Important: Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments); Book Club (Amber) #8: Katherine van Leuwen.

House: Slytherin

Class: Potions

Assignment: #4: Write about why the potion was created

Book Club Prompts: (dialogue) "Death is not the end.", (object) brick, (plot point) looking for someone, (emotion) fear, (time) sundown, (word) numbness

Genre: Adventure; Spiritual

Word count: 768 (Excluding Author's Note, but including entire Entry and Title)

Warning: This is an AU (Alternate Universe).

Characters: (OC) Castella; Darice Lestrange

Keeper of the Emerald Vine

Spring, 1715

Castella stood with her back pressed against the stone wall. Her dark green cloak had been soaked by the downpour of rain. She didn't bother to cast a dispelling charm, as the rain was a refreshing against her skin. In her hand was a brick. She was just about to throw it against the window above her with the light came on, and an eerie figure appeared before her. The shadow slowly moved out of view, before clinging onto the stone wall behind her. Castella watched without a word, knowing that whomever it was, they were an alley in her desperate time of need.

She had been sent by the council to seek out one of the prevailers of their clan. Her family had taken refuge on the Mayflower, and came to America for a new start. Little did they know the sort of trouble that would follow their decision to embark on a journey that marked the new beginning of their lives. It was only a hundred years ago when her grandmother first set foot on free land, and she would soon discover the sacrifice her family was willing to take in ensure a better life for her.

Witchcraft was virtually unheard of, and if anyone found out that she was a witch, she would most certainly be burned at the stake.

Visions of the Salem Witch Trials came into light, and she shuttered at the thought. She did not want her people to be crippled by fear, nor did she wish for them to be singled out and killed because they were different. In one aspect they were guilty, but in another, they were only trying to protect themselves. Castella was determined that no one would come to know her terrible secret, thus her attempt to awaken her humble friend from his slumber. If anyone had the answers, it was Darice Lestrange.

"Must you be so slow?" Castella watched as the shadow morphed into a legible being.

Her friend was brought back to life, presenting her a devious smile. "Transforming into an Animagus is extraordinarily fun!"

"You could have be seen!"

"As if anyone is keeping watch at such an hour," Darice huffed, defeated. It didn't matter the time. Sundown, or not, someone could easily see them. "With that said, what is it that you needed to speak to me about? Surely, it could not wait until tomorrow?"

"Something as important as this could never wait…" Castella looked around. "Quickly, before anyone sees, cast a disillusionment charm."

Darice did as he was asked, bringing a seemingly ordinary feather between them to cast the required charm. As soon as it was placed, Castella turned to him with worried eyes. The numbness that she was feeling was indescribable, and she dearly hoped that the fear that she felt wouldn't deter her from seeking guidance.

"You should have come during the night…"

"I fear that there is an interloper among us."

Darices' eyes darkened. "Are you certain?"

She nodded. "I cannot say whom… I can only feel their energy. Whoever it is, we must act fast. We have only just arrived here and I fear that they want to destroy all that we have built."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I have been collecting some items…"Castella handed him a variety of things she kept hidden on her person. "If we can get the information out of them, perhaps we can save our clan before the truth of our lineage is,"

"No such thing exists,"Darice told her. "I have looked far and wide, studied the scripts. There is nothing that would indicate that we have that sort of ability."

"Until now," Castella beamed, opening her arms as to allow him to look at what she found. "It is a flower than only blooms during a certain time of the year. Once cultivated, we can extract their juices and boil it down to its quintessential form!"

"Potions was never your forté, Castella."

"Would you do the honor of doing it for me?" She did not want to be overbearing, but time was of the essence. Her visions were strong. Whoever was out to get them was somewhere, and she wanted to catch them before they attacked.

Darice only looked at her. "Are you certain?"

"I swear on my gave," she whispered.

"Death is not the end," he warned her bitterly. "But, if it will ease your mind, then your wish is my command."

With that, Castella handed Darice the Emerald Vine, and he set to work on creating the Veritaserum Potion.