this gift is a curse;

you can't wake up--this is not a dream Percival Trelawney Herbology Professor

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lcfferty: 

She easily took the lead, the greenhouse a place incomparably familiar to her, outside of perhaps, the Astronomy Tower ( an irony in itself ). “They’ve only had a few minutes so far to muck anything up, so at least we’ve got time on our side. I find the secret to taming any fifth year is spinning tales of horror about children who last tried their luck with a Mandrake or the like — it typically works and s’not generally too far off from the truth.”

Percy let out a laugh at her suggestion. “Believe it or not, Katie, I’m not typically a fan of instilling fear into children. I’ve found that does much more harm than good, even if it is the truth. I’m much more inclined to take the kinder route and inform them gently of the dangers of messing with magical plants. Though your way might prove to be a bit more effective. Perhaps we could do a little experiment today. You try your method on half the students and I try mine on the other half. It could be interesting.”

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hufflegreg:  

“D’you know that this school needs? A theatre department! I know that historically there have been issues, but we’ve evolved as an institution! Just think of how amazing a fully functional, enchanted stage would be…”

“That sounds like a fine idea, but do you think other people will be interested? Is there really a big demand for theatre among the students. If there is, I haven’t heard of it.”

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lcfferty: 

Doe-like legs draw her a few paces forward, eyes cast over her shoulder. “Seems we should be getting you back then, Professor. At this rate, we’ll be salvaging what’s left of a greenhouse — maybe even of Hogwarts like you said.”

Percy grinned and began walking behind her toward the greenhouse. “I’ll admit, I’m slightly dreading getting back and seeing what they’ve done to the place. If they haven’t already destroyed the place, perhaps you could help me keep them under control.”

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beatricerosier: 

“I’m equally sure that I can. I just need to focus. But um, thank you, Professor.” Beatrice gave the man a small smile amidst the hazy smoke that emanated from her damaged cauldron, and then scrunched her nose as she inhaled some of the smoke. “Merlin, that does smell bad. I’ll need to clean it up before the stink could travel further.” 

Percy let out a small laugh. Having to deal with magical and mundane plants all day that often let off strange odors, smells like that didn’t even make him think twice. He pulled his wand from its place in his clothing. “I’ll clean it up. Why don’t you go get some more supplies for the potion,” he suggested. His holly wand was pointed at the ruined potion before he whispered, “Scourgify.” 

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beatricerosier: 

“Essence of Dittany,” Beatrice admitted a little hesitantly. “I just wanted to see if I could brew it.” She gestured at the abysmal outcome of her attempt. “Guess we now know the answer to that.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Dittany is a sensitive plant. If you leave it just a moment too long, then your potion is ruined.” Percy leaned his elbows on the desk, looking up from her potion. “I’m sure you can brew it if you don’t get distracted. Go ahead and try it again.”

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kayley-matthew: 

“Well…. maybe. Maybe it really is like that but…. that doesn’t mean it is going to get any easier for the next years - right?” Kayley sighed, glad when they finally reached the Hospital Wing so she could sit down on one of the beds there. “And of course as…. a teacher you are having other preferences as well. But… some of the students here simply wish they could leave school forever already. At least from…. what I have heard.”

“The next few years might be awful, but don’t let that deter you from the fact that the years afterwards will be better than you can imagine.” Percy motioned for one of the nurses when Kayley sat down. He leaned against the frame of one of the bed as he looked down at her. “I’m aware. And they will get to leave the school forever if they so choose to. What lies beyond here for them will make it all seem worth it, I’m sure. You have to go through a little bit of troubles to make all of the good things that are going to happen seem wonderful.”

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lcfferty: 

She mirrored the laughter, a brow arched with disbelief. “Of course, fifth years know all too well how to busy themselves. Merlin, I wouldn’t be surprised if you returned to one missin’ a finger to a Fanged Geranium. In fact, do you think I could go back with you? I was looking to check on some assignments of mine anyway. Too, I never mind a little extra time in the greenhouse.”

“Now that I think about it, you’re probably correct. For all I know, they’ve burned that entire section of the school down. I place far too much trust in my students,” he grinned. Percy nodded. “Of course. You’re always welcome in the greenhouse.”

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magicaaxliyah: 

“All of them. I’m failing them all and I always turn things in late, I don’t understand anything.”

“You’re new to all of this, go easy on yourself. It will get easier as time passes. If you ever need help with any subject, my door is always open.”

