Absit Omen RPG

"It is a pear I think."

Owen squinted at the tree, it was.  Merlin, how embarrassing.  Perhaps he needed to visit a healer for an eye test.

"Yes, they do that.  It's bittersweet when they have plans that don't involve you."

"Good morning, Feliks."  Owen started from the whistle.  Thankfully the fruit in the basket stayed in the basket.  He held the basket out, offering the boy some fruit while the dog joined them.

Catching fish with their hands.  That seemed unnecessary considering they had wands and the water was likely to be cold.  "He did not."  Owen would have chosen a different set of boots for such an adventure.  He had boots for walking around and wading through streams when he needed something from a stream.  The ones he had on would do, but they were not he best for it.  "Usually I'm just trying to get the fish to vacate the plant I want."

"I rarely got to run down the hills, my brothers usually made sure I was rolling down them," Owen said with a laugh.  They were good memories, even if at the time he'd been insulted in a way that only a younger brother could be.  He hoped his own children, and nieces and nephews, remembered these years as mostly good.  The past year had been rough on the family.

"Should be safe enough between the two of us.  I'd hazard a guess that the worst creatures are tucking in by now.  Though some of the meanest plants will be waking up about now."  He watched as the young Spectre put his shoes on. He wondered if he could get any of his kids out on a walk.  Probably not.  He supposed for students there was a difference between a professor who is a family friend and a professor who is their father.

"I hope he knows that peach isn't close to edible yet.  How often do you two come out here?"

Owen headed toward the voices in the clearing with a small basket filled with fruit from the greenhouses.  The  benefit of working  in the greenhouses, at the castle or back at the manor, was not always having to join everyone else for fresh food.  Sylvain had mentioned in passing joining him and Feliks on one of their treks into forest and the basket would do double duty for carrying back anything gathered once its current contents were picked through.

He raised his free hand in greeting as he approached.  "G'morning."  He looked up into the peach tree as he stopped next to the creatures professor.  "You know I used to give my mum fits climbing trees.  I'm not sure any of mine would even bother... should probably be thankful for that."  He plucked a strawberry from the basket before offering the basket to the other professor, "fruit?"

Owen walked into the staff room with a huge box of chocolate.  He'd already distributed large and very glittery boxes to his children at breakfast.  And his wife's gifts had been sent by owl before breakfast.  This large box was for the rest of the staff.  Dealing with students deserved chocolate on the best days, but with the extra shenanigans of Valentine's Day, chocolate was a necessity.

And his arrival seemed to have missed the assignment of extra duties. Not that he minded usually but there was always extra demand in the greenhouses around Valentine's Day.  "If I'd known we were decorating here too I would have brought flowers, not just chocolate." He set the box down next to the pink tea set.  "Actually I still can," he looked around the room considering what he had left in the greenhouse.

Owen sighed as Greyfriar finally got around to the werewolf topic.  Surely that meant they were nearly done, he really did have work to get back to.  The Forbidden Forrest was as good as any place to build a secure room he mused, though he was pretty sure at least half of the students ventured into the trees for no other reason than they weren't supposed to.  He'd gone in during his own time to find certain plants that he'd run out of.  Why send off to buy more when they were easily within reach.  And if he'd run across a building he certainly would have investigated.

But the Headmaster seemed to have a solid plan. Which was more than enough for Owen.  He'd spent his fair share of full moons babysitting his nephew while he transformed.  And the day-to-day task of growing the plant ingredients needed for the wolfsbane potion; he'd preferred to grow what he and his family needed before tainted potion ingredients had become a much larger issue.

"You obviously have everything sorted," Owen said quietly.  "And if there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask.  But I have no further questions, and I really do have an umbrella plant that needs my attention."

"Not to single out any of my own," Owen spoke up as the headmaster listed off names of students who needed additional attention.  "But Brenna hasn't been coping with her sister's death.  Not that we expect her to, but she barely spoke over the summer.  If she opens up to anyone..." He shrugged to the assembled professors.

The only reason he had taken the position originally was to watch after the younger members of his family.  Not that that had endeared any of his nieces and nephews to him.  Not to mention his own children.  "As for the rest of them, they all know how to work in a greenhouse and they know what tasks will be given to them for a detention."  He grinned a bit, brewing up some dragon dung fertilizer had an amazing effect on behavior.  At least in the short term.  It had yet to have a permanent effect on Madox.

Owen hurried into the staff room, still with some streaks of dirt and soot still on his robes.   It was easy to lose track of time in the greenhouses.  Especially on a grey cloudy day.  And one of the umbrella plants had been quite under-the-weather after one of the first years somehow managed to ignite half of it during a class earlier in the week.  He wasn't willing to call it quits on trying to save it since the plants took years to grow to a respectable umbrella size, and this particular one had been there since before he'd been a student if he remembered correctly.

"We are short one or two, non?" Owen heard Onuris ask as he entered.

"Sorry.  I'm here.  Its hard to keep track of time in this weather." He apologized before stopping to fix himself a cup of tea.  "And with most of the students in the village, no distractions either."  A perfect day to get some work done.  Which seemed to include a staff meeting.

