Year Two

Chapter 13: Witch Scouts

Around the first week of November, Madeline and Violet found themselves at a meeting to join Witch Scouts. Both girls had been part of Girl Guides back home and were eager to find out what Witch Scouts were like. The meeting was being held by a few seventh years from various houses who were looking to recruit girls from younger years. The troop had been established at Hogwarts about twenty years ago, but Witch Scouts had been around since the early twentieth century shortly after Juliette Gordon Low had founded Girl Scouts in the United States. The seventh year students showed the potential recruits some photos and told stories about what they did throughout the year including crafts, spellwork, camping, and muggle-style survival techniques (in case they ever lost their wand). It didn't take much convincing for Madeline and Violet to decide to join. They even managed to convince Allison Longbottom to join as well. The three girls filled out all the forms necessary then were given a card stating the time and place of the first meeting.

The first meeting was a week after recruitment and was held in an unused classroom on the fourth floor. They were introduced to the other scouts and played a game intended to get to know others. Besides Maddy, Vi, and Allison, there were two Hufflepuff third years, two Gryffindor second years, and one other Ravenclaw first year who had joined. Total there were twenty-eight girls in the troop, and it was a mixture of houses. There was no separation of houses here though. Every girl worked with the other regardless of their house affiliation.

By the third meeting, the witch scouts had started learning magic-less survival skills starting with knot tying. They learned alpine butterfly knots, bowlines, clove hitches, double fisherman's knot, double overhands, figure eights, half hitches, square knots, and the various forms of lashing. However for some it was a little too easy. Violet had memorized all of the patterns for knots already back in Girl Guides. Her younger brothers had been in Boy Scouts too, which had caused a flurry of competitive knot tying in the Hayden household one summer.

However, being the diligent Ravenclaw she was, Violet didn't just sit idly while the others tied knots. Instead she started learning new knots from the book one of the older scouts had brought. She created a noose first and proudly showed it off to Madeline who was still struggling with the double fisherman's knot. "That's a bit creepy actually," Maddy commented.

"Only because of what it's notorious for!" Violet fired back. "It's just another version of a slip knot."

Violet undid the noose anyway though and started working on another. Maddy, in the meanwhile, had finally gotten the double fisherman's knot and was showing it to Allison when a loop of rope fell over her head and cinched around her shoulders. She was jerked backward slightly, but kept her balance. "What the…?" she exclaimed as she turned to see that Violet had created a lasso and had somehow managed to perfect throwing it as well. "Ravenclaws…" Maddy rolled her eyes as she pulled the rope off.

"What about Ravenclaws?" a fourth year with navy blue accents on her robes questioned indignantly.

"Nothing!" Maddy hurriedly said.

"No, I'm interested to hear," the girl had her arms crossed over her chest and her foot was tapping the floor impatiently.

A low chuckle came from behind Maddy before Vi spoke up to defend her friend. "She doesn't mean anything by it, Amy."

Amy looked over Maddy's shoulder to see Violet. "If you're sure…" she questioned as though making sure the younger girl didn't actually need her help.

"Yeah, Maddy's fine." Violet grinned.

Amy nodded and walked away to help another girl with knot tying. Maddy let out her breath and turned to face Vi. "You're forgiven."

"For what?"

"For lassoing me," Maddy rolled her eyes.

"I was just having fun!"

"Whatever…" Madeline was about to turn back to her knots when a second lasso came flying out of nowhere and fell over both girls. It pulled tight, jerking them together and making them stumble to the floor. Both girls shouted as they tipped over then let out a grunt as they hit the stone floor. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and stared.

"Sorry!" Allison Longbottom giggled, one hand covering her mouth the other still holding the end of the rope.