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blythexxlestrange: 

Blythe usually didn’t talk about the underlying motivations behind her wild behavior, perhaps because she’d been that way so long it was easy to forget the why in the first place. Though the few things she did end up saying to Professor Trelawney kept bugging her all day. October was a hard month, every year when it came around she was just a little more unhinged than normal, her ploys and schemes a little more reckless, not huge changes usually nothing anyone could notice. Though she did, she knew she was more on edge and she knew why.

As Blythe entered the greenhouse she wasn’t her normally bubbly self, the grin that nearly always stayed plastered on her face just not there that night. Mostly because she couldn’t help but get the feeling that the Professor was not going to just let their earlier odd conversation go. Professor Percival just didn’t seem like the kind to forget thinking it was the mindless rambling of a pothead.

As she closed the door behind her she stood with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, leaning back and forth on the soles of her feet as she watched him at his desk until he looked up at her. “At least it was just your desk, this whole place looks highly inflammable.” She said with a weak grin as she made a grab for the cleaning tools as instructed. Blythe usually found ways to make detentions more fun for herself though today she simply wanted to the minutes to fall away as quickly as possible. “No, unfortunately not.” She answered very honestly. She’d burned through what she had fairly quickly that week and knew she needed to ration for the coming days.

“I suppose that’s a good way to look at it. Though they did destroy a few plants which was rather unfavorable,” he shrugged. Percy looked over to examine the girl’s face. It wasn’t hard to tell that something was bothering her. The professor had grown familiar with her ever-present smile over the years--it was strange to see it faded away. “Good,” he responded bluntly. “We need to talk about that.”

Percy set down the sponge he was holding and turned his full attention to her. It bothered him to see her treat herself in such a way. She deserved better than that--all his students did. They were good kids at heart and he would do everything in his power to ensure that they knew that. His students knew that they could trust him. He knew how to keep a secret. After all, he had kept his own since the day he was born. If there was anyone who knew what it meant to keep something a secret, it was Percy. 

He was silent for a moment as he looked down at her. “Why do you do it?” he questioned. His voice was gentle and smooth. “What has been going on in your life that made you turn to substance abuse?” Percy placed his hands on the desk, interlocking his fingers together. “I won’t force you to tell me anything, but I have to ask. And I hope you know that everything you say to me would be in confidence. There’s no one I will tell. I only want to help you, Blythe,” he reminded her. The professor leaned forward on his elbows, ready to listen to whatever she was willing to tell him.

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beatricerosier: 

“I may have left it on the fire too long and I may have been distracted yes, but don’t fret. I’ll clean the mess right up and then I’ll be on my way.”

“It’s quite alright, dear, we all get distracted sometimes.” Percy stopped to peer over her cauldron. “What is it you were trying to make anyway?”

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character aesthetic                     ↪Percival Seamus Trelawney

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@blythexxlestrange

To say Percy was stressed out was an understatement. The beginning of the year at Hogwarts was always a tad overwhelming with first years having no idea what they were doing, older students walking around like they owned the place, and just generally trying to get back into the swing of things. It didn’t help that his visions were always getting stronger which meant he felt like he had just encountered twelve Dementors at almost all times. But it was nice to be able to sit in the greenhouse at the end of the day to get some peace and quiet. Though he acted like he was upset with the first years for making such a mess, he was glad it gave him something to do alone. At least it usually did.

Today, the professor had to regretfully give one of his students detention. He truly hated having to punish them, but in this particular case, he had no other choice. Percy cared about all of his students, but the encounter he had with Blythe stood out. It greatly saddened him to see that she was turning to harmful substances in order to deal with whatever must have been going on with her. She was too smart for such things. Though she had made it clear that she didn’t want to talk about it, Percy didn’t want to let it go. Perhaps he just had a knack for fixing broken things. 

He was leaned over one of the desks in the greenhouse, cleaning up a Fire-Making spell on a Devil’s Snare that had gone completely wrong, when he heard the door behind him open. Standing up, he turned around to see the student who had been on his mind. “Come on in, Blythe,” he said, beckoning her over. “One of my first years managed to set nearly the whole desk on fire this morning,” he chuckled. “Grab a bucket and a sponge and help me clear away the ash.” He turned to look at her. “How are you doing?” he asked sincerely. “Hopefully not high this time.”

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muahrosie: 

“Y’sound just like Cassie- I’d accuse you of being out to do her bidding, but you’re both far too sincere,” Rosie joked back, gratefully accepting his offer of help and handing the deceptively small, heavy knapsack over. “It’d be rather hypocritical of y’not to- one would think you were trying to steal my spot,” she teased, jauntily falling in step beside him. “So! Any secret tips for next Herbology class, or is it all rather lock and key?”

