bitten by the radioactive spider but the reader did and became Spider-Woman (Spider-Girl idk). Also Peter Parker is actually a popular kid in school while the reader is a nerdy, shy, quiet person. But then one day she comes to school with a stab wound or something a Peter finds out and you can take it up from here lol

 Spider-Woman was a hero who wasn’t well known before Tony Stark put her under his wings.

You’d still like to think that before all the crazy alien stuff went down before Thanos came, and before you lost your mentor and father-figure, Spider-Woman meant something to the people of Queens.

After all, you did help a lot of people, saved many and done your best.

You still remember the day you got your powers, it changed your life forever.

You were on a school trip, being the shy girl you didn’t have many friends so you were at the back of the room looking around, taking pictures. You were almost totally left alone when suddenly Peter Parker stood beside you, looking at the different spiders. Peter was one of the most popular kids in school, he and Ned were the magic team. Both of them intelligent and handsome, girls loved them, teachers loved them.

You were among those people.

You liked Ned, he often helped you with homework, but you really liked Peter. What was there to not like? He was handsome intelligent and overall a good person.

“Do you like them?” Peter asked you when he was right next to you. “Spiders I mean. You look very interested.”

“Oh. I don’t really mind them, unless they are tarantulas, those are too big for my liking.”

You remember him saying something and then he asked you to take a picture of him while he was standing in front of the enclosure. He handed you his phone and then it happened.

You took his picture and as he walked out to the next room, you felt a sting. Something bit your shoulder but when you looked at it, there was nothing there only a tiny little red mark.

The next day, you felt your body change. You no longer needed your trusty glasses that you wore since 3rd grade, you felt thinner and more muscular, you felt so fit.

This is how Spider-Woman started. At first you were clumsy, trying to find out more about your powers. But you were certain of one thing, you wanted to use them for good. Then came Mr Stark. He changed your life forever, opened so many doors and opportunities for you. You loved him, you really did. And that is why losing him was one of the hardest things you had to go through. And now you felt left alone.

You of course continued to be the best hero you can be, helping others is what you loved to do and what you promised on doing.

You were very proud of what you did. You often heard about the Spider-Woman on TV or in school. Others created theories, some idolized her. And you especially enjoyed hearing what people thought about her. And you were very happy to hear that Peter was also a fan of hers.

Probably you have been having a crush on Peter for about 5 years now. You have seen him date Liz and when she moved away Parker dated Michelle. Although you do not know why they broke up, now he was single, you overheard him saying that he was focusing on his studies at the moment. You first met Peter when you got bullied in school and he saved you. The others were picking on you because of your glasses and nerdy behaviour. He saved you like a hero and ever since you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. You watched him as he became the “hot-guy” in school and gained popularity. Meanwhile you just sat alone in the back of the room, feeling love-sick.

You balanced your life as a hero and as a student. And ever since you became an Avenger, it got more and more difficult. And after what happened with Mr Stark, you felt like you were a mess. Which was probably true. You felt like a newbie, making mistakes similar to when you started.

And one day, you made a very bad mistake.

You had a class early in the morning but on your way to the school you spotted two guys trying to rob a woman. You quickly changed and saved the woman but you got stabbed in the process of trying to hold the bad guys as they were trying to run away. And the fact that your suit was supposed to be safe angered you a little. You got frustrated, and in your panic, you ran to school.

You got your suit off but the wound on your side hurt like hell. You stumbled into the school and managed to make it to the toilets before you collapsed. You were still conscious but the blood loss and the pain didn’t help your situation.

As you were struggling to find a way to stop the bleeding the door suddenly opened. It socked you so much that you couldn’t think straight. You covered your wound and tried to stand up but failed.

“Y/N?” it was Peter, of course it was. Who else would find you?

“Peter? What are you doing in the woman’s bathroom?”

“What are you talking about this is the male bathroom? Are you drunk?” you felt Peter’s eyes scanning you then he spotted the red mark on your shirt. “What…Are you injured?”

“No. It’s all good.” you desperately tried to leave but you couldn’t stand. Your head was spinning. When you fell back Peter tried to catch you but he was too slow.

“You are not good let me get the nurse or someone.” when he tried to leave you grabbed his shirt.

“No. Don’t call anyone.” you were scared. So scared for your health and for someone to find out who you really were, especially Peter. But in your separate attempt you heard someone walking to the toilets. Your eyes were begging Peter and as if he understood he helped you stand and walked you into a stall. He closed the door and motioned for you to keep quiet. He was so close you could smell his perfume. You blushed as you heard the door to the toilets open and in came two people.

“Did you hear what happened this morning?”

“With?”

“With Spider-Woman of course. She’s such a babe. Apparently she got stabbed when she helped a woman.”

“Don’t be stupid. Did you see her suit? It’s definitely bulletproof. You think a knife could stab her?”

After that their voices got quiet as they left. You were still against the wall of the stall with Peter holding you up.

“You are her.” he whispered. And probably if your mind wouldn’t have been filled with the thought of his muscular body being so close, you would have heard him.  “You are Spider-Woman.”

You now had to options, either you could tell him or deny everything and run. And you chose the latter.

“I’m not. Don’t be ridiculous Peter. I simply fell and hit my side.”

“Don’t lie. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Don’t make stories up Parker.” if it wasn’t for him to hold you up, you would have probably left.

“It makes sense now. Like every time you disappear and she appears. Like when we were in Venice you had to leave because you felt ill but then she came and saved us all. It all makes sense now. But… She’s so confident and badass.”

“Wow. Thanks.” you said and looked at the floor, anywhere other than Peter since he was looking for your eyes. “It’s easier with a mask on.” you whispered but he heard.

“I knew it!”

“Shhh. Don’t yell please. Please Peter you can’t tell anyone. Not like they will believe you but still. Please.” you practically begged him. He looked into your eyes and you hoped that he wouldn’t go around spreading the rumour. You thought you were sneaky with your disappearing acts that you were doing but apparently Peter noticed. And now you were thinking if someone else did.

“I won’t tell anyone, Y/N. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you.” you said and you felt your wound getting worse. You tried to apply pressure but you were weak so Peter put his hand on it.

“What are we going to do?”

“My phone. Get my phone and call Happy.” without any further questioning Peter did as he was told.

***

Happy got there for you and helped you into his car. Peter went along with you putting pressure on your wound.

“You were reckless again Y/N.”

“Please, I don’t need lecturing Happy just fix me up.” He drove the two of you back to the Avengers base.

While you got treated by a doctor Peter was there with you. When you were patched up and got your painkillers, you felt better.

You stood up and decided to give Peter a tour.

“It’s the least I can do, after all you helped me Parker.”

He didn’t object as you showed him around. He walked with his mouth open.

“You live here?”

“Yes. With the others. But this isn’t the living quarters, this is the business side.”

You soon reached the privet area.

“Wow. This place looks amazing.”

Then he stopped in front of a frame. It was a picture of Tony. Everyone agreed that he should have at least one picture up in a common area to commemorate him.

“That-“

“This is Tony Stark.”

“Yes.”

“You must have been close.” you felt tears in your eyes. You could only nod.

“I’m so proud of him. He saved us all. He was such a great man.” Peter left it at that, he saw how sad it made you so he moved on and asked something else.

“I won’t tell anyone about you Y/N. I really won’t.”

“Thank you. I don’t think I will go back to class today. But I can ask Happy to drive you if you want to.”

“Oh. That would be nice thank you.”

You called Happy but he was busy so you had to look for someone else. The only other person home was Bucky, so you decided to head to his room.

“Bucky, could you please drive my friend back to school? Happy is busy and you are the only person home.” Bucky stood up from his bed. As he stepped out he looked at Peter up and down.

“Hello, Sir. My name is Peter Parker.”

Bucky gave Peter a mean look.

“If you plan on dating Y/N, you will have to ask me first. I might not be her real father, but I think of her as my daughter.”

“Bucky! That’s not why Peter is here! He helped me after I got stabbed today.”

“You got stabbed? Where? When? Who did it? I will kill them!” when he clenched his metal fist, Peter flinched but you just rolled your eyes.

“Please, just drive Peter back to school or home, I need to sleep.”

Bucky didn’t object after that and after you said your goodbye to Peter, he walked with the boy. On their way to the car they met with Sam who after a brief explanation from Bucky joined them.

Peter was put into the backseat of a car with Bucky while Sam drove. The atmosphere was very awkward so Peter tried to lighten the mood.

“I would like to thank both of you for saving the Earth multiple times. I do-“

“You know kid, our lovely Y/N is a very special lady. And special ladies require special care.” said Sam as he stopped at a red light. He slowly turned around to look at the now intimidated young male. “Would you be able to provide such a thing for her?”

Now both men were looking at Peter. The light turned green but Sam didn’t move, only when the car behind them honked.

You hoped that Peter got home safe. You knew how Bucky and Sam could get when it was about you.

You laid there in your bed, still feeling the pain in your side. Although it was hard, you managed to fall asleep.

***

The next day you did everything to avoid Peter. You heard from a teacher that he was looking for you. You didn’t want to think about what he wanted to say.

But as you were about to leave, Peter found you.

“Y/N! I have been looking for you all day. I finally found you.”

“Hi Peter.”

There was silence between you two if was obvious that he was trying to say something so you broke the silence.

“I’m sorry if Bucky or Sam said something yesterday. They are very protective since Tony died, it’s like a promise that they have going on about protecting me.”

“Oh no, although they are scary, that’s not what I wanted. How’s your wound?”

“Thank you, I’m much better now, I heal quite quick you know.” he smiled at you and you did the same.

“Would you like to go out with me? Maybe after you are healed or you don’t have to save the world it would be nice to get to know you more.”

“You are very nice Parker, but if you are only interested because I am Spider-Woman, then it’s better if we don’t start this.”

“What?” he looked at you surprised. You gripped your bag tighter, not knowing where the courage came from. Yesterday you blamed the pain, but now, you couldn’t. “It’s not about that. You know I had a crush on you for a long time. I tried to hide it and date others, but I just can’t, not after yesterday. You showed me a new side of you. I knew the shy and nice Y/N, but now I feel like I got to see the real you. I understand if you don’t feel the same.”

Surprisingly you weren’t taken aback by his words, all you did was take a deep breath.

Now or never.

“I also liked you for a long time Parker. And I would like to go out with you on a date.”

“Thank you so much!” he got so excited he suddenly hugged you, your wound didn’t really liked that and you hissed in pain. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yes, all good. Hand me your phone, I’ll put my number in.”

“I will text you every day. I will send you a lot of selfies so be prepared.”

Even if you couldn’t believe that this was happening and you had to pinch yourself to make sure it wasn’t one of Mysterio’s illusions, you smiled at how excited Peter got.

You couldn’t wait until your wound got healed.

 Taglist: imreadinggoaway fleursirvart  v-2bucky ehsebastian  crunch-time-sports pxstelrainbow ablogbypeteparker liamssmiler smexylemony greenarrowhead feelingsareharddd thisismysecrethappyplace sincerelyfan theoneanna aestheticsandmarvel rororo06 castellandiangelo avengers-r-us destynelseclipsacastellandiangelo  spilledinkindumpster celebsimagines capsiclesdoll firstangeldragonranch snoopy3000 firstangeldragonranch puknow crazzyter alwayshave-faith  soleil-dor  alex12948 scream-kiwi79

 ~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

My taglist is open!

Feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank You for reading my story!~

[patchdotexe]

explorers of arvus: heading back / 3.11.21

zoom and enhonse

LAST TIME ON ARVUS taure passed out and we are now down a healer! also we met a disciple of halvkar, and surprisingly did not murder her. this is fine. we have instantly gotten distracted by our various carts. cats. our various cats

DID ANY OF US CATCH TAURE, SHE FELL OVER sieron tried to catch her and smacked charlie+thorne in the face (he rolled a nat1, f) BUT the catboy is to the rescue bc silje is the designated Not Incompetent of the group today

CONSULT THE CHILD hewwo yrel yrel: her mind is being consumed by the serpent of nightmares. :D charlie: HELLO?????//

so, dendar(?) the night serpent is imprisoned beneath arvus! she was formed from the nightmares of the first sentient being, and sometimes she eats people's nightmares. if she's exceptionally hungry, she'll force nightmares onto people for her to feed off their fear. yrel thinks taure will Probably wake up. there's a thing on arvus mentioned by the locals called a "sleeping sickness" where people will fall asleep for a few days, sometimes longer, but will wake up. its magical in cause, the people afflicted by it have horrific nightmares, and its just kinda. a thing. wowza

(i have gone back to spelling yrel's name as yrel bc i think it looks nice)

OH HEY SOMEONE POSTED A THEORY ON ONE OF MY STICKMOLUS ANIMATIONS man i should get back to stickmolus sometime. once dsmp releases its awful grip on me.

i keep getting distracted by seeing myself in the camera preview. i have a tooth gap! what the fuck its cute?? K I KNOW WE'RE SUPER BLURRY IN FRONT RN BUT PLEASE HELP ME STAY FOCUSED I SWEAR -leo

we're gonna build a sled! to put taure on. thorne: i have a good strength score. ....i say, out loud charlie: i am four feet tall. [cue argument between thorne & sieron about them both being horcs but sieron has a +0 bc strength is his dump stat] OH, OKAY, THORNE ROLLED A NAT20 TO CARRY TAURE. NICE

[discussion about what to tell everyone at camp vengenace] thorne: the last thing we need to do is a witch hunt charlie: --and we already hunted the witch! the witch has been hunted.

time to discuss strategy! we need to figure out how to head back to camp vengeance, eg if we want to follow the path we already took or if we wanna do some trailblazing. looks like we're gonna try and take the most direct path! which means we'll prolly risk tangoing with some undead but im willing to risk it TINY HUT STAIRCASE sorry i just remember it now and then

nyx: [meowing at his cats] thorne: uh... why is silje meowing? jorb: silje's food bowl is empty jorb: you look at silje's food bowl and there's a divot in the middle and the food is all on the sides emotionally, we must bully the catboy silje saw something interesting and started meowing

thorne: ill take first watch silje: ill also take first watch. charlie: [quietly] gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy (but, like, extended for 15 seconds)

silje: [takes watch] [rolls a nat1 and gets distracted by looking at his crush]

THORNE HAS LOCATED A DOG the dog does not give a shit about the tiny hut. THE DOG HAS PEED ON THE TINY HUT goodbye dog

EVERYONE IS ROLLING AT LEAST 1 NAT1 thorne: wow! that sure is a dog. thorne has drawn the worst possible dog. thorne has erased the worst possible dog. we dont speak of the worst possible dog its the dog version of honse. DONSE

sieron is now on watch! MAN we are havin trouble rolling today. at least kali's here to make sure sieron doesnt stare at a rock for 50000 years sieron sees a mouse! bottom text

charlie is now on watch! kali is havin a big ol thonk. nothing meaningful has come of this

i am perceiving some deer. sieron is not perceiving some deer. silje is perceiving some deer, but better the deer are fucked up and undead! silje has gone from "we should hunt these deer for food" to "we should hunt these deer for sport"

charlie: i do not feel like being jumped by five thousand skeletons

charlie takes first watch with sieron! WHY ARE OUR ROLLS SO TERRIBLE taure is super cursed right now. that's not very pog charlie: this place sucks. thorne: to be fair, we havent-- charlie: YOU'RE ASLEEP, SHUT UP

oh hey coolname galvanic finally partied. nice.

thorne is at watch! solar: hey, is leomund's tiny hut an orb? there's a critter digging around! AH, THE CRITTER IS UNDEAD. this could be a problem

solar: hey michael, how much does the horrific sin against god dog i drew look like this creature michael: [dice roll noises] about 50%.

michael: if anyone likes, they can make a nature check-- solar: ME MEMEMEMEME ME ME ME

its a bulette! aka a land shark. problem: they are not normally undead. this one is undead.

jorb: imagine if you could tame one of those and use it as a mount. leo: IT WOULD JUST DIG UNDERGROUND AND LEAVE YOU THERE

we are just calling it a weird dog

we're going to mail a letter to the heart of arvus. HEY, CHECK OUT THIS WEIRD DOG,

JORB FOUND ART OF A BABY BULETTE. WEIRD PUPPY!

solar: hey guys, check out this sick art of a bulette i found

silje kept a lookout for the weird dog but its just fucked off. goodbye, weird dog give it up for day 3!

man there's been like, three incinerations today in blaseball. what's up with that. I SWEAR IM MOSTLY PAYING ATTENTION its just been an eventful day in blaseball. also im wearing my garages bomber rn. jaylen is home wooOOOO the wind smells stinky. this is fine.

we're actively avoiding whatever combat michael keeps nudging at us bc we're carrying around an unconscious person and i SWEAR hes gonna throw something directly at us once he's done with our shenanigans

UHH MICHAEL ASKING FOR PASSIVE PERCEPTION LOL

huh. this place used to be inhabited? we're in the woods rn but there's some like, stone ruins? like, VERY ruins. like, not really any structures standing, but enough evidence to show there Were things. WE FOUND A STATUE charlie: i want to smash my face against the lore.

used to be a circle of standing stones, but most of em fell over or got overgrown. inside of the circle has been cleared, although v roughly-- ground's torn up statue is of fjolnir! warrior holding up a spear and shield. AH, THERE ARE CORPSES, a human got REAL fucked up here. one of the corpses is straight up impaled on fjolnir's spear. n ... not pog.

i am trying so, so hard to pay attention. but i also kinda wanna take a nap.

charlie: [stares at statue] [rolls a 4] i wonder if he had a dick.

okay so something rolled in, tore up the overgrowth inside the circle, and murdered a couple dudes. and was also super tall and human-adjacent. hrm.

oh my god why are we rolling so shit today. time to stealth away and hope we dont get casually dismembered

k: jorb's hair is so long... leo: K, PLEASE,

time for a break! i am very tired but im gonan see if i can push through a little further. nyx is petting his cat why do orangatangs look like that

first watch is thorne and sieron! have they even, like, talked thorne unhabby ): thorne's worried we were tresspassing when checking out the statue, meanwhile im thinking about that one time when sieron got bit by a groundhog

(oh my god this is from late 2018)

leomund's tiny hut, aka the anti-sea bear circle we are getting SO much mileage out of the tiny hut. SILJE HUMS A SONG WITH KALI cute........... FINALLY I HAVE ROLLED ABOVE A 14 wait no i rolled a 16 twice. anyway we are not dead

nearly at camp vengenace! boy howdy i hope camp vengeance didnt get burned down. AH FUCK TAURE IS UNCONSCIOUS SO WE CANT CAST FOR DETECT POISON kaepora nearly made us all shit ourselves but its okay he just saw some bison and thought it was cool Michael Is Consulting Several Tables

WHY DOES JORB'S CAMERA ZOOM LIKE THAT why am i hungry. i have so many questions

HEY, TALL GUY [smacks sieron]

camp vengeance looks better! like, nobody's Obviously Sick anymore, the medical tents arent overfilled, we did it! we saved the dayyyyyy time to report to ryder! taure's getting dropped off at the medical tent

man remember when charlie didnt wear pants

oh man, with taure unconscious charlie is now taking point with social interaction. wild. jk im making jorb do it bc im tired HAHA NAT 20 PERSUASION BC OF ME HELPIN SIERON man ryder is such a cock. he was totally ready to keep throwing troops at heaven's brazier to die until we managed to persuade him out of it. jorb: did we tell ryder about the vision? michael: you kinda just took a look at him and went STINKY BOY!

okay yeah anything that dies on arvus will just pop back up as undead. man, arvus sucks.

ryder: alright, dismissed. charlie: seeya, soldier boy! :D hahahahaha im gonna eat his knees.

SILJE NEEDS ENRICHMENT IN HIS ENCLOSURE

charlie: ive decided he sucks. silje: we've already arrived to that, you're late!

LMAO WE WALKED IN ON INGRID AND HER CRUSH they fuckin. nice. you go, you funky lesbian

jorb: we've got the tiny hut, we could go anywhere leo: we could go to SPACE! nyx: we could not go to space. leo: WITH A TINY HUT STAIRCASE, WE CAN,

we are 320 miles away from the spaceship that exists on arvus. nice.

michael: justin sees you-- roll a strength saving throw. leo: i cant wait to die! [rolls a 3] I AM CRUSHED BY MY DOG michael: he rolled a nat20.

BOSS ENCOUNTER: CHARLIE'S DOG (the small circle next to him is one of the medical tents.)

THORNE IS PACT OF THE GUN solar: PARRY THIS, YOU FUCKING CASUAL

sieron, to ingrid: seems like youve been doing well charlie: i punch sieron. sieron: sieron: the camp, of course.

man we have no idea if the heart of arvus is actually related to the prophecy or not. theres a Lot of stuff lining up, but not enough, and its hard to say how much of it couldve been literal?

solar & michael: [discussing exposition] me: [cracking up bc penn sent me a funny dsmp joke]

prophecies are weird.

charlie is just s she is just sitting here SILJE PLAYED CARDS REALLY GOOD AT ME nyx rolled a nat20 and took all my money

oh cool we can talk to yrel telepathically! time to hoist yrel. THIS IS SO SCUFFED thorne mentioned yrel and now we're trying to explain to ingrid that we have a magic talking snake charlie: I WANT TO GO HOME. thorne: we cant go, we have a GOD-KING to kill! "i think theyre insane, theyre talking to a snake" "ingrid, druids exist" "oh. im gonna go back to getting railed by my 7 foot tall girlfriend"

[catbreeds2]

Norwegian Forest Cats

The mild and pleasant Norwegian Forest Cat — Wegie, for brief — is keen on members of the family however doesn’t demand fixed consideration and petting.

The Norwegian Forest Cat, known as the skogkatt (forest cat) in Norway, is a pure breed and regardless of its feral look is just not a descendant or a hybrid of any wild cat species. Forest Cats in all probability arrived in Norway from Europe, descendants of home cats launched to northern Europe by the Romans. It’s supposed that the Norwegian Forest Cat has existed for a very long time, since a number of mentions of enormous, lengthy haired cats exist in Norse mythology. Estimates of when these cat tales had been written fluctuate tremendously. Most Norse myths had been handed down by oral custom and had been lastly recorded in what was known as the Edda poems, written someday between 800 A.D. and 1200 A.D. These myths recommend that home cats have been in Norway for lots of, presumably 1000’s, of years. Whether or not the cats portrayed within the myths are Forest Cats is topic to debate.

