OOC Thread Sharing for people of different houses

Prelude: The Appearance

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Not Written

Interlude: The Distribution

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Here is the LINK, it's in Classroom.

Act 1 Scenes 1-7

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Act 1 Scene 1: Mysterious Potion Consumption

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Sage Willows

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banner by valkyrja hjörþrimul-kapadia

date- February 1st 2025 time- evening, before curfew

interacting/mentioning- @Clark Baird ooc notes- permission to godmod Clark has been given via discord dms

Sage blinked at the potion on the floor across from her. Whatever it was, she wasn't sure nor did she happen to be certain she wished to consume it.

Clark Baird, resident chaos maker and earth wizard of the coven she had recently joined, had agreed earlier in the day to meet her in their shared common room to figure out what they were to do with this strange liquid they both happened to have.

While Sage waited for her companion to join her, she thought up every potential idea of what the potion could be. And she ended with... very few. With the clock ticking down on the time for her to do her nightly patrols, she hoped Clark would show soon.

And when he did, sitting across from her with is own bottle of the mysterious potion, she began listing her limited ideas to him.

"Hi. So, uh, I've been thinking about whatever...." she paused to motion at the bottle, "...this is supposed to be. I didn't come up with much. But maybe it could be useful to us during the trials? Maybe? I don't know... It's worth a shot at least."

She eyed it unsteadily, wishing she could just go upstairs and sleep, forgetting the potion and whatever homework she had remaining to do. She clenched her hands, her long nails sharp.

She grabbed the bottle in one second's worth of a moment and undid the cork. "Bottoms up," she muttered and poured it down her throat. After she finished it, her urge to return to her own comfortable bed was eliminated to none.

Leaping to her feet and wiping her mouth with the edge of her sleeve, she glanced down at Clark. "Fun as this brief reunion has been, I'm afraid I must get to my patrols." She nodded once to him, heading for the door, arms swinging strongly and feet hitting the ground firmly. Her mind overwhelmed by her sudden burst of strength and confidence, she could only wonder how she would handle those out past curfew. "Goodbye, Clark."

Sage has left this thread after drinking the Mysterious Potion.

Clark Baird

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Honestly, a mysterious drink would be so cool for the usage in the Trials. It definitely meant something, but hell if he knew what it did. He had somehow obtained several vials of a mysterious liquid. He just needed to put four asides for the Coven 4's adventure, and perhaps consider selling the others at his lovely little snake oil shop again.

He nodded at Sage, acknowledging her. She was a prefect, but still on his Coven, so he had to treat her well. The same did not have to be said for Koko and Atlas, they busted his ass before for whatever he did. He gave her a brief smile, his eyes beginning to flutter shut unevenly. He yawned.

Clark grabbed the vial, and undid the cork. He threw his head back and met the vial to the lips, allowing the liquid to slide into his mouth. It had an interesting taste. But he was not paying much attention to that. It felt like a rush, a surge faster than an energy drink could handle, and his eyes flew open. He did not feel as deenergized as he was just a few seconds ago.

"Yes. Good idea." He said, simple. Three words was all he needed to say. He watched her take off, hoping she'd be out of sight when he would decide to take off running into the boys dormitory. He now had the energy to do something malicious.

Clark has left the thread, also drank the Mysterious Potion
@Sage Willows

Act 1 Scene 2: Spiking The Cousin

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Not Written, will add soon

Act 1 Scene 3: Euphoria

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Logan Baird

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Logan had to admit, she had not felt this great in a long time. She had woken up from one of the best dreams she had ever had, although she also could not quite remember it either. The Hufflepuff pulled herself up with a soft smile on her face. Everything seemed brighter, happier, and while Logan was not completely sure what was causing this, she sure liked it.

The girl had woken up quite early, it only being 4:30 so she did the only logical thing. Logan flopped back onto her bed with a soft, dopey grin present on her face. This startled Sherlock in the process, but Logan did not seem to be too bothered by that fact in the slightest. "Sherlock, I don't know why I feel like this but I feel great." She muttered to the cat, closed eyes facing the ceiling as she attempted to not wake up the other girl's in her dorm.

The worries that had plagued Logan for the past months just seemed to have vanished. She had not thoughts about the exams or her future, no worries about whether she was going to fail an upcoming exam or not. Really, Logan could only describe herself as if she was floating. Nothing seemed to bother her at the moment and she felt like nothing was going to be able to bother her again.

Time seemed to move slower for the girl as she lay awake in her bed, feeling as if she had laying there for hours when in reality it had only been half an hour. That did not seem to bother her at all though as she pulled herself up, a soft, sleepy grin still present on her face, as she dressed herself as quietly as possible and moved herself to the common room. She had the strong urge to write to her father, remembering that she needed to talk to him about something but it just seemed like entertainment at this point.

Solo 1 | Solo 2 | Solo 3

Act 1 Scene 4: Horsey Delights

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Logan Baird

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If Logan remembered any of this later, she was going to question this moment the most. At 6 am the girl made her way outside like she would any other morning to go for a jog, but something about this normal activity just made her seem like it was a little adventure in its own way. On any other day, Logan would have been running around the grounds at a steady jog or, if in animagus form, a steady canter to keep up her stamina. That was not happening today, instead everything seemed to be moving slower and Logan could be found prancing around the grounds in a slow, floating trot.

This did not last long as Logan slowed to a stop before rolling on the ground, shifting mid roll so she was now flat on her back as a human again. Staring up to the sky with that sleepy grin still present on her face. The Hufflepuff was not sure where this feeling was coming from, but she absolutely loved it. Normally she would immediately go back into the school to worry about any school work that was not finished, but that worry was not present anywhere in her mind at the moment. Instead it felt like a little quest that she needed to get done before going on her next big adventure.

"Sherlock, I don't know where this feeling is coming from but I hope it never goes away." Logan was staring at the cat that now stood beside her as if he was going to respond to her, but a soft giggle left her when her mind realized that she was being silly and the cat was not going to be responding to her. She almost felt like a child again, no worries and just her own little adventures to go on when she felt like it.

The girl stood up, slightly unsteady, and slowly meandered her way back to the school to find all these little adventures that crossed her mind every time they crossed her mind the in the slightest bit. Logan kind of hoped that this feeling never went away, nothing felt like a worry and her mind was not in a constant turmoil.

Solo 1 | Solo 2 | Solo 3

Act 1 Scene 5: Down in The Dumps

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Logan Baird

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By early afternoon, just a bit before lunch, the effects of whatever Logan had been feeling earlier in the day were gone and she now felt worse than she had previously. The giddiness that filled the early morning was now long gone as the Hufflepuff lay curled in her bad, blankets pulled to her shoulders as she just stared at the wall across from her. This feeling was not completely new to her though, it had just been a while since she had last felt it. Felt the lack of motivation that would keep her in bed for days if given the opportunity. That was one of the reason she tried to keep herself on a schedule.

She suddenly feared her earlier happiness was not even real. Had she been imagining all of that happiness actually being there? Was it all just a trick her mind was playing on her? Logan was not sure, but the thought did not make her feel any better, potentially pulling her into a deeper state of sadness.

The girl missed the child-like view she had seen the world. She missed the slightly brighter colors and the lack of worries that now seemed to be the only thing plaguing her mind. The feeling had of not wanting to go into the work or do anything, to just lay around in her own self pity without the motivation to do anything. It had started to set in when she was sitting in the library. Instead of happily searching for whatever book she needed, she had been quickly losing focus. The worries that were not present suddenly clouding her every thought, but a bit worse than they had before. A sadness had set over her before she gave up on doing work, not finding it worth it anymore and pulled herself back to the girl's dorm where she was presently located.

What was causing this though, she had felt better than ever that morning. Was it whatever had been placed in her drink the evening before, because if so there was one person that probably knew what was going on. "Clark," she muttered, a slight crack to her voice as she used what motivation she had at the moment to pull herself out of bed to go and find the boy. If anyone had anything to do with what was going on, it was going to be her cousin.

Solo 1 | Solo 2 | Solo 3

Act 1 Scene 6: The Boys Letter

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Sage

banner by prat pass

date- February 9th 2025 wc- 465

interacting/mentioning- @Clark Baird ooc notes- sage patrols the boy's dorm, that is why she is here

Sage, fresh off the high of drinking… Okay, so she still didn’t exactly get what it was, but she did know it had managed to ruin lives of the foolish students who’d drank hundreds, including Clark Baird.

Whatever she had consumed, her body ached for it like a mouth parched for water. Knowing well that too many were consumed by such an obsession with a product, she abjured from that moment on to drinking more of the potion. She didn’t want to end up like so many.

But still, part of her wondered what would happen if she continued. Would that energy, that joy return? Or would she cave, sent off with blackening eyes to the hospital wing? The five who drank so desperately, would they commend such an act?

Would this be how she got the attention from Christopher?

As the prefect assigned to patrol the Boy’s Dorms, Sage avoided punishment by just assessing the situation. Nothing major caught her eye, only a slip of paper written in such a dramatic font it took several minutes for her eyes to catch the meaning.

The writer could offer her another taste. In exchange for a task- that wouldn’t be too hard, right?- she would be gifted another taste and burst of excitement just as she had before. But was it worth it, to crash down to where she had been before?

She read over the letter once more, returning it afterwards to its home. But the letter did have an ounce of fact to it, she didn’t want to feel this way any longer. Was this how she avenged the five locked up, eyes empty and body shaking, by ending her short suffering of that one drink?

With eyes so dark, would they even be able to read a letter like this? Would they even have the chance to decrease their suffering? She doubted it.

Looking around, hands shaking as she thought of the idea of feeling improved, she could only wonder who had this power. Would any other prefect be making such a stupid decision to willingly try and go after a cure?

Clark, the troublemaker she drank her first dose with, she would later discover had wound up in the hospital wing. The rumors of black eyes and a painful depression made Sage wonder how he felt after that second drink and the dozens after that. He, she decided, would have little opportunity to read this letter for himself, if he could even read with his darkened sight.

