School: Durmstrang
Year: 6
Theme: Plant Poisoning
Main Prompt: [Character] Charlie Weasley
Side Prompt: [First line] This was not a good idea. In fact, it was possibly his worst idea yet
Word Count: 2288
Wolfsbane
This was not a good idea. In fact, it was possibly his worst idea yet. He was sneaking into the greenhouses after curfew, the light of the almost-full moon illuminating the grounds. Charlie had never been particularly good at Herbology, but he knew what he needed to find and had thoroughly studied pictures of the plants. He arrived at the greenhouse and glanced around quickly before opening the door and slinking in.
Finally inside, Charlie sighed in relief. Creeping around the castle was harder than he had expected. He had almost gotten caught by Snape, or when Mrs. Norris had found him and called for Filch, but he had managed to escape just in time.
He started to gather valerian, which was growing near the front.
Nearly half an hour had passed and Charlie still couldn't find the aconite. He had looked everywhere except in the very back behind the Venomous Tentaculas. He had hoped to stay away from the dangerous plants, but it looked like he would have no choice. He needed the aconite, as it was the key ingredient in the potion he was brewing.
Charlie stood a good distance away from the plants, in case his spells missed and they attacked. Taking a deep breath, he whispered "Immobulus" repeatedly, not looking to see if he had hit one before moving on to the next. He checked that they were all frozen before reaching around to the pots behind them.
And there it was, the final plant he needed. Charlie picked off only a few sprigs so it wouldn't be too noticeable. He was starting to think this was easier than he had originally thought when one of the Venomous Tentaculas—released from his spell—grabbed his neck and pulled tight. Charlie gasped and struggled for a few seconds before remembering his wand. He fumbled for it before pointing it backward and haphazardly shooting a few Severing Charms. When the vines around his neck relaxed, he pulled away. Before the other plants could attack him too, he grabbed his ingredients and left the greenhouse.
The courtyard was deserted, but Charlie still felt unsafe out in the open while some windows were still lit in the professors' rooms. Unfortunately, the potion required moonlight, so he couldn't brew it inside. He dragged out the heavy iron cauldron from where he'd hidden it behind some ferns and set to work.
The base of the potion was plain water, so he filled the cauldron and started a fire before preparing the ingredients. Once the water was boiling, he lowered the heat and added the diced valerian roots. They needed to soak for twenty-four hours, so he hid the cauldron again and placed Notice-Me-Not charms over it. Then he headed back to Gryffindor Tower to get a few hours of sleep.
The next night, Charlie snuck out again. He pulled out the cauldron and put out the fire that was still burning below it. The liquid inside had thickened slightly and turned a brownish-yellow.
That meant it was time for the next step. He carefully dropped in one, two, three, four drops of essence of dittany. He held his breath as the potion changed shade to the greenish color described in the instructions. He stirred twice clockwise, then once counterclockwise, repeating for the next half hour. His focus was fully on the potion, so he didn't notice that someone else had approached him.
"Charlie?"
The boy in question jumped and dropped the stirring rod. Shaking his head, he picked it back up and continued stirring. "Merlin, Jason," he said to his dorm-mate and friend, "you almost made me ruin the potion."
Jason peered into the cauldron. "What is this?" Charlie was silent. "Wolfsbane? Charlie, you don't have to…"
"Yes, I did!" Charlie exclaimed, his eyes still on the potion. "I can't stand to see you after a full moon, half dead in the Hospital Wing. I can help you, and I will. It took me five years to even realize that you're a lycanthrope. I could have done something. I should have noticed sooner! I could have helped you then, but I didn't, so I'm doing it now."
"It's not your job to—"
"I'm your best friend. It is definitely my job to help you when you have a problem, and especially when that problem results in you almost dying each month." Charlie kept his voice quiet, but he wasn't going to back down about this.
"Then at least let me help you," Jason argued.
"No." Charlie was firm. "Not this close to a full moon. You're going to go back to the tower and go to sleep. You definitely need it."
Jason nodded in acknowledgment, turning to leave. Just before he disappeared inside, Charlie heard a quiet "Thank you." Then he was gone.
Charlie was left in the courtyard, sitting so still he might have been Petrified. Jason rarely accepted help, and almost never thanked anyone. Charlie knew that he thought relying on anyone else made him weak. As a werewolf from an early age, he had learned that no one would want to help and he would have to do everything alone.
It had taken Charlie five months to convince Jason to accept his help with Transfiguration in exchange for Potions tutoring. That had been the start of their friendship, which, though slow to start, had grown strong.
Jason had trusted him with his greatest secret. Charlie was going to make sure he did not regret it. He pulled the stirring rod out of the now blue potion and relit the fire.
Two pinches of powdered silver were added, then one powdered moonstone immediately after. The potion paled, and Charlie quickly crushed seven moonseeds, wrinkling his nose at the smell of rotten oranges. They were put in and Charlie stirred twice before turning to the final ingredient.
Aconite. Also known as wolfsbane, and the key ingredient in the Wolfsbane Potion. Charlie carefully pulled off the leaves and chopped them up, dumping them into the potion once he was finished. He Vanished the fire, hid the cauldron, and left the courtyard as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon.
It had been a month since Charlie last added to the potion. After exposure to a full moon cycle, the Wolfsbane should be done. It would be ready for Jason to drink during the next full moon. Unfortunately, this month it was too late for him to start taking the potion.