When cats arrived within the northern international locations, most probably with human settlers, merchants, or crusaders, the breed’s progenitors had been most likely brief haired, for the reason that cats transported by the Romans got here from Egypt (typically) and had been brief haired varieties. The cats survived and in time tailored to the extreme local weather. Northern Norway, the place the solar by no means units from Could 12 to August 1, and the place the winter nights are correspondingly lengthy and darkish, proved a harsh take a look at for these cats. Over the centuries of prowling the Norwegian forests, they developed lengthy, dense, water resistant coats, hardy constitutions, fast wits, and well-honed survival instincts.

The primary efforts to have the Forest Cat acknowledged as a definite breed started within the 1930s. The primary Norwegian cat membership was based in 1934, and in 1938 the primary Forest Cat was exhibited at a present in Oslo, Norway. World Battle II, nevertheless, put a damper on all cat breeding and displaying, and after the warfare the breed got here near extinction. Interbreeding with Norway’s brief haired home cat (known as the hauskatt) threatened the Forest Cat’s existence as a pure breed. It wasn’t till the 1970s that the cat fanciers of Norway began a severe breeding program to protect the Norwegian Forest Cat.

Wegies (as Forest Cats are affectionately identified) arrived in the USA in 1980. The identical 12 months, a small group of American fanciers based the Norwegian Forest Cat Fanciers’ Affiliation and started working to get the Forest Cat acknowledged by North American cat registries. TICA, the primary to acknowledge the breed, accepted the Wegie for Championship competitors in 1984. The breed attained CFA Championship standing in 1993 and received during the last affiliation, ACA, in 1995.

Measurement: These are large cats. Males can weigh 13 to 22 kilos or extra, with females considerably smaller. The Wegie matures slowly and isn’t full grown till 5 years of age.

Life Span: 12 to 16 years

NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT PERSONALITY

The persona of the Norwegian Forest cat could be very people-oriented cat and really interactive They usually be taught methods, get pleasure from fetching issues and take properly to a harness and leash.

Undoubtedly not a couch-potato, they’re playful and dog-like, and will be nice cats for the correct youngsters protecting in thoughts that some people choose to perch shut by slightly than on their human companions.

Not your best option for people who’ve lengthy work days, they may turn out to be bored and typically damaging if left alone too lengthy.

The Forest cat is a pleasant selection for households and busy households the place they are going to co-mingle joyfully with quite a lot of two and four-legged pals.

These cats undoubtedly take pleasure in some out of doors time, and if uncovered to colder climes will develop a fully extraordinary coat of fur that sheds out in mounds-full within the spring and summer season months.

The Norwegian Forest cat has been acknowledged by the Cat Fanciers Affiliation (CFA), the world’s largest cat group, since 1993. It’s a comparatively unusual pure-bred or “pedigreed” home cat breed.

They arrive in any colour or sample and the attractive coat is lengthy and silky with a dense undercoat. This pure breed doesn’t require as a lot grooming as another long-haired breeds, do to much less matting, however there may be heavy shedding of the undercoat, often within the spring, that common brushing will assist management.

These are lengthy, giant and highly effective cats which have few breed-related well being points, apart from a bent to some kidney and coronary heart problems. Hold these points in thoughts when interviewing breeders.

As a result of it’s lively and will be demanding of human interplay the Norwegian Forest cat could be a superb household pet that does significantly nicely with thoughtful kids, kinds sturdy bonds, and likes to be included in all the things.

NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT HEALTH

Each pedigreed cats and mixed-breed cats have various incidences of well being issues that could be genetic in nature. Norwegian Forest Cats are typically wholesome, with an extended life span of 14 to 16 years. The next ailments have been seen within the breed:

– Glycogen Storage Illness IV, a uncommon heritable situation that impacts metabolism of glucose. Most kittens with the illness are stillborn or die inside just a few hours of start, however often a kitten won’t present indicators till about 5 months of age and normally die inside a couple of months. A DNA take a look at is accessible that may determine affected and provider cats. – Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a type of coronary heart illness that’s inherited in some cat breeds such because the Maine Coon. Heritability has not been confirmed within the Norwegian Forest Cat. – Polycystic kidney illness, a genetic situation that progressively destroys the kidneys. No DNA check for the illness is offered for Norwegian Forest Cats, however the illness might be detected via ultrasound as early ass 10 months of age. – Retinal dysplasia, an eye fixed defect that causes spots on the retina however doesn’t worsen the cat’s imaginative and prescient.

NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT CARE

Brush or comb the Norwegian Forest Cat’s lengthy coat a couple of times per week, utilizing a bristle brush, wire slicker brush or chrome steel comb. For those who run throughout tangles, work them out gently so that you don’t harm the cat. A shower isn’t obligatory, which is an effective factor. With the Wegie’s virtually mackintosh, it may be very troublesome to get him moist sufficient for a shower.

Brush the enamel to stop periodontal illness. Day by day dental hygiene is greatest, however weekly brushing is best than nothing. Wipe the corners of the eyes every day with a smooth, damp material to take away any discharge. Use a separate space of the fabric for every eye so that you don’t run the chance of spreading any an infection. Examine the ears weekly. If they appear soiled, wipe them out with a cotton ball or gentle damp fabric moistened with a 50-50 combination of cider vinegar and heat water. Keep away from utilizing cotton swabs, which may injury the inside of the ear.

Maintain the litter field spotlessly clear. Like all cats, Wegies are very explicit about rest room hygiene. A clear litter field can even assist to maintain their fur clear.

He’s actually constructed to outlive a chilly local weather, however it’s a good suggestion to maintain a Norwegian Forest Cat as an indoor-only cat to guard him from illnesses unfold by different cats, assaults by canine or coyotes, and the opposite risks that face cats who go open air, reminiscent of being hit by a automotive. Wegies who go open air additionally run the danger of being stolen by somebody who wish to have such an uncommon cat with out paying for it. If potential, construct your Wegie a big outside enclosure the place he can benefit from the parts safely.

NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT BREED TRAITS

The Norwegian Forest Cat’s distinguishing double coat varies in size based on the time of yr. The cat goes by way of a spring ‘molting,’ when the winter coat is shed, and a fall shedding, when the summer season coat departs. At these occasions of 12 months, thorough combing is critical except you need seasonal layers of cat hair on the whole lot. The remainder of the yr the Forest Cat requires minimal grooming since he tends to hold onto his coat, maybe remembering these harsh winters.

NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT COAT COLOR AND GROOMİNG

The Norwegian Forest Cat is notable for his lengthy, thick, stunning coat and huge measurement. The top has an inverted triangle form, pointed on the chin after which widening on either side up towards the medium to massive ears, that are closely tufted. Massive, almond-shaped eyes are inexperienced, gold or copper, though white cats might have blue eyes or odd eyes (one blue eye and one eye of one other coloration). The reasonably lengthy physique seems to be highly effective, with its broad chest and closely muscled thighs. Massive spherical paws have tufts of fur between the toes. The fuzzy tail is so long as the physique.

The weatherproof double coat varies in size. The “bib” begins with a brief collar on the neck, “mutton chops” on the aspect and a full frontal ruff. Full britches—lengthy hair on the thighs—cowl the hind legs. On the physique the coat is lengthy and flowing, however it modifications with the seasons. A Wegie in summer time seems comparatively bare in comparison with his full winter glory. The coat is available in nearly each colour and sample, with or with out white, with the exceptions of chocolate, lavender or lilac, or a pointed sample like that of the Siamese.

NORWEGIAN FOREST KITTENS

Norwegian forest kittens are typically simply very energetic, even a bit rowdy, notably when there may be multiple. They may run by way of the home like colts at play and check the boundaries of all furnishings.

Regardless of their rambunctious nature, they’re normally fairly trainable with solely occasional litter-box difficulties. It is a breed that has been recognized to love privateness when utilizing the potty, so discovering an excellent place for the field is necessary.

Kitten-proofing is unquestionably really useful for anybody contemplating adopting or buying any kitten.

Excessive furnishings must be off limits, warning must be taken when holding these wriggly little kids, notably when carrying them throughout laborious wooden or tile flooring, and areas underneath counters and doorways ought to be blocked off as they’ve a really robust urge to discover.

In Look, the Norwegian Forest kitten goes via just a few totally different levels They’re little fluff-balls of their first weeks, however undergo a gangly, colt-like part as 5 to 18 month previous youngsters.

These further huge cats can take as much as 5 years to succeed in full mature dimension and look!

Vitamin is essential for all cats, however giant breed kittens require the most effective recipes when rising.

It is a comparatively uncommon breed and they aren’t at all times available so in case you are searching for a pure bred Norwegian Forest kitten to purchase you might have to look a bit to discover a Norwegian Forest cat breeder.

NORWEGIAN FOREST BREED STANDARD

Head Form: The pinnacle is formed like an equilateral triangle with all sides of equal size as measured from the surface of the bottom of the ear to the surface base of the opposite ear and following down the facet of the pinnacle to the chin and again as much as the ear. The neck is brief and closely muscled. The nostril is straight from the forehead ridge to the tip and not using a break within the line. Ears are medium to massive, rounded on the tip, broad on the base, set as a lot on the aspect of the top as on high of the top – alert, with the cup of the ears pointing a bit sideways. Ears are closely tufted with lynx ideas being very fascinating. The eyes must be massive, almond formed, well-opened, expressive; set at a slight angle with the outer nook larger than the inside nook. Eyes are inexperienced, gold, or copper in colour. White cats could also be odd-eyed or blue eyed.

Physique and Tail: Physique is giant, medium to lengthy with plenty of bone, a broad, deep chest and flank and vast, highly effective shoulders. Legs are medium in size with good bone. The hind legs are longer than the entrance. The paws are medium to massive with a slight toe-out. There ought to be heavy tufting between the toes. 5 toes in entrance, 4 in again. The tail is lengthy and bushy, equal to the physique in size.

Coat: Full double coat, thick and woolly below and lengthy, flowing and full outer. A neck ruff, toe feathering, ear furnishings and ear tufts are all fascinating.

Sample: Tiger and tabby colours are commonest however many colours are acceptable. Factors, particularly, usually are not fascinating.

Total Look: This must be a large, imposing, and muscular cat with a protracted, highly effective torso, and good bone. A beautiful, wild wanting cat with an athletic, highly effective presence and a playful, dog-like persona.

A FEW MORE NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT FACTS

Norwegian Forest cats are closely furred to guard them from the northern local weather of their origin. They’ve fuzzy ears and even have fur between the toes- like fluffy snow shoes- referred to as “toe-feathers”

[oikirstein]

Scene:A neighbourhood on a street called Privet Drive. An owl, sitting on the street sign flies off to reveal a mysterious appearing old man walking through a forest near the street. He stops at the start of the street and takes out a mechanical device and zaps all the light out of the lampposts. He puts away the device and a cat meows. The man, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, looks down at the cat, which is a tabby and is sitting on a brick ledge.Dumbledore: I should have known that you would be here...Professor McGonagall.The cat meows, sniffs out and the camera pans back to a wall. The cats shadow is seen progressing into a human. There are footsteps and MINERVA MCGONAGALL is revealed.McGonagall: Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumours true, Albus?Dumbledore: I'm afraid so, Professor. The good, and the bad.McGonagall: And the boy?Dumbledore: Hagrid is bringing him.McGonagall: Do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?Albus: Ah, Professor, I would trust Hagrid with my life.There is a motor sound, and the two professors look up to see a flying motorcycle coming down from the air. It skids on the street and halts. A large man, RUBEUS HAGRID, takes off his goggles.Hagrid: Professor Dumbledore, Sir. Professor McGonagall.Dumbledore: No problems, I trust, Hagrid?Hagrid: No, sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake him. There you go.Hagrid hands a baby in a blanket over to Dumbledore.McGonagall: Albus, do you really think its safe, leaving him with these people? I've been watching them all day. They're the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really areDumbledore: The only family he has.They stop outside a house.McGonagall: This boy will be famous. There wont be a child in our world who doesn't know his name.Dumbledore: Exactly. He's better off growing up away from all that. Until he is ready.Hagrid coughs and sniffles, he is crying. He clears his throat.Dumbledore: There, there, Hagrid. It's not really good-bye, after all.Hagrid nods. Dumbledore takes a letter and places it on the baby, who is now at the foot of the door. The baby has a visible lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.Dumbledore: Good luck...Harry Potter.The camera pans into the scar and the opening title shows:HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

Almost ten years after the: DURSLEY's home. The camera pans on a sleeping boy, almost eleven, with a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

There is a click, and knocking. Outside, a tall woman, PETUNIA DURSLEY, raps the door.

Petunia: Up. Get up. {Knocks} {sighs} Now! {Smacks door of closet which is the boys bedroom}

A large, tubby boy, DUDLEY DURSLEY, suddenly comes running down the stairs above the closet. He stops half-way down and goes back, jumping on the staircase.

Dudley: Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!

Dudley laughs, comes down the stairs and runs for the kitchen. The boy, HARRY POTTER, tries to come out of the closet, but is pushed back in by Dudley.

Petunia is in the kitchen, where Dudley has gone.

Petunia: Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!

A larger man, VERNON DURSLEY, is sitting at the kitchen table.

Vernon: Happy birthday, son.

Petunia and Dudley giggle together. Harry comes into the kitchen, dressed in rags.

Petunia: Why don't you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.

Harry: Yes, Aunt Petunia.

He sets to work.

Petunia: I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day.

Vernon: Hurry up! Bring my coffee, boy!

Harry: Yes, Uncle Vernon.

Petunia leads Dudley over to the family room, where there are a vast amount of presents. Dudley stares.

Dudley: How many are there?

Vernon: Thirty-six. Counted 'em myself.

Dudley: Thirty-six?! But last year last year I got thirty-seven!!

Vernon: Yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year!

Dudley: I don't care how big they are!

Petunia: Oh, now, now, now. This is what we're going to do, is that when we go out we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that, Pumpkin?

Scene:

Outside, morning. The happy family is heading to the car. Harry goes to get in but is stopped by Vernon.

Petunia: This will be a lovely day at the zoo. I'm really looking forward to it.

Vernon: I'm warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week. Get in.

Scene:

The zoo. The family is in the reptile house, looking at a large BOA CONSTRICTOR.

Dudley: Make it move.

Vernon raps the glass of the cage.

Vernon: Move!

Dudley raps the glass much harder, and Vernon winces.

Dudley: MOVE!

Harry: He's asleep!

Dudley: He's boring.

Dudley and his parents retreat to another enclosure. Harry is left with the snake.

Harry: Sorry about him. He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you.

The snake looks up and blinks.

Harry: Can you...hear me? {The snake nods} It's just...I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often? {The snake shakes its head} You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there, do you miss your family? {The snake turns its head in the direction of a sign which says, Bred in Captivity} I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.

The now awake snake has attracted Dudley's attention. He rips over to the cage, knocking Harry to the floor.

Dudley: Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!!

Dudley puts his hands on the glass wall. Harry, from the ground, glares at him. Suddenly, the glass disappears. Dudley wretches forward.

Dudley: Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!

Dudley falls into the snake enclosure, sputtering in a pool of water. The snake gets out of the exhibit, stopping in front of Harry.

Snake: Thankssssssss.

Harry: Anytime.

The snake starts off.

Man: SNAKE!

There is a lot of screaming as the snake heads for freedom. Dudley gets up to get out, but the glass is now back over the enclosure. He is stuck. He pounds the glass.

Dudley: Mum, mummy!

Petunia: {Sees him} AHH!

Dudley: Mum, help! Help me!

Petunia: My darling boy! How did you get in there?!

Harry: {Grins and giggles}

Vernon glares down at him and Harry's grin disappears. Petunia continues screaming: How did you get in there? Dursley, oh, Dursley!

Scene:

Back at the Dursley's. Petunia and a bundled up Dudley come in.

Petunia: It's all right. It's all right.

They disappear around the corner. Harry and Vernon enter. Vernon slams the door and shoves Harry against a wall, taking his hair.

Harry: Ow!

Vernon: What happened?

Harry: I swear I don't know! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!

Vernon: {Scoffs and shoves Harry into the closet} There's no such thing as magic!

Scene:

Outside, some time later. An owl flies by the house and drops a letter, which zooms in the letterbox. It lands away from the house and hoots.

Harry, inside, goes to collect the mail. He sorts through the letters and sees his, addressed to him. He goes into the kitchen, hands Vernon the rest of the mail, and walks around the other side of the table to see his letter.

Vernon: Ah, Marge is ill. Ate a funny whelk.

Dudley: {Sees Harrys letter. He runs and grabs it} Dad, look! Harry's got a letter!!

Harry: Hey, give it back! It's mine!

Vernon: {Laughs} Yours? Who'd be writing to you?

The family gathers to look at the address. There is a broken seal on the letter. The family looks up and Harry gulps.

Scene:

Another owl flies by with a letter and drops it off. Inside, Vernon grabs a handful of letters and rips them up.

In the closet, Harry hears a whirring noise. He looks out at Vernon drilling wood over the letterbox opening.

Vernon: No more mail through this letterbox.

Scene:

Outside, Vernon and Petunia appear. Vernon is about to head off to work. Petunia kisses his cheek.

Petunia: Have a lovely day at the office, dear.

She stops, looks and sees a bunch of owls.

Vernon: Shoo! Go on!

Scene:

Inside. Vernon is tossing letters into the fireplace. Harry comes around the corner. Vernon grins evilly and tosses more in.

Scene:

Living/Family room. The family is sitting around, Harry is serving cookies.

Vernon: Fine day Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that, Dudley?

Dudley shrugs.

Harry: {Hands cookie to Vernon} Because there's no post on Sunday? Ah, right you are, Harry. No post on Sunday. Hah! No blasted letters today. No, sir. {Harry sees a shadow outside the window. Outside, millions of owls are perched.} No sir, not one blasted, miserable---

A letter shoots out of the fireplace and zips across Vernons face. There is a rumbling and then zillions of letters come shooting out of the fireplace.

Dudley: AHH! Make it stop! Please make it stop! {He jumps on Petunias lap}

Petunia and Vernon: {Screaming}

Vernon: Go away, ahh!

Dudley: What is it? Please tell me what's happening!

Harry jumps onto the coffee table to grab a letter. He gets one and starts to run away. Vernon jumps up as well.

Vernon: Give me that! Give me that letter!

He chases Harry and grabs him before Harry gets into his closet.

Harry: Get off! Ahh!

Vernon: Ahh!

Harry: They're my letters! Let go of me!

Vernon: That's it! We're going away! Far away! Where they can't find us!

Dudley: Daddy's gone mad, hasnt he?!

Scene:

A house, on a rock island somewhere out at sea. The family is sleeping, with Harry on the cold, dirt floor. He has drawn a birthday cake which reads, Happy Birthday Harry. Harry looks at Dudley's watch, which beeps 12:00.

Harry: Make a wish, Harry. {Blows}

Suddenly, the door thumps. Harry jumps. The door thumps again and Dudley and Harry jump up and back away. Petunia and Vernon appear, Vernon with a gun. The door bangs again and then cracks open, and a giant man appears.

Vernon: Who's there? Ahh!

Hagrid: Sorry 'bout that. {He puts the door back up}

Vernon: I demand that you leave at once, Sir! You are breaking and entering!

Petunia: Ooh.

Hagrid comes over, grabs the gun and bends it upwards.

Hagrid: Dry up, Dursley, you great prune. {The gun fires}

All: Ahh!

Hagrid: {sees Dudley} Mind, I haven't seen you since you was a baby, Harry, but you're a bit more along than I would have expected. Particularly 'round the middle!

Dudley: I-I-I'm not Harry.

Harry appears: I-I am.

Hagrid: Oh, well, of course you are! Got something for ya. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point! I imagine that it'll taste fine just the same. Ahh. Baked it myself. {Hands Harry the cake} Words and all. Heh.

Harry: Thank you! {Opens cake, which reads: Happee Birdae Harry.}

Hagrid: It's not every day that your young man turns eleven, now is it?

Hagrid sits down on the couch, takes out an umbrella and points it at the empty fire. Poof, poof! Two sparks fly out and the fire starts. The family gapes.

Harry: {puts cake down} Excuse me, who are you?

Hagrid: Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Course, you'll know all about Hogwarts.

Harry: Sorry, no.

Hagrid: No? Blimey, Harry, didn't you ever wonder where your mum and dad learned it all?

Harry: Learnt what?

Hagrid: You're a wizard, Harry.

Harry: I-I'm a what?

Harry: A wizard. And a thumping good one at that, I'd wager. Once you train up a little.

Harry: No, you've made a mistake. I can't be...a-a wizard. I mean, I'm just... Harry. Just Harry.

Hagrid: Well, Just Harry, did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared? {Harry softens his expression} Ah.

Dudley: {whimpers}

Hagrid hands Harry the same letter that has been sent the past while. Harry opens it.

Harry: Dear, Mr. Potter. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Vernon: Hell not be going! We swore when we took him in wed put an end to this rubbish!

Harry: You knew?? You knew all along and you never told me?

Petunia: Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful? I was the only one to see her for what she was. A freak! And then she met that Potter, and then she had you, and I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as ... abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with you.

Harry: Blown up? You told me my parents died in a car crash!

Hagrid: A car crash? A car crash kill James and Lily Potter?

Petunia: We had to tell him something.

Hagrid: It's an outrage! It's a scandal!

Vernon: He'll not be going!

Hagrid: Oh, and I suppose a great Muggle like yourself's going to stop him, are you?

Harry: Muggle?

Hagrid: Non magic folk. This boy's had his name down ever since he was born! He's going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts' has ever seen: Albus Dumbledore.

Vernon: I will not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic tricks!

Hagrid: {whips out umbrella and points it at Vernon} Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me.

Hagrid sees Dudley eating Harry's cake, and points the umbrella at his rear. A grey tail grows.

Dudley: Ahh!

All: Ahh! {family chases Dudley}

Harry: {laughs}

Hagrid: Oh, um, I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic.

Harry: {Nods} Okay.

Hagrid: {checks a clock} Ooh, we're a bit behind schedule. Best be off. Unless you'd rather stay, of course. Hmm? {Leaves}

Harry grins, looks back, and grins again.

Scene:

Streets of London. Hagrid and Harry are walking.

Harry: All students must be equipped with...one standard size two pewter cauldron and may bring if they desire either an owl, a cat or a toad. Can we find all this in London?

Hagrid: If you know where to go.

They go to a corner store and enter, The Leaky Cauldron.

{Music and talking}

Barkeep Tom: Ah, Hagrid! The usual, I presume?

Hagrid: No thanks, Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business today. Just helping young Harry here buy his school supplies.

Tom: Bless my soul. It's Harry Potter.

The pub goes silent. A man comes up and shakes Harrys hand.

Man: Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back.

A witch comes up and shakes Harrys hand, as well.

Witch: Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last.

A man in robes with a turban on his head appears. It is PROFESSOR QUIRRELL.