"Apologies, professor."  Owen said to Juliette as her summoning spell summoned nothing living, but a few of the pieces of the mandrake root that had been in the vicinity of the slug.  He pulled his own wand and pointed it at the wriggling slug on the back table.  "Accio slug!  I wasn't sure if the eggs would hatch in time for this lesson."  He said as the slug flew into his outstretched gloved hand.

 "You can all take your seats again, there was probably only the one." he addressed the class now smiling, "Quality is not just about the ingredient itself or the preparation.  You may get surprises beyond a mislabeled ingredient.   Slugs, insects, any number of molds and fungi that you weren't expecting if the quality isn't up to scratch."

He pulled a box out of his robes, stuffed some lettuce into it and carefully deposited the slug inside.  "Would you use the rest of the jar?"  He asked the class.

"Thank you, Professor."  Owen said picking up the jar of prepared mandrakes.  Mandrakes happened to be faked more often than not if one wasn't going through a proper supplier, mostly because no one wanted to prepare mandrake for use given their nature.  So it was usually purchased ready for brewing.

"As I'm sure you all remember from your studies, as mandrake is particularly dangerous to grow.  This leads to most not growing their own, and to many not purchasing it whole.  Though all one really needs for the process is a good pair of earmuffs."  He held up the jar for the students to see.  "For example, this jar is labeled mandrake.  But, do you know for sure when the mandrake was harvested?  Was it allowed to properly mature to the point where it's cry can kill?  Are you even sure it is a mandrake?"  He asked looked directly at one of the students.[1]

1.	Can be anyone. Also, there would be both a non-magical answer and a magical answer to the question.

Owen had remained silent for much of the meeting, seeing as most of the discussion was about events well in the works before his arrival.  And he'd already decided not to show his face anywhere near the panel, not with Rhys in attendance.  Though if they'd had the panel when he was in school, Rhys may not have existed.

When the topic turned to the career day and security risks, well that was something he had an opinion about.  "I, for one, wouldn't mind Aurors minding more than a booth.  Vetting would typically allow say a Ministry department head onto the grounds...." Granted that particular department head wouldn't be setting foot near the school but surely he didn't need to say more than that to make a point.

Letting that hang in the air a moment before he spoke again, "I need a full set of brochures.  I seemed to have missed out on receiving  any."

"I  imagine it will be.  I will freely admit that I'm looking forward to seeing them every day."  And being able to watch over them, though Owen left that unspoken.  No sense antagonizing the counselor.  He'd leave that to his mother if he felt it was needed.  She was in a better position to on the board of governors anyways.

"They'd better be."  Owen replied before the professor stuck his head in.

He stood and took the proffered bottle.  "Pleasure to meet you as well.  I hope teaching hasn't completely stopped you writing, my brother would be disappointed.  He enjoys your histories."  He looked back at Maiko, "Ig, not Pennar," he said, explaining that it wasn't the previous brother he'd mentioned this time.  "Well since it isn't a cold night, yet, I'll set this aside and we can enjoy the tea for now."

He walked around behind the desk and stashed the firewhiskey in a drawer.  "Would you like to join us?  I can get another cup."  He gestured to the tea that Maiko had poured for the two of them.

"Since I haven't been able to prove otherwise, yes he is," Owen replied with a laugh.  He was pretty sure most of his siblings would give the same answer if asked.  Except Pedran, but then it would be hard for him to say his twin wasn't his twin.

He reached into the trunk and moved a few things around before finding the well-worn wood box and setting it on the desk.  "The rest can wait."  He opened the box, showing a complete porcelain tea  set decorated with a pack of lions that did not sit still nor stay on one piece of the tea set.  He set on the desk what they'd need for the two of them to have tea.  "And it's great.  First time I've ever gotten a basket of anything from a new co-worker.  So, how about some of that tea?"

He opened the box of tea and added some to the teapot before tapping his wand on the rim and adding boiling water.  "Bowen knows," Owen smiled, "but then, he saw me off this morning.  So no, the rest don't.  Neither do any of the nieces or nephews unless their parent's already owl'ed."

He pulled a chair around so that they'd both have one to sit,  "Plesae, sit.  Tell me how the kids are doing.  I hope they've all come and seen you." Hopefully several times. 

"Five points Hufflepuff and Slytherin."  He chastised himself for not asking the students to give their names when answering questions.  Herbology was much easier than teaching herbology.  "For the next few lessons, please give your name when answering.  But correct on both accounts."

He pulled the Dictamnus forward and held it in front of him.  "A beautiful flower, not particularly useful to a witch or wizard.  Unless you need a fire.  In which case put it outside and provide a spark.  Keep your eyebrows away."  He said the last bit as he rubbed an eyebrow.  "Take my word for it, it will light, it will be beautiful for a moment, and your eyebrows do not grow back as quickly as you think.  And I will make sure no one gives you a hair grow potion or charm to make it grow any quicker."

He sat the plant back down, "I have however seen less reputable suppliers sell it rightfully as dittany, profiting off unsuspecting potioneers who don't know their ingredients.  I'd hate to see the results of those potions."