She held her breath for a second, weighing all the chances this could bring or take in her mind. She wasn’t sure, just as she lacked the sureness for so many uncharted events. You had to risk it at some point in life, right?

Act 1 Scene 7: The Girls Letter

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Not Written, will update soon

Act 2 Scenes 1-4

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Act 2 Scene 1: Ecstatic

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Clark Baird

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Voulez-Vous | Taken by Surprise | Oops.. I Did It Again | Take You To Hell | Good Luck Babe! | There's A Hero

Sure, he drank the potion, but he felt kind of loopy, kind of up there, but did not feel like he was going to do anything crazy. He felt kind of relaxed, but he also felt like he wanted to joke around and laugh with some people, not at them but with them. It was a feeling he rarely ever got to feel. Gosh, this potion was weird. He felt his confidence boosting, but he could not say that it would last forever.

He just had to hope it would.

He got up on the floor, taking advantage of his relaxed state, and waved his arms around. He felt carefree, laughing as his arms waved and flapped, his body jiving along.

Then he realized he was in Hogwarts, and thought about how he could be spiderman and save the muggles. Well, might as well put that thought to the test. He threw out his hands, making the 'I-love-you' sign like spiderman does when he shoots webs.

He jumped up and down, giggling and laughing. He felt like a child. A child, he was.

He jumped onto one of the seats in the common room, then turned around so his back was facing the floor and his eyes were facing the cushions of the seat. He was going to try to backflip.

He relaxed, counted to ten, and jumped. He tried to bring in his knees to his chest to complete a full spin and hope that he'd land the landing.

Well, his face met the ground, not the sole of his feet.

Mentions: no one

(fin, moving to Taken by Surprise)

Act 2 Scene 2: Depression

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Clark Baird

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Voulez-Vous | Taken by Surprise | Oops.. I Did It Again | Take You To Hell | Good Luck Babe! | There's A Hero

He groaned, his face hurt from the faceplanting on the ground. Hopefully nothing was broke. Clark threw his arms against the cold floor and forcefully shoved himself up. He was not feeling.. happy or as free as he was moments ago. He walked over to the couch, taking a seat. He looked at the flames flickering, his heart heavy. It was like there was nothing on the inside of his body except for a heart weighing down so heavily that it was pulling the strings to make him feel.. sad.

He murmured, bringing himself down to a slump, putting the weight of his upper body on his arms as the arms bent, the elbows met the knee and his face's cheeks resting between his hands.

He didn't feel.. interested in doing anything, he did not feel like he was spiderman or anyone special, he did not want to get up and move, he just wanted to stay where he was or go to his bed and lay down. He wanted to just die, release all the worries and hate and things that scared him and caused his heart to sink away.

But there was nothing he could do. He stood up from the seat, trying to force the effect away, but it did not get warded off, it lingered.

Well, for a second or two.

Mentions:

fin, moving to Oops... I did it again

Act 2 Scene 3: Trembling

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Clark Baird

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Voulez-Vous | Taken by Surprise | Oops.. I Did It Again | Take You To Hell | Good Luck Babe! | There's A Hero

As he stood up, he felt like his hands were dancing to their own beat. He was confused, he did not know what was happening, why there was a shaking effect going on. Why his hands were shaking. He was not sure how intense it really could be but it was shaking rather quickly and violently, and it was scaring him.

He never shook that bad before, much less one important part of his body. He looked at the glass of water on the table and the mirror someone, likely one of the girls, left behind. He reached over to pick up the glass of water and sure enough, the glass of water was not staying steady, the water splashing up and down the glass interior, the container tilting side to side quickly.

He dropped the glass of water and gasped, feeling he was now a horrendous version of himself, growing horrid with every breath or movement he made. He looked back at the mirror on the table and reached down to grab it.

He slowly brought it to his face, looking to see if he broke a nose from earlier, or if he had something happen to him that he could not directly see.

And it caught his eye. Well, rather, his eye caught his eye. The sclera, or the white of the eye, was dulling. He started to cry. What in the world happened to him? Why was he experiencing all this?

Mentions:

fin, moving to Take You To Hell

Act 2 Scene 4: Vomiting

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Clark Baird

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Voulez-Vous | Taken by Surprise | Oops.. I Did It Again | Take You To Hell | Good Luck Babe! | There's A Hero

He threw the mirror onto the couch and let the hot tears fall down from his eye, trailing his cheeks, and onto the floor. He groaned uneasily, taking a seat onto the common room's couch, and turning onto his side, so that he was effectively.. laying on his side. He felt himself feeling nauseous, the feeling in the back of his throat extremely uncomfortable, the middle of his chest replicating the uncomfortableness alongside the back of his throat.

He began to feel the need to retch, but he could not vomit. It was like he was feeling his internal muscles squeeze and release painfully. It also seemed to trigger salvation, the right molars began to feel strange, like there was something that was going to happen. Clark's eyes began to go blurry, watering and anything around him was fuzzy. All of a sudden, the internal components of his stomach rushed out violently, slamming onto the floor in a gross manner, some on him and some on his face and limbs.

He felt gross, but he could not stop the projecting puke. His breath felt shortened, or even entirely halted as he resumed puking, a few short intermissions in between as he caught his breath and was able to breathe before the feeling of puking rushed back over and reconsumed him.

Mentions:

fin, continuing in Good Luck Babe!

Act 3 Scenes 1-2

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Act 3 Scene 1: Catatonic

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Clark Baird

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Voulez-Vous | Taken by Surprise | Oops.. I Did It Again | Take You To Hell | Good Luck Babe! | There's A Hero

He finished puking. He was entirely coated in puke and to the sight of others, entirely repulsive and disgusting. He felt like he was a trashbag full of cat waste from the litterbox. Gosh, this was entirely disgusting.

But then something rushed over him. He felt his entire body going stiff. He felt he could not move a single bit and it was uncomfortable, uncomfortable to the point where he felt he was literally a dead body suffering from rigor mortis and that his soul was trapped inside said body. This must be what death is like.

He wanted to move so badly, but could not. He felt himself incapable of responding as well. Clark wanted to yell out for help, but his mouth wouldn't open. His vocal cords seemed to be entirely rigid, like he was a puppet that one could control and like he had to have someone to speak for him. He felt.. useless.

He felt alone and scared. If this really was death, he did not want it. He wanted to run and jump and be free, but alas, that feeling would not come. He could not close his eyes either, staring at the ceiling of the common room from his position on the couch where he was laying on his side, covered with puke all over him and around him and littered across the floor. He was unaware of the fact that his sclera went completely black, a transition bold from the dull white to the black.

He remained begging for help and assistance, hoping it would come.

Mentions: @Logan Baird

A continuation of Logan's Solo [Good Things Come To End] and of my last solo in Take You To Hell

Logan Baird

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Logan walked towards Clark's room slowly. While she felt a little better while moving, there was still the haze of sadness over her mind that seemed to keep out most of the light. She hoped that this feeling would go away soon, knowing the bleakness that could settle in if she really let it get to her and how it could be harder to pull herself out.

"Clark, are you in here?" She questioned, her voice just a bit clearer than it had been earlier, although a slight croak was still there as if she had not spoken in a while. A quiet knock would follow her question, but would remain unanswered. This meant more searching, something Logan was not really feeling like doing, but she felt like she needed to find him and figure out what was going on.

Taking the final steps into the Common Room, Logan would have missed him if she had not gotten the scent of vomit and seen the other students in the room looking at him. "What have you done, Clark?" The Hufflepuff muttered as she made her way over to him. While any other day, the girl would not have wanted to go anywhere near the vomit covered boy, she knew that something was not right and that he needed help.

"You definitely owe me after this." A near silent gag coming from her mouth as she attempted to pull him off of the couch. Just having his arm over her shoulder did not seem to do the trick though, there was no way she was making it from the Hufflepuff common room to the nurse's office on the third floor like this. With a deep breath, she pulled the catatonic boy away from the pile of black bile for managing to roll him up, over her shoulders, so he rested with his upper half on one side and lower half on the other. While any other day, Logan probably would have been able to do this quite easily, it just felt like most of her energy have been sapped out, leaving her with enough to be able to function, but not at a normal level. "Let's go," Logan managed to groan out as she made her way out of the common room and towards the nurse's office, definitely getting strange looks from other students.

Act 3 Scene 2: Nurse Barnes Help

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visible to all, so go read it in the hospital wing, here's the LINK.

Clark Baird wrote: 28 Feb 2025, 02:05

OOC Note: HIGHLY recommend listening to the song either before or while reading this. The link is in this post and links to his YouTube song.
—-
He couldn’t help but wander around the Hufflepuff common room. It was about two in the morning and he should’ve honestly been in bed. But in all honesty, why bother when he had something on his mind? And that something was a girl that he loved but a girl that rejected him.

How was he really supposed to feel? Was he really supposed to take this rejection? Nobody would take that rejection. If they did, they obviously did not care about the person they initially chased after. And Clark, he absolutely adored and cared for Alyssea. But his biggest mistake was spiking her drink. That’s how it all ended. He could send as many messages as he wanted to to her, but she seemed to refuse to even talk to him. And he didn’t know how to fix it.

He walked over to one of the seats in the common room. He stared at the fire, seemingly burning forever. He was not sure what he could do. He wanted to propose to her. He wanted to ask her out. But he couldn’t.

He tilted his whole body in the left direction until his left body was touching the cushions in his head, resting on the arm of the chair. He close his eyes, and he tried so hard to not think of her. Every time that her gorgeous face would appear, he would shake his head, even with his eyes closed and try to wipe it out of his mind.

But to no prevail. He opened his eyes again. He knew that Alyssea was his counterpart, but did Alyssea? She had to be in a state of denial.

He started to hum softly, staring at the flames. It felt like every single time he would take a breath or keep his eyes focused on the flickering flames, her face would appear.

Clark couldn’t move on. He wanted her back.