Quirrell: Harry P-potter. C-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you.

Hagrid: Hello, Professor. I didn't see you there. Harry, this is Professor Quirrell. He'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.

Harry: Oh, nice to meet you. {Puts out hand. Quirrell refuses}

Quirrell: F-fearfully fascinating subject. N-not that you need it, e-eh, Potter? Heheh.

Hagrid: Yes, well, must be going now. Lots to buy. Heh.

Harry: Good-bye.

The two leave into a back room winery in front of a brick wall.

Hagrid: See, Harry, you're famous!

Harry: But why am I famous, Hagrid? All those people back there, how is it they know who I am?

Hagrid: I'm not exactly sure I'm the right person to tell you that, Harry. {Taps the brick wall clockwise with his umbrella. The blocks shift and open up to reveal a hidden, busy street.}

Welcome, Harry, to Diagon Alley.

Harry grins broadly as they step into the street and walk down it. An owl screeches.

Hagrid: Here's where you'll get your quills and ink, and over there all your bits and bobs for doing your wizardry.

Harry is amazed as they pass by shops and owls and bats. The camera pans on a broom store, where a group of boys are crowded around a shiny broom.

Boy: It's a world class racing broom. Look at it, its the new Nimbus 2000! It's the fastest model yet.

Harry: But, Hagrid, how am I to pay for all this? I haven't any money.

Hagrid: Well there's your money, Harry. Gringotts, the Wizard Bank. T'aint no place safer, 'cept perhaps Hogwarts.

Inside the bank, they walk down the shiny aisle, passing tiny creatures working.

Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly are those things?

Hagrid: They're goblins, Harry. Clever as they come goblins but not the most friendly of beasts. Best stick close to me. {Harry sticks to him.} {Hagrid clears his throat as they approach a counter with a goblin in it.} Mr. Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal.

The goblin looks up.

Goblin: And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?

Hagrid: Oh. Wait a minute. Got it here somewhere. Hah. Here's the little devil. Oh, and there's something else as well. Professor Dumbledore gave me this. It's about you-know-what in vault you-know-which. {Hands Goblin letter wrapped in string.}

Goblin: Very well.

Scene:

Racing down the depth caverns in a cartlike structure. The cart stops, a goblin, GRIPHOOK, clambers out.

Griphook: Vault 687. Lamp, please. {Hagrid hands him the lamp and he walks to the vault} Key please. {Hagrid hands him the key and he unlocks it}

The room is filled nearly top to bottom with coins. Harry is amazed.

Hagrid: Didn't think your mum and dad would leave you with nothing, now didja?

They continue on through the cavern.

Griphook: Vault 713.

Harry: What's in there, Hagrid?

Hagrid: Can't tell you, Harry. It's Hogwarts business. Very secret.

Griphook: Stand back. {Slides finger down the door. Clank. Clank. The vault opens to expose a small white stone package. Hagrid hurries in and scoops it up. The eerie light it was shining with disappears.}

Hagrid: Best not mention this to anyone, Harry.

Harry nods.

Scene: Outside in the street, walking.

Harry: I still need...a wand.

Hagrid: A wand? Well, you'll want Ollivanders. No place better. Run along there, but wait. I just got one more thing I got to do. Won't be long.

Harry goes into the store, quietly. He looks around. There are shelves of wands, but no people.

Harry: {Softly} Hello? Hello?

There is a thunk. A man appears on a ladder and looks at Harry. He smiles.

Ollivander: I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands. {Picks a wand} Ah. Here we are. {Harry holds it but just stands} Well, give it a wave.

Harry: Oh! {waves. All the shelves come crashing down. Harry jumps and hurriedly puts the wand back on the counter.}

Ollivander: Apparently not. {Gets another wand.} Perhaps this. {Harry waves at a vase, which blows apart.} No, no, definitely not! No matter...{gets a wand} I wonder. {Hands wand to Harry. Harry glows under it.} Curious, very curious.

Harry: Sorry, but what's curious?

Ollivander: I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feather resides in your wand gave one other feather, just one. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar. {Points to scar}

Harry: And...who owned that wand?

Ollivander: Oh, we do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things...terrible, yes, but great. {Hands Harry his wand.}

There is a knock on the window.

Hagrid: Harry! Harry! Happy birthday! {Has a snowy owl in a cage which hoots.}

Harry: Wow.

Scene: Later, eating supper. The two, Hagrid and Harry, are at a long table, eating soup.

Hagrid: You all right, Harry? You seem very quiet.

Harry: He killed my parents, didn't he? The one who gave me this. You know, Hagrid, I know you do.

Hagrid: {Sighs and pushes bowl away} First, and understand this, Harry, 'cause it's very important. Not all wizards are good. Some of them go bad. A few years ago there was one wizard who went as bad as you can go. And his name was V-...his name was V-...

Harry: Maybe if you wrote it down?

Hagrid: No, I can't spell it. All right. His name was Voldemort.

Harry: Voldemort?

Hagrid: Shh!!

{Harry looks around}

A flashback ensues, consisting off a cloaked man walking towards a house, breaking in with his wand, and proceeding to terrorize. Hagrid narrates.

Hagrid: It was dark times, Harry, dark times. Voldemort started to gather some followers, brought 'em over to the dark side. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him, but nobody lived once he decided to kill 'em. {Harrys mother, LILY, screams as she is killed by Voldemorts wand} Nobody...not one. Except you. {close-up of baby Harry.}

Harry: Me? Voldemort tried to kill...me?

Hagrid: Yes. That ain't no ordinary cut on your forehead, Harry. A mark like that only comes from being touched by a curse...and an evil curse at that.

Harry: What happened to Vo-...to You-Know-Who?

Hagrid: Some say he died. Codswallop in my opinion. Nope, I reckon he's out there, still, too tired to go on. But one thing's absolutely certain. Something about you stumped him that night. That's why you're famous, Harry. That's why everbody knows your name. You're the boy who lived.

Scene: London Train Station. Up on a crossing bridge, Harry (with cart and owl) walk beside Hagrid.A couple look at Hagrid.Hagrid: What're you looking at? {Looks at watch} Blimey, is that the time?? Sorry, Harry, I'm gonna have to leave you. Dumbledore'll be wanting his...well, he'll be wanting to see me. Now, uh, your train leaves in 10 minutes. Here's your ticket. Stick to it, Harry that's very important. Stick to your ticket.Harry looks at his golden ticket.Harry: Platform 9 ¾? But Hagrid, there must be a mistake. This says Platform 9 ¾. There's no such thing...is there? {Harry looks up and Hagrid has vanished.}Scene: Harry is walking down lane between trains. A man rushes by.Man: Sorry.Harry sees a train master.Harry: Excuse me, excuse me.Trainmaster: {talking to woman and child} Right on your left, ma'am.Harry: Excuse me, Sir. Can you tell me where I might find Platform 9 ¾?Trainmaster: 9 ¾? Think youre being funny, do ya? {Leaves}A woman, daughter, and four boys walk by, pushing carts.Mrs. Weasley: It's the same year after year. Always packed with Muggles, of course.Harry: Muggles?Mrs. Weasley: Come on. Platform 9 ¾ this way! All right, Percy, you first.A tall boy with red hair comes forward and runs towards a brick wall. Amazingly, he disappears right into it. Harry is amazed.Mrs. Weasley: Fred, you next.George: He's not Fred, I am!Fred: Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother!Mrs. Weasley: Oh, I'm sorry, George.Fred: I'm only joking. I am Fred. {He runs through the wall, and is followed by his twin brother.}Harry shakes his head in disbelief.Harry: Excuse me! C-could you tell me how toMrs. Weasley: How to get on the platform? Yes, not to worry, dear. It's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well. {pan to a red haired boy who smiles} Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if youre nervous.Ginny (daughter): Good luck.Harry takes a breath and runs at the wall. He shuts his eyes and emerges on the other side a magnificent station with a red train and bundles of people. A whistle blows, and Harry sighs with relief.Scene: The train is traveling through unknown country. Pan to inside compartment, where Harry is sitting. The red headed boy, RON, appears, dirt on his nose.Ron: Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full.Harry: No, not at all.Ron: {sits across from Harry} I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley.Harry: I'm Harry. Harry Potter.{Ron goes agape.}Ron: So-so it's true?! I mean, do you really have the...the...Harry: The what?Ron: {whispers} Scar...?Harry: Oh, yeah. {lifts up hair}Ron: Wicked.A trolley comes by the compartment, full of sweets.Woman: Anything off the trolley, dears?Ron: {Holds up mushed sandwiches} No, thanks, I'm all set. {smacks lips.}Harry: {pulls out coins} We'll take the lot!Ron: Whoa!Scene: Eating bundles of sweets.Ron's rat, Scabbers, is perched on Ron's knee, a box over its head.Harry: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?Ron: They mean every flavour! There's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach, liver and tripe. George sweared he got a bogey-flavoured one once!Harry quickly takes the bean he was chewing out of his mouth.Harry: {picks up blue and gold package} These aren't real chocolate frogs, are they?Ron: It's only a spell. Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I got about 500 meself.Frog: Ribbit. {The frog jumps onto the window and climbs up, then leaps out the window...disappearing.}Ron: Oh, that's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them to begin with.Harry: Hey, I got Dumbledore!Ron: I got about 6 of him.Harry: Hey, he's gone!Ron: Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you? {Scabbers squeaks} This is Scabbers, by the way, pitiful, isn't he?Harry: Just a little bit.Ron: Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow. Want to see?Harry: Yeah!Ron: {clears throat} Ahem. Sun-A girl, HERMIONE GRANGER, with bushy brown hair appears at the doorway.Hermione: Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one.Ron: No.Hermione: Oh, are you doing

magic? Let's see then.Ron: Aghhhemm. Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!{Zap. Nothing happens. Ron shrugs.}Hermione: Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me. For example...{Hermione goes over and sits across from Harry. He points her hand at his glasses and Harry tenses} Oculus Reparo. {The glasses, which noseband is battered, are repaired. Harry takes them off, amazed.} That's better, isn't it? Holy Cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger...and you are...?Ron: {full mouth} I'm...Ron Weasley.Hermione: Pleasure. You two better change into your robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon. {Gets up and leaves, then comes back and looks at Ron.} You've got dirt, on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there. {Points} {Ron scratches his nose, embarrassed.}Scene: Darkness, the train blows its whistle and pulls into an outdoor station. Hagrid walks along the side aisle, with a lantern. People begin pouring out of the train.Hagrid: Right, then! First years! This way, please! Come on, now, don't be shy! Come on now, hurry up!Harry and Ron walk up to Hagrid.Hagrid: Hello, Harry.Harry: Hey, Hagrid.Ron: Whoaa!Hagrid: Right then. This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me.Scene:A number of boats are plugging across a vast lake, where up ahead a huge castle can be seen. People are in awe.Ron: Wicked.Scene: On a higher level, Professor McGonagall is waiting. She raps her fingers on a stone railing, and then goes to the top of the stairs to greet the newcomers.McGonagall: Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cupNEVILLE LONGBOTTOM, a scared looking boy, spots his toad sitting near McGonagall. He jumps forward.Neville: Trevor! {McGonagall stares down at him} Sorry. {He backs away.}McGonagall: The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily. {leaves}DRACO MALFOY, a slicked back evil looking boy speaks up.Draco: It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. {Students whisper, Harry Potter?} This is Crabbe, and Goyle {nods to thugs} and I'm Malfoy...Draco Malfoy. {Ron snickers at his name} Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley. Well soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Dont want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. {extends hand.}Harry: I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks.Draco glares. McGonagall returns and smacks him on the shoulder with a paper. He retreats with one last glare.McGonagall: We're ready for you now.She leads everyone through two large doors and into the Great Hall, where there are four long tables with many kids, as well as floating candles. The roof appears to be the sky.Hermione: It's not real, the ceiling. It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.McGonagall: All right, will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbldedore would like to say a few words.Dumbledore rises from the main table.Dumbledore: I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch {signals to ragged old man with a cat with red eyes} has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you.McGonagall: When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will

be sorted into your houses. Hermione Granger.Hermione: Oh, no. Okay, relax. {She goes up}Ron: Mental that one, I'm telling you.Harry nods in agreement.Sorting Hat: Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay...Gryffindor!!(Cheering)Hermione jumps off with a smile.McGonagall: Draco Malfoy.Draco saunters up proudly. The tattered hat nearly freaks before touching down on Dracos head.Sorting Hat: SLYTHERIN!Ron: There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasnt in Slytherin.McGonagall: Susan Bones.A small, redhead goes up.Harry looks around and spots a black haired, pale teacher, SEVERUS SNAPE, looking at him. His scar hurts.Harry: Ahh! {puts hand on forehead}Ron: Harry, what is it?Harry: Nothing...it's nothing, I'm fine.Sorting Hat: Let's see...I know...Hufflepuff!McGonagall: Ronald Weasley.Ron gulps and walks up. He sits down and the hat is put on.Sorting Hat: Ah! Another Weasley. I know just where to put you...Gryffindor!!Ron: {Sighs}(Cheering)McGonagall: Harry Potter.Everything goes silent. Harry walks up and sits down.Sorting Hat: Hmm...difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?Harry: {whispers} Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin.Sorting Hat: Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. Its all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness! There's no doubt about that! No? {Harry whispers: Not Slytherin...anything but Slytherin} Well, if youre sure...better be...GRYFFINDOR!!There is an immense cheering and Harry goes to the Gryffindor table.Fred and George are also there, and cheer: We got Potter! We got Potter! Harry sits down.McGonagall: {dings on a cup} Your attention, please.Dumbledore: Let the feast...begin.Food magically appears on all the tables, and the hall is filled with awe and chatter.Harry: Wow.Draco looks at all the food, raises his eyebrows and digs in.Ron stuffs his face.SEAMUS FINNIGAN, a tiny boy, speaks.Seamus: I'm half and half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mam's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.Neville laughs.Harry is sitting next to Percy. He leans over.Harry: Say, Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?Percy: Oh, that's Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house.Harry: What's he teach?Percy: Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrells job for years.Ron, having just finished a chicken wing, reaches into the bowl for more, and a ghostly head, SIR NICHOLAS, pops out.Ron: Ahh!Nick: Hello! How are you? Welcome to Gryffindor.Numerous ghosts come pouring from the walls, sailing along.Hufflepuff ghost: Whoo-hoo-hoo!Girl: Look, its the Bloody Baron!Percy: Hello, Sir Nicholas. Have a nice summer?Nick: Dismal. Once again, my request to join the headless hunt has been denied. {Begins to leave}Ron: Hey, I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!Nick: I prefer Sir Nicholas if you don't mind.Hermione: Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?Nick: Like this. {Grabs head and pulls it to the side. His head is hanging on just by a thread.}Ron: Ahh!Hermione: Eugh.Scene:Percy is leading the Gryffindors to the staircases.Percy: Gryffindors, follow me please. Keep up. Thank you.Boy: Ravenclaw, follow me. This way.Percy: This is the most direct path to the dormitories. Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases...they like to change.The camera pans up and we see a vast amount of staircases, people walking on them, and some switching places.Percy: Keep up, please, and follow me. Quickly now, come on. Come on. {They begin walking up the stairs}Neville: Seamus, that picture's moving!Ron: Look at that one, Harry!Harry: I think she fancies you.Girl: Oh, look! Look! Who's that girl?Man in painting: Welcome to Hogwarts.Girl: Who's that?Scene:Approaching the Gryffindor dorms. They come up to a large painting of a large woman in a pink dress.Woman: Password? Percy: Caput Draconis. {The woman nods and the painting opens to reveal a gape in the wall.} Follow me, everyone. Keep up, quickly, come on.Girl: Oh, wow.Percy:

{Inside common room} Gather 'round here. Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room. Boys' dormitories, upstairs and down to your left. Girls, the same on your right. You'll find that your belongings have already been brought up.Scene: Mid-night. Harry is sitting by a window in his pj's, with his owl, Hedwig. He pets the owl and looks out the window, sighing with content.

Scene: Morning. Harry and Ron are running through the stone halls to their class. They rush in. In the class, a tabby cat is sitting on a desk.Ron: Whew, amazing, can you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?The cat jumps off the desk and turns into Professor McGonagall. The two boys are amazed.Ron: That was bloody brilliant.McGonagall: Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley. Maybe if I were to transfigure Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocketwatch, maybe one of you would be on time.Harry: We got lost.McGonagall: Then perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats.Scene: Snape's potions class. The students are chattering, sitting near steaming cauldrons. The door slams open and Snape comes rushing in.Snape: There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few {looks at Draco, who smiles}, who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper {Draco looks on} in death. {Draco raises his eyebrows.} {Snape sees Harry, writing this down, in, his view, not paying attention.} Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confidant enough to not...pay...attention.Hermione nudges Harry in the ribs. He looks up.Snape: Mr. Potter. Our...new...celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? {Hermione's hand skyrockets. Harry shrugs.} You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar? {Hermione's hand shoots up again.}Harry: I don't know, Sir.Snape: And what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfbane?Harry: I don't know, Sir.Snape: Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?Scene: In the great hall, probably midday. The students are all working on homework.Seamus is trying a spell on a cup.Seamus: Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum. {Looks in cup and shakes head.} Eye of rabbit, harp string hum...Harry: What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?Ron: Turn it into rum. Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before...ZAPOOF! The cup explodes. There is laughter amongst the students. Suddenly, a flock of owls start coming into the hall from the rafters above.Ron: Ah. Mail's here!The owls soar by, dropping parcels to students. Harry gets nothing. He sees the newspaper Ron has put down.Harry: Can I borrow this? {Ron nods} Thanks.Neville is unwrapping a gift. It is a clear ball with gold around it.Seamus: Hey, look! Neville's got a Remembrall!Hermione: I've read about those. When the smoke turns red {the smoke turns red}, it means you've forgotten something.Neville: The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten.Harry: Hey, Ron, somebody broke into Gringotts. Listen, Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to.Scene: Outside, flying practice. The students, Gryffindor and Slytherin, are lined up in two rows with brooms by their sides. The teacher, MADAM HOOCH, comes down the line. She has short hair and hawk yellow eyes.Hooch: Good afternoon, class.Class: Good afternoon, Madam Hooch.Hooch: Good afternoon, Amanda, good afternoon. {to class} Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!Class: Up!Harry's broom flies into his hand.Harry: Whoa. {Hermione stares as the class continues.}Draco: Up! {broomstick flies up and Draco smugly grins.}Hooch: With feeling!Hermione: Up. Up. Up. Up.Ron: Up!! {His broom flies up and conks him on the nose} Ow!

{Harry laughs} Shut up, Harry. {laughs}Hooch: Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. {Class mounts} When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2...{tweet!}Neville immediately lifts off. He looks quite frightened.Neville: Oh...Hooch: Mr. Longbottom.Girl: Neville, what are you doing?Students: Neville...Neville...Boy: We're not supposed to take off, yet.Hooch: {Neville begins soaring away} M-M-Mr. Longbottom Mr. Longbottom!Neville: AHH! Hooch: Mr. Longbottom!Neville: {soars away} Down! Down! Ahhhh!Harry: Neville! {shouting}Neville: Help!!!Hooch: Come back down this instant!Neville: AHH!He soars through the sky and hits a wall, conking along it and then swooping off. All the while, he is screaming. He begins to zoom back towards the group of students. Hooch holds out her wand to stop him.Neville: Help!Hooch: Mr. Longbottom! {Neville approaches. The students scatter and Hooch dives out of the way. Neville goes through the scatter and up a tower.}Neville: Ahhhh! Whoa! Ahhh! {zooms past a statue of a man with a sharp spear. Neville's cloak catches on it. He is flipped off the broom and hangs there.} Oh. Ah...help! {He wavers, then the cloak rips, and he falls, catching on a torch, but then slipping out and falling to the ground.} Ahh!Hooch: Everyone out of the way! {She runs through the group, and they scatter.} Come on, get up.Girl: Is he alright?Neville: Owowowow.Hooch: Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist. Tch, tch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get. {Draco reaches down and grabs Neville's Remembrall, which has fallen. Hooch begins to lead Neville away with her.} Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch. {Exit.}Draco: {snickers} Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass. {Laughs.}Harry: Give it here, Malfoy.Draco: No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. {hops on broom and soars around group, then through.} How 'bout up on the roof?? {soars off and hovers high in the sky.} What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?Harry grabs his broom and runs to get on it. Hermione stops him.Hermione: Harry, no! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly. {Harry flies off.} What an idiot.Harry is now in the air, across from Draco.Harry: Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!Draco: Is that so? {Harry makes a dash for him, but Draco twirls around his broom in a 360.} Have it your way, then! {He throws the Remembrall into the air.}Harry zooms after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as he is about to hit a window, from which McGonagall is working/watching, he catches it, and then heads back to the group. The students all cheer and run to see him.Boy: Good job, Harry!Boy 2: Oh, that was wicked, Harry.McGonagall: {appears quickly} Harry Potter? Follow me. {Harry sullenly follows her. Draco and his goons laugh.}Scene: Professor Quirrells classroom. He is inside, teaching, holding an iguana.Quirrell: An iguana s-such as this is {McGonagall approaches the class and stops Harry: You wait here.} an essential in-gredientMcGonagall: Excuse me, excuse me, Professor Quirrell. Could I borrow Wood for a moment?Quirrell: Oh. Y-yes, of course. {a boy, OLIVER WOOD, gets up to leave and Quirrell continues.} And the vampire b-bat...{eerie roar.}McGonagall: Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I have found you a Seeker!Scene: Harry and Ron are walking through crowded halls. Sir Nicholas and a lady ghost float by.Nick: Have you heard? Harry Potter's the new Gryffindor Seeker. I always knew hed do well.Ron: Seeker? But first years never make their house teams! You must be the

youngest Quidditch player inHarry: A century, according to McGonagall.Fred and George approach and walk along with Ron and Harry.Fred: Hey, well done, Harry, Wood's just told us!Ron: Fred and George are on the team, too. Beaters.George: Our job is to make sure that you don't get bloodied up too bad. Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch.Fred: Brutal. But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally... {They break off from Harry and Ron, who walk across a courtyard.George: But they'll turn up in a month or two!!Ron: Oh, go on, Harry, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too! {Hermione jumps up from her work and comes to join them.}Harry: But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?Hermione: You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood.Scene: The three approach a trophy case. Hermione points at a plaque of Quidditch players. One lists Harry's father as a Seeker.Ron: Whoa. Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too.Harry: I-I didn't know.

