Second Seed; [Action]

[nearlychosen]

[If anyone's traveling in the vicinity of House 26, they might take notice of the little garden that's steadily been popping up outside over the past few weeks. Even if it's just another garden at first glance, today one of the residents is kneeling outside in the dirt attempting to change that. In the midst of a patch of what looks like mundane dasies, the round-faced, slightly dirty Neville is settled, brow furrowed in concentration, as he prods at the flowers with his newly-found wand. He's mumbling fiercely under his breath, presumably to the flowers themselves. Feel free to interrupt, Luceti. He won't bite.]

Comments

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

What sort of project were you assigned? [He's curious about that school, suspecting it as one of the possible reasons Harry's gone completely mental lately.]

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Uh.... [well, this is sort of embarrassing.]

We had to take care of an egg. To learn about parenting.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[A blink. Harry certainly didn't mention taking any Care of Magical Creatures classes here...] What kind of egg was it?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Just a chicken. We weren't actually trying to hatch them.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

What else could you learn from them about parenting, if not through hatching?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Pretend it's a kid and try not to break it.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

... And on your world, is that how children are normally raised?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Well, no. An egg doesn't cry or need changing.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

Then I'm not really sure how that assignment is suppoed to work. [There's no cynicism in this, though. He's genuinely confused by the practice. Why would Harry willingly volunteer for something like that?]

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Don't ask me. I think they were just trying to scare everyone and didn't have those baby dolls that actually make noise.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

... There are dolls that don't make noise? [Forgive him, he's never really lived among Muggles before.]

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

...Uh, yeah. Anything without batteries. [And she's never lived with wizards.]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[He's got no idea, but will give his best guess nonetheless!] Do you need to cut off the wings before they're save to use?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Cut off... what? [now she's completely lost.]

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

The wings. From your bat-earies. [He's getting this wrong, isn't he?]

1/2

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

[.....]

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

[sorry, Neville. She's not laughing at you. She's used to people not getting technology, but the way he misunderstood was probably the best she's heard yet.]

No, it's not a real bat. It's... uh, well, something you put in machines to make them work.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[It's okay to laugh. He hasn't tripped or made anything explode in recent memory, so it's probably not malicious at all.]

You mean it's like that eklicitry thing Harry talks about sometimes?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. A battery stores electricity.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

And that's how you make things work without magic. [There's a slow nod to show his determination to GET THIS Muggle stuff if it kills him.]

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Yeah. No magic needed.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

How does it work?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

Technical stuff's... not really my area. A friend of mine would be happy to geek out about it though--

[... but then she stops abruptly.] Well, maybe later. He's not around right now.

[nearlychosen.livejournal.com]

[He frowns lightly at the shift in her demeanor.] Was it one of those kidnappings?

[pinkribbons.livejournal.com]

...Yeah.