He took the American dittany in hand, "Looks great around a home, if you take the time to get it to grow here.  Makes an interesting tea which can help with headaches and some other minor ailments.  I've found there are better teas and potions for what American dittany can help with and all of them taste better.  Used more by muggles and some witches and wizards in America than here, given its native to the United States."  He placed the pot back on the table and picked up the last two, holding on in each hand.

"Cretan dittany," he held up the pot in his right hand, "and Venusian dittany.  The first, what muggles thought is a magical healing plant.  The second, what we know to be a magical healing plant."  He said with a laugh.  Both actually named for the same event.  The first named for where it grew when Venus used it to heal Aeneas, the second named for the fact Venus used it to heal Aeneas.  "You can use the Cretan dittany in a poultice to heal a wound.  It might speed it up a few days.  It might keep you from seeing a healer.  But it has no inherent magical properties."

He sat the Cretan dittany on the table behind him.  "Now,Venusian dittany, or for our purposes just dittany is what we will concern ourselves with as a plant with magical properties.  Including healing."

Owen carefully snapped a non-flowering stem off the plants and deftly removed the leaves from it, setting both the stem and pile of leaves next to each other on the table.  He then plucked a petal and collected pollen with a tiny oak stick setting both on the table.  Followed by carefully pulling the stigma and the stamen from the flower and putting them on the table.

"Stem, leaves, petals, pollen, stigma and stamen.  Each part of dittany has a different use.  Who can name one?  And leave it at one, let others have a chance to answer."  His eyes lingering on the Slytherin who had named all four plants before quickly moving on to his son whose hand had tentatively raised.  Worried about his classmates?  Or worried about him.  Either way, it was the first hand he saw and he was going to have to call on him sometimes.  "Yes, Rhys?"

"The stem can be used to induce lucid dreaming, but it's not restful sleep like normal dreaming would be."  Rhys spoke just barely loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Correct.  Next?"

March 9th, 2011 9am, Greenhouse 7
Please assume your student has already arrived unless otherwise arranged—with consequences.

---

Four potted plants sat on a work table in front of the class, three of which looked similar if one ignored the flowers.  Which Owen was sure none of the students would.  The first had a five-petaled pale purple flower with larger leaves[1], the second had smaller leaves and a pink cluster of small flowers[2], the third a single small purple flower on each stem[3], and the final with a cluster of pale white flowers with gold specks on the ends of the petals.[4]

Owen stepped in front of the table and looked out over the class split apart by the two worktables running the length of the greenhouse, scanning the faces, smiling at his eldest son who judging by his expression was still not happy that he was there and then moving on to Brenna who was standing next to him.  He was glad to see them sitting together, he couldn't imagine losing one of his siblings let alone a twin and she was going to need family around her.  Which was one of the reasons why he was here.  Of course, there was another as well.

"As I'm sure most of you have heard already, my name is Professor Prewett, and yes Rhys is mine and Brenna is my niece just to get that out of the way now."  He left unsaid that Siana was his niece as well. 

"First, I understand you lot have been working on a long-term herbology project, please continue.  The  bubotuber's are looking to be in excellent condition, though a few of you have  missed several opportunities to gather the pus.  You will find that the extra pus will find its way to the other plants and is what's been causing several plants to become ill, it's not difficult to get them back to their healthy purple selves, but I won't give you the answer until you've looked for it yourself."

Owen smiled at the class as a few of them groaned, obviously wanting to ditch the bubotubers in the nearest bin.  "Now today we will start looking at some of the most valuable plants to a wizard."  He pointed to a student in the front of the greenhouse.  "Care to hazard a guess as to what type of plants those would be?"

1.	Dictamnus (burning-bush, dittany and gas-plant)
2.	Origanum dictamnus (dittany of Crete, Cretan dittany, and hop marjoram)
3.	Cunila origanoides (stone mint, frost mint, dittany, and American dittany)
4.	Magum dictamnus (dittany, Venusian dittany, healing mint).

Owen looked up at the knock and smiled at the visitor.  "I'm fine,"  He answered as he stood and took the proffered basket.  "Owen Prewett, new herbology professor."  He paused and smiled, "though I guess you probably knew that already.  Not that many adults moving into the castle every day."  Well from what he'd heard lately there'd been quite a revolving door of professors.

He set the basket down on the desk noting the contents he could see.  Baked goods and tea.  All in all as a nice a welcome basket as he'd seen in a while.  His previous co-workers weren't in the habit of welcoming newcomers other than to point out the most dangerous plants in the greenhouse.  And some didn't even do that.

"And I have to know-- what did Pennar do?"

Owen laughed softly, "Well would you like the full list?"  He paused a moment before continuing.  "Joking of course, we don't have time for that.  No, he decided to hex my trunk.  Unpacking charms are going...off...haywire. Guess he thought I should unpack by hand.  Well I assume it was him, it could have been one of the kids but they were all here, and don't know I'm going to be their professor yet." He shrugged.  Such was life with a big family.  Or just a family that included Pennar.  At this point most things were blamed on him if the children were at school.