Scene: The three are walking up a staircase. A railing pulls in...Hermione looks, but continues walking.Ron: I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do.Harry: Who doesn't?The staircase shudders and begins to move. The three grab the railings.Ron: Ahh!Hermione: {Gasps.}Harry: What's happening?Hermione: The staircases change, remember? {The staircase stops, in a new place.}Harry: {taps Ron} Let's go this way.Ron: Before the staircase moves again. {They all open a door and walk into a spooky, dark room.}Harry: Does anyone feel like...we shouldn't be here?Hermione: We're not supposed to be here. This is the 3rd floor. It's forbidden.Suddenly, a flame lights on a tall stone support. At that moment, the caretaker's cat, MRS. NORRIS, comes running in and meows. The group jumps.Harry: Let's go.{meow}Ron: It's Filch's cat!Harry: Run!The group runs. Flames are lit as they go. They get to the end of the corridor, to a door. Harry grabs the handle, but it's locked.Harry: It's locked!Ron: That's it, we're done for!Hermione: Oh, move over! {pushes through and pulls out wand} Alohomora. {The door opens.} Get in. {They bustle in.}Ron: Alohomora?Hermione: Standard book of spells, Chapter 7.Filch appears at the start of the corridor with a light. Mrs. Norris looks at him.Filch: Anyone here, my sweet? {meow} Come on. {exit.}Hermione: Filch is gone.Ron: Probably thinks this door's locked.Hermione: It was locked.Harry: And for good reason. {Ron and Hermione turn to stand with Harry. There is a massively huge three headed dog sleeping in front of them. The dog, FLUFFY, begins to wake. It growls, yawns, and growls more...noticing the intruders.}All: AHHHHHHH! {The three bolt, running out of the door. They turn quickly to shut the door and battle against the dog. They get the door shut and run.}Scene:Back in the Gryffindor room. They are breathless.Ron: What do they think they're doing?? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school.Hermione: You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?Ron: I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three! {they begin to climb the stairs to the dorms.}Hermione: It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something.Harry: Guarding something?Hermione: That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed...or worse, expelled! {turns and leaves, shutting the door to her dorms.}Ron: She needs to sort out her priorities!Harry nods.Scene: Outside, day time. Oliver and Harry appear, carrying a trunk. They put it down.Oliver: Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each time has seven players, 3 chasers, 2 beaters, 1 keeper and a seeker that's you. There are three kinds of balls. {picks up a red one} This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops. {Points to a faraway Quidditch pitch.} The keeper, that's me, defends the hoops. {throws ball to Harry.} With me so far?Harry: {throws back} I think so. What are those? {points to two squirming chained down balls.}Oliver: ...You better take this. {hands Harry a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. The two boys watch it.} Careful now, it's comin' back. {The balls comes whizzing down, and Harry cracks at it with the bat. The ball soars off through a statue.} Eh, not bad, Potter, you'd make a fair beater...Uh-oh. {The ball zooms down, and Oliver grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.} Bludger. Nasty little buggers. But the only ball I want you to worry about is this...the Golden Snitch. {hands Harry a walnut sized golden ball.}Harry: I like this ball.Oliver: Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see.Harry: What do I do with it?Oliver: You catch it...before the other team's seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this,

Potter, and we win.{The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. Harry keeps an eye on it.}Harry: Whoa.Scene: PROFESSOR FLITWICK's class. The teacher is very short, and is standing on a bunch of books.Flitwick: One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers? {Hermione raises hers.} Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone. {All} The swish and flick. Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then.Draco: Wingardium Levio-saaa.{All practice.}Ron: Wingardrium Leviosar. {whacks with wand numerous times.}Hermione: Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, youre saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar.Ron: You do it then if you're so clever. Go on, go on.Hermione straightens up and swishes her wand.Hermione: {crisply} Wingardium Leviosa. {The feather glows and lifts up. Ron puts his head on his books dejectedly.}Flitwick: Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Ms. Granger's done it! Oh, splendid!Seamus begins swishing at his feather.Seamus: Wingard Levosa. Wingard Levosa. {Flitwick to Hermione: Well done, dear.}BOOOM!!! Seamus' feather explodes. Flitwick gasps.Flitwick: Whooaaa! Ooh.Harry: I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor.Scene: Neville, Harry, Ron and Seamus are walking through a courtyard with other students all around.Ron: It's Leviosa, not Leviosar. Honestly, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!Hermione bustles past, sniffling.Harry: I think she heard you.Scene: Night, in the great hall. It is Halloween. Everyone is eating candy, and Jack O'Lanterns are keeping the place lit. There is chatter.Harry: Where's Hermione?Neville: Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon...crying.{Ron and Harry exchange glances. Suddenly, Professor Quirrell comes flying into the room, screaming.}Quirrell: TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!! {stops and there is utter silence.} Thought you ought to know. {falls over in a dead faint.}The room is silent, and then everyone freaks, screaming and running.Dumbledore: SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE! {Everyone stops.} Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons.Girl: Hufflepuff, this way!Boy: Stay together!Snape looks aghast, and he disappears through a doorway.Scene: Percy is leading the house down a hall.Percy: Gryffindors...keep up please. And stay alert!Harry: How could a troll get in?Ron: Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes. {Suddenly, Harry stops and pulls Ron aside.} What?Harry: Hermione! She doesn't know!The two run off, down corridors. They start running down a hall when they stop, because there is a grunting noise. Harry pulls Ron into a doorway and a large, ugly TROLL thunks by into a room.Harry: He's going into the Girl's Bathroom!Scene: In the bathroom, Hermione emerges from a stall, wiping her eyes. She stops when she sees something. The troll is standing there. Hermione backs up, into the stall just as the troll raises its club and smashes the top part of the stalls. Hermione screams. Harry and Ron come bursting in.Harry: Hermione, move!The troll smashes the remaining stalls.Hermione: Help! Help! {The boys start throwing wood pieces at the troll.}Ron: Hey, pea brain! {Ron throws wood and hits the troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll sees her and goes to smash her. It cracks the sink and barely misses Hermione. Harry cringes.}Hermione: Ahhh! Help!Harry gets out his wand. He runs forward and grabs the troll's club, and is lifted up.Harry: Whooa! Whoa, whoa! {He lands on the troll's head, and is hurled forward, then back, and his wand goes up the troll's nose.}Ron: Ew.The troll snorts, and whips around.Harry: Whoa, whoa whoa!The troll gets Harry off its head and is holding him by one leg, upside

down. It gears up its club and swipes at Harry. He pulls himself up, then down. The troll swipes again.Harry: Do something! {swipe}Ron: What? {swipe}Harry: Anything! Hurry up!Ron grabs his wand. Under the sink, Hermione waves her hand.Hermione: Swish and flick!Ron: Wingardium Leviosa! {flick. The club is lifted out of the troll's hand and hovers above its head. The troll looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down. (Ron: Cool.) It hits the troll's head and the troll wavers, then drops Harry, who crawls away, and comes crashing down, hard.Hermione approaches carefully.Hermione: Is it...dead?Harry: I don't think so. Just knocked out. {He grabs his wand...which is covered in goo.} Ew. Troll bogies.Suddenly, McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell come rushing in.They all gasp.McGonagall: Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, both of you!Ron and Harry: Well, what it is...Hermione: It's my fault, Professor McGonagall. {The teachers, and Ron and Harry, gape}McGonagall: Ms. Granger?Hermione: I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me...I'd probably be dead.McGonagall: Be that as it may...it was an extremely foolish thing to do. {Harry looks at Snape's leg...which has a large cut on it. Snape notices and covers it up, glaring at Harry.} I would have expected more rational behaviour on your part, Ms. Granger. 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment. As for you two gentlemen I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a full grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. 5 points...will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck. {Snape and McGonagall exit.}Quirrell: Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up...heh. {Exit Ron and Harry and Hermione.} {Troll roars.} Ahh! Hehe....Scene: The next morning, in the great hall. The gang is sitting, eating. Harry is twirling his food on a fork.Ron: Take a bit of toast, mate, go on.Hermione: Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today.Harry: I'm not hungry.Snape appears.Snape: Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you...even if it is against Slytherin. {Leaves, limping.}Harry: That explains the blood.Hermione: Blood?Harry: Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping.Hermione: But why would anyone go near that dog?Harry: The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret.Hermione: So you're saying...Harry: That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants.{An owl screeches. It is Hedwig. She is carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it off.}Hermione: Bit early for mail, isn't it?Harry: But I-I never get mail.Ron: Let's open it.{They open it.}Harry: It's a broomstick! Ron: Thats not just any broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!Harry: But who...?{He sees Professor McGonagall up at the head table, stroking Hedwig. She smiles and Harry nods.}Scene: Inside a Quidditch tower. The Gryffindor team is marching towards the starting gate. They reach it and stop, behind a closed double door.OIiver: Scared, Harry?Harry: A little bit.Oliver: That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game.Harry: What happened? Oliver: Er, I don't really remember. I took a bludger to the head 2 minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later.Harry gulps and looks straight ahead as the doors open. They mount their brooms and zoom out onto the enormous pitch. There is cheering. The commentator, LEE JORDAN, is talking from a tower.Lee: Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!!!{Cheering. Close-up of Gryffindor students. They are cheering. Neville: Gryffindor!}The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest

amongst. He looks down.Lee: The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game.Hooch: Now, I want a nice clean game...from all of you. {looks at Slytherin. She kicks the trunk, and the bludgers zoom out.}Lee: The bludgers are up...followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth 150 points. The seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game.The snitch zooms around each Seeker's head, then disappears. Hooch grabs the Quaffle.Lee: The Quaffle is released...and the game begins!Gryffindor takes possession of the ball and a chaser, ANGELINA JOHNSON, zooms past Slytherins towards their goal, and throws the ball, and scores! There is a ding.Lee: Angelina Johnson scores! 10 points for Gryffindor! {He presses a button and a 10 shows up beside a plaque with Gryffindors name.}Harry, in the air, claps.Harry: Yes! {a bludger zooms by him.} Whoa!In the stands, Gryffindor cheers.Hagrid: Well done!Lee: Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint.Flint dodges people and throws for the Gryffindor hoops. Oliver appears and whacks the ball away with his broom. He smirks at Flint, who glares. Johnson and KATIE BELL pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Johnson takes it, throws, and once again scores!Ron and Seamus: Yay!Harry: Yes!Lee: Another 10 points to Gryffindor! {ding.}Gryffindors: Yay!The Slytherins decide to get messy. They dodge, kick, and try to score. Once again, Oliver blocks.Flint: Give me that! {he grabs a beaters bat from one and whacks a bludger right at Oliver. It hits Oliver in the stomach and he falls to the ground.}Crowd: {Booing}Harry is visibly upset.Slytherin laughs.The Slytherin members head off. One jumps over George (or Fred) and scores. Harry is upset again. Slytherin cheers.Flint: {to other members} Take that side!They box Johnson in and sent her into the capes covering one of the towers. She falls down in and is out. The crowd boos. Slytherin scores once again. Suddenly, Harry sees the Snitch. He starts to head off after it and then his broom starts bucking and turning.Harry: Whoa! Whooa!Hagrid: What's going on with Harry's broomstick?Hermione looks through binoculars at Harry, then at Snape, who is muttering something.Hermione: It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!Ron: Jinxing the broom? What do we do?Hermione: Leave it to me. {She hands Ron her binoculars and leaves.}Harry is knocked around, then falls, dangling by one arm from the broom.Ron: Come on, Hermione!Hermione is hurrying up a tower. She appears underneath Snape and touches his cloak with her wand.Hermione: Lacarnum Inflamarae.A spark ignites and Snape's cloak catches fire. Hermione leaves.Man: Fire! You're on fire!Snape: What? Oh! {knocks the man back, who falls into Quirrell, who then also falls. Snape bats out the fire and acts as though nothing happened. The broom stop bucking, and Harry climbs back on. The Slytherin seeker is after the Snitch. Harry takes off.}Ron: Go!Hagrid: Go go go!Harry rams the Slytherin Seeker, then is butted out. He returns, smashing the Seeker again as the Snitch dives. The boys follow, but they approach the ground quickly. The Slytherin Seeker backs out, and Harry pulls up his broom as he follows the Snitch, feet above the ground. Harry stands up, and steps forward, trying to grab the ball. He goes too far, and topples off the broom with a yelp, tumbling on the ground. He gets up and lurches.The crowd gasps. Hermione appears beside a tower to see.Hagrid: Looks like he's gonna be sick!Harry lurches and the Snitch pops out of his mouth. It lands in his hands.Lee: He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!Hooch: {Blows whistle} Gryffindor win!All: YAY!Draco: No!Hagrid: Yes!Hermione: Whoo-hoo!McGonagall: {Giggles happily}Harry raises the Snitch into the air and the crowd, and his team, cheers.Crowd: Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor!

Scene:

Harry, Hermione and Ron are walking along a path with Hagrid, talking.

Hagrid: Nonsense. Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?

Harry: Who knows. Why was he trying to get past that 3 headed dog on Halloween?

Hagrid: Who told you 'bout Fluffy?

Ron: Fluffy? Hermione: That thing has a name?

Hagrid: Well, of course he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the

Harry: Yes?

Hagrid: Shouldn'ta said that. Don't ask any more questions. That's top secret, that is.

Harry: But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it!

Hagrid: Codswallop. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher.

Hermione: Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a curse when I see one. I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact. And Snape wasn't blinking.

Harry: Exactly.

Hagrid: {sighs} Now, you listen to me, all three of you. You're meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel.

Harry: Nicholas Flamel?

Hagrid: I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that. I should not have said that. {Exit.}

Harry: Nicholas Flamel...Who's Nicholas Flamel?

Hermione: I don't know.

Scene: Christmas. The camera pans up to a snowy castle, then to Hagrid, who is bringing in a large tree. Inside the great hall, students are leaving and ghosts are singing (Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts bell. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas...) Hermione approaches the empty tables, wheeling a cart. She goes to Ron and Harry, who are playing chess.

Harry: Knight to E-5.

A piece moves across the board.

Ron thinks for a moment.

Ron: Queen to E-5.

A queen walks over to E-5 and clinks the knight away.

Hermione: That's totally barbaric!

Ron: That's wizard's chess. I see you've packed.

Hermione: See you haven't.

Ron: Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie. He's studying dragons there!

Hermione: Good. You can help Harry, then. He's going to go the library for information on Nicholas Flamel.

Ron: We've looked a hundred times!

Hermione: Not in the restricted section...Happy Christmas. {exits.}

Ron: I think we've had a bad influence on her.

Scene:

X-mas morning. Hedwig is perched in the boys' room, and Harry is asleep in bed.

Ron: {calling from downstairs} Harry, wake up! Come on Harry, wake up!

Harry gets up and runs to a balcony overlooking the common room, where Ron is standing next to a tree. He is wearing a sweater with an R on it.

Ron: Happy Christmas, Harry.

Harry: Happy Christmas, Ron. What are you wearing?

Ron: Oh, Mum made it for me. Looks like you've got one too!

Harry: I've got presents?

Ron: Yeah!

Harry: Oh! {Harry runs down the stairs.}

Ron: There they are. {Ron sits on a couch arm and eats jelly beans as Harry picks up a silver wrapped package. Harry takes out the card.}

Harry: "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well."

Harry opens the present. It is a cloak.

Ron: What is it?

Harry: Some kind of...cloak.

Ron: Well, let's see then. Put it on.

Harry puts the cloak on, and all of him disappears except for his head.

Ron: Whoa!

Harry: My body's gone!

Ron: I know what that is! That's an invisibility cloak!

Harry: I'm invisible??

Ron: {gets up} They're really rare. I wonder who gave it to you.

Harry: {comes over} There was no name. It just said, "Use it well."

Scene:

Late at night. A lantern and hand appear, but nothing else. The ensemble walk through the dark library and into the Restricted Section. The lamp is put down, and the cloak removed. Harry appears.

Harry: {Reading books} Famous fire eaters...15th Century Fiends...Flamel...Nicholas Flamel...where are you?

Harry picks up a book and opens it. A man's face appears.

Man: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Harry slams the book shuts and puts it back.

Filchs voice: Who's there?! {Harry whips around, grabbing his cloak. The lamp falls and shatters.} I know you're in there. You can't hide. {Harry puts on his cloak and creeps around Filch.} Who is it? Show yourself!

Harry runs from the room, breathing heavily. He gets into the hall, where Mrs. Norris is. The cat meows and begins to follow him. Harry runs around a corner, just as Snape and Quirrell appear. Snape pushes Quirrell into the wall.

Quirrell: Severus...I-I thought...

Snape: You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell.

Quirrell: W-what do you m-mean?

Snape: You know perfectly well what I mean. {Snape senses something. Harry stops breathing. Snape reaches out to grab something, but doesn't. He whips his finger back in front of Quirrell's face.} We'll have another chat soon...when you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie.

Filch appears, carrying the broken lamp.

Filch: Oh, Professors. I found this, in the Restricted Section. It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed.

They all dart off. A door opens, and closes. On the other side, there is a vast, empty room that has a large mirror in the center. Harry appears and walks over to the mirror. In it, he sees two people appear.

Harry: Mum? {the woman nods and smiles} Dad? {nods and smiles. Harry reaches out to touch them, but only gets the mirror. Then, his mother puts her hand on his shoulder. He puts his own hand on his own shoulders, as if trying to feel her there.

Scene:

The boys' room. Harry comes whipping in, invisible.

Harry: Ron! You've really got to see this! Ron! You've got to see this! {pulls back covers. Ron wakes up.} Ron, Ron, come on. Get out of bed!

Ron: Why?

Harry: There's something you've got to see. Now, come on!

Scene:

Back in the mirror room. Harry and Ron appear as if magically and Harry runs to the mirror.

Harry: Come on. Come. Come look, it's my parents!

Ron: I only see me.

Harry: {moves over} Look in properly. Go on. Stand there. There. You see them, don't you? Thats my dad

Ron: That's me! Only, I'm head boy...and I'm holding the Quidditch cup! And bloody hell, I'm Quidditch Captain too! I look good. Harry, do you think this mirror shows the future?

Harry: How can it? Both my parents are dead. {Harry smiles sadly.}

Scene:

Another night. Harry is sitting in front of the mirror. Dumbledore appears behind him.

Dumbledore: Back again, Harry? {Harry turns around and stands up.} I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. I trust by now you realize what it does. Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly as he is.

Harry: So, then it shows us what we want? Whatever we want?

Dumbledore: Yes...and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts. Now you, who have never known your family, you see them standing beside you. But remember this, Harry. This mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home, and I must ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live. {Harry looks back at the mirror.}

Scene:

Daytime. It is all snowy. Harry is out in a main courtyard, bundled up, with Hedwig on his arm. He stops and she lifts off, soaring away into the sky. When she returns, it is spring time.

Scene:

In the library. Harry and Ron are seated, reading. Hermione comes up with a huge book. She thumps it onto the table. Harry jumps.

Hermione: I had you looking in the wrong section! How could I be so stupid? I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading.

Ron: This is light?

Hermione: {glares} Of course! Here it is! "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

Ron and Harry: The what?

Hermione: Honestly, don't you two read? "The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will turn any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal."

Ron: Immortal?

Hermione: It means you'll never die.

Ron: I know what it means!

Harry: Shh!

Hermione: "The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday!" That's what Fluffy's guarding on the 3rd floor. That's what's under the trapdoor...the Philosopher's Stone!

They all look at each other.

Scene:

Nighttime. Hermione, Ron and Harry are running across the wet ground to Hagrids hut. They knock on the door and it opens.

Harry: Hagrid!

Hagrid: {clad in oven mitts and an apron} Oh, hello. Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today. {Closes door.}

All 3: We know about the Philosopher's Stone!

{Door reopens.}

Hagrid: Oh.

{They all come into Hagrid's small hut.}

Harry: We think Snape's trying to steal it.

Hagrid: Snape? Blimey, Harry, you're not still on about him, are you?

Harry: Hagrid, we know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why.

Hagrid: Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone! He's not about to steal it!

Harry: What?

Hagrid: You heard. Right. Come on, now, I'm a bit preoccupied today.

Harry: Wait a minute. {Ron and a big black boarhound, FANG, meet. Fang sniffs Ron.} One of the teachers? Hermione: {sitting in a large chair} Of course! There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments.

Hagrid: That's right. Waste of bloody time, if you ask me.

{Hermione looks at Ron, who is being sniffed in the face by Fang. Ron shuffles away.} Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe, not a soul knows how. Except for me and Dumbledore. I shouldn't have told you that. I shouldn't have told you that. {A cauldron over a fire begins to rattle.} Oh! {Hagrid hurries over and grabs something} Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! {puts the thing, an egg, on the table. The group crowds around.}

Harry: Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?

Hagrid: That? It's a ... its um...

Ron: I know what that is! But Hagrid, how did you get one?

Hagrid: I won it. Off a stranger I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid off it, as a matter of fact.

The egg rattles and cracks. Pieces fly off as a dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece.

Hermione: Is that...a dragon?

Ron: That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with these in Romania.

Hagrid: Isn't he beautiful? Oh. Bless him, look. He knows his mummy. Hehe. Hallo, Norbert. {The dragon squeaks as it looks at Hagrid.}

Harry: Norbert?

Hagrid: Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he?

Ron: {laughs}

Hagrid: Don't you, Norbert? {raises fingers back and forth across Norberts chin} Dededede.

Norbert backs away, hiccups and blows a fireball of fire into Hagrid's beard.

Hagrid: Ohh! Oooh, ooh, ooh, well...he'll have to be trained up a bit, of course. {Norbert hiccups. Hagrid sees someone looking in the window.} Who's that? {The person scampers away.}

Harry: Malfoy.

Hagrid: Oh, dear.

Scene:

The three are walking back through a corridor. An owl screeches.

Harry: Hagrid always wanted a dragon. He told me so the first time I met him.

Ron: It's crazy. And worse, Malfoy knows.

Harry: I don't understand. Is that bad?

Ron: It's bad.

They stop as McGonagall, in her nightgown, appears.

McGonagall: Good evening.

Malfoy appears smugly beside her.

Scene:

McGonagall's classroom. The three accused are standing in front of McGonagall's desk, while Malfoy is feet away, smirking.

McGonagall: Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken.

Harry: 50?!

McGonagall: Each. And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you will receive detention.

Malfoy nods, then his smile vanishes.

Draco: Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said..."the four of us."

McGonagall: No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will serve detention with your classmates.

Harry, Ron and Hermione grin, and Draco sags.

Scene:

Outside, at night, the four students are being led to Hagrid's hut by Mr. Filch.

Filch: A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming. {Draco gulps, and Hermione rushes by.} You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest. {Hagrid appears with a crossbow. He sniffles.} A sorry lot this, Hagrid. Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?

Hagrid: {sniffs and sighs} Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony.

Hermione: Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind.