He moaned, “Come back Alyssea…”

mentions: @Alyssea Brown

It was Tuesday. About quarter of five in the morning. Colin had already been out of bed and done some studying as usual. He hadn't paid much attention to the strange doll that appeared in his area of the dorm the other day. This was Hogwarts after all --- strange things were bound to happen, and most especially when a bunch of teenage boys lived in close quarters! It was probably Matt's. Or maybe Prat's. He'd leviosaed the curious thing up onto his bedside shelf the other day and forgot about it.

He looked up from his Runes book. The only sound in the dorm was the gentle breathing of the other boys. Even Greebo was still zonked! A slight movement caught his eye. He looked around. Hm. The doll was on the floor again. Just laying there. Odd. Hadn't he put that up on the shelf with that queer looking teddy bear? "Wingardium leviosa," he whispered, and the doll floated through the air back to its place on the shelf. Runes and Astronomy read, Colin decided it was time to get cleaned up.

Contrary to popular belief, mostly rumours spread by the aforementioned Prat Pass, Colin does in fact have a morning ritual in the dorm bathroom. It's not very complicated, mind! Mostly it involves a quick scourgify in the shower, scrubby-dub the teeth and a couple well practiced passes with Crinus Muto to deal with various hair related issues. Honestly! Prat is such a prat! Colin certainly didn't have to spend four hours in front of a mirror to look totally awesome for his sweetie pie!

Colin checked himself in the mirror as he got out of the shower.

Mostly it came natural! He is, after all, the single cutest Slytherin boy in Hogwarts history! Colin flashed his best smile into the mirror, showing off all his fangs! His heart thumped as he thought of a certain Hufflepuff girl. His Eyes of Sky. Everyone else was still asleep, which was probably why they thought he never set foot in the shower. Colin rolled his eyes as he tweaked his hair with his wand.

He loped out of the bathroom and back to his bed where he'd carelessly tossed his kilt and shirt and robes. As he left the bathroom, a slight movement caught his keen eye. It wasn't Greebo. He knew Greebo's movements. It certainly wasn't Prat or Matt or poor dusty Jack or even Luci or Aiker or Thaniel. Colin's brows furrowed. He looked down on the floor.

The doll was there. Lying on its side.

The base of Colin's neck tingled. Most people might assume that a playful kitty had been at work. While Greebo was a playful cat, he hadn't moved. He was still curled up, half buried by Colin's Ravenclaw blanket. Hmm. "Wingardium leviosa," he whispered again. Again, the strange doll floated up and over to its place on his shelf. Satisfied, but uneasy, Colin got dressed. Kilt wrapped around his waist, shirt wriggled into, and robes settled on shoulders, Colin hopped over his bed to fetch his enchanted satchel. What a godsend this was! He could literally carry everything in it!

He hopped back over his bed, satchel strapped around his waist, and he stopped short! Colin's eyes widened. "Wh---!?" His mouth formed a perfect O of surprise! He looked around from side to side. Was someone else in here? He sniffed at the air. Could someone be hiding under some mysterious invisibility cloak? Or maybe sneaking around Slytherin using a potion? He scanned the dorm with his keen eyes, trying to discern in the dim light of his magical candles if anyone else were skulking around...

The doll lay on the floor again, slumped on one side. Even closer than it had been before!

@Emily Shephard | @AngelFyre McCubbin

PAST THE LIPS, PAST THE GUMS, LOOKOUT NURSE, HERE WE COME!

AngelFyre McCubbin (and Simon Kincaid with godmod perms):

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She and Simon were to meet in the Common Room to simply enjoy the evening. No homework or essays to worry about. No classes to rush off to the following morning. It would be time to concentrate on each other or the other Huffles around them. AngelFyre was up for anything, so long as they did it together.

They both made their way down to the Common Room at just about the same time, and smiled a little competitively at each other as they raced to the sofa in front of the fireplace from opposite directions. It was not much of a race against a dhampir with extra quick reflexes, but AngelFyre covered her ground speedily enough. When she met him just a step or two after he had already stopped, they laughed as she made no such attempt to stop and thrust herself into his arms; her eager lips pressed firmly against his equally eager lips.

They fell onto the sofa still in each other's arms, but no longer in a lip-lock. They had learned the hard way a couple of years ago that that could lead to split lips... and probably chipped teeth... but they had been lucky in that respect. When they landed on the cushion, AngelFyre heard what sounded like a tinkling of glass against glass. "Did you hear that?" She grinned at him, knowing he was not holding anything made of glass as he had been holding her, so she decided to quick frisk him instead. She was getting excited at the prospect of such when her movement upon the cushion replicated a similar glass clinking against glass sound.

They both looked at one another and started to rummage around in the areas closest to them on top of the cushion and behind the accent pillows. As they did so, AngelFyre teased him," "Even when we find what we are looking for, I still think you need to be frisked, just as a matter of general principle" and her brows raised and lowered rapidly a couple of times as a chuckle had started, but was suddenly interrupted by an unexpected "Ouch!" that was simultaneously accompanied by her right hand withdrawing at rapid speed from behind the cushion and making its way straight to her mouth where she began to suck her injured finger. "Found it!" she exclaimed, stating the obvious and still sucking on her finger.

She was not the expert her dhampir had become when to came to the taste of blood, but this tasted different than she remembered her blood tasting. She was about to tell her strapping lad to be careful, but he had given up his search and was reaching for her injured hand instead. She was always careful when it came to even a tiny bit of blood around Simon, for obvious reasons, but it was not a care that she had in the moment. "Here, let me see that," he directed her, but she pulled it back, easily enough from him, which surprised her because he was the stronger of the two and seemed as if he had a firm grip on her wrist, if not an especially tight one.

He looked surprised, but his smile started to spread as she tapped her lips with the cut finger and beckoned him ever closer. "My finger is fine. It is these two lips that need your ministrations right now, Healer-in-the-Making-Kincaid," and she was delighted that he did not put up a fight. While her finger had still been damp when pressing it against her lips, she was aware that the dampness was only about half blood. Simon looked a little shocked, but he could not take his hungry gaze from her lips. It did not cross AngelFyre's mind to worry if this was a mild form of blood-baiting or not. She just wanted what she wanted in the moment, and it would be no shock to anyone that knew her that what... who... she wanted in that moment was Simon.

Before he had a chance to think too hard on it and maybe risk refusing her a kiss for the first time ever in their lives, AngelFyre was all over him like white on rice. The boy really had stood no chance at all. She was willing, able, and quite determined. There was no resistance from him, and within what seemed like a mere nanosecond after their lips connected, Simon was kissing her back with an intensity she was not used to, but boy howdy could she happily get used to it if given more chances in the future, like say the next all of her days for the rest of all of her life.

After who knew how long, they came up for air. She was still feeling oddly in tune with everything in the moment, but it was just the least bit less than it had been mere seconds ago. "How are you feeling, Handsome?" and she sidled even closer to him. "Perhaps we need to see just what is behind that cushion, yeah?" Together they lifted it up and they found one bottle had a leak in it apparently because the dark contents were being absorbed into the thirsty golden yellow cushion. The other bottle appeared to be fine.

"Looks like we might have broken one when we sat down," and she inspected the bottle that had not been cracked or broken, and set it safely to the side. Turning her attention to the cracked bottle, she cautioned, "This one could be dangerous; it could have glass shards within it at this point. I am not sure what the proper method is to dispose of a potion. Maybe we need to speak with Professor Regan about that." And just as she mentioned the word disposal, a gnawing sadness popped up out of the middle of nowhere for her on that subject. She casually reached for the unmarred bottle, believing it needed to be disposed of as well, yes, but a quick brush of reluctance to give it up washed all over her as Gollum's 'My Precious' sounded loudly in her mind.

On the heels of that, Colin kept flashing in her mind, but it was not the Colin of now. It was the Colin of last year... and last summer. She hated seeing him as the mere shell he had become of himself, a cautionary tale if ever there had been one, but too much of something within her right this moment was wanting nothing so much as to swig the one good bottle down... and God help her... God help them both, really... sharing with Simon, for the first time ever, was not even a consideration. She just wanted it.

"Si-... Simon, I do not know what that is, how it got here, or even why it is here, b-... bu-... but it is the Devil's brew. I felt like the best me I could possibly be for just a few short minutes, but now I feel like that," and she nodded to the glass phial, "is all I want. Even over you, but I know that is not the truth. It just feels like it in the moment. We definitely need to dispose of it, and maybe alert Doc. What if someone else gets a hold of this? It could be disastrous!"

Mamori Anezaki:

Reducio

Mamori was enjoying his Saturday afternoon, melted into one of the common room's comfiest couches with a suspicious vial dangled from his lips. For once, this wasn't his usual "I'm bored because I'm actively avoiding responsibilities" routine — no, he had genuinely nothing to do. Every single assignment, even the ones due after the Valentine's trip, was done. Finished. Complete. His life had taken a dramatic turn for the productive ever since he'd stumbled upon a cache of suspicious potions identical to the one he was currently sipping.

The effects were nothing short of miraculous: back pain? Gone. Textbook allergies? Cured. The usual five-hour struggle with basic homework? Reduced to five seconds to find answers, another five to process them. He could even pull off handstands on his broomstick now, which was, admittedly, completely useless but tremendously fun.

Back when he'd first discovered their effects, Mamori had recognized liquid gold for what it was and promptly... redistributed about twenty vials to his room — a decision that proved wise when the common room's stash mysteriously vanished within days. Bloody badgers and their hoarding instincts.

Now, as he drained the last drops from his current vial, a helpless Mamori trudged back to his room, confronting the growing graveyard of empty vials and the precious few still full. The craving hit him hard — each empty bottle was like losing a friend, but Merlin's beard, the stuff was impossible to resist. The weirdly good taste didn't help his self-control, and the effects... well, if this mystery brewer ever wanted payment, his savings were ready.

After what could generously be called careful deliberation (but was really just his eleven year old curiosity delivering a crushing victory over common sense) he decided that if one vial could make him brilliant, five must make him... well, quintessentially unstoppable. Obviously.

