Greenhouse Five (Dangerous & Advanced-Level Plants)

The most dangerous plants in Professor Addams's care can be found here. As with Greenhouse Three, one must have protective gear - and their wand - on hand at all times. An antidote cupboard is found at the front of the greenhouse-turned-makeshift-classroom, in the event that a student is accidentally hurt/poisoned/rendered unconscious/afflicted in any other way by these plants. To add to the allure of the place, a few carnivorous plants known to Muggles are interspersed with the rest of the flora found here.

Once more, a sheet of parchment is affixed to the door. However, this one appears to be slightly stained with an odd red substance in spots in the shape of a fingerprint... could it be blood? Was the professor wearing bandages on his hands today...?

Curious.......






((As stated before, there'll be more even if I have to tell a few tall tales! ^_^))

Eglantine entered the greenhouse in animagus form by pushing the door open with her nose, missing the warning, as she was too short to see it. Leaping up on the antidote cupboard, she curled her tail around her and yawned. With Edwin and Horatio both baying for her attention, it was difficult to find a place to take a brief nap...plus she had all of her other responsibilities.

It was a blissful joy to morph into her cat form, erasing all the pain and fatigue from her weary body. Closing her eyes, she began to purr softly.

As Miranda wandered through the castle getting reaquainted, on a sudden whim she decided to pass by the Greenhouses. Gardening was a hobby of her's so despite the warning sign on the door she entered calmly with a hint of curiousity. However, instead of the deadly plants, her attention focused on the tabby resting on a cupboard.

The older witch knew instantly that it wasn't a normal cat. Not only by the aura it was releasing, but by the way it rested. True the position was feline enough, but that was most likely because the person had been an animagus for quite sometime. Slowly and quietly she approached the tabby-formed human and asked in a quiet, gentle voice. "And who might you be?"

Eglantine lifted her head, slightly annoyed that someone had interrupted her nap. Seeing an older witch with a pleasant face and neat appearance, she blinked to be certain she wasn't hallucinating. Torn between morphing back to answer the question and remaining in her animagus form, Eglantine began to purr a bit louder.

Stretching in feline custom, she leapt down from the cupboard and transformed back into her human form, levitating above the ground by a few inches. "Professor Eglantine DeLanquar. And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" she stated politely, her voice soft and friendly.

Miranda smiled in response. "Miranda Maecer, school counselor. It's lovely to meet you, Professor Delanquar." she replied, shaking Eglantine's hand.

At the back of her mind, Miranda wondered what Professor Delanquar's relationship was with her granddaughter. She cursed inwardly for not thinking to alter her appearance a bit more beyond haircolor. Because she had worked at foreign schools, her appearance was never a problem. But now, well...she could very well pay for such a foolish mistake. After all, if the good Professor saw Amaranth on an everyday basis, the similarities between the two may be more pronounced to her.

Oh no, a counselor, Eglantine thought, alarms blaring in her mind. Ignoring that small voice which stated things such as "run for it", she nodded, glad her hands had not been shaking since she had been taking the potion. It hardly made a good start to any meeting to have one's hands shake combined with floating...

For a moment, Eglantine glanced at Miranda's face, certain that the woman bore a striking resemblance to Viper. Not one to pry, she settled on the idea that it was rather unimportant. "You arrived just in time for the Triwizard Tournament, Counselor. How lovely."

Miranda noticed the expression that came over the younger woman when she stated her profession. It was a natural response, one Miranda encountered very often, though firmly discouraged. In fact, she wasn't even fond of the word "counselor" but alas, her superiors felt it sounded much more professional than "friend" which is what Miranda viewed her true profession as.

She nodded in reply. "Yes, in fact, that was one of the reasons I was eager to apply for a post here. Being in a renowned tournament such as the Triwizard can be very trying on a student, very stressful. Naturally they will not want to say a word, as many of them were reared to bottle their emotions so I felt it was imperative to be here. Not necessarily to come, coddle, say everything will be alright, not anything like that. Merely, a place to come to, a safehaven from prying eyes." with a small laugh, she added. "Possibly have an office that can be blown up to help release emotions."

"Ah I see." Eglantine nodded, pulling out her stained yew wand to put up a ward around them. She had just noticed how close they were standing to several dangerous plants. Excessum set up wards much better than her old wand, but she attempted to ignore that fact.
"I am sure the students will be grateful for your support. Miss Casillas and Miss Vaight are the Hogwarts Champions, both good students and competent witches."

"I am glad to hear that. It wouldn't due if some dunderhead got himself involved." Miranda replied. "You teach transfiguration, I presume, Professor?"

"Yes, I do. Along with Muggle Studies..." she smiled softly. "May I ask how you have found Hogwarts so far?"

Miranda sighed. "It's lovely. Just how I left it." she smiled.

"Oh you attended." Eglantine murmured, slightly worried about which house the so far delightful woman had been a member of. She knew that anyone who attended Hogwarts seemed to have a biased mind... "I am glad you find it so."

"Only for a year." Miranda quickly added. "It was during Grindelwald's era so I shifted in between schools, graduating with a private tutor."

Eglantine's eyes lit up with pure joy. "Oh how interesting." she stated softly, her fingers stroking Excessum in her pocket. The small sparks of magical energy soothed her, causing her to almost form a habit of touching the wand. "I myself did not attend Hogwarts. Did you attend Beauxbatons at any time?"

Miranda shook her head. "No, not as a student. I worked there for three years but that's all."

Figuring that Miranda had not worked there when she had, as she would have remembered the woman, Eglantine almost breathed a sigh of relief. "So you would know Madame Lasharna then?" if not personally then most likely professionally. Unless Miranda worked at Beauxbatons before she had become Headmistress, which would have been almost 20 years...

Miranda nodded. "Professionally. We were in diffferent circles in the staffroom, I suppose you could say, but we got along fairly well."

"Ah, impressive." Eglantine stated, smiling as she imagined her friend's interaction with most of her staff-members. They fell into two classifications: those too afraid to attempt to get to know her and those wise enough to keep the relationship professional. Lasharna only loved two things...herself and her youngest daughter.

"Have you worked here at Hogwarts very long, Professor?" Miranda inquired gently, as to not appear prying.

"No, this is my first year. I took a sabbatical of sorts from my old university." She conveniently left off the reason and that it had been from a muggle university. "I trust you met Headmistress Kiara."

"Yes, she is quite sweet. Rather young, but then again at my age I consider everyone young." Miranda replied good naturedly.

Eglantine nodded, understanding what Miranda meant by seeing those around her as young. Every professor save Horatio, was a good twenty years younger than her...
"She is young, but experienced beyond her years." Eglantine assured Miranda.

Miranda nodded with a smile. "Yes, I got that vibe off her. I take it you two are quite close?"

"I view her as a daughter... and she is my heir." Eglantine replied.

"Do you know Professor Amaranth Viper?" she asked, curious.

"Ah, I see." Miranda nodded. It was natural for the staff to form close relationships with each other within the walls of Hogwarts. After all, more often than not, teachers were single individuals with no family of their own so Miranda thought it as a blessing that people could come together like that.

At the inquiry regarding Amaranth, Miranda stiffened. So she had noticed the similarities between them....

"No, I'm afraid I don't. Not yet at least. I only know of her reputation as a Potions Expert. " she replied with a hint of nervousness. She never was a good liar...

"Are you close with Professor Viper as well?" she asked out of genuine curiousity, eager to see just exactly how her granddaughter interracted with her peers. If she managed to befriend people or had succumed to all the Viper preachings.