Hagrid: Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania? {Filch rolls eyes.} What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all.

Filch: Oh, for Gods sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you.

Draco: The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are...{a howl sounds}...werewolves!

Filch: There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that. {Draco looks frightened.} Nighty-night. {Exit.}

Hagrid: Right. Let's go.

Scene: In the forest. The group walks along a path to a tree. Hagrid stops, bends down and dips his fingers in a silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.

Harry: Hagrid, what's that?

Hagrid: What we're here for. See that? That's unicorn's blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago. Now, this one's been injured bad by something. {Harry suddenly sees a large cloaked figure walking through the trees. He looks at Hagrid.} So, it's our job to find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me.

Ron: {weakly} Okay.

Hagrid: And Harry, you'll go with Malfoy. {Draco grimaces, and Harry nods.}

Draco: Okay. Then I get Fang!

Hagrid: Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward. {Fang whines.}

Scene:

Harry and Draco are walking through the forest, Fang leading. Draco has the lamp.

Draco: You wait till my father hears about this. This is servant's stuff.

Harry: If I didn't know better, Draco, I'd say you were scared.

Draco: Scared, Potter?! {Scoffs} {howl} Did you hear that? Come on, Fang. Scared.

Scene:

The group approaches a flat ground with gnarled roots all over. Fang stops, then growls.

Harry: What is it, Fang?

Up ahead, a cloaked figure is crouched over a dead unicorn, drinking its blood. The figure raises its head, silver blood dripping from its mouth.

Harry gasps and grabs his scar, which is hurting.

Draco: {A look of pure fear} AHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHH! {runs away, with Fang} HELP!!!!!

Harry is left by himself. The figure slides over the unicorn and rises erect. It advances towards Harry, who backs up, but trips. He crawls backwards. Suddenly, there is the sound of hoofbeats. A figure leaps over Harry and lands near the cloaked figure. It is a silver centaur, FIRENZE. It rears, and the cloaked figure retreats, flying away.

Firenze: Harry Potter, you must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you.

Harry: {rises} But what was that thing you saved me from?

Firenze: A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life.

Harry: But who would choose such a life?

Firenze: Can you think of no one?

Harry: Do you mean to say...that that thing that killed the unicorn...that was drinking its blood...that was Voldemort?

Firenze: Do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?

Harry: The Philosopher's Stone.

Suddenly, a dog (Fang) barks. Harry looks up and sees Hagrid, Hermione, Ron and Draco appear.

Hermione: Harry!

Hagrid: Hello there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. You all right there, Harry? {Harry nods}

Firenze: Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck.

{Close up on the dead unicorn.}

Scene:Gryffindor common room. Right after 'attack.' The group is around the fire. Hermione and Ron are seated, but Harry stands.Hermione: You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?Harry: But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants the stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll He'll come back. {Sits down.}Ron: But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?Harry: I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight.Ron: {Gulp} And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final!Hermione: Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?{The boys shrug.} Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's around, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched. {Harry smiles slightly.}Scene:Some time later. In the outdoor courtyard. The three are walking.Hermione: I've always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable.Ron: Speak for yourself. All right there, Harry?Harry: My scar. It keeps burning.Hermione: It's happened before.Harry: Not like this.Ron: Perhaps you should see the nurse.Harry: I think it's a warning. It means dangers coming. Uhh! {He rubs scar and then sees Hagrid across the field, at his hut.} Oh. Of course! {runs for hut.}Hermione: What is it?Harry: Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one? {They approach Hagrid, who is playing the Harry Potter theme on his flute.} I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? {Hagrid stops playing.} What did he look like?Hagrid: I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up.Harry: The stranger, though, you and he must have talked.Hagrid: Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, "After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem."Harry: And did he seem interested in Fluffy?Hagrid: Well, of course he was interested in Fluffy! How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him. I said, "The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy, for example, just play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep."The three gape.Hagrid: I shouldn't have told you that. {The three take off.} Where you going?! Wait!Scene:McGonagall's classroom. The three come tearing in and run up the aisles between desks. They pass a ghost and stop at the desk.Harry: We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!McGonagall: I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London.Harry: He's gone?! Now? But this is important! It's about...the Philosopher's Stone.McGonagall: {shocked} How do you knowHarry: Someone's going to try and steal it.McGonagall: I don't know how you three found out about the stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly. {They leave.}Scene:After exiting McGonagall's class, they walk down the hallway.Harry: That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy.Hermione: And with Dumbledore gone{Snape suddenly appears behind them}Snape: Good afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?Hermione: Uh...we were just...Snape: You want to be careful. People will think you're {Harry glares madly at Snape, who looks shocked} up to something. {Exit.}Hermione: Now what do we do?Harry: We go down the trapdoor. Tonight.Scene: Nighttime. In the Gryffindor Common Room. The three friends come down the stairs and begin to walk across the floor. They stop when they hear croaking.Harry: Trevor.Ron: Trevor shh! Go, you shouldn't be here!Neville: {appears behind a chair} Neither should

you. You're sneaking out again, arent you?Harry: Now, Neville, listen. We wereNeville: No! I won't let you! {stands} You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you. {holds out fists.}Hermione: Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this...{takes out wand} Petrificus Totalus.Neville is frozen and falls backwards onto the ground. Hermione puts her wand back.Ron: {Gulp} You're a little scary sometimes...you know that? Brilliant, but scary.Harry: Let's go. {Walks by Neville} Sorry.Hermione: Sorry.Ron: It's for your own good, you know. {Exit.}Scene: The three are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor.Hermione: Ow! You stood on my foot!Ron: Sorry. {A flame lights. Hermione draws out her wand and points it at the door.}Hermione: Alohomora.The door opens and they go in.Ron: Wait a minute...he's....{a blow of air, and the cape flutters off them.} Sleeping.Harry: Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp. {They approach the sleeping dog.}Ron: Uh. It's got horrible breath!Harry: We have to move its paw.Ron: What?!Harry: Come on! {grabs paw, which is blocking the door.} Okay. Push! {They strain and move it. They open the door.} I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. {Fluffy's eyes open.} If something bad happens, get yourselves out...Does it seem a bit...quiet?Hermione: The harp. It stopped playing.Drool from one head comes down on Ron's shoulder.Ron: Ew! Yuck! Ugh. {All three kids look up and see Fluffy standing there. Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing. It breaks the harp and dives at the three.}Harry: Jump! Go! {They all jump through the trapdoor.}Ron: Ahh! {gasps as he lands on some mushy black ropelike vines.} Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really.Harry: Whoa! {The plant begins to move towards them.} Oh. Ahh! {The plant ties them up.}Hermione: Stop moving, both of you. This is Devil's Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it will only kill you faster.Ron: Kill us faster?! Oh, now I can relax!Hermione manages a smile as she is sucked down below.Ron and Harry: Hermione!!Ron: Now what are we gonna do?!Hermione's voice: Just relax!Harry: Hermione! Where are you?!Hermione (from below): Do what I say. Trust me.Harry relaxes and is sucked through.Ron: Ahh! Harry!Harry falls through and lands on the hard ground. Hermione goes over to him and he stands up.Ron: Harry!Hermione: Are you okay?Harry: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.Ron: Help!Hermione: He's not relaxing, is he?Harry: Apparently not.Ron: Help! Help me!Hermione: We've got to do something!Harry: What?Hermione: Uh! I remember reading something in Herbology. {Ron: Help!} Um Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare, {The snare shuts Ron's mouth} it's deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devil's Snare hates sunlight! {takes out wand and points upwards.} Lumus Solem! {A beam of light shoots out. The Snare shrieks and recoils. Ron falls below.}Ron: Ahhh!Harry: Ron, are you okay?Ron: Yeah.Harry: Okay.Ron: {stands} Whew. Lucky we didn't panic!Harry: Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology.There is a sound.Hermione: What is that?Harry: I don't know. Sounds like wings.They enter into a room filled with golden "birds."Hermione: Curious. I've never seen birds like these.Harry: They're not birds, they're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door. {They come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.}Hermione: What's this all about?Harry: I don't know. Strange.{Ron creeps over to the door and takes out his wand.}Ron: {rattles lock.} Alohomora! {Shrugs} Well, it was worth a try.Hermione: Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be 1000 keys up there!Ron: We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle.Harry: There! I see it! {points} The one with the broken wing! {He looks at the broom.}Hermione: What's wrong, Harry?Harry: It's too simple.Ron: Oh, go on, Harry! If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!Harry nods and grabs the broom. All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at Harry. He climbs on, swiping at them.Ron: This complicates things a

bit!Harry pushes off into the air. He flies off, after the key. The others follow him. Harry grabs the key.Harry: Catch the key!He zooms by and throws the key to Hermione, who catches it and heads for the lock while Harry distracts the other keys. Hermione puts it in the lock.Ron: Hurry up!The door opens, and Hermione and Ron rush through, followed by Harry. They shut the door just as the keys slam up against it.Scene:They enter a dark room, with broken pieces all around it.Hermione: I don't like this. I don't like this at all.Harry: Where are we? A graveyard.Ron: This is no graveyard. {sighs} It's a chessboard. {Walks out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and GIANT players. Harry and Hermione come up with him.}Harry: There's the door.They walk across the board, towards the door. Suddenly, as they reach a line of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords. The three jump and back up.Hermione: Now what do we do?Ron: It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. Harry, you take the Bishop's square. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As for me, I'll be a knight. {They all take their places.}Hermione: What happens now?Ron: {aboard a horse.} Well, white moves first, and then...we play. {A pawn on the other side moves forward. Ron studies the game.}Hermione: Ron, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?Ron: You there! D-5! {A black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn. The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one. The three jump.} Yes, Hermione, I think this is going to be exactly like wizard's chess!The game continues. Pieces smash each other, boom! Boom!Ron: Castle to E-4! Smash! Ron: Pawn to C-3! Smash! Boom! The Queen turns, and smashes a piece! Harry, Ron and Hermione wince. The Queen turns again. Both Ron and Harry study the game.Harry: Wait a minute.Ron: You understand right, Harry. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King.Harry: No, Ron! No!Hermione: What is it?Harry: He's going to sacrifice himself!Hermione: No, Ron, you can't! {Ron closes his eyes.} There must be another way!Ron: {turns to face Hermione.} Do you want to stop Snape or not? Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you. {Harry nods.} Knight...to H-3.Ron's horse moves forward, slides and stops.Ron: Check.The Queen turns and advances. Ron breathes faster, clutching the steel reins. The Queen stops. SMASH! Ron goes flying off the horse and lands on the floor, unconscious.Ron: Ahhhh!Harry: RON! {Hermione starts walking to him.} NO! Don't move! Dont forget, we're still playing. {Hermione moves back. Harry walks the diagonal in front of the King.} Checkmate. {The Kings sword falls onto the ground victory. Harry breathes out and then the two run to Ron. They bend beside him.} Take care of Ron. Then, go to the owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right...I have to go on.Hermione: You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great wizard, you really are.Harry: Not as good as you.Hermione: {smile} Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship, and bravery. And Harry, just be careful.Harry nods and stands, walking away.

Scene:Harry walks down a long staircase to an empty room with pillars around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the middle of the room, and a man is standing before it. It is Quirrell. Harry yelps and grabs his scar.Harry: You? {Quirrell turns around.} No. It can't be...Snape. He was the oneQuirrell: Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, "p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"Harry: B-but, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me.Quirrell: No, dear boy. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even with Snape muttering his little counter-curse.Harry: Snape was trying to...save me?Quirrell: I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween.Harry: Th-then you let the troll in.Quirrell: Very good Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon, he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone. {Quirrell turns back to the mirror and Harry's scar hurts.} But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the stone. But how do I get it?{A raspy voice, VOLDEMORT, calls.}: Use the boy.Quirrell: Come here, Potter, now!Harry walks forward shakily.Quirrell: Tell me. What do you see?Harry looks in the mirror. He sees himself. His mirror self brings his hand into his pocket and takes out a red stone! The mirror self winks and puts the stone back. Very subtly, Harry reaches to his pocket. There is a lump. He gasps.Quirrell: What is it?! What do you see?!Harry: I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup.Voldemort's voice: He lies.Quirrell: Tell the truth! What do you see?!Voldemort's voice: Let me speak to him.Quirrell: Master, you are not strong enough.Voldemort's voice: I have strength enough for this. {Quirrell unwraps his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted. It is Voldemort who appears kind of like a snake. He stretches out and faces Harry via the mirror.} Harry Potter. We meet again.Harry: Voldemort.Voldemort: Yes. You see what I have become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!Harry turns and runs.Voldemort: Stop him! {Quirrell snaps his fingers and fire erupts all around the room. Harry is stuck.} Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!Harry: {shakes his head} Never!Voldemort: Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me, Harry, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back. {In the mirror, Harrys parents faces appear.} All I ask for is something in return. {Harry takes the stone from his pocket.} That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. There is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the stone! {Mother and father vanish.}Harry: You liar!Voldemort: Kill him!Quirrell soars into the air and smashes into Harry, one hand on Harrys throat. They fall to the steps. The stone falls out of Harry's reach as Quirrell chokes him. Harry strains and squeaks. Suddenly, Harry puts his hand on Quirrell's, trying to get him off. Smoke furls from under his hand.Quirrell: Ahh! Ahh! {backs up. His hand is crumbling into a mountain of black ash.} What is this magic? {hand dissipates.}Voldemort: Fool! Get the stone!Quirrell: {Walks forward, but Harry puts both hands on his face.} Ahhhhhhhhhh!Quirrell backs up, then his face, which is horrendously burned, crumbles as he walks forward. His whole body is ash. He falls to the floor. Harry gasps. He looks at his own hands and hurries over to the stone. He picks it up and sighs, when he hears something. Turning, Harry sees a dust clouds with Voldemort's face. The cloud rushes forward, right through

Harry!Voldemort: Arrrhhhhhh!Harry: Ahhhhhhhhh! {Voldemort flies away. Harry falls to the ground, unconscious. He holds the stone in an outstretched hand.}Scene:The hospital wing. Harry is bandaged, lying in bed. He awakens, puts on his glasses, and sits up. There are cards and candy all over. Dumbledore approaches him.Dumbledore: Good afternoon, Harry. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?Harry: Admirers?Dumbledore: What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. {Both smile.} Ah, I see your friend Ronald has saved you the trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs.Harry: Ron was here? Is he all right? What about Hermione? Dumbledore: Fine. They're both just fine.Harry: But, what happened to the Stone?Dumbledore: Relax, dear boy. The stone has been destroyed. My friend Nicholas and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around.Harry: But Flamel, he'll die, won't he?Dumbledore: {sits on the bed.} He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die.Harry: How is it I got the Stone, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next...Dumbledore: Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me thats saying something. {Smile both.}Harry: Does that mean, with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?Dumbledore: Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Harry, do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him? {Harry shakes his head.} It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark. {Harry touches his scar.} No, no, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin.Harry: What is it?Dumbledore: Love, Harry, love. {Pats Harry's head and stands up.} Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with a nice toffee...{takes brown bean and eats it.} Mm. Alas. Earwax.Scene:Harry approaches a room where up on a stairwell balcony Hermione and Ron are talking. They stop when they see Harry and lean over the railing.Harry: All right there, Ron?Ron: All right? You?Harry: {shrug} All right. Hermione?Hermione: {smile} Never better.Scene:In the great hall. All students are seated, and green banners with snakes on them are around the ceiling.Dumbledore, at the head table, nods to McGonagall.She dings her glass and the chatter stops. Dumbledore rises.Dumbledore: Another year gone. And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points. {Clapping. Harry and Hermione hide their heads.} Third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. {Clapping.} In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. {Clapping.} And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House.There is immense cheering.Students: Whoo! Yeah!Draco: Nice one, Mate! {sees Ron looking at him and sneers.}Dumbledore: Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last minute points to award. {The Gryffindor students look up.} To Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool intellect when others were in great peril, 50 points. {Applause.}Harry: {Pats} Good job.Dumbledore: Second, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess {Ron looks at Harry and mouths, 'Me?' Harry nods, and mouths, 'You!'} that Hogwarts has seen these many years...50 points. {Applause} And third, to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points. {Immense cheering.}Hermione: We're tied with Slytherin!Dumbledore: And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom.Immense cheering erupts. Neville is unbelieving, and sits there while cheering

gets louder. Draco is downfallen.Dumbledore: Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of direction is in order. {Claps. The green banners change to Gryffindor red and yellow.} Gryffindor wins the House Cup!Cheering.Hagrid: Yes! {grins}All students stand and throw their hats into the air, except Draco, who smashes his down onto the table.Seamus: Neville! {Shakes his hand.}All rub each other's hair and jump around, cheering and laughing.Lee: Yeah! We won!! {Jumps with Harry, who looks back and grins very widely.}Scene:The outdoor train station. Students are walking around, getting in the train.Hagrid: Come on now, hurry up. You'll be late. Train's leaving. Go on. Go on. Come on. Hurry up.Harry hands Hedwig to a train man, and walks to an open door of the train with Hermione. Hermione waves to Hagrid, who waves back. Hermione gets in the train.Hermione: Come on, Harry.Harry: One minute. {He walks over to Hagrid.}Hagrid: Thought you were leaving without saying good-bye, didja? {Hagrid takes a red album out of his coat pocket and hands it to Harry.} This is for you.Harry opens the album and sees a picture, moving, of him as a baby with his parents. They are all smiling and waving. Harry smiles.Harry: Thanks, Hagrid. {Shakes Hagrid's hand, then hugs him tightly.}Hagrid: Oh. Go on...on with you. {Harry lets go.} Oh, listen, Harry, if that dolt of a cousin of yours, Dudley, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten him with a nice pair of ears to go with that tail of his.Harry: But Hagrid, we're not allowed to do magic away from Hogwarts. You know that.Hagrid: I do. But your cousin don't, do he? Eh? {chuckle} Off you go.Harry walks away, back to the train door where Hermione and Ron are waiting.Hermione: Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?Harry: I'm not going home. Not really.The train whistles and they climb aboard. As the train starts to leave and the camera pans up over the whole scene, Harry waves out the window to Hagrid, who waves back and then waves more to other students as the camera pans far back, then the credits begin.

omg. everyone is going to hate me for flooding the dash. i KNOW i’m gonna lose a follower from this. but yknow what? harry potter is love and harry potter is life.

[draculalive]

“The Pall Mall Gazette,” 18 September.

THE ESCAPED WOLF. PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF OUR INTERVIEWER. Interview with the Keeper in the Zoölogical Gardens.

After many inquiries and almost as many refusals, and perpetually using the words “Pall Mall Gazette” as a sort of talisman, I managed to find the keeper of the section of the Zoölogical Gardens in which the wolf department is included. Thomas Bilder lives in one of the cottages in the enclosure behind the elephant-house, and was just sitting down to his tea when I found him. Thomas and his wife are hospitable folk, elderly, and without children, and if the specimen I enjoyed of their hospitality be of the average kind, their lives must be pretty comfortable. The keeper would not enter on what he called “business” until the supper was over, and we were all satisfied. Then when the table was cleared, and he had lit his pipe, he said:—

“Now, sir, you can go on and arsk me what you want. You’ll excoose me refoosin’ to talk of perfeshunal subjects afore meals. I gives the wolves and the jackals and the hyenas in all our section their tea afore I begins to arsk them questions.”

“How do you mean, ask them questions?” I queried, wishful to get him into a talkative humour.

“’Ittin’ of them over the ’ead with a pole is one way; scratchin’ of their hears is another, when gents as is flush wants a bit of a show-orf to their gals. I don’t so much mind the fust — the ’ittin’ with a pole afore I chucks in their dinner; but I waits till they’ve ’ad their sherry and kawffee, so to speak, afore I tries on with the ear-scratchin’. Mind you,” he added philosophically, “there’s a deal of the same nature in us as in them theer animiles. Here’s you a-comin’ and arskin’ of me questions about my business, and I that grumpy-like that only for your bloomin’ ’arf-quid I’d ’a’ seen you blowed fust ’fore I’d answer. Not even when you arsked me sarcastic-like if I’d like you to arsk the Superintendent if you might arsk me questions. Without offence did I tell yer to go to ’ell?”

“You did.”

“An’ when you said you’d report me for usin’ of obscene language that was ’ittin’ me over the ’ead; but the ’arf-quid made that all right. I weren’t a-goin’ to fight, so I waited for the food, and did with my ’owl as the wolves, and lions, and tigers does. But, Lor’ love yer ’art, now that the old ’ooman has stuck a chunk of her tea-cake in me, an’ rinsed me out with her bloomin’ old teapot, and I’ve lit hup, you may scratch my ears for all you’re worth, and won’t git even a growl out of me. Drive along with your questions. I know what yer a-comin’ at, that ’ere escaped wolf.”

“Exactly. I want you to give me your view of it. Just tell me how it happened; and when I know the facts I’ll get you to say what you consider was the cause of it, and how you think the whole affair will end.”

“All right, guv’nor. This ’ere is about the ’ole story. That ’ere wolf what we called Bersicker was one of three grey ones that came from Norway to Jamrach’s, which we bought off him four years ago. He was a nice well-behaved wolf, that never gave no trouble to talk of. I’m more surprised at ’im for wantin’ to get out nor any other animile in the place. But, there, you can’t trust wolves no more nor women.”

“Don’t you mind him, sir!” broke in Mrs. Tom, with a cheery laugh. “’E’s got mindin’ the animiles so long that blest if he ain’t like a old wolf ’isself! But there ain’t no ’arm in ’im.”

“Well, sir, it was about two hours after feedin’ yesterday when I first hear my disturbance. I was makin’ up a litter in the monkey-house for a young puma which is ill; but when I heard the yelpin’ and ’owlin’ I kem away straight. There was Bersicker a-tearin’ like a mad thing at the bars as if he wanted to get out. There wasn’t much people about that day, and close at hand was only one man, a tall, thin chap, with a ’ook nose and a pointed beard, with a few white hairs runnin’ through it. He had a ’ard, cold look and red eyes, and I took a sort of mislike to him, for it seemed as if it was ’im as they was hirritated at. He ’ad white kid gloves on ’is ’ands, and he pointed out the animiles to me and says: ‘Keeper, these wolves seem upset at something.’

“‘Maybe it’s you,’ says I, for I did not like the airs as he give ’isself. He didn’t git angry, as I ’oped he would, but he smiled a kind of insolent smile, with a mouth full of white, sharp teeth. ‘Oh no, they wouldn’t like me,’ ’e says.

“‘Ow yes, they would,’ says I, a-imitatin’ of him. ‘They always likes a bone or two to clean their teeth on about tea-time, which you ’as a bagful.’