The answer, as it turned out, was a resounding "oh shit." Just as he stepped back into the common room, empty vials still clutched in his hand like some guilty pieces of evidence, the world decided to do a spectacular spin, his stomach launched a violent rebellion, and his throat felt like he'd swallowed a minor inferno. His grand finale ended with him decorating the floor with mysterious black goo before face-planting right on top of his masterpiece.

Emily Shephard:

Reducio

"What on earth is going on around here today...?"

That was the fifth student Emily spotted in the most dazed and chipper state she had ever seen in someone before. Lucky them. Meanwhile Emily had been pulling her hair out and feeling run down over too many things. The black mark on her finger was still there, which bore the brunt of her current mood. While it didn't haunt her as much as it did in the earlier weeks she accumulated that blackness, the odd whisper or two that licked her ears every now and then would get to her, mockery of her ambitions and laughing at her inner-most fears. Today just happened to be a day for one of those moments that drove her to this downtrodden mood she was in. She was surprised no one walked in on her. She was sure her angry and grief-stricken outburst would attract some attention.

She kept her hand hidden in her pocket, not bearing to look at it every time she looked down at herself, nor could she bear being brave enough to show it in public. She stopped crying a while ago when the voices died down but the tears clung to her face like a thick coat of icing.

She walked into the Common Room where she saw Simon and AngelFyre together, being the perfect pair they were. On the other side of the room was Mamori, looking utterly zonked as he melted into one of the sofas in the room. Emily thought nothing of the scene until she saw Mamori raise one of the many suspicious looking bottles she found scattered about Hufflepuff to his lips and guzzle its contents.

"Mamori?"

She stood by the door frame, watching him. He completely downed the bottle. Emily had seen bottles like it plastered across the dorms. She thought it strange to have found an abundance of them strangely popping up out of nowhere and it seemed the rest of Hufflepuff didn't know where they came from either. But one thing she did notice was that as soon as someone tasted it, their entire demeanour completely changed into one of relaxation and pleasure.

She watched as Mamori sluggishly left the Common Room, quirking an eyebrow behind him. Then her attention fell on AngelFyre who mercilessly smothered Simon with smooches. That had Emily rouse the "Whoa" eyebrows. She always thought they were cute together but to see it in action... Even if it was just a few smoochums, Emily still felt bad for looking but was too startled to look away. What shocked her more however was how... passionate AngelFyre looked in the middle of it. Something about it didn't speak very "AngelFyre McCubbin" at all. She was far too used to seeing the more cute and adorable part of her. Never could she fathom something as enthusiastic as what was going on there with her and Simon. Then again, what did Emily know when it came to love?

She managed to steer her eyes away from them, directing it towards another stray bottle under one of the chairs in the room. Coincidence? Hardly. But Emily wouldn't piece that together until much later on.

"Another one of them...?"

She crouched down and plucked it off the floor. At a first glance there really wasn't anything special about it. But once she pulled the top off and took a whiff she could tell there was something off about it. At the same time though, nearly everybody that had drunk this thing had developed a feel-goodness from it.

"Hmm..."

Emily hated she was basing an assumption on something she was seeing at surface level. But for that one brief second, when she thought that this potion could erase the weight of her emotions if they could bring comfort to the others... Her mind was made up.

"--It is the Devil's brew..."

A pity Emily didn't stop to reconsider, much less take AngelFyre's sudden concern to better heart. Emily hardly even heard her. The bottle was already angled towards her mouth and down slithered a small sample of the brew into Emily's core. Right now, all she gave a damn about was making those horrid emotions and fears disappear.

She felt a comfortable heat spreading through her body, a euphoric tingle accompanying the sensation. Slowly, the weight of her earlier darkness was covered by a veil of calmness. Her mind felt quiet, like a welcoming grave to the terrifying whispers she had been forced to listen to by the "heart" of the Forbidden Forest.

She heard Mamori walk back into the room but was too focused on the weirdly good buzz that heightened her newfound peace. She felt like her head was spinning but she wouldn't topple over.

A lazy smile grew on her face. An impulsive decision well worth it if it meant the darkness would shut the hell up.

Aurelia Valentine:

Reducio

“Move! I swear to Merlin, the pathways are always crowded!” Aurelia Valentine hollered like a dock foreman at her fellow badgers that are currently blocking the hall in Badger Bungalow. Some students prefer to talk and gossip in the middle of the hall for unknown reasons, and people like her in distress and extreme urgency cannot pass through sometimes. On most days, she had tried to be polite, mumbling excuses and such even if barking orders would have been the most effective way to drive away these nuisances and gossipmongers. She frantically tapped the tip of her black walnut wand on the duplicate of Helga Hufflepuff's goblet as though it's her second nature, the golden cup making an irritating, tinny, and clanging sound by her hurried taps. Seven taps, of course, the lucky Arithmancy number that she had come to tolerate since she inherently preferred even numbers.

Losing her somewhat nonexistent patience, Aurelia pushed the other Hufflepuffs out of the way before exiting the girls' dormitory. She could hear all their grumbles and complaints about the aggravating action; however, when did she care? Huffing a little with a slight sense of superiority, she entered the Hufflepuff Common Room, her long curls whipping from her purposeful strides, already sporting her butterfly-patterned pyjamas with her hands full of scrolls of parchment, her enchanted leather satchel also slung on her shoulder. Her deep brown eyes searched for a spot where she could begin her initial academic work. It is somewhat crowded in here too, as she could see Simon Kincaid and his girlfriend snogging passionately in the yellow armchairs in front of the hearth; Mamori Anezaki also sitting in an armchair, perhaps relaxing; Emily Shephard—the girl who hosted the Holiday Slumber Party last year; and of course, Ruth Fairchild. Nevertheless, she is in no mood whatsoever to socialise, as she has essay assignments that need attending to. Anyone who would disrespect such boundary will face the business end of her wand.

Plopping on the yellow-patterned carpet near the hearth, Aurelia dropped her scrolls, collecting all of her wiry curls into a bunch before tucking her black walnut wand in to keep the style. Her rebellious curls already sticking in all directions, the young badger decided right then that the task of taming such curls was futile, so she focused on organising her station. She withdrew her textbooks, her assorted quills and inkwells, and another batch of scrolls. It had been a busy Saturday, as she was immersed and rather preoccupied with finishing her homework to prevent spending her sorry time worrying about them all. She had never submitted homework later than the necessary deadline the professors had instructed.

She re-read her essay in Transfiguration, a 10-inch essay about Conservation of Mass and Energy, combined. She had proofread the said work a gazillion times, but she was still somewhat unsatisfied. The Wizarding World, of course, had been accommodating with muggles and the Muggle World itself, but literature written from the latter had been scarce in the Hogwarts Library, like water in the Sahara Desert. Aurelia did not know what to make of that acquired information, if this is a form of condescension from the wizarding folks underneath the surface. The literary work Philosophy of the Mundane had sounded like one, and of course, as she reached the last few pages of the said book, she contemplated what should be her reaction in the overall point of it. She was still unsure, as Professor Mordicus Egg had such a humorous writing style and perhaps was implicating that the whole theory is just a demented joke.

Discussing the issue aforementioned, of course, because it is a problem. She spent her Saturday scouring the Transfiguration sections of the library for her Conservation of Mass and Energy essay. Professor Perceval-Phelan barely scratched the surface of the topic, and the young badger intends to conjure an exemplary work worthy of Outstanding. From an outside perspective, Aurelia may comparatively appear as harassed, or perhaps mugged, as soon as she exited the Hogwarts Library for dinner. For her thirst and extreme desire to pursue knowledge just to perfect a work, she occasionally forgets her well-being. Or perhaps every day.

The young Hufflepuff witch cast a displeased and reproachful look towards the couple near her, who was making such loud smooching sounds that she was half-convinced everyone inhabiting the Slytherin Dungeons might have heard them all from up here. London is no better, as snogging in public is somehow normal for no apparent reason, but surely there is a much better place for that. Her delicate face crumpled by a margin, Aurelia turned to her scrolls again, grabbing her black, elegant quill—which she holds very dearly, for she very much loved quills, forgetting the fact that she constantly complained beforehand about the impracticality of its use in her first months in Hogwarts—she dipped the tip in her inkwell before encircling the passages and sentences she deemed in need of correction.

Aurelia briefly lifted her gaze when Mamori left his post, stepping over her work. Now she contemplated if she should fill that armchair instead, assuming that he was going to turn in. She immediately decided against it, as a full view of the two lovebirds who are currently still snogging like a pair of fishes as they somehow stayed in that position without any need for a lungful of air is not going to lighten her already dampened mood. She went back to her proofreading and editing, scribbling furiously like a woman possessed as her gaze shifted from time to time towards her parchments and then in the scattered textbooks opened around her for consultation. Minutes had passed, and she can now envision her groundwork vividly. The young badger was initially engaged in her work that when Mamori's convulsing body had hit the floor right in front of her, she let out a yelp.

Offended, she was not about to think too much of it and planned to shoo Mamori away since the boy was notorious for being unintentionally funny and it might have been one of his attempts. However, when she noticed the inky goo Mamori was regurgitating on her parchments, she felt her whole body froze, her deep brown eyes wide in combination of perplexity, befuddlement, and of course, horror. She could see him clearly, his face turned to her like a zoomed in picturesque scenes in movies. His once bright and emerald-coloured eyes are now dimmed from the obsidian tears welling from it, the whites of his eyes also black like holes. His pinkish lips is slightly agape, the inky vomit still continuously streaming on her scrolls and textbooks from his mouth like waterfalls.

“A-Anezaki...”

At first, Aurelia thought it was just some sort of a demented prank. Mamori Anezaki looks like the type of person who could conjure such stupid pranks. Her mind short-circuited, her face paling, her expression froze into something akin to both terror and trepidation, her mouth contorted into a frozen scream, and her deep brown eyes wide. Mamori continued to convulse in front of her, his expression tortured. The expression did not do his face justice, she inherently thought, as Aurelia deemed Mamori as someone boyishly handsome. Her eyes landed on the vials he was gripping and how her subconscious mind had already pieced it together, on how it looked similarly like the empty vial she smacked from Pamela Graham's hand the other day. That unlabelled potion her friend consumed, and now he might have scrounged up some too and consumed not only one but perhaps many.

