Ilvermorny Year One: The Lost Witch

Midnight Rendezvous

Drew stumbled back in fear as the large green vine picked Miles up from the ground. The vine then threw him to the right and then the left and then back to the right. "Do something!" Miles shouted trying to wiggle out from vine's grasp. Drew began to pat his pockets for his wand; he finally found it and pointed it at the vine. "What am I supposed to do," Drew shouted, "You know I don't pay any attention in class." Miles tried to think as the vine was now spinning him in circles.

Drew finally rose to his feet and tried to get closer to base of the vine. As he was walking he felt something wrap itself around his ankle. He looked down to see the smaller vine wrapping itself around his leg. Before he could scream the vine snatched him off his feet and begun dragging him across the soil floor. Drew's high pitched screaming broke Miles' concentration on not vomiting as the vine was now throwing him in a zig zag motion. He thought hard for a second and then he got it.

"The mud," Miles shouted as the vine returned to spinning him in a circular motion, "The swamp slug mud is an anti-fertilizer, and it makes plants shrivel up." Drew's shrieking intensified as a second vine wrapped around his arm. Miles noticed the vines were trying to pull Drew underground, he had to figure out a way free him and get the mud from behind Professor Hananmoto's desk. "Think Miles, think," Miles said as the vine was now swinging him back and forth in the air.

A third vine wrapped itself around Drew's neck, silencing his screaming. Miles saw this and began to panic. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his wand. He closed his eyes and gripped the wand tight. "Impetus," shouted Miles and a red bolt of energy shot from his wand and zapped the vine. The vine twisted itself tight then flung Miles across the room. As he landed face first, Miles was happy that the floor of Professor Hanamoto's class room was soil.

He hopped to his feet and ran across the room, dodging the smaller vines trying to grab a hold of him. He finally made it to the front of the room and slid across Professor Hanamoto's desk. There were several buckets of different types of mud. Miles tried to read the labels but he couldn't see through all of the dried dirt covering the buckets. "What did she say about the mud?" Miles asked out loud, "Swamp slug mud, nips overgrown plants in the bud and...and...and."

Miles looked back to see the vines had almost pulled Drew underground. "And is...and is...the color of blood!" Miles shouted as he began to look through the buckets. He finally found the dark red mud in the very last bucket. He reluctantly scooped out a large amount with his hands ran over to Drew. He flung the mud all over the vines and they began to wither away, releasing Drew from their grasp. Drew took a deep breath and began to cry.

"Are you alright?" asked Miles. "Yeah," Drew whimpered as he wiped the tears on his sleeve, "I could have died, but you saved me." Miles extended his muddy hand to help his friend off the ground. "How did you know how to do that anyway," Drew asked as the last of his tears fell from his eyes. "I stay awake in class," Miles said firmly as the boys left the greenhouse.

The next evening at dinner, Miles and Drew told Javi and Lillian what happened. "That sounds so amazing!" Lillian exclaimed with a mouth full of broccoli. "It sounds dumb and dangerous," Javi said making faces at Lillian's chewing. "You do realize we have to do something," said Lillian, "We can't just let them kick out Javi and the other non-American students after Christmas." Miles looked his plate of untouched food then back up at the group. "Of course," said Miles, "But what?"

"Well it's obvious isn't it?" Lillian said, "We just have to find whatever or whoever the absolute is before descendants of the scourers do." The three boys looked at each other then back at Lillian, they knew she was right. They all ceased their conversation when Nettie came and sat at the table. They all suspiciously ate in silence and Nettie could feel her presence was unwanted. But as she loved to make people uncomfortable, she ate slowly as possible to enjoy the moment as long as she could.