“Well, it was a odd thing, but when the animiles see us a-talkin’ they lay down, and when I went over to Bersicker he let me stroke his ears same as ever. That there man kem over, and blessed but if he didn’t put in his hand and stroke the old wolf’s ears too!

“‘Tyke care,’ says I. ‘Bersicker is quick.’

“‘Never mind,’ he says. ‘I’m used to ’em!’

“‘Are you in the business yourself?’ I says, tyking off my ’at, for a man what trades in wolves, anceterer, is a good friend to keepers.

“‘No’ says he, ‘not exactly in the business, but I ’ave made pets of several.’ And with that he lifts his ’at as perlite as a lord, and walks away. Old Bersicker kep’ a-lookin’ arter ’im till ’e was out of sight, and then went and lay down in a corner and wouldn’t come hout the ’ole hevening. Well, larst night, so soon as the moon was hup, the wolves here all began a-’owling. There warn’t nothing for them to ’owl at. There warn’t no one near, except some one that was evidently a-callin’ a dog somewheres out back of the gardings in the Park road. Once or twice I went out to see that all was right, and it was, and then the ’owling stopped. Just before twelve o’clock I just took a look round afore turnin’ in, an’, bust me, but when I kem opposite to old Bersicker’s cage I see the rails broken and twisted about and the cage empty. And that’s all I know for certing.”

“Did any one else see anything?”

“One of our gard’ners was a-comin’ ’ome about that time from a ’armony, when he sees a big grey dog comin’ out through the garding ’edges. At least, so he says, but I don’t give much for it myself, for if he did ’e never said a word about it to his missis when ’e got ’ome, and it was only after the escape of the wolf was made known, and we had been up all night-a-huntin’ of the Park for Bersicker, that he remembered seein’ anything. My own belief was that the ’armony ’ad got into his ’ead.”

“Now, Mr. Bilder, can you account in any way for the escape of the wolf?”

“Well, sir,” he said, with a suspicious sort of modesty, “I think I can; but I don’t know as ’ow you’d be satisfied with the theory.”

“Certainly I shall. If a man like you, who knows the animals from experience, can’t hazard a good guess at any rate, who is even to try?”

“Well then, sir, I accounts for it this way; it seems to me that ’ere wolf escaped — simply because he wanted to get out.”

From the hearty way that both Thomas and his wife laughed at the joke I could see that it had done service before, and that the whole explanation was simply an elaborate sell. I couldn’t cope in badinage with the worthy Thomas, but I thought I knew a surer way to his heart, so I said:—

“Now, Mr. Bilder, we’ll consider that first half-sovereign worked off, and this brother of his is waiting to be claimed when you’ve told me what you think will happen.”

“Right y’are, sir,” he said briskly. “Ye’ll excoose me, I know, for a-chaffin’ of ye, but the old woman here winked at me, which was as much as telling me to go on.”

“Well, I never!” said the old lady.

“My opinion is this: that ’ere wolf is a-’idin’ of, somewheres. The gard’ner wot didn’t remember said he was a-gallopin’ northward faster than a horse could go; but I don’t believe him, for, yer see, sir, wolves don’t gallop no more nor dogs does, they not bein’ built that way. Wolves is fine things in a storybook, and I dessay when they gets in packs and does be chivyin’ somethin’ that’s more afeared than they is they can make a devil of a noise and chop it up, whatever it is. But, Lor’ bless you, in real life a wolf is only a low creature, not half so clever or bold as a good dog; and not half a quarter so much fight in ’im. This one ain’t been used to fightin’ or even to providin’ for hisself, and more like he’s somewhere round the Park a-’idin’ an’ a-shiverin’ of, and, if he thinks at all, wonderin’ where he is to get his breakfast from; or maybe he’s got down some area and is in a coal-cellar. My eye, won’t some cook get a rum start when she sees his green eyes a-shining at her out of the dark! If he can’t get food he’s bound to look for it, and mayhap he may chance to light on a butcher’s shop in time. If he doesn’t, and some nursemaid goes a-walkin’ orf with a soldier, leavin’ of the hinfant in the perambulator — well, then I shouldn’t be surprised if the census is one babby the less. That’s all.”

I was handing him the half-sovereign, when something came bobbing up against the window, and Mr. Bilder’s face doubled its natural length with surprise.

“God bless me!” he said. “If there ain’t old Bersicker come back by ’isself!”

He went to the door and opened it; a most unnecessary proceeding it seemed to me. I have always thought that a wild animal never looks so well as when some obstacle of pronounced durability is between us; a personal experience has intensified rather than diminished that idea.

After all, however, there is nothing like custom, for neither Bilder nor his wife thought any more of the wolf than I should of a dog. The animal itself was as peaceful and well-behaved as that father of all picture-wolves — Red Riding Hood’s quondam friend, whilst moving her confidence in masquerade.

The whole scene was an unutterable mixture of comedy and pathos. The wicked wolf that for half a day had paralysed London and set all the children in the town shivering in their shoes, was there in a sort of penitent mood, and was received and petted like a sort of vulpine prodigal son. Old Bilder examined him all over with most tender solicitude, and when he had finished with his penitent said:—

“There, I knew the poor old chap would get into some kind of trouble; didn’t I say it all along? Here’s his head all cut and full of broken glass. ’E’s been a-gettin’ over some bloomin’ wall or other. It’s a shyme that people are allowed to top their walls with broken bottles. This ’ere’s what comes of it. Come along, Bersicker.”

He took the wolf and locked him up in a cage, with a piece of meat that satisfied, in quantity at any rate, the elementary conditions of the fatted calf, and went off to report.

I came off, too, to report the only exclusive information that is given to-day regarding the strange escapade at the Zoo.

[fibropdx]

6/20 morning

It's kind of weird to me how, after not eating anything for at least an hour, I can go to bed with zero intestinal cramping and then wake up halfway through the night with minor cramping. I take Magnesium and Turmeric at night before going to bed (along with a ton of water), so you'd think that would help do the opposite. Maybe it's the casing on the pills? I could always dissolve the Magnesium in water, but I've tried taking my Turmeric that way and ooh nooo is that not happening 😂 I've even tried spicing it up, making golden milk, etc. To get the 1,000mg I take daily is just too much for my taste buds to handle.

Breakfast today: I almost made my breakfast crumble again, but decided I wanted to switch it up so I don't get too bored with that. So, quesadilla with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese on two white corn tortillas, toasted in the toaster oven. I have nothing against the microwave, but sometimes waiting a few extra minutes for a nice crunch is worth it.

Having minor cramping at a level 3 about an hour after eating. Not really sure if it's from the quesadilla. I've had them recently with no cramps, so I'll put this on my "try again" list. Would really like to be able to eat cheese, please!

I'm going to my PCPs office today to try out FSM Therapy. For those of you Pastafarians, no, not that FSM, as much as I would love some kind of therapy to do with pasta. FSM Therapy is Frequency Specific Microcurrent Therapy. It sounds like my PCP has seen really great results for his Fibro patients who have taken the time to really do it, so I'm hoping it will help. I guess they can essentially tell the machine what is ailing a patient, and it sends microcurrents to the body specific to those ailments to treat it. It's different from a TENS/E-Stim unit (which I also use).

One of the huge reasons I stick with my PCPs clinic is because he created his practice to make it easy for people to receive treatment. In the US, it's expensive to be healthy if you have chronic illnesses or injuries. So, I'm very fortunate to have a PCP who charges these treatments as a copay to my insurance, which is much more affordable than the $200/session these can cost at other practices if insurance won't cover it.

Also, a break from my health. Can I introduce anyone reading this to the source of good in my life? In the picture is Max, my bearded dragon. He was rehomed to us by a good friend in January this year. He's the reason I get up in the morning and make the trek to the living room instead of staying in bed all day. This little scaley nugget is a cuddler, and he loves to take naps with me on the couch when I'm low on spoons and need to sleep most of the day. He's a stubborn little guy, but I think there's a lot to be said about mental health and having a pet. He's a good little guy and has gotten me through some rough days. He helps me focus on projects instead of thinking about my health all day (the hubby and I are currently working on setting up a new, super big enclosure for him to enjoy). Yay, pets!

[fanaticfangirl001]

The Chosen Twins  Ch 1: Funny Business

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on this dark and dreary night at Number four on Privet Drive, except for the two children situated on a rickety bed inside a cramped, dark, and damp cupboard under the stairs. The names Harry and Marley Potter were well known in every Wizarding household, famous even for the destruction of a dark wizard, hell bent on upholding the virtues of blood purity. Harry is soundly sleeping, his unruly dark curls cover his scar given to him by the dark wizard. Being the first born, he was significantly larger than his twin, Marley and continues this trend. The young girl next to him twitches and jerks. Her uneven auburn locks fling themselves as she turns her head.

Marley jolts up and wipes at her sweaty face. Harry stirs besides her and puts on his glasses. With one hand on her chest she attempts to slow her breathing.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asks, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Snakes.” Marley breathes.

“You saw snakes in your dream?” Harry clarifies. “ We are going to the zoo tomorrow.”

“I know, but I just have a feeling, something big is going to happen and change everything.” Marley rubs her temples.

“Do you know what’s supposed to happen?” Harry asks.

“It was blurry but a snake escaped.” Marley lays back down.

“So we’ll just stick together.” Harry takes his glasses off to go back to sleep.

“Harry.” Marley pokes his arm.

“Yes, Marls.” Harry lays back down.

“ One day we’ll be far away from this place, and they’ll be sorry.”

“Marls…” Harry sighs.

“I mean it, once we move out, I’m never speaking to them again.”

“Marls…” Harry repeats.

“I’ll make them sorry, once I’m rich.”

“Marls, go to sleep.” Harry says. “Good night, Harry.” Marley says taking her blanket and turning away from him.

“Good night, Marley.” Harry shifts over.

Marley yawns, lets her eyes close and drift off to sleep.

“Get up!” Petunia bangs on the cupboard door, “ Now!”

“We’re going to the zoo!” Dudley jumps on the stairs.

Dust begins to fall from the ceiling covering the two waking children. They change and come out of the cupboard. Marley wipes off her ill-fitting glasses with her olive green shirt. She puts them on and continues to the kitchen with Harry.

“Everything will be perfect for Dudley’s special day.” Petunia says squeezing his cheeks.

Marley takes over cooking the bacon and eggs.

“Coffee boy!” Vernon barks at Harry.

Harry pours the coffee as Dudley begins to whine about the number of the presents. Marley plates the breakfast on the table. She stands near Harry picking at the sleeve of her jumper.

Breakfast goes by silently with little pleasantries as the Dursley’s never made it a habit to be pleasant people.

Before getting into the car, Vernon looks over the two small children.

“I’m warning you two now, any funny business, any at all, and you won’t have any meals for a week.”

Marley gulps, she remembers those types of punishments. When she started having those dreams of things that were going to happen, Marley used to tell teachers or even Petunia. The first punishment was no food for either of them for three days. She hated getting Harry in trouble. He didn’t do anything and she didn’t want him to hate her.

The two climb in the car and a short while later they pull up to the Zoo’s entrance to the reptile room. Iguanas lazily lay in the warmth of the heater in the enclosure. Snakes of all sorts and sizes lay mostly sleeping after a nice meal, in their enclosures. So far so good, everyone is inside.

Dudley, Harry, and Marley stand in front of one snake’s enclosure. Vernon stands behind Dudley flanked by his wife.

“Make it more!” Dudley shouted.

“Move!” Vernon taps the glass with his knuckle.

“It’s sleeping.” Harry says.

“They do that, a lot.” Marley adds.

“He’s boring.” Dudley walks off leaving the twins staring at the snake.

“Hi, Mr. Snake.” Marley addresses him.

“Sorry about him, he doesn’t know what it’s like lying there day after day watching people press their ugly faces in on you.” Harry says.

Marley notices something odd about the snake’s body language, as though he’s listening to Harry and grabs his shoulder.

“What?” Harry looks towards her away from the snake.

“Say something else to the snake.” Marley points back to it.

Harry turns back to the snake and sees it wink.

“Can you hear me?”

The snake nods and Marley’s eyes move from the snake to Harry.

“Never talked to a snake before. Do you talk to people often?”

The snake shakes its head.

Marley looks around to see no one else finding this exchange odd. Every other adult is looking over the children, the zookeepers are giving tours on the other side of the building.

“Was it nice in Burma? Do you miss your family?”

“Harry, he..” Marley points towards the bred in captivity sign.

“Oh, I see. That’s us as well. We never knew our parents.” Harry explains to the snake.

“Mummy Dad, come here.” Dudley says rushing the exhibit.

He shoves Harry hard into Marley and the two of them fall.

Dudley leans forward against the glass to get a better look.

Marley looks over at Harry and sees his face grow into one of concentration. The glass in front of Dudley vanishes and he falls over the safety rail into the small pond portion of the enclosure.

He smiles over at Marley as she helps him up and brushes herself off.

The snake slithers over the safety rail stopping once by Harry and then crawling off. The screams of patrons follow Mr.Snake as he goes off enjoying his new freedom.

“Are you alright?” Marley asks.

“Yeah,” Harry nods, “ You?”

“It will bruise, but I’m okay.” Marley shrugs.

The glass seals around Dudley, trapping him in the empty enclosure.

“Dudley!” Petunia yells.

The ride home was quiet except for Dudley’s whimpering. Marley looked at Harry and nods. This was it, the dream. Harry and Marley were going to be kicked out; she just knew it. Perhaps she and Harry could find a big cardboard box to sleep in for a few nights if the weather is nice.

Petunia walks Dudley inside wrapped inside a thick blanket. Vernon grabs the two children by the back of their heads and shoves them inside.

“ What happened?” He asks, pulling their hair.

“I swear I don’t know.” Harry says

“We didn’t do anything.” Marley adds, eyes wet with tears.

“The glass was there, then not.” Harry explains.

“Like magic.” Marley adds.

Vernon shoves the two into the cupboard, slams the door, and locks it.

Marley tries to blink away the tears that were formed but more keep falling.

“Marls…” Harry trails off.

“When I’m grown,” Marley wipes away her tears with her sleeves,” I’m going to beat up Uncle Vernon.”

“Marls.”

“I’ll make him regret hurting us, or taking away meals, or treating us like servants.” Marley adds.

“Let me see the bruise.” Harry asks, holding a hand out for her elbow.

Marley shows Harry her forearm. A large purple spot covers her elbow. She winces when Harry bends her arm.

“There’s not much in here to help but.” Harry settles on a scarf and ties it around her arm. He takes the pillow off the bed and places it under her arm.

Marley opens her mouth to thank him but closes it at the last minute and decides to hug him. Harry hugs her back resting his chin on top of her head.

“I guess I was wrong about my dream. A snake escaped but..I was sure things were going to change for us…” She admits.

“It’s okay, I still wouldn’t bet against you.” Harry smiles.

Marley lays down with a sigh and Harry lays beside her.

“I guess what happened at the zoo constitutes funny business, right?” She asks.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Marls.”

“It’s okay, Harry. Wasn’t hungry anyway.” Marley takes the blanket from her side of the bed, wraps herself into a cocoon and leans her head against the wall.

[synthsizedproductions]

Descending Into Power Chapter Three: Revealed

CW: Prisoners being trafficked, manipulation, fire, bees, mild strangling, stereotypes, discrimination of a minority, self-depreciation

“Time to get up.”

My eyes shot open when I heard Dowrin’s voice and sighed. My hope the day before had been a dream shattered. I touched the cloth on my face, mentally grumbling when I couldn’t take it off. I sat up and narrowed glared at the Elf.

“You seem upset. Be glad they sold you to me. I get the best customers from the surrounding territories. Well, at least the ones willing to pay enough.” Dowrin motioned for me to leave my cell.

I sat up and stared at them with defiance burning in my gaze.

Dowrin shook their head with a sigh. “This will be easier for everyone if you play along, child. Get up and come with me.”

I crossed my arms and stared at them with greater intensity. Dowrin was crazy if they thought I was going to play along.

The shopkeeper rolled their eyes and stormed into the cell. “Stand up or I will make you stand up.” Swirling white lines twisted from their hands to their shoulders.

They are much stronger. You don’t stand a chance. Just give up.

I clenched my fists, my eyes lighting up like glow bees. A smoldering patch appeared at the center of the cloth on my face, flames burning away the fabric. “No.” I held my hand up, calling on the heat from my Spark.

Nothing happened. My Spark went cold and my face paled.

They laughed at my efforts. “How unfortunate for you. You should talk to someone about that faulty Spark.” Dowrin closed their hand, an invisible version wrapping around my neck. They lifted me from the cot and forced me out of the room while I kicked at the air between us. “You’re quite petulant, aren’t you? Is this how all your people’s children behave?”

I glared at them and bared my teeth. “I’m not...a child.” It was near impossible to speak with the invisible hand squeezing me so hard.

Dowrin shook their head. “That is of little importance. No one will believe you’re an adult. If it’s any consolation, kids get treated better. If you keep your mouth shut, perhaps you’ll have a new home before the end of the day.”

Dowrin brought me to an area with large communal cages with a dozen people in each. They all looked so defeated, resigned to their eventual fate. I’d never seen so many broken individuals at the same time.

Dowrin unlocked a cage with a few children within it and tossed me in with them, my back hitting the bars at the far side. The Elf laughed at my attempts to breathe as the white marks faded from their skin. “Welcome to your temporary home. I’ll give you the same deal as everyone else. Behave and you get to go sleep in your holding cell. Misbehave and get left out here all night.” They waved with their fingers before making their way to the front area of the shop again.

“You okay?” A Pantrus girl knelt down in front of me and stared at me with her unblinking yellow eyes.

I pushed myself up with a grimace. “I’ll be okay. This is nothing compared to some injuries I’ve had.” I leaned against the bars and stared at the roof of our enclosure.

She pawed my knee, her tiny razor claws poking me through my pants. “I’m Kira. What’s your name?”

“Leave the newbie alone, Kira. I told you not to get attached to anyone.” A young Ursan boy stood at the front bars and glared over his shoulder. Though he was trying to act tough, I heard the anxiety in his tone.

Kira put her paws in her lap and her whiskers drooped. “I just wanna be nice, Scyka. Nothing wrong with that.”

“It’s okay, Scyka.” I looked down at Kira with as friendly a smile as I could muster. “Nice to meet you, Kira. My name is Kindred. How long have you been here?”

Scyka turned around and crossed his arms. “We’ve been here for almost eight plethora-cycles.”

My eyes widened. “That’s half an ultra-cycle. Is that a normal amount of time to be on the market?” I found it uncomfortable to talk about people like goods waiting for purchase.

Kira shook her head with a small frown, her ears laying back. “No. We’re just a tough sell. Most Owners don’t purchase over one person at a time. It’s also rare that anyone wants both a Pantrus and an Ursan. Mx. Dowrin keeps threatening to sell us separately, but everytime he puts us in different cages, I cry and I guess nobody wishes to buy a crying cat girl.”

Scyka plopped down on the ground next to Kira. “Doesn’t help that I throw a fit until you’re brought back.” He wrapped an arm over her shoulders and she leaned on him. “We came here together, we’ll leave here together.”

Despite our rather dire predicament, I couldn’t help smiling at their affectionate exchange. “Gonna guess you two have been together for a long while?”

Scyka got an embarrassed look. “We’ve been owned by the same households if that’s what you’re asking.” He rubbed the back of his neck but managed a smile when Kira nuzzled his side.

I raised an eyebrow. “It was. What else would I be asking?”

Scyka shrugged with an aggravated grumble. “Nothing. Um, so, where are you from?” His abrupt change of topic was confusing, but I dropped my curious look, which made him relax.

I sighed, rather sick of explaining my situation. “The desert beyond the walls. I came here seeking someone to teach me how to use my Magic or how to get rid of it. I’m hoping for the latter.” Both of them stared at me like I’d grown another head. “What?”

Scyka was the first to recover from their apparent shock. “You want to get rid of your Magic? That’s insane. Why would you want that?”

I shrugged and stared at the ceiling again. “Because it is nothing but trouble for me. It’s made me an Outcast.”

Scyka narrowed his small eyes and studied me before they went wide again. “You’re a Scorpid...with Magic?” He got a suspicious look and held Kira tighter against him.

She looked up at her friend and then at me. “What’s a Scorpid? Why do you feel upset, Scyka?”

I rolled my eyes, pulling my knees to my chest and crossing my arms. “We’re the communities who live on the outskirts of society. Most don’t have a Spark at all. I’m one of the cursed freaks among us.” I pointed to the markings on my face. “All of my people have marks like this, though everyone has a unique pattern determined by what we do in our lives.”

Scyka bared his fangs at me. “You mean the marks that show your Corruption?”

I lowered my glowing green eyes to meet his. “Do not say that again. These are not lines of Corruption and I will fight you if you utter those words once more. Understood?”

The anger in his glare became fear. “U-understood.”

My eyes faded as I got a handle on my rage again. “Thank you. I’m sorry I scared you, but that lie is one reason we are forbidden to live among the rest of society. We aren’t monsters, just people trying to survive against the odds.”

Kira frowned up at him. “Why are you scared? Kindred doesn’t seem that different from us. Just less furry.”

He ran a hand through the fur on his head. “There are a lot of scary stories about Scorpids and why they shouldn't have Sparks. They did a great deal of bad things generations ago.”

She scrunched up her face, and I watched the gears turn in her head. “But…that was the past. People change, Scyka. How could an entire heritage be evil?”

I smiled at the girl and my hope for a better future without discrimination grew a fraction. Scyka’s lack of an answer bolstered that feeling further. Was society at last letting go of the blind hate? I didn’t let my optimism grow further, unwilling to have that spark of joy snuffed out.

Everyone’s attention turned to the door as Dowrin walked in with a bowl full of small packages. “Food time. Remember, if you make trouble for my customers, I won’t give your enclosures the correct amount to feed all of you tonight.” They tossed a package for each prisoner in a cell to have one. They stopped when they reached my cage and smiled at us. “That goes double for you kids. If any of you cause trouble, you will only have enough for half of you to eat.” They stared at me while they spoke and gave me a vindictive grin before tossing our kits on the floor.

Kira was the first to her feet and picked up each of the parcels, handing them out to the other kids before returning with our three bags of rations. “We get little, but it isn’t just hard bread like other merchants hand out.”

I took the satchel of food and untied it to investigate what it held. An orange, a container filled with a clear liquid, dried meat, and a piece of hard bread. I lifted the bread out and scrunched my face. “I thought you said we didn’t get hard bread.”

She shook her head, slicing her orange open with her claws. “I said we don’t just get hard bread. No one wants to waste fresh baked goods on us.”

I shook my head and munched on the bread, taking the bottle out. “What’s in this?” They both gave me puzzled looks.