Her vision blurred, and she felt like her heart stopped itself from pumping blood for a moment or two. Mamori needs medical help, and upon that realisation, she let out a high-pitched scream, as though she had forgotten to let it out. The inky vomit did not stop dripping, and even if she knew it was futile, she reached out to wipe it all away.

“HELP! I NEED A PREFECT—”

Ruth Fairchild:

Reducio

𝓢itting on the mat, staring into the fire. That was what Ruth found herself doing that evening, her dull forest green eyes reflecting the amber light that flickered occasionally. She wasn't sure how dangerous it was to sit close to the fireplace, but the warmth soothed her. The common room of Hufflepuff had always been the comfiest, warmest place of the school. For the strangest reason, its temperature felt colder than the dungeons would be, at least she imagined.

Unconsciously, she licked her lips. While tasteless, the memory of having downed a second dose of that mysterious potion lingered in her head. She had just taken the sip the day before, and the effects had dawdled till then.

At first, Ruth felt… unburdened. It was a strange thing, to exist without the weight of expectation pressing into her shoulders. Her thoughts, usually sharp and quick, softened at the edges. Everything felt warm, slow, almost dreamlike—like the world had dipped itself in honey. The fire in the Hufflepuff common room continued to flicker gently, golden and inviting, and for the first time in a long while, she wasn’t trying to dissect the shapes in the embers, wasn’t searching for meaning in their restless dance. Instead, she simply watched. And it felt enough. Oh, the bliss.

Her own flaws, the ones she carried like a pocketful of stones, seemed suddenly inconsequential. The first dose of the potion had ensured that two days before, when she had taken one for broom racing practise. The second strengthened it. She felt good. But that was the thing about ‘good’—it was fleeting.

The potion’s effects faded gradually, like sand slipping through open fingers. Warmth became distance. Distance became emptiness. The world hadn’t changed, but it felt colder now, grayer, as if someone had dialed down the vibrance of life itself. And she hadn’t changed, but somehow she felt less. She had been better, hadn’t she? Better at being present, better at ignoring the noise, better at simply being.

But now the noise was back, louder than before. The weight returned, heavier for having been briefly lifted.

That’s why she sat there now, staring into the fire, her fingers laced loosely together. She wasn’t cold, but she couldn’t shake the chill. The flames flickered, burning bright and bold, but in the end, they too would die down, reduced to smoldering embers.

Maybe that was the nature of all things. Of warmth. Of happiness. Of people. You get a taste of something brilliant, and then you’re left to mourn its absence. Ruth craved to find her world back in colours and multiple shades than gray. It was the potion, yes. It was the potion which could return her to the blissful state. Mmm, if only she could find more. Yet, she found herself wincing internally at the flashback of Aurelia's disapproving face. Ruth wasn’t naive—she knew that wanting ‘more’ of the potion could lead to something disastrous, something so, so wrong. Still she sat there watching the fire, couldn’t help but wondering… was it really so wrong to want a little warmth for just a little longer?

She tuned off the silent giggles and smothering from her broom racing seniors, invisible and so still they hadn't noticed her. They fueled the noise that numbed her heart. Despite this, she could hear the shuffling of footsteps and had known more people had begun to show up before curfew. Ruth couldn't find her curious enough to sneak a peek. She was...she was...

A swear, followed by the disgusting noise of retching. At first, the badger assumed it was just the noise playing tricks on her. It did that a lot, got on her nerves, almost drove her to paranoia but didn't because she was controlled. Refusing to budge, she calmly waited until the disturbing sounds stopped.

It didn't. Instead, they were accompanied by yelping and a mutter that sounded so familiar. Ruth had never swung her head around so fast, her senses suddenly on high alert from the shift in atmosphere. Her eyes darted up to find herself staring at a convulsing Mamori, Aurelia right next to him, agape. Slightly further, Emily Shepard, one of her seniors of the club she attended. A dazed look on her face, as though swaying.

Slightly stumbling but triggered by a sudden desire to reach Mamori and the increasing puddle of his vomit that looked sickly like black ink, she rushed to his side, Aurelia's scream ringing in her ears as she called for help. She stared at Mamori for a moment, then shook him violently, eyes meeting his void ones, fear beginning to shake her to the core but shock still instilling within her. "Mamori...Mamori!" Ruth shouted at him, fingers stained with some of the goo that ran down his clothes, her lips trembling as reality came crashing down on her, a wavering world of colour and shadow. What...what had caused this? She met Aurelia's gaze, to which she was staring at the boy's hand.

A vial.

Terror. The same potion Ruth had drunk, not once but twice. Empty without a drip. Mamori continued to convulse under her hands, and she screamed his name again, crying it aloud. "Wake up! Wake up!" Please don't let anything happen to him. Ruth wasn't sure how many potions the boy had taken to achieve such a result. A selfish wish, the hope that he had drunk more than two, surfaced in her head.

Because if he hadn't, what would happen to her?

Pamela Graham:

Reducio

Pam was lucky to have gotten away with having only one of those potions. Like, talk about bloody terrible decisions. The potions had caused major havoc among the Hufflepuffs, Pam had heard. Then again, she had thought she had made a bad decision? It was nothing compared to the people she had heard had consumed so 20 of those potions. Pam already felt sorry for them. The way she had suffered when coming down from her high? It had been torture and she had had only one of the potions.

She hadn't seen Ruth over the last three days and Pam had to admit she was terribly worried about her best friend. She would say without doubt that Ruth had also had the potion, considering Pam had chugged hers in front of her. She just hoped that the girl hadn't had even more. Pam's thoughts shifted to Aurelia and she smiled softly, a pang of disappointment as she thought about the bushy-haired girl. I really should have listened to her.

Her thoughts then shifted to the letter that had been found in the girls' dorm. Even if the bad part of her high was over, Pam could not shake off the desire to sign up for more. Only once. Just one more time. That bliss... Pam yawned, suddenly tired. The potion seemed to have taken its toll on her brain. Pam really wanted to curl up in her bed again, but the nightmares had woken her up that morning. She had missed the potion then. If I take one more....it wouldn't be that bad right? It would only be my second dose. After that...after that...I'll never-

"Mamori...Mamori!"

The familiar name and the even more familiar voice snapped Pam rudely out of her thoughts, and she was out of her seat before she could properly take in the pink-haired boy on the ground, and the two girls around him. Pam reached Ruth's side in an instant, drawing back in shock as she gaped at the black ink coming out of his mouth. W-what is that?! Isn't it too dark to be blood?! She glanced up at the two girls, "What on earth--?" However, before she could finish the question, she saw the answer. Her eyes fell on the boy's hand and her stomach quite literally turned over.

That darn vial.

Shit. Shit. This is very bad. How many of that did he have. Pam glanced between the two girls in panic. Ruth was too busy trying to wake him up, but Aurelia, bless her soul, had come up with the idea of calling for a prefect. And well, Pam could work with that.

And so she screamed.

"HELP! HELP!! HE NEEDS MEDICAL HELP!"

Hopefully, someone in the Common Room would be able to handle the situation better than three panicking first years.

Right?

AngelFyre McCubbin:

Reducio

Before Simon even had a chance to respond to her, a couple of very odd things transpired, both within quick succession of each other. The first, and most urgent of the two, was the heart-piercing shriek that overrode every other sound that normally acted as comforting background noise and ambience in the badgers' Common Room. That shriek was almost simultaneously followed by the very same young brunette, urgently calling out for help and a Prefect. And then another girl, a blonde, was calling for medical help.

She and Simon had given up their positions as Prefects back in November, but it was a knee-jerk reaction on both of their parts to respond as quickly as possible. It was the case that she and Simon had been otherwise engaged in their own affairs for the past few minutes, so she was not even aware whether a Prefect was actually in the room at the moment or not. Either way, she knew she and Simon could be of help, at least until one did arrive. Experience had to count for something, even if, technically, the authority to back it up was no longer theirs.

As she took the few steps over to the girls, AngelFyre’s gaze fixed on the sight lying on the rug before her. A boy, apparently named Mamori, was convulsing and vomiting a thick, black substance while doing so. That was bad... very bad. Even worse were his eyes. They were no eyes that anyone would expect to see in a human being. There were definitely eyeballs in the sockets, but they were each devoid of a visible pupil, iris, and the white that should be surrounding it. Devil eyes was the chilling thought that came to mind immediately upon seeing them, and it struck her this was the second time in as many minutes that that particular adjective and crossed her mind, and she shuddered before saying a quick prayer for protection and healing. The same black substance was emitting from both of his eyes, but the viscosity as it slogged down his face reminded her more of lava than tears.

AngelFyre's head was throbbing ferociously, something most unusual for her, and leaning down only made it worse. A young girl with beautifully curly hair was wiping the boy's mouth with her own hand, and Ruth was nearby as well, also with the black substance on her hand. AngelFyre reached over and grabbed the wrist of the curly-haired girl, pulling it back quickly, but gently. "We do not know what that is, so probably best not to touch it, yeah? If you two know Scourgify, I would suggest using it on yourselves right now. If you do not know it, I can cast it on you," she said as kindly and reassuringly as she was able in the moment. "Right now though, everyone needs to back up and give this boy some space. We can do nothing until his convulsions stop.”


The boy's convulsions began to slow and they finally stopped altogether. AngelFyre was praying that did not mean he had just died in front of them, but had simply stopped convulsing. She saw his chest rising, so dead was off the table. Some good news there at least. She looked to Simon, concern written on his face, but not panic. He was the Hospital intern. This was more his wheelhouse than hers, and if anyone there right then could help him, she knew it would be her boy. If this Mamori had been a horse or a cow or a pig, her comfort level in addressing his needs would be higher. She reached quickly over to the empty armchair and grabbed the checkered yellow and black throw to tuck around the boy. As she did so, she asked the young brunette and blonde, neither of whom she knew, "What are your names? I am AngelFyre, a fourth year," and looking to Simon, she continued, and this is Simon, a fifth year and a Hospital Wing intern. I promise you that your friend here is in good hands,” and she smiled over at them. She was only making introductions to keep the girls from going into shock, talking to them to keep them focused on something.