Charlie dragged out the cauldron and started ladling the steaming potion into vials. Each one held a single dose taken each day for a week before the full moon. In the end, there were enough doses to last several months. Satisfied, Charlie packed up the vials, Vanished the residue in the cauldron, and Levitated it behind him as he walked through the corridors. Luck seemed to be on his side, because he did not encounter anyone on his way to the potions storeroom to drop off the cauldron, nor on his way back to Gryffindor Tower.
Charlie had been waiting impatiently for this day. He was going to give Jason the potion. In fact, he had been so distracted that morning that he had broken the pot he was supposed to use the Cleaning Charm on, fed a Porlock from a bag of Kneazle food, and made his desk catch fire in Transfiguration. He had received a detention for the next week from McGonagall, but it was worth it to see the look on Jason's face when he noticed the smoking goblet Charlie held out to him. With a huge smile, he took the cup and drank the potion in one gulp, making a face at the taste.
Jason didn't say anything, but Charlie saw the silent thanks in his eyes. He smiled in return, turning away to go to bed.
Later that night, Charlie woke up suddenly, staring up at the ceiling. He tried to fall asleep again, but heard a strange noise. Tiptoeing through the dorm, he found Jason in the bathroom, throwing up into a toilet.
He looked terrible. It was like the pre-full moon symptoms, but worse. His skin was pale and he was shaking. Charlie pulled him to his feet. "Come on, we're going to Madam Pomfrey."
Jason followed after him. He seemed too weak to argue, although he usually hated the Hospital Wing. Charlie's concern increased and he quickened his pace. Then he heard a thump behind him. Jason had fainted.
"Mobilicorpus," he commanded, hurrying across the castle with his friend's body floating behind him.
Madam Pomfrey must have had some kind of alarm on the door, because she appeared as soon as Charlie entered. Charlie didn't hesitate in explaining what had happened.
"He was vomiting when I found him. We started coming here, but he passed out on the way. I think he's really sick."
Madam Pomfrey settled Jason on a bed and began casting many diagnostic spells. She rushed to the potions cabinet, pulling out a few medicines that Charlie didn't recognize. Two of them were poured down the unconscious boy's throat with a spell to help him swallow them. Then she started muttering a spell under her breath, waving her wand over Jason in strange shapes. Finally, she finished and turned to Charlie.
"Mr. Walsh has recently consumed aconite. Has he taken Wideye Potion in the last twelve hours?" Charlie shook his head. "Has he taken any other potions?"
"Well…" he answered slowly, eyes focused on the floor. "He did take… Wolfsbane Potion."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips. "I see. And who brewed this Wolfsbane Potion?"
"Me," Charlie muttered guiltily.
"And what part of the aconite plant did you use?"
Charlie looked up, horrified. "What—what part? I didn't think—I mean, I used the leaves—"
"Mr. Weasley, the leaves are highly poisonous. In potions, the root is used, or in this case, the flower. I hope you will know better than to brew such a dangerous potion by yourself in the future. Your friend could have died."
"Yes, ma'am," he murmured.
This was all his fault. If he hadn't foolishly tried to brew Wolfsbane, Jason wouldn't be in the Hospital Wing. The aconite could weaken him during the full moon, and he could even die from the injuries the wolf inflicted.
Madam Pomfrey's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I'll take care of him. It's likely that his condition will improve in a few days with the potions I've given him."
"Likely?"
"Nothing is ever certain, Mr. Weasley." Madam Pomfrey gave him a sympathetic smile. "Now, go back to your dorm. You can visit him in the morning."
Charlie couldn't sleep. All night, he was plagued by thoughts of Jason. What if he died? What then? Charlie would have killed him. Would he be expelled? Would he go to Azkaban? How could he live with himself if he had killed his friend?
The next day, he couldn't bring himself to go to the Hospital Wing. He tried to summon his Gryffindor courage and visit Jason, but stopped and walked away. If Jason was doing any worse, he didn't want to know.
The next few days went on in the same manner. Dark circles had formed under his eyes by the third day, and he fell asleep in Charms one afternoon. After the fifth day, he couldn't take it. He forced himself to walk to the Hospital Wing and pull open the door.
Madam Pomfrey was facing away from him, organizing a cabinet of potions. Charlie cleared his throat and she turned to face him.
"Where's Jason?" he asked.
"Mr. Walsh left an hour ago. It took you long enough to visit him, he was asking for you." Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips disapprovingly. Charlie could only nod as he turned and left the Hospital Wing.
Jason had been released. He must have gone to Gryffindor Tower while Charlie was still in class. He ran up the stairs two at a time to the top of the tower. By the time he reached the Fat Lady, he had to stop and catch his breath so he could say the password.
Jason was in their dorm, sitting on his bed. Charlie walked over, calmer now that he was sure his friend was well. But all his fears returned when he saw how pale and thin Jason looked.
"Are you okay?" he asked, immediately regretting asking such a stupid question.
Jason attempted to smile. "I'll be fine. The aconite's out of my system now, but—" He looked around, checking that no one was there "—the full moon's in two days."
"Oh!" Charlie had forgotten about the full moon coming up, focusing on the aconite poisoning. "I'm really sorry the potion didn't work. Will you be okay without it?"
"I've been without it for ten years. I don't need it," Jason answered. "I appreciate you trying, though."
"But it's my fault that—"
"It's not your fault." When Charlie opened his mouth to protest, he continued. "Madam Pomfrey told me what happened. Wolfsbane is a difficult potion, Charlie, you were bound to get something wrong."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for."
Charlie looked Jason in the eye. "I want to help you. I may have failed at brewing Wolfsbane, but I'll always be here. I'll stay by your side no matter what. I promise."