“Water?” Scyka said the word with hesitation. “Have you never had water?”

I opened the bottle and splashed some liquid in my palm. “If this is water, no, I have never had it before.” I sniffed it to check for toxins and found none, sipping the water from my hand. “It’s quite bland.”

Kira tilted her head with a fascinated expression. “What do you drink, then? Everything needs to drink.”

I turned to reach into my bag before remembering Dowrin had taken it from me. “Kabettle milk. My people hunt kabettles for their resources, though some are raising their own herds.” They both stared at me in horror. “What’s wrong now?”

Scyka looked like he might be ill. “You drink the stuff that comes out of those things? That doesn’t sound good at all.”

I took a sip from my bottle and shrugged. “It’s more flavorful than your water and holds most of the kabettle’s nutrients. Eating the meat is okay, but you have to catch a big one if you’re trying to have a meal of it, much less feeding an entire camp.”

Kira stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted face. “I don’t think I want to try kabettle meat or milk. No offense, Kindred, but it sounds weird.”

I laughed and took my orange out. “I guess it could be if it wasn’t what you’re raised having. If you get the chance, think about trying it. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like it.” I scratched at the top of the thick-skinned fruit, but my gloves made it difficult to pierce the surface.

She held up her paw. “Do you need any help with your orange skin?”

“Why not just take the gloves off?” Scyka studied me with suspicion in his black eyes, and my nervous shifting didn’t make it better.

I handed my orange to Kira. “My hands are sensitive and taking the gloves off could cause me to get injured.”

She made quick work of my orange and handed me the slices. “Why are they so sensitive?”

I was silent while I thought up an excuse. “It’s a, um, birth defect. I haven’t met a Healer that can help me, so I just wear the gloves.” Kira accepted my answer and returned to her food.

“Must be hard to live in the desert with such a defect. If you let me see them, I might tell you what kind of Healer will help best.” Scyka wasn’t so easily fooled and our eyes locked.

We broke the stare off when Dowrin entered with a few customers, chatting the people up while showing them the available stock. Scyka shot me a last glare before moving in front of Kira, who made herself as small as possible, hiding her face with her paws.

I stood up as the group got closer to our cage, leaning on the bars. I don’t know what I thought I was going to do, but these kids weren’t being sold on my watch.

[hyah-through-hyrule]

A Good Egg: Chapter Three

Rating: G

The art for this chapter is brought to you by my lovely friend over at @madmeeper! Click Read More for the chapter.

Several thumps were the cause for Link’s unrest that night. The first bump he passed off as a noise from one of the various outdoor animals, since they were always causing a ruckus at unappreciated times. The second time he heard the noise, though, he decided to investigate. Next to him Zelda snored lightly, she was a heavy sleeper, at least compared to him. Taking care not to disturb her well deserved rest, he quietly tossed his blanket aside and slipped out of bed. He heard the third thump from the top of the stairs, which without a doubt came from inside the house, and grabbed the nearest object. Coat rack in hand, he carefully made his way down the steps.

He could feel his heart rate increasing. The people residing in the village were all trustworthy and friendly, none of them bore ill will against him or his family, but there was always the possibility a member of the Yiga Clan was seeking revenge. It could even be a lost and confused horse. Either way, he was prepared to take care of whatever it was that made its way into his home.

As he carefully walked down the stairs, he could see the faint glow in the living room from the fire rod projecting a shadow on the wall-it definitely appeared to be humanoid in shape. He took a few deep breaths, preparing himself for an unwanted intruder, and glanced around the corner.

All of his anxiety and worry vanished when he saw the culprit was just their daughter, Karane. A bit of that anxiety resurfaced when he realised his five year old daughter was messing with a dangerous fire rod in the dead of night. Link dropped the coat rack and rushed into the living room, yanking away the fire rod from Karane. She gasped as she was lifted into the air by her father, he knew picking her up was the best way to get her out of immediate trouble since she just loved to run around and fight back.

“Dad!” she exclaimed while kicking her feet.  Once she settled down, Link set her down and he picked up the fire rod off the floor/counter/shelf so he could safely put it back in its proper place on the wooden stand. He peered into the box that housed the weird egg. It had been a week since Zelda brought it home and showed no signs of doing anything spectacular, but she had mentioned her reasoning for doing all of this was field research. Link was no scientist, but he was fairly certain field research happened in the field, not at home.

“Dad, Egg won’t come out.” Karane whined as she climbed onto a chair to glance inside the box. Zelda’s experiment had been dubbed ‘Egg’ by the kids when it was first brought into their home, but he was certain it would be given a better name once it hatched. Karane was impatient with the whole ordeal and wanted to play with the new pet. She had been told plenty of times before to leave the egg alone and it would hatch when it was ready, but listening wasn’t her strong suit.

“Leave it alone.” Link said in between a yawn. Karane hung her head and grabbed her father’s hand, and he led her back to her room. Thankfully, Viscen was sound asleep in his bed; he only had to deal with one troublemaker tonight. He tucked Karane snuggly into her covers with no resistance on her part, and lingered for a few more minutes while he sat on the foot of her bed. Confident all was well and that she had finally fallen asleep, Link finally made his was back to his own room.

Zelda hadn’t moved an inch, she slept blissfully. Link crawled underneath the blankets and scooted himself close to her. Some might have called it sweet, others may joke he was leeching off of her body heat, but he was content and was able to quickly fall back asleep.

“Dad! Dad! Come on Dad, get up!” Karane shouted as she jumped on the bed. Link quickly awoke and braced himself for the impending stomps. This was a common way for him to wake up, previous experiences told him so long as he covered himself he’d be fine. “Dad, Egg is saying hello! C’mon!” Link hardly had time to even stretch his legs before Karane grabbed his hands and was desperately trying to drag  him down the stairs. Figuring resistance was pointless, he humored her and allowed himself to be pulled into the living room. Still in his pajamas and needing to use the bathroom yet, he stood in front of the incubation box next to Karane and Viscen.

The egg had a rather large hole in it, the leathery shell was folded in some places, it moved slightly as whatever it was inside made its way out. Zelda was, predictably, furiously writing notes in her journal, and her face was beaming. Clearly she was pleased with the events taking place. She paused only a few times, clearly deep in thought, before going back to scribbling. She always saw much more than he did, finding patterns in things he hadn't even considered looking at. He couldn't even begin to guess what was going through her head this time, but once she became fixated on something she had an insatiable need to record everything she saw.

Link hadn’t thought much about the little animal, it had been on the bottom of his large list of worries in favor of all the other issues that occupied his week. A few calves escaped the confines of their pen a few days prior, and Link spent most of the day gathering them while dispatching the stray monsters that were attracted to the helpless animals. That, plus the continuous need to help build the town/various parts of hyrule/etc kept him rather occupied.

Thankfully, this morning was met with no other distractions, so Link was able to solely focus on his family and the egg. He had his suspicions about the whole ordeal, but up until now, there had been little time for questions.

A small, green, reptilian head popped out of the egg, the little horn on its nose breaking  through the protective liquid sac that once served as the little creature’s home. The lizard cautiously bobbed its head up and down, and eventually  wriggled a leg free from the egg. It was a slow process, but Zelda and the kids relished the sight before them. After what seemed like ages, the lizard finally freed itself from the egg, Zelda never taking her pen away from the parchment.

The creature was unsteady on its feet, several times it tried moving around in the incubation box before falling over. It kept its long tail curled up, as if doing that comforted it. The kids were delighted, they clapped and laughed as the lizard made a few more wobbly attempts at walking. Zelda looked mighty pleased, but  her smile faded when she looked up and saw Link didn’t share their enthusiasm. He knew exactly what the creature was, he’d seen more than his fair share.

It was a lizalfos.

“We’re not keeping it.” Link stated with a calm voice. He knew the hatched lizalfos was harmless in its current state, but who knew when it would get a hold of itself and start attacking. He couldn’t kill it right in front of them, especially not with how much they had bonded with it before it hatched. It could be moved now, far, far, far away from humans while it couldn’t harm anyone. He  could  spare this one monster, mostly for his family’s sake.

“But Link, think about the possibilities!” Zelda quipped without hesitation, “There’s scientific potential here, think of the breakthroughs we could have because of this opportunity.”

“That thing’s dangerous.” he replied while crossing his arms. The kids were still giggling and playing with the monster, even though it was a hatchling it still made him nervous that they were in such a close proximity with it. Thankfully, they were blissfully unaware of his desire to get rid of the lizalfos, and  were too distracted to notice their parents conversing about it.

“It’s only a baby, Link, what harm can it do?”

A bit frustrated with Zelda’s response, Link pulled up his left pant leg and kept it rolled around his knee. The skin on his calf was discolored and made uneven by a few large scars that wrapped around his leg. Zelda’s expression changed, and he knew she realized what he was talking about. He didn’t have to say anything else, they both already knew where that particular scar had come from.

Link became so lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice Zelda watching him, frozen and removed from the world as he was. His stare was both piercing and dead, and he didn’t notice himself tremble. He was so absorbed in his reality that he didn't notice Zelda moving to embrace him

“It’s okay.” she mumbled as she moved to hug him, “I should have realized this might happen.” He hugged back to let her know there was no harm done They remained like that for a few more minutes. Link had more than a few bad experiences with monsters, particularly Lizalfos. They were tall, fast, and on top of it all surprisingly intelligent. He didn't like the idea of keeping one in their home, and didn't doubt for one moment that the small reptile would break something or hurt someone. Then again, he guessed because of their intelligence, it was possible to train them. If Zelda could keep the lizalfos out of trouble and teach it to not to hurt people, then maybe it wouldn't be a bad short-term experiment.

“Keep it caged.” Link mustered to say, and Zelda’s face lit up when she heard the words. As much as he disagreed with the whole thing, Even Link could agree this was a unique opportunity to study a normally unapproachable creature, perhaps they could learn a way to deter other lizalfos by looking at this one. He still didn’t like the idea of having it anywhere near him and his family, but this seemed like a nice compromise. They could keep it penned to study until it was too big to keep, then it could be released on one of the isolated borders Hyrule... yes, that was an excellent idea indeed, one that would keep both parties happy.

Zelda and the kids wasted no time with getting to work on a suitable enclosure for the little lizalfos. She took them outside and they worked together on building a pen out of wood and spare cucco  wire. Meanwhile, Link was left alone with the fumbling hatchling. He was glad it was a simple green one and not one of the hardier electric or fire ones. If that had been the case, then there would have been no way he would have allowed such a thing to remain in his home. No, he could deal with this one, at least for now. It could hardly walk, it was in no way an immediate threat.

While the kids and Zelda worked outside, Link decided it was the perfect time to write in his journal. He ventured upstairs, found his notebook on the nightstand, and opened it to a partially blank page where he dotted down the date. The entries were far and few inbetween these days, he didn’t write in it as much as he used to, especially after the Calamity was taken care of. There just wasn’t as much to talk about anymore, but he tried to record important things like milestones in the slow rebuilding of Hyrule. Naturally, he had also written of personal accomplishments, like the day he and Zelda finally got married, and the birth of his children. One of the most common things recorded in his journal, however, were his lost memories. Once in awhile he’d remember something from his past before the Calamity, and to ensure that he wouldn’t forget it again he began the habit of writing them down. He liked having a dedicated space to record his thoughts, especially since it took away the pressure of speech.

Once he found a pen, he brought it back downstairs and wrote about the experience with the momentary moment of spacing out. He wrote not only about the events themselves, but about how helpless he had felt back then, and about how much he hated that he still blanked out for several moments while reliving these memories.

When he finished writing, he tucked the journal away in a stack of Zelda’s ‘to do’ pile so she could read it later tonight. . He checked up on The lizalfos, and found that it was fast asleep in the incubation box. Oddly  enough, instead of coming up with a new name for the reptile, the kids still maintained on calling it “Egg”. Knowing his family, that was probably what they would be calling it from now on.

He glanced out the window and saw that Zelda was working on the project alone now, Karane and Viscen had become distracted with some butterflies that flew into the yard. Link decided to go out and help her, After  all, he may not agree with every decision, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be supportive of her endeavours, no matter how strange they seemed to him. If she wanted to raise a scaly-fish-eating-death-machine, then fine, he would help her in whatever way she asked.

It was the very least he could do.

[shannaraisles]

Dear Friend - Chapter 6

My festive project. A Modern AU heavily based on The Shop Around The Corner, in which Cullen Rutherford finds love between Satinalia and First Day. [Read on AO3]

Chapter Six

Dear Friend,

Please don't take what I'm about to say as some kind of rejection. Unfortunately, I've been called out of town for a month - nothing earth-shaking, just personal. Both I and the Nuglet are perfectly fine, I promise you. It does mean, however, that I won't be in a position to write to you until after First Day. I'm sorry.

Best wishes, Your Friend (and the Nuglet).

Mila's frown did not abate after reading that letter for the umpteenth time, shoving it back into her pocket as she went about her business at the zoo. It was in such an odd tone, given the gentleness of his former letters. So perhaps he really hadn't forgiven her for that mix-up on Satinalia Eve the way he'd seemed to. Perhaps this was his way of ending things between them, ghosting her in letter form until she gave up expecting answers. Or perhaps he really had been called away. Whatever the reason, it seemed as though she wouldn't be getting any more letters to make her smile for the last month before the new year began. She couldn't help feeling hurt, disappointed. She'd thought that perhaps they might try to meet again soon, but it seemed as though that hope was destined to die. He'd been very preoccupied with his impressions of Cullen, all but grilling her on what she thought of her co-worker in letters of the last two weeks or so.

But if those questions were designed to get her comparing the two of them, to find Dear Friend in a more favorable light ... she was almost ashamed to admit that they had not succeeded. All his questions about Cullen had only served to make her mind linger on her handsome superior, who was suddenly a much nicer person to be around in the wake of their little dust-up. Almost too nice, in a way, but he still had his moments of frustration with her. Oddly, she wasn't finding those as glaring as she had done just a few weeks ago. He was entitled to feel a little under siege when she picked a bad time to talk to him, and now that he really was listening to what she had to say, she could look back and understand that she had been a little unreasonable in her approach. She was never going to admit it to his face - they'd agreed on a clean slate, and that meant no backsies, in her opinion. Face forward, move on, and try to forget the spoiled child behavior that had put them both in each other's bad books. Try to stop noticing the way his eyes light up when he smiles and means it; the heat that radiates off him even outside in the cold; the smell of sultry oakmoss and sweet elderflower that lingers after he's left a room.

Mila groaned to herself, taking up the handles of the wheelbarrow she'd filled with dung and various, exchanging a wry grin with Cassandra as she maneuvered her way out of the lions' inner enclosure and onto the concourse toward the back area where they piled up the various excretions into stinking heaps that made the zoo a lot of money in compost and fertilizer. She had to get her mind off Cullen. Yes, he was handsome, clever, funny; yes, he was also intelligent, quick to pick up on ideas and improve them, quicker to give credit where it was due. He was exactly her type, complete with awkward moments and a flare of temper she had to admit privately she was enjoying prodding every now and then. The way his eyes flashed when she deliberately annoyed him ... She shook her head, forcing her mind off that path. It was purely physical, and physical just wasn't going to cut it. He had a daughter; he wasn't in the market for a quick fling, and to be honest, neither was she. She wanted more than a couple of decent dates and a few orgasms. Dear Friend was closer to her heart than Cullen Rutherford was ever going to be. And if he turned out to be as ugly as sin, well ... She flickered a faint smile to herself. She could always talk him into wearing oakmoss and elderflower, and close her eyes when it came to intimacy. Fantasy was a big deal in pleasure, after all.

Maybe that would be best. Keep Cullen for fantasies. That way she wasn't going to make a fool of herself, or put him or Alys in a position where they might get hurt. He seemed like a forever kind of man - after all, it had been four years since his wife's death, and Cassandra seemed pretty sure he'd never so much as even glanced at another woman in that time. Mila could appreciate that; she admired it. Cullen was not the type to jump unless he was sure of his landing; intimacy just to scratch the itch would never be on the cards with him. So it was just going to be her in this little crush for a while, until Dear Friend got back from his odd trip away and let her convince him she was faithful and true. Which she was. Mildly diverting thoughts of a physical nature about a handsome co-worker did not count.

Said handsome co-worker was by the heaps of dung, emptying his own wheelbarrow, when she reached them. Despite the chill, Cullen was working without his fleece, showing off the play of muscles beneath the cling of his tight green uniform shirt that turned her mildly diverting thoughts into full on R-rated fantasy for a brief moment before she got a grip on herself.

"Room for more on there, or am I starting another poo-pile?" she asked, borrowing his daughter's turn of phrase for the stinky heaps that were like gold for the zoo.

He glanced up, laughing at her greeting. "I think we can probably get one more barrow on here," he agreed, stepping down the icy planks with his empty barrow. "Here, let me."

"I can do it," she insisted - a little defensively, perhaps, but she wasn't sure she could handle watching his back muscles flex again without some seriously inappropriate thoughts racing through her mind. Besides, she could do it; she was as strong as anyone else who worked here. They all had to be, given the sheer amount of heavy lifting they had to do on a daily basis.

Cullen backed up with another smile, his hands high. "Far be it from me to interfere."

She narrowed her eyes at him, despite her own smile, lining up the barrow on the planks. "Are you teasing me, Rutherford?"

"Would I do something as ill-advised as that?" he asked, and yes, that was a teasing lilt to his voice. "You're far too frightening to dare tease openly."

"What about subtly?" she countered with a low chuckle, bracing to push the barrow up the icy planks to the top of the heap and tip it out.

"I think I might be too male to manage subtle teasing," he informed her, watching as she worked. "We of the inferior sex are, after all, only after one thing, and it doesn't often translate to subtlety."

"So get your eyes off my ass," she laughed over her shoulder at him, stepping back.

Her boot slid on the icy wood, there was a moment of terrifying certainty that she’d end up face-first in the steaming poo, and suddenly she was upright again, snatched back against Cullen's chest, wrapped in his arms, as he rescued her from joining the barrow in a messy tumble down the side of the dung-heap. Mila's fingers gripped the strong arms banded about her waist as she gasped, her adrenalin pumping just from the thought of the fall he'd saved her from. The thumping of her heart had nothing to do with the firm chest she could feel at her back, or the warmth breath against her hair. Nothing at all. And if she kept telling herself that, someday it might even be true.

"Close one," Cullen murmured, and despite herself, Mila felt a faint shiver ripple down her spine at the softness of his voice so close to her ear.

She swallowed, nodding in agreement. "I, uh, guess I owe you my life," she managed, trying to laugh as he gently released her from his grip. "You're gonna ask for that favor back sometime, huh?"

His grin was doing sinful things to her libido, that much was certain. "It's always good to have a few favors in the bank," he agreed, bending to set her barrow straight again.

"Yeah, because that's not ominous at all," she drawled, relieved that he didn't seem to have noticed her moment of deep desire there. She was never ever going to admit aloud that being held that closely, that securely, by those arms, by this man, had felt as close to heavenly as she had experienced in her lifetime. "So ... the lions are mucked out. Feeding time pretty soon."

"About that ..." Cullen paused to let her go out through the gate ahead of him, both of them now wheeling empty barrows through the surprisingly plentiful crowd. "I thought we might give one of your ideas a try today. The lionesses are bored with the snow, after all, and Amatus refuses to eat meat off the bone these days."

"Oh?" Mila perked up, settling in to walk beside him as they talked. "Which idea was that?"

"There's a couple of twenty pound venison haunches in storage," he reminded her. "You said something about stringing one of them up from one of the trees, I think? And Alys has been packing partridge meat into cardboard toilet rolls for the last hour, so Amatus isn't left out."

"That would probably work out really well for them today," Mila agreed, pleased enough that her smile had relaxed her entire face. It seemed as though that hour-long talk the day after Satinalia had really made an impact on Cullen, despite it taking almost a month for him to act on it. The important thing was that he was acting on it, though. "The pride's been a little sluggish the last couple of weeks. They don't like the cold. But if we string up one of the haunches and spray it with a scent that carries, they should be enthusiastic about attacking it."

"Sounds good to me." Cullen nodded with her as they tucked the barrows away. "What scent do you think? I was thinking something like rabbit or grouse; hunting scents, rather than investigative."

"Well, it is food, so that makes sense," was Mila's response. "Want me to find Varric to help you set it up?"

"It was your idea, Mila," he pointed out, seemingly surprised by her offer. "You get to help me not mess it up." He pulled his radio off his belt, raising it to let their team know what was up. "Feeding time for the lions in about an hour," he said into the crackling static. "Get them inside in half an hour, it's going to take us a while to get it set up."

Varric's voice crackled over the channel. "Just remember to string up the haunch and not Legs."

Mila's eyes narrowed. She pulled her own radio out. "I heard that," she countered, ignoring the sound of Varric's chuckle over the line. "Shouldn’t you be more worried about me feeding him to the lionesses?"

"I know I am," Cullen muttered, flashing her a warm grin. "Just get the pride inside, please."

"All right, all right, we're doing it, Curly."

As the radios fell silent, Mila glanced curiously over at Cullen. "Why does Varric call you Curly?" she asked, realizing this was a serious gap in her knowledge. "I mean, his nicknames make sense with most people, but I can't quite work yours out."

Cullen looked awkward, one hand self-consciously touching his hair. "He, uh ... my hair is naturally very curly," he admitted. "It's taken years to learn how to make it look less ... well, less like someone's molded a dish of noodles to my head."

Mila stared at him, and abruptly burst out laughing at this mental image. "So that's where Alys gets the curls from," she declared with a grin. "I was wondering about that."

Cullen grimaced with good-natured weariness. "The curls suit her far better than they suit me."

"You see, now I really want to see your curls," she chuckled, following him into the meat store. "I bet they're really soft and springy." Her fingers flexed, imagining pinging those springy curls.

"If I ever get rained on and you're around, you'll see them," he promised, glancing up at one of the hanging haunches. "Unhook it while I lift, would you?"

"Sure." She snagged the two-step to climb up and release the haunch from the hook, confident that he could manage a twenty-pound haunch without much difficulty. "You want to dress it with anything? We're going to have to drill a hole in the bone so it'll hang with a decent amount of strength."

"Knowing those girls, they'll be hanging off it," he agreed, manhandling the haunch onto the counter. "You grab the drill and get started, I'll find that heavy-duty chain and one of the golf carts. I'm not carrying this all the way to the enclosure."

"Oh, you poor baby, having to do all this heavy lifting," she teased laughingly. "Off you go then, I'll do the manly parts myself."

"I do like being a damsel from time to time," he laughed back to her, ducking out through the door in search of the equipment they were going to need.