Looking back to the girls again, she asked another question. "Do you three know him? Have you any idea what may have...." but she did not finish her question as her eyes landed upon the answer. Splayed out not too far from his hands were 4 or 5 empty phials just like the ones she and Simon had found. The sight alarmed her, but not because she was concerned for the boy... though she definitely was... but because she was jealous he had gotten so many. Almost immediately she began to worry that he might have gotten them all.

AngelFyre crab crawled a couple of paces backwards and away from all of them, and scolded herself immediately for thinking such horrid thoughts. She hurriedly stood, feeling desperately stingy and a little out of sorts when a sparkling reflection of firelight glinted and drew her attention. Lying on its side, not too far from her water bottle, was the unbroken bottle of potion she and Simon had found just a couple of minutes earlier. With no hesitation whatsoever, AngelFyre grasped it and pocketed it. Though her head was feeling more and more like the Alps during Hannibal's infamous crossing, she knew it was only temporary because a distant, deeper stirring of hopefulness within was growing as her fingers played over the material hiding her very own bottle from anyone who may have tried to take it from her.

As she was still in some discomfort, but not at a loss for hope, she did have the mental wherewithal to recognize that whatever this boy was oozing out of his orifices like an Ebola patient probably necessitated a certain urgency to get him to the Hospital Wing as quickly as possible. “Simon, do you think you can, or even should, carry him, or should we quickly gather some bed sheets to layer into a two or four person stretcher to get him up to the third floor? I would suggest the levitation spell, but four flights of stairs is too far to have to maintain it, I think.”

She was listening for his answer, but was also scanning the room for anything that looked like it could be used as a conveyance of sorts for Mamori. He was on a warm, strong rug now, but it was a mess. Maybe they could just use that, with one a person at each of the four corners. She liked that idea better than the bed sheets, and it was a quicker solution than running all over the dorms collecting sheets. AngelFyre unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and scooped the now crusty glass phials into it, taking the precaution of not touching them bare handed. “Maybe there will be something about the phials, or even a drop of something in them that might help Nurse Barnes figure this out.” Then she snapped her left wrist and Godshall was released from his holster. “Scourgify!” she intoned with confidence as she pointed her wand down at the rug, but not at Mamori himself.

Looking back up at Simon, she smiled wanly. “Your call, Simon. Do you carry him solo, or do you want help carrying him?” It was only then, some distance behind her fellow’s shoulder, that AngelFyre saw Emily. She was relieved to know her little buddy was okay, and smiled over to her, but Emily seemed strangely preoccupied with other thoughts. It did not appear that Emily was even truly focusing on much of anything, but was simply standing there, wobbling back and forth slightly as a slow, vacuous smile trekked across her face.

AngelFyre kept watch on her for a few beats, and the thought surfaced that she looked drugged. It was then that a panicked realization hit AngelFyre with the force of a meteorite, and she excused herself briefly to check on Emily. As she left him, she silently updated Simon.

“I think Emily is under the influence of something, too, love. I cannot leave her. Whatever is going on right now, I think it is bigger than what we see in this room. Please try, no matter how much the temptation exists, to not drink any more of that potion. I do not know about you, but I have a terrible craving for it, and I had barely a taste of it. Just be careful. And remember I love you.”

Louisa McStately:

Reducio

L ouisa McStately skipped down from the dorms, feeling unusually energetic and confident. The only possible reasoning for this unusual temperament could be the small, now empty, vial of potion that was now sitting on her bed. The moments before had hosted an internal debate with the topic of weather or not to actually drink the potion. The debate, which often occurred when the first year’s moral was composed with her sense of adventure or fun, had taken place for far longer then usual as she went through a long list of points that followed the lines of danger, pointlessness, experimenting and, well, a lot more. The debate had not turned out in drinking the mysterious contents favor, yet she had not accounted for the huge temptation of trying the potion.

So, it was that the Hufflepuff found herself in her house common room feeling as though she could do anything, no matter how big, with the greatest ease. Louisa wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do - perhaps go adventure the forbidden forest, or try some marvelous tricks on a broom or perhaps even find some more of that potion…

It was only when the wee Hufflepuff looked around the common room, that the realization that something might be quite wrong occurred to her. The common room was not busy, but a group immediately caught her attention. Around some sort of person who seemed to be a little… uncomfortable and was oozing a very black liquid out of their mouth. Some girl seemed to be giving some sort of instructions. Exciting! Thought Louisa a smile widening across her face.

Without a seconds hesitation, she skipped across the common room towards the others in room. “Ooh, I can help! I’ll carry him!” The Hufflepuff cried in uncharacteristic excitement, feeling as though she could easily do it, although her body seemed to dissagree. Louisa felt herself bobbing up and down, in a sort of half jump, like an excited penguin full of energy.

Simon Kincaid:

Reducio

Simon certainly had not minded the taste at all. Whether it was because it possibly had mixed with the slightest bit of blood from her cut or what, but the small taste he had was delectable and maybe he would have wanted more if his girl didn't instantly initiate perhaps their most passionate snogging session yet.

She couldn't do this any better. He couldn't do this any better. No two people in the history of ever would ever perfect this like they had. They moved perfectly in sync with one another. Euphoria. Nirvana. It was all there.

And then it was gone.

Loneliness. Incomplete.

It hit quickly - just a near moment after she had pulled away.

Simon blinked as she began to explain her thoughts on the potion. That it felt like it was all she wanted - even over him. ....Even over him.

She explained it only felt that way and she knew it wasn't truth but it still made him feel emptiness.

No, there was definitely something not right about whatever it was that was in that bottle and he was glad she had the sense, despite however it affected her, to know that it needed to be taken far away from them and the other Hufflepuffs it could potentially come into contact with. He nodded, agreeing and was relieved that it seemed with each passing moment that he slowly began to feel a little more and more like himself again. All those downward feelings began to fade away but it was a dizzying sort of feeling to go from such extremes so quickly.

There were shouts for help, distracting him from whatever had just occured there on that sofa and immediately he and AngelFyre rose to help, just like the previous prefects they once were. "Give him some room," Simon said as he motioned with his hands for the others to back away and knelt near the boy. The last thing the fallen badger needed was further harm and it was always best if someone was having convulsions to allow them some space to be.

"I'll get him to the Hospital Wing," Simon said, knowing that with his dhampir strength there'd be no problem. Just as he was about to try and place his hands where they needed to be to lift the boy, a girl skipped up to them and offered. "You come and assist me," he told her, pretty much assured that the girl, Louisa, wouldn't be able to actually lift her, but with the way she was bobbing around, she probably needed some help herself. If she 'helped' him there, she could get assistance as well.

Hoping that plan would work, Simon paused to take a quick look at the other Hufflepuffs in the room and wondered just how many of them were unwell at the moment. Many of the faces before him were friends and he didn't want to leave them, but he knew the boy, Mamori, needed his help the most. He found some comfort that AngelFyre would stay there in the Common Room with the others.

A bit difficult, as Mamori was on the ground, Simon would slowly tilt him upward so that he could pull him over his shoulder, as gently as possible. Simon figured this would be the best way to carry him because if the boy would spew out any more contents from himself, at least he didn't run the risk of Asphyxiation.

"Anyone that wants to follow me, please follow. You, I need your help," he said directly to Louisa, although he didn't know her name yet. "Help keep the corridor pathways clear." Simon didn't know the incident that occured earlier, or maybe he'd have wanted Aurelia for that particular job. Maybe she'd still offer to come along.

I don't understand what's going on around here. I'm not sure you and I are immune to it. Be safe, love. Check in with me. Simon communicated with AngelFyre through the binding mark as he, the boy he was lifting, hopefully Louisa, and possible others headed to the Hospital Wing.

Eugenia Karageorgiadi (and Pettely Knots with godmod perms):

Reducio

Eugenia thought her day could never be more eventful. Turns out, it could.

Two days after her birthday, she was sitting in one of the common room chairs doing her homework. It was a regular thing for her by now. Use any minute available to do your tasks. Her schedule was already packed enough. She didn’t need more stress or things taking her focus away from important things.

So, the young Greek sat on one of the chairs, writing an essay. Next to her was a copy of “Magical Drafts and Potions” open on the floor next to her. She spent a few minutes thinking before she began her Potions essay; she had no will to leave it for later. Next to her was a little table. When the girl looked, there was a vial of an odd potion. She picked it up and stared at it.

Her mother was a potioneer. She had very correctly advised her not to drink unlabeled and potentially dangerous potions. As a result, Eugenia very well not to trust random potions. The vial was placed back on the table, still sealed completely shut. The girl showed no intent to drink it.

She quickly went back to writing. And that was when she heard the sound of someone vomiting. And a body hitting the ground. The Greek turned around to see what had happened, and perhaps help. By the time she could register what happened, she knew she had only one objective.

There was a young blonde boy, whose name she didn’t even know, convulsing on the floor. He was vomiting ink black fluids, his eyes were foggy and unfocused. The boy had collapsed in the ground, catatonic, now having stopped moving. She closed her book and put it on the chair. At this point, she really had to do something.

Running over, she knelt down next to the semi-unconscious boy. Wearing pants actually made moving much easier. She took out her wand and cast a spell on the boy’s wrist and the little puddle of vomit he was in. Scourgify! The young girl moved her wand in an “S” shape. Her spell had worked. Some of the vomit was cleared around the boy. And particularly his wrist.

Grabbing the boy’s wrist, she found a pulse. Great. She had not just witnessed death. Again. He blinked once before falling truly unconscious. And she saw. The whites of his eyes had turned pure black. She looked at the potion next to her. And suspicion rose inside her.