“Well, us Hufflepuffs are well known for our mischief,” he said sarcastically. Percy took the knapsack from her and let the straps wind around his wrist. He glanced over at her as she spoke, nodding slowly. “Well, the plants we’ll be dealing with are going to be significantly more dangerous than previous years, so I’d advise that you stay on your guard at all times. And it’d be best to learn how to brew your own anti-venom potion. I’ll always have some, but it’d be convenient for you to keep your own. Other than that, it’s pretty straight-forward.”

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kayley-matthew: 

“I am…. honestly not sure if being smart is going to help me here professor,” Kayley admitted with a heavy sigh while still following him. “Like…. my mother always tells me to keep my chin up and all… but…. that’s hard if you’re not considered as… cool here…”She scratched her neck, though the urge to just scratch her arm instead grew stronger and stronger with every moment.

“It will help you,” he confirmed. “Intellect is much more important than popularity. It may not always seem that way, but at the end of the day, you’re going to be the one who is going to succeed and not them. Believe me, I was nowhere near considered cool when I attended here, but now I’m as happy as I can be.” The last part was a lie, but she didn’t need to know that. Percy just wanted to give her a sense of comfort.

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muahrosie: 

“I’m quite all right, really.” She’d stolen one of Jack’s jumpers to throw over her own and topped it all with a thick cloak. It was more like a blanket than anything, and there were only a few more days of sunshine to bask in before the autumnal rains started- Rosie was determined to catch as much of it as possible. Still, she knew better than to test her luck with teachers, prefect or not, and rose to her feet with a little hop, struggling to get her knapsack strung over her shoulder and keep herself covered by her cloak. “But it is getting a little chilly, and we’ve got a match against Hufflepuff coming up… Can’t let myself catch cold.”

“Oh, that’s right, Ravenclaw goes against Hufflepuff next. Maybe I should let you stay out here then to catch a cold. Anything to get my former house to win, right?” he joked. Percy noticed her struggling with her cloak and bag and decided he should help. “Here, let me take that from you,” he said, reaching for her knapsack. “I’ll walk you in. I should head inside as well anyway.”

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kayley-matthew: 

Maybe Kayley should have known it - with an herb expert as a mother she should have known how to brew an antidote. But she didn’t. And she had been too ashamed to ask for any sort of help as well. “I’ll try,” she muttered, biting her lip hard so the pain would hopefully distract her for a little while. “And no I…. have no idea Sir. Really.”

Percy lead her in the direction of the infirmary, glancing over every so often to make sure she wasn’t scratching the boils. It saddened him to think about his students treating others poorly. “It’s alright. Kids can be cruel to one another. Don’t let their pranks bother you,” he told her. “Take pride in knowing that you’re smarter than they are. I know that can be difficult, but it’s really the only thing you can do.”

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slytherintaryn: 

She laughed, “Sometimes I feel like first years will be the death of me,” Taryn hook her head and let out a sigh. Even though sometimes she tried to have sympathy towards them, it was hard. She didn’t have sympathy for anyone very often and, even though she herself had been a first year at one point, she felt that she was so much more responsible and learned so much faster than others did. They drove her crazy. 

“It’s been really great. Sometimes a little overwhelming. I’ve got a few big tests coming up but I’ve always been good at studying.. I’m really upset that this will be my last year in Defense Against the Dark Arts.. It’s one of my favorite classes. I’m not ready to give it up,” In reality, she wouldn’t be giving it up completely. Not parts of it, anyway. Her favorite thing was re-purposing the spells they’d taught her and she’d never be done doing that, “I really do want to take Herbology again next year though. I really learned a lot last year. Besides, I miss being able to listen to you teach every day!”

“From a student’s perspective, they are rather annoying--and they can be as well for professors--but they offer things older students can’t. You’ve got to appreciate that.” Newer students could be difficult to work with sometimes, especially if they have no experience with magic, but they have the innocence and fresh minds that others don’t. It was interesting to see how their minds could be shaped. Percy had a soft spot for them.

“That’s good to hear. Yes, it is a bit tougher than most years, seeing as this is your first experience with N. E. W. T.-level classes, but it gets easier as the year goes on.” Percy nodded as she spoke. “Have you thought about pursuing a career as an Auror then? I feel as though that would be something you were good at.” He let out a small laugh. “Well, thank you. You’re more than welcome to come back to Herbology next year. And you’re always welcome in my classroom or the greenhouse if you’d like to do some Herbology work this year.”