Mila laughed to herself as she plugged the drill in, selecting the right drill-bit for the task at hand. Who'd have thought, just a few weeks ago, that she'd be enjoying Cullen Rutherford's company? It was practically unheard of. But it was a good thing. With Dear Friend out of contact for the next month, she needed someone she could laugh with. This wasn't such a bad development, after all.

[al-bino]

Hi, I'm looking into becoming a mammy to a corn snake and I have a few questions. What type of snake is Bino? They're beautiful Is having a corn snake safe with cats? I have three and I don't want to stress them out Also is there any tell tale signs that something is wrong with my little noodle? The things I'm worried about is to hot/cold, over/under weight or if there not eating/drinking because they're ill ❤️❤️

Hey! :) Thank you for gathering knowledge before buying/adopting an animal! A lot of text follows under the cut.

Bino is a snow-morph corn snake. I don’t think that your cats would be stressed out by a rather calm animal inside a terrarium, they’d be more interested than scared. Cats can be a major stress factor for the snake, though. Corn snakes are preyed upon by larger mammals and birds in the wild, so their presence may put the snake under constant tension. If you want both species to live under one roof, make sure to give the snake the calmest room in the house and provide plenty of hiding spaces inside the terrarium.

In general, corn snakes are fairly easy to keep regarding temperature and humidity. Normal room humidity (around 50-60%) is perfect, they may need values up to 80% to help with shedding. Bino retreats to the more sealed, cooler, and thus, moister corners of his terrarium before he sheds, so he manages that just fine on his own. You can help by providing a box with some damp moss in it, or mist the terrarium a bit for a few days if your snake goes into shed. Too much moisture can promote respiratory issues, so don’t overdo it.

Temperature should be a bit varied in different parts of the terrarium. The cool side should hover around 22-24°C, the warmer side around 27°C with a heat spot at around 30-35°C. I know about the discussions about heat mats and “warmth from below”, but I went with nature’s solution and let light and warmth come from above; the radiation heats the surfaces up, anyway.

I also want to avoid fire hazards as much as possible, and I don’t really trust red-hot wires under my wooden terrarium. My heat spot is outside the terrarium on a metal mesh wire and all lamps are attached to thermostats with fuses and the smoke detector is right above them.

Corn snakes are fairly good in hiding health issues, but you will develop an eye for the well-being of your companion with time. Sick snakes may cough or wheeze, have dark discolorations on their scales or around their mouths, are lethargic and have a bad muscle tone. Respiratory issues, scale and/or mouth rot, mites and digestive issues are the most common ailments and will be recognizable after you learnt the habits of your snake.

Most corn snakes are very good eaters and won’t cause major problems with that. Bino gets two mice every two to three weeks, I vary a bit between the exact feeding days and the size of the mice. He was a bit on the lean side during summer because he was extremely active, but his current photos show a good overall weight. Being slightly underfed is less dangerous than being overfed, so when in doubt, wait a day or two longer with feeding.. Digesting a meal is a big undertaking for a corn snake; it enlarges its internal organs and will rest for a few days to digest. They’re opportunistic feeders and most will eat everything you put in front of them, so you have to moderate. Their digestive systems need time to “cool down”. Overfed snakes will quickly become obese and live shorter lives. Losing weight is a long process, so just avoid the issue altogether.

If your tap water is free of chemicals, it’s alright to use it as drinking water for your snake. A simple, heavy water bowl in the cool area of the terrarium (to avoid too much evaporation) is everything needed, but you can also provide a bigger bowl for the snake to bathe in. Some corn snakes really like it, Bino never bathes. It’s up to the character. A dehydrated snake will look dull and papery, maybe even carry stuck shed around.

If you’re going to get a hatchling or very young corn snake, please note that they’re naturally agoraphobic and won’t do well in a big terrarium for adult animals. Put it in a small(er) enclosure with lots of hiding spots and move it to bigger enclosures while it grows.

Many corn snakes like to climb, so maybe provide some nice branches or platforms. Terrariums with a low ceiling aren’t suited for corn snakes, and different levels also make it easier for your snake to choose a temperature layer it wants to be in.

Handling is a controversial issue. Some won’t feed their snakes in their terrariums because they fear “cage aggression”, some handle their snakes every day to “tame” it. Corn snakes aren’t tameable in the way other mammals interact and bond with us. Snakes tolerate us and learn that we bring food, but there won’t be a social bond between them and us. It’s alright to handle your snake every now and then, this will also help if it has to be taken out of the enclousure because of cleaning or a visit to the vet, but I’m not a fan of taking out Bino every day because I want to live out my cuddling tendencies. I’m a mammal, I’m way bigger than him, and the only thing nice about me is that I’m a heater and that I know how to operate the fridge. We shouldn’t anthropormize everything, snakes are awesome because they’re so different from us, and I enjoy silently watching this otherness.

I hope this helped you a bit, please ask further if you want to know more! :)

[clarencebells]

Just A Little

The Other Slytherin (Series)

Newt Scamander x Reader

Masterlist

Summary: A little push in the right direction can make all the difference.

“Achoo!” You sniffled as you took tentative sips of the tea Newt had prepared for you. 

Newt tried his best not to look you in the eye, especially after what had transpired yesterday, the thought of it still brought a blush to his cheeks and he was quite sure you were still upset over it. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” He asked in concern.

“I’m fine. You should get to work. Those House Elves can’t exactly relocate themselves you know.” Your voice sounded slightly muffled and nasally as you expelled a small cough. You had caught a cold the day after you’d given poor Dougal a cold bath, and now you were sick in bed with Dougal chittering worriedly beside you, along with Newt who had assigned himself to be your nursemaid but also using you as an excuse not to go to work.

“I really should stay to look after you, I mean what if something happens and you can’t um…go to the bathroom?” Newt was grasping at straws at this point, trying to think of anything to avoid his work.

The glare you gave him was so intense, he actually feared that he would spontaneously combust at any moment. “Scamander,” was the only thing you said, but the unspoken command was there.

“Please don’t make me go to work. Ever since meeting Dougal, I’ve realized how dreadfully dull and tedious everything is! I’m losing my mind behind all those papers.” Newt resorted to begging now, looking genuinely upset at the thought of spending another day behind a desk pushing paperwork. 

“If you disliked the job, then why did you apply for it?” You asked him.

Newt sighed, as his eyes wandered around the room, a bit embarrassed at the reason. “It was the only job they were willing to give me given my…failed education. Theseus even had to convince the Department to even let me apply!”

“Hmm. I see.” You considered this information as you took another sip of your tea.

“So does that I mean I can stay for the day?” Newt asked hopefully.

“No.” You bluntly replied, Newt’s expression fell and he groaned as he trudged to the doorway of your room. 

“Can’t I at least leave early?” 

“No.” You motioned a shooing gesture with your hand as you sent him off. Newt pouting the entire way as he left the flat. Once you were sure he was gone, you summoned a piece of parchment, quill, and ink as you quickly wrote a letter to a good friend of yours that owed you a few favors.

---

“Are you sure about this?” Theseus asked you as he looked through the letter you’d given him. It had been a few days since you first sent him the letter, and though you were still ill, you were recovering nicely. Theseus reread the letter again to make sure that nothing had changed from the first time he’d read it over.

You frowned at his hesitance and you were quick to remind him what he owed you. “Jason already approved, I just need another senior officer as a reference. You owe me this, Theseus. Especially after what you put me through. Even more so after what you’re planning to do!”

Theseus had told you that he was planning to leave the Ministry in order to enlist in the muggle war that was currently plaguing the world. He’d voiced his desire to enlist before and it was only due to his mother’s sudden turn in health that kept him from leaving earlier. However, his mother was now back in good health and his little brother seemed to be in a good place…Newt could be in an even better place if he agreed to what you were proposing.

“I’m still reeling at the fact that you two are living together! I didn’t even think you two were–”

“We’re not! For the last bloody time, Theseus, he’s only there for Dougal!”

“Right, the monkey.”

“He’s an ape!”

Theseus gave a sigh as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose hoping to alleviate the sudden headache that he was getting. “Putting him out in the field…it’s too dangerous! He has no proper training!”

You groaned at his reoccurring reluctance at allowing Newt a new position in the Ministry as a field agent in the Beast Division, simply because he was the doting big brother that wanted to keep his little brother safe. “He’s a grown man, Theseus, for Merlin’s sake! Why can’t you believe in him for once? He can do this! He’s the only one who can!” 

Theseus looked at you in astonishment at how readily you had such confidence in his baby brother. Despite the fact you and Newt were never really that close, you always thought Newt was much more than what most people gave him credit for. You were always the first to defend Newt whenever he got into trouble and always the first to support him when he needed it, the sad part, however, was that Newt wasn’t aware of it. You were one of the things that Theseus envied about his little brother, a person that would always have his back no matter what.

“You’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

Theseus gave you an unimpressed look, “Everything is changing so fast. Sometimes it doesn’t even seem real. I just worry about him.”

“I know how you feel. I’m probably the one closest to worrying about him the most next to you, but he needs this. He practically begged me to not make him go to work the other day. Being behind a desk is driving him mad. This will help him have a job he can actually be proud of.” You urged Theseus, as you gave him a quill.

“You’ll look after him, won’t you? When I’m gone?” Theseus asked you and you frowned at his wording.

“You don’t even need to ask that. And don’t even think about dying over there. We had a deal, the only one allowed to kill you is me.” You shoved at his shoulder in a playful manner, but Theseus barely even moved as he chuckled in remembrance of one of the promises you two had. He heaved a sigh as he finally signed the document with a flourish.

“That’s right. You already have my death planned out. I suppose that means I won’t have anything to worry about then?”

“Just worry about how you’re going to repay me for all the other favors you still owe me.”

“What? You mean to tell me this only counts as one?”

“Of course it only counts as one!"

---

“What?” Newt asked in a breathless tone as his eyes flitted between you, Theseus, and Jason.

Jason frowned and looked towards you in askance, “Was I not clear? I thought I was pretty blunt.”

“I think you were a little too blunt,” Theseus interjected as he waved his hand in front of Newt who’d gone into a catatonic state. “I think you broke him.”

“He’s fine,” you told them as you pushed Theseus’ hand away from Newt’s face. “Scamander? You still in there? If you don’t want the job we can always give it to someone el–”

“NO!” Newt suddenly exclaimed, startling you and Jason, Theseus was unaffected. Newt cleared his throat at his sudden outburst as he tried to regain his composure. “I mean, I would be honored to accept this job. I can’t even believe you’re giving me a promotion, I mean…why are you giving me a promotion?”

Jason stumbled at finding an explanation as he looked towards you, but you glared at him and he was quick to remedy his blunder as he told Newt, “Theseus recommended you!” Theseus nodded at this. “He said that you were very passionate about studying magical creatures, diligent, and from what I’ve been told you’re looking for a way to preserve them, rather than eliminating them for secrecy’s sake. That’s where you and I get along. I’ve been trying to tell my fellow wizards that the destruction of magical creatures will only result in the destruction of our own way of life.”

“They need to be protected!” Newt agreed wholeheartedly.

“Exactly. Now, this position isn’t exactly the most glamorous. For the most part, you’ll only be cleaning the enclosures and tending to the creatures we have here on the site. But if you show real prowess at handling the creatures we have, then we can discuss moving you out on the field.” Jason explained to Newt who’s grin kept growing and growing, he was practically giddy with his excitement. 

“Oh Mr. Fields, I promise I will be the best beast keeper you’ve ever had. I swear to you, you will not regret it. I will do my utmost to show you exactly what I’m capable of. Thank you, thank you so much!” Newt reached out and shook Jason’s hand, Jason merely chuckled as he gestured towards you.

“You really should thank your–” Jason began, but you quickly elbowed Jason’s side and he moved his arm to gesture to Theseus instead. “…your brother! Yes, Theseus really convinced me that you would be the perfect man for the job.”

“Oh, Theseus thank you! I promise to make you proud!” Newt said happily as he gave his brother a hug.

Theseus chuckled a little nervously as he returned Newt’s hug, he always felt a little uncomfortable when he had to lie, but he’d gotten used to it after all these years of taking credit for things he wasn’t responsible for. “I’m already proud of you, little brother.

Newt then turned to you, smile still gracing his features, he wasn’t really quite sure why you were here, but he was happy all the same to see you.

“I’m here for moral support.” You explained and Newt easily accepted it. 

“I’ll try not to drive you mad with my ramblings,” Newt promised.

“You already drive me mad, just promise to bathe before you come home. I don’t want you tracking the smell of dung everywhere.” 

“Deal.” Newt smiled and was mildly surprised that he had the strangest urge to give you a hug as well, but he stopped himself fearing you might not welcome the sudden physical contact.

“You start your new job tomorrow, Scamander,” Jason told him as he bid you and the brothers farewell, leaving to return to his work.

Theseus sighed as he clapped his hands and said, “Well, now that we’ve delivered the good news. Let’s talk about the bad news.”

“Bad news?” Newt questioned, looking between you and Theseus as you exchanged hesitant looks with each other. Newt suddenly felt dread overcome him.

“We’ll talk about it over tea.” You suggested as you tentatively took Newt’s arm and started leading him out, Theseus following behind you.

---

“You’re going to war? But I thought wizards were banned from participating?” Newt looked at his brother who had just told him of his decision.

“We are, but there’s a group of wizards who are going against the ban and helping anyways. I know you don’t like it, but I’ve already decided and I’m leaving on the next boat in a few days. I’ve told Mum too, she’s back home in Dorset, so you don’t need to worry about her.” Theseus told his little brother. He reached out to grasp Newt’s shoulder trying to both explain himself in a way Newt will understand and in some way to comfort him. “It’s one of the reasons I agreed to your promotion, a better job means better pay so you’ll be able to take care of yourself. And you’ll finally be doing something you love and not just pushing paperwork around!”

Newt wasn’t really sure what to say, it’s not like he could stop Theseus from leaving, but also he was proud of his brother, for fighting for what he believed in, fighting for his country, fighting to protect others. “I…I’ll miss you,” was the only thing he could think of to say at that moment.

“I’ll miss you too. I do have to admit, I’m more worried about you than I am for myself.” Theseus teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Newt frowned, “I can take care of myself, I’m not a child anymore, Theseus.”

Theseus merely chuckled. “I know, I was just teasing. After all, what’s there to worry about when you have her looking after you?” Theseus slightly turned his head to look towards you, sitting at your own table a few feet away from them. You had wanted to give the brothers some privacy, but still remain close in case Theseus did something to upset Newt.

Newt blushed at Theseus’ implication and cleared his throat of the sudden non-existent obstruction. “We’re not like that. We’re just friends.”

“Funny, since you were hardly ever ‘friends’ until recently. Apparently, you’re living together now?” Theseus questioned, giving his brother a pointed look.

Newt’s blush grew deeper, “It’s simply for convenience! It’s closer to work and I’m studying a creature she keeps at home. You can’t tell anyone about the creature!”

Theseus merely gave a smirk, “Whatever you say, little brother. Your secret is safe with me.”

“I’m telling you it’s not like that!” Newt continued to protest, turning even redder.

You watched the brothers tease each other and sighed in relief, knowing that Newt wasn’t overly upset about Theseus’ decision. At the very least he had his new job to distract him from any sad thoughts. Newt didn’t voice it, but you heard him crying at night over Leta and the only thing that seemed to bring him any comfort was his time interacting with Dougal. It just made you surer of your decision to invite him into your home and the news of receiving his new job was the first time you’d seen him smile so big in a long while. It made you happy to know that you were able to help him through a difficult time, even just a little.

A/N: Another one done. I really should look over these before I post them but oh well!

@sinuhmyn-apple @myrtus-amongst-the-stars

[ryttu3k]

For the ask meme: Sycamore for 3, 6, 7, 12, 14, 19, 28, 30, 33, 34, 45, 49!

Oh boy howdy let’s go :D These will generally be for both gameverse and animeverse versions, although where they diverge, I’ll note it down.

3. Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?

Just working at the lab is pretty good exercise! Looking after the Pokemon in the enclosure and running around after them, giving squirming baby starters their check-ups, meeting up with students - he doesn’t have an official exercise regime or anything, but does plenty of running around just in his everyday life.

6. Eating habits and sample daily menu

Vegetarian, although that’s very much the norm in my headcanon Pokeverse. His eating habits are best described as ‘holy shit dude how are you not malnourished’, since when he gets right into working, he pretty much subsides on pastries and coffee, aside from when friends/family/concerned coworkers actually get him something with actual vitamins and minerals that aren’t caffeine and go “EAT THE FUCKING HEALTHY FOOD, AUGUSTINE” and stare at him intently until he shows a bit of self-care. …Ahem. If he was to go out for dinner or something, he prefers comfortable, homey dishes like ratatouille and minestrone and green salads and some nice crusty bread, nothing super fancy. He is a bit pickier with his coffee, though, and has pretty refined tastes there.

7. Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time

Drawing. He’s a natural doodler. Given a few spare minutes, out come the pencils, drawing everything from still-lifes of his surroundings, to Pokemon, to people and landscapes from memory. He does tend to feel guilty about wasting time, though, and will generally tell himself off and make himself get back to work. Animeverse version also enjoys TV, including watching performances. (Great use of lab equipment there guys A+.)

Putting the rest under a cut, it’s getting long ;D

12. Favorite book genre?

Very much with escapism, he’s pretty fond of fantasy, when he’s reading for pleasure. It’s pretty rare these days, but he enjoys it a lot just as an escape from everything else, and there’ll often be a novel at the bottom of his bag.

14. Physical abnormalities differences? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)

So if we’re including disabilities, then technically Aspergers and ADHD comes under this? So, comorbid Aspergers and ADHD, yeah, although they’re much more just… neurotypes rather than disabilities.

On an actual illness note, for the gameverse version, he also has depression, anxiety, and is prone to insomnia, so general health issues resulting from not enough sleep and a fairly shoddy diet. Medication-wise, he takes an antidepressant for it, something Diantha encouraged after everything with Lysandre.

The animeverse version doesn’t seem to have the same depression and anxiety issues, I feel? He’s still autistic and has ADHD, but basically has his life together more. Still kind of prone to overworking, weird sleeping patterns, and not eating as well as he should, but not quite as badly as gameverse.

19. What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

For both versions, work work work, lots of thinking about work. Gameverse version tends to have a lot of dark/sad/upsetting/guilty thoughts about everything with Lysandre, which, honestly, is a big part of his insomnia. Animeverse version had a lot of trouble sleeping through stress after the Flare incident, mostly in the form of guilt about not realising what was going on with Alain sooner, but that’s slowly working out, especially since he knows that Alain is sleeping comfortably in the next bedroom.

28. Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?

Best friend is Diantha, and that’s true whether they’re twins (gameverse) or unrelated (animeverse)! Although her career does tend to mean she’s pretty busy, they get together as often as they can and just. Hang out. In animeverse, Meyer is also one of his closest friends as well as his partner.

Worst enemy is… uh, in gameverse, it’s basically himself :| Lots of guilt over Lysandre. In animeverse, it actually is Lysandre and his only regret is not being able to punch the fucker in the face in person for everything he did to Alain.

30. Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)

Gameverse, he canonically does the whole “:) :) :) Nothing is wrong :) :) :)” thing. Like the Couriway scene, he starts out pretty flat and sad, using a lot of ellipses, generally subdued body language, actually turning away from the protag. Within seconds, he’s all smiles and energy and !!! again, so basically suppress, suppress, suppress, and fall apart when there’s no one else around.

Animeverse strikes me as being more emotionally honest and proactive? Like gameverse did make moves to stop Lysandre from behind the scenes, but animeverse, when Gabby was stolen, actively and immediately went out to find her and like. Flung himself down a cliff to defend her! He acts quicker and actually shows much more honest expressions - when he’s angry with the Rockets, it shows, when he’s scared, it shows. So I feel animeverse would react to intrapersonal disaster by actually reaching out to people and not bottling everything up (unless he’s trying to keep a strong face for someone else, like Alain or the kids).

33. Concept of home and family?

Family and home are basically synonymous! I see him having a pretty good relationship with his biological family (gameverse Diantha, Auntie Drasna, parents, et cetera), but also others becoming part of family of choice. Best example, of course, is in animeverse, with Alain, who is definitely his son, and his relationship with Meyer, and Clemont and Bonnie becoming his stepkids (and he’s already great with Bonnie even before that, like lifting her up to pet Gabby in the second episode!), and he’s sort of adopted all his other students too, especially Manon (protective Papa Wolf Sycamore defending Manon from the Flare grunt was SO GOOD). Whoops, he’s acquired another child :’)

Gameverse version pretty much adopts all his students too, although since they seem to be older than in gameverse, the dynamic can sometimes be more like a mentor and protege than a parent and a younger child. Sina and Dexio, for instance, are more like grown-up offspring - he’s still protective and proud of them, but also trusts them more to be independent. He’d have quite a different dynamic with 10-year-old Serena (a child, he’s protective of her, is proud and encouraging of her, and basically looks after her during the Flare crisis) than he would of 17-year-old Serena (still protective, proud, and encouraging, but he knows she’s much more capable of taking care of herself, and sees her more as a protege or apprentice than a dependent).

34. Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)

Private, definitely, although he’d basically joke about TMI without actually like… revealing actual things. So he’d basically deflect attention with masks and jokes, because he doesn’t want to worry people, or he doesn’t think it’s anyone’s business, stuff like that.

45. Superstitions or views on the occult?

So I always get stuck on this question for the Pokeverse because they have like. Actual canonical Ghost-types and various Gods and stuff like that, haha. Ghost-types definitely exist! Ghosts of Pokemon and people, probably, there’s been reputable sightings. Also, frankly, the Paris/Lumiose underground is probably A Mess thanks to the catacombs, I bet they’re packed with Ghost-types and. Actual ghosts. Probably more ‘it could definitely happen but haven’t personally encountered them’ for the actual ghosts. Superstition-wise, I bet there’s a ton related to the legendaries, and I’d bet the ones relating to Zygarde become a whole lot more interesting for animeverse version now that he’s actually met them! “Oh, yes, the deity of the balance between life and death? Yeah, swabbed the little one, they didn’t seem too pleased. My stepdaughter carried them around in her little bag. Cool li’l bean. Well. Big bean.”

This question becomes really funny for my Xerneas!Sycamore, incidentally.

49. If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?

OPERATION HIDE BEHIND THE GARCHOMP. …Okay no he does grab that Flare grunt but, uh, that wasn’t really a fist fight, and he was still pretty quick to get Gabby out, haha. He’s, um, not formidable. (Gameverse is basically the same except it’s OPERATION HIDE BEHIND THE CHARIZARD or something XD )

AND DONE.