A few meters away, two upperclassmen who had just drank the potion were having doubts. It seemed others had drank it too. But now, there was another unconscious, catatonic kid. It was a boy called Mamori, whom she remembered from some mock quidditch game. And she remembered Simon. The Dhampir prefect who happened to have resigned recently.

The second year cast Scourgify a few more times to clean the vomit around and on the boy and turned to Simon. He was carrying Mamori. There were some other girls there too. Perhaps they could help her get to the Hospital Wing without putting the boy in more danger.

Simon! AngelFyre! She knew her other former prefect. And there was also… Emily? Emily! Girls! I’ve got another one here! He’s unconscious too, and he has also collapsed in a pool of his vomit. Can anyone whose hands are free come and help? I don’t want to move him a lot while going to the Hospital Wing. She was no intern or expert, but she knew she was not supposed to move a hurt person around if there were concerns for major injuries. And judging by what she saw, anything was possible with this potion.

She shook the boy once but he did not respond. It was very concerning. She looked around again and attempted to lift him. She’d take him to medical help no matter what.

Aurelia Valentine:

Reducio

The sky and the earth have collided between the confines of the world, a movement perhaps meant to pressure, to crush the entirety of Aurelia's being. Her brilliant mind, if one could read it at the moment, is as empty as the phials Mamori was gripping in his pale hands. The irises of her eyes moved frantically, attempting to digest the surroundings; however, nothing is remarkable to register. She could not hear anything, as if she did not own that form of sense since the beginning of time. Is she screaming, actually? She has no idea. Her vision is blurred, but she persevered; her trembling hands are on Mamori's face, her nimble fingers feverishly wiping the inky substance that kept streaming from his mouth. Her palms are full of cupped obsidian goo, and though she was generally finicky, it felt like it did not matter.

At all.

Aurelia was snapped out of her thoughts, well, a thought that she was in a state of nothingness. Someone grabbed her wrist, and as if a spreading fire that ignited within a hut that is only made of hay, everything went into focus. Eyes immediately registering different colours, her heart is pounding fast and hard that it reaches through her ears, her head is throbbing from inherent shock and stress, her lungs holding a breath in such a way that it must be intending to suffocate her. The young badger took a greedy, lungful of air. “Anezaki is going to choke with it...” Her voice sounded lost, seemingly heard from a distance, or perhaps her brain registered it too late that she muttered such words.

Simon Kincaid's girlfriend and a former prefect of the Hufflepuff House, AngelFyre McCubbin. She is very famous, of course; if one finds her unrecognisable, then that one must be living under a rock. She always had a gentle aura in her presence as though she was somewhat knowing; her striking appearance did not only contribute to the assumption that she is someone a person should inherently trust; it's her voice too. It is somehow soothing for Aurelia. Upon the realisation that someone sensible appeared at the scene, the young Hufflepuff witch calmed down slightly, immediately nodding to her order. She grabbed her black walnut wand, which was tucked in her curls. "Scourgify," Aurelia muttered to herself as she flicked her wand in a quick S movement. The goo in her hands immediately disappeared as though it was never there in the first place.

McCubbin is right, of course, that there is nothing that they can all do but to wait for Mamori's convulsions to halt. Acknowledging the fact that it was logical, though she was hesitant to move from the boy's side, Aurelia wobbled as she attempted to stand up. It was like seeing a wounded animal on the forest floor, whimpering for help, looking at Aurelia with a tortured expression on its face, and she was just there, uselessly watching it all happen as though she was an angel statue that witnessed all its sins but was initially incapable of helping it repent. The young badger was visibly trembling, her hands slowly making their way to her shaky lips as soon as Mamori's convulsions had begun to slow, before he went still. A belief that he might be already dead popped in her head, which she immediately brushed away. Although generally not superstitious, thinking about his death might jinx his well-being all in all.

Someone she doesn't know approached Mamori and checked his pulse. Reading her expression, he must be alive. Letting out a breath in trepidation, Aurelia wracked her brain for something she knew that could somehow help the situation. Nothing comes to her brilliant mind, as she never studied anything related to first aid; even healing spells are out of the question too. She was always the person consulted on what to do next, and the fact that she couldn't conjure anything of use or helpful, like she was only there as a spectator, made her feel intrinsically inadequate. Slowly grabbing the vials from his hands, her deep brown eyes watered as soon as it dawned on her how Mamori currently looked pitiful and helpless. Which was weird, because he was not a friend. His once emerald-coloured eyes dimmed, and obsidian tears collected in his waterline, giving him a look like his eyes were somewhat... not there. Aurelia visibly shivered.

Perhaps she cared. Within the confines of her subconscious mind, she probably cared. Aurelia observed him more than she did with other people, after all.

She lifted her withered gaze when the older Hufflepuff girl asked for their names. She did not even notice that Pamela and Ruth were there, perhaps rushed to her side, alarmed by her panicked screams. "I'm Aurelia. Aurelia Valentine." Although aware that it was the blonde's tactic to soothe their nerves, the young badger chose not to disclose more of her personal information, her deep brown eyes only focused on Mamori's still body. She kept asking herself how it happened, how Mamori had acquired several unlabelled potions in his arsenal, and why he foolishly drank them all at once. This, she could conclude, that perhaps the potion is not exactly a big arse fraud, that the effectiveness of its promises is somewhat remarkable, that he inevitably drank them all. Knowing him, he must've unwisely assumed that the effects would be tripled or quadrupled, as though he did not realise that it was somehow self-induced overdosing. Potions do not work like that. Aurelia was somewhat disappointed that Mamori did not reach that conclusion, knowing that she had spectated on his participation in Wizarding Schools' Potions Championships last year when she first saw him outside of Hufflepuff Common Room.

As soon as Simon lifted Mamori's body and announced that he was going to cart him to the hospital wing, she became alert all at once. She straightened from where she stood, immediately tailing the former prefect. She had been useless up to this moment; she better contributed something that she could or others could call somewhat helpful. Suddenly, Louisa McStately skipped over to them, volunteering to help with an unusual glint of anticipation in her eyes. Aurelia, already overwhelmed from the piling information she could not process immediately because of initial shock and strain from stress, snapped in an instant, her delicate face crumpled to a scowl. "Can you stop? This is not the time to be fooling around. MOVE!" The young badger barked, her deep brown eyes flashing with anger and irritation before striding ahead and deliberately bumping into the poor girl, with all intentions of shoving her out of the way.

Aurelia followed Simon once he exited the Hufflepuff Common Room, her steps hurried.

Pamela Graham:

Reducio

Pam's anxiety meter was flashing her distress signals.

With the way Mamori was practically......she couldn't even find an appropriate term for what was happening to him. Could it be called bleeding? Did his blood get replaced by black writing ink? Alright focus. Anyhow, Pam was more than glad about the few people who stepped up to take charge. She didn't know who the girl was although admittedly, she found herself name pretty unique. Angel...fire..? "Erm.... I'm Pamela." She mumbled, unsure of how that was helping the situation. It's not you dumbass. She's probably trying to prevent us from losing our minds. She was definitely losing her own.

The boy with her however, was the comforting familiar face Pam hadn't realised she had needed. She recognised Simon at once, getting a sudden flashback to their vampire conversations a long time ago. Another girl also aproached them, offering to carry Mamori, and Pam found herself furrowing her eyebrows as she scanned the girl, recognising her behaviour way too easily. Yeah...nope. You definitely can't. You need help too.

Pam watched as the pink-haired boy's convulsions subsided, swallowing as his eyes came into view. Except that they looked dead. His normally bright eyes were dimmer than Pam had expected she would ever see them to be. Considering how lively the boy always was, Pam had become used to seeing his eyes shine like literal stars. This.....this was a very concerning change. She really hoped he'd be able to pull through.

Her brain gears started properly turning again when when Simon mentioned that he was going to take him over to the Hospital Wing. Aurelia was also in front of her, and Pam started to follow her before spotting the same girl from before, except Auri had pretty much shoved her out of the way. Pam couldn't blame her, because the girl would not be helpful, but..... she probably needed to go to the Hospital Wing for herself. So, making up her mind, Pam reached out to touch her shoulder, "You should come too."

AngelFyre McCubbin:

Reducio

Simon was on his way to the Hospital Wing, carrying Mamori easily enough. The girls, the curly-haired brunette and the blonde, who called themselves Aurelia and Pamela, followed on his heels. Another young first year, who definitely looked to be under the influence herself, offered to carry Mamori, so AngelFyre was happy to see Pamela encourage her to follow them and Simon. She knew he would not let anything happen to any of them, so she was free to turn her attention to Emily when another cry for help came from another area of the Common Room.


It was Eugenia calling out this time, and AngelFyre saw her casting, but could not see what she was casting exactly. Running up to Emily quickly on her way over to Eugenia, she told Emily to follow her. She did not ask. She told her. It was easy to see in Emily's current state however, she had probably not processed what she had been asked to do, let alone that she had been asked to do anything. "I really need your help Miss Shephard. NOW, if you please. Come." AngelFyre spoke sternly, hoping some part of it would register and Emily would follow her. The last thing she needed was Emily just wandering off and ending up like Mamori, only with no one around to help her. She then called back over her shoulder to Ruth who had stayed behind when Simon left. "Ruth, you follow me too, please? Bring Emily over with you when you come. I may need both of you."

AngelFyre already had a plan. There were people here, sure, but how many were or were not under the influence was hard to know in the moment. She needed them all within eyesight at the very least. As for the next patient, it was Mamori all over again, but this kid looked even worse.

He was not convulsing, but there was even more of the black effluence, and this kid was rigid. Mamori had not been rigid. Maybe that was coming. Maybe this meant this kid was farther along with his symptoms. "Eugenia, do you know him? What is his name? Do you know if he drank any of those unlabeled potions?" She reached over to place him in a position so that everything could flow out and he would not choke on his own vomit. As she was doing so, it struck her to ask, "Have you had any of the mysterious potion, Eugenia?" She looked up at her. She did not have the vapid, euphoric look, so AngelFyre assumed she was clear-headed in the moment.

"We need to get him, and them," and she nodded back over her shoulder to Emily and Ruth, "to the Hospital Wing. I am going to carry him, but I need you to be a sweep and make certain that they follow us. Can you do that for me, please?"

AngelFyre stood quickly and grabbed another Huffle-colored throw to wrap the boy in, noting he seemed to be getting stiffer. When he was securely bundled, she told Eugenia to stand back as she cast "Engorgio!" on herself. In mere moments she was half-giant sized for the second time in her life, and she briefly smiled down at her helper Hufflepuff. "It is the only way I would be able to carry him, and we need to go now."

Lifting him was easy, but because he was so rigid, she could not carry him over her back like Simon had done with Mamori, so she carried him flat upon her arms, like she might a bundle of wood, but with his face towards the floor.

"Okay, wrangle Emily and Ruth, and if you will, grab that scarf over there on the floor. Be careful with it though. It contains empty potion bottles. I am hoping there may be something there to help the nurse diagnose whatever this is."

AngelFyre was already well on her way to the Common Room's exit. Her voice was deeper and resonated nicely, but she was no Quinn Healy. In this moment, she did not have to be. A tenacious knock-off would do just fine.

"Simon, I am on my way with another patient. Let Nurse Barnes know. He is in even worse condition than Mamori -- he seems completely rigid and catatonic. I am hoping to have Emily and Ruth with me as well, but my hands are full, literally. Eugenia is helping with the them, I hope. And uhhhh... I may look a little different, so prepare yourself."

An OOC note:

Reducio

[OOC Note: we shall be continuing here for those headed to the hospital wing: viewtopic.php?p=1151555#p1151555 I hope Clark doesn’t mind the ambush but it’s an open thread and happening at the same time in the hospital wing so makes sense to have all badgers in the same place. Forgive my short and nonformatted reply - I’ll fix it a bit more tonight after work but didn’t want to delay other’s writing if they’re able to get to it sooner. I’ll also remove this note later tonight. Thanks! ]

Louisa McStately:

Reducio

T he bouncing figure of Louisa McStately seemed exceptionally oblivious to the horribleness of what was happening in the room. The strange glint in her eyes, combined with her outgoing conference and energy would certainly give an impression to anyone that knew Louisa that something was wrong.

That boy whom Louisa was convinced she had seen around, yet where and how she was not quite sure. His agreement of her helping him made her beam brightly, and jump up and down more energetically. “Oooh, yes I will come!” Louisa’s enthusiastic reaction comes. Another girl, of whom she remembered from another day in the common room as well as their SPEW meeting as Aurelia Valentine, began to speak in a far more heated tone. The potion seemed to be causing the little Hufflepuff an unusual energy and conference in herself, for usually she would have frowned and perhaps had a sparkle of tears in her eye, but today that energetic smile didn’t leave her face and instead she began to giggle. “Oh ho, your funny!” Her voice was a tinge higher then usual and was lacking her usual shyness. “You should become an actor, you know…”

The Hufflepuff’s smile widened greatly, and without waiting for anyone’s reactions, she gave an enthusiastic wave and with a small skip disappeared out to follow the others.

Emily Shephard:

Reducio

What in the hay was the fuss about? This was great! In the span of a sip, Emily felt like a new gal. She wasn't swaying anymore, completely embracing this welcome silence that infiltrated her head. Her body felt slack but not so much that she would keel over. The world around her slowed down, her brain soaking up the quiet it was longing for all this time.

She was two seconds late registering AngelFyre's steadfast command. She smiled wryly at her, trying to pay attention. AngelFyre's words were always law. Even a little drunken Emily remembered that. "Ooookay. Just... Give me a second to-- Nyeh!" She stepped backwards and nearly tripped over her own heel. She giggled when she steadied herself again.

"Hehe... Sorry. I think I just need to take my time." She leaned an arm against the wall. Her eyes befell the chaos across the rest of the room. Several kids had united their faces with the ground, some near drowning themselves in black vomit. Some other kids who were under the influence, but not sick, were ushered quickly out of the room by sober students. AngelFyre already had a passed out boy thrown over her shoulder.

If she ever stopped to think - really think - Emily knew what she had just done was insane. An incredibly thin string thrummed deep inside her, desperately trying to shake the rest of her awake again. She knew it was there but how lamentable it was that she couldn't hear it too well.

AngelFyre and Eugenia were talking before Emily heard something about the Hospital Wing. Emily knew she wasn't feeling quite herself but it wasn't that bad for them to worry about. Right?

"It's okay, AF... I'm fine, really! Don't worry about me... Don't let me interrupt your smoochums with Simon. You two are so cute together...!" There was probably a more graceful way of saying all that, though in the state Emily was in, she couldn't find the energy to correct it.

She suddenly felt another bout of buzzing in her head, only this time it sat a little less uncomfortably than before, no doubt due to the fact Emily wasn't used to feeling like this. She felt too warm. Too floaty.

Before any second thought, Emily took off slowly out of the room and into the corridor. A face full of fresh air ought to clear up whatever was buzzing in Emily's head... The nagging worry of a curse thrumming in the string of awareness that was still fighting for its life to the surface.

CHAOS IN THE BOYS DORM (AGAIN!)

Reducio

32 March 2025

It had been such a looooooong day! Double Potions and Muggle Studies and a whole hour spent in Hospital getting that dratted flobberworm mucus out of Colin's hair! Ugh! Too bad there was nothing to get the taste of it out of his mouth! Kind of salty and slimy --- yeugh! Right now all Colin wanted was a moment to decompress and change before going outside for a much needed run! Oo, and maybe down to the boat house for a quick dip! That was always a nice quiet spot.

Colin descended all eight lakhs ninety-three thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight steps that led down to the cool and inviting Slytherin dungeons. His kilts danced with each step his shoeless feet descended and his satchel bounced merrily at his side. It hadn't been a bad day or anything, Colin thought. Just a long day. Well, even a half potions would make for a long day. Even with their new Potions professor.

Silently, Colin burst through the heavy doors that guarded the Commons from the outside world and dashed across the space and up the stairs into the corridors where the boys dorms were. He noted the slightly lighter stonework that separated Regulus Dorm from all the others. Colin smirked. That was where Headmaster Lear blasted his way through on the Night of Red Knives.

Colin let out a puff of air as he entered the dorms he shared with a bunch of other boys. Everyone's beds were all nicely made and book shelves tidy and nothing strewn about --- well, as nicely made, tidy and unstrewn as a gang of teenage boys could possibly keep their room! But the sight that greeted Colin was one of utter destruction!

He found his trunk had been broken open! It's contents had been tossed about! Fotunately the fiddle case had not been broken into, but it was tossed aside. The few clothes he owned were scattered about. His books were all thrown about. Something was on fire on the desk. His bed was utterly destroyed! It was like some mad puppy had decided his dorm was a giant chew toy!

In the middle of it all was that queer new doll that had shown up last week! Colin glared at it. It's eyes were gleaming merrily. It was sitting on the bedside table. Who could have done all this!? And wait. Where was Greebo!? Colin looked around for his cat. He wasn't easily spooked, but he was also nowhere to be seen or smelled. Hopefully he went to stay with Ginger Snaps. Hermes would surely look after him, if he got scared by the destruction in here.

A couple boys were lounging around as if nothing unusual had happened!

"Oi!" Colin cried out. "Do ye think this is a bit much? Which one of you prats did this?"

@Matthew Campbell | @Prat Pass | @Thaniel Percival Finn | @Rusty Singer | @Vikus Storm | @Caspian Villin || @Astra Norrick

xx

Your room was a mess when you returned from class today. Your trunk was open, your belongings strewn about the room. Your pillows cut open, the stuffing in clumps. The mattress was gutted, the only thing intact in your room was Me. They were sitting on the remains of your bedside table, their button eyes gleaming merrily.

Darkest Night [flashback, 1999]

The Flashback [1999]

Way back then, back when Octavius was a wee boy in September 1999... he was 11 years old and freshly sorted into Slytherin. It wasn't the first of the month, no. It was the last Saturday of that September, meaning that he was four weeks into the school year and in all honesty, it did not mean he was doing well.

He was a brilliant kid, but he lured trouble wherever he went. It had to be the fact he looked like "fresh meat" so to speak. He would go to get lunch and have fingers pointing at him, he would have his face shoved into the food from behind, he would remember the different ways he got harassed in the halls and in the building, before he later decided he'd try to toughen up as he got older.

Well, that one Saturday, Octavius sat in the common room of the Slytherin Dormitory and stared out of the window, at the water and fish swimming by. He turned his body so that he was sitting in the chair 90 degrees from the way he was supposed to, propping his legs over the arms of the chair and his back on the other arms.

He heard footsteps drawing closer and some boys that appeared to be much bigger than Octavius was at the time just began to pound their fists together into their palms to appear more threatening. As cliquey and hollywood it is, it made Octavius feel uneasy until they asked him if he would drink something.. something known as "Darkest Night."

Octavius's initial response was no. But it seemed to make them unhappy, as the leader pulled out a bottle and the other two grabbed his arms to restrain him, leaving him kicking but without leverage. He would scream for attention, hoping that help would come, as the leader's hand drew closer and closer, Octavius was able to read the bottle and saw child bones on it. It made his heart palpatate. "NO!" He bellowed louder, a whine escaping his voice. "LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!"

The doors to the common room slammed open, thudding against the wall as a professor walked in, seeing the situation, and hurriedly stormed over to the boy holding the potion and slapped it out of his hands, and grabbed his wrist as he ordered the other two boys to let go of Octavius.

Octavius got out of the chair with haste and reached down on the floor to read the bottle to find the ingredients, when in extremely small text, there were words, "causes one to experience euphoria and extreme depression." Nothing more was said.

Fast forward 26 years to now. He realized that was a memory that he had buried for so long. Oh gosh, how many people suffered? Did the production stop all together? What is the cure? How can he help?