Stage 33: Not the Face!

After the disappearance of the red-hat burlap doll, life went back to normal for Bea. While she had not forgotten about it, she had given up on finding it after it disappeared from beneath her dormitory bed. She knew it was useless. The doll sure seemed to hold numerous mysteries, but nevertheless, it was just a doll.

Bea gasped as the student's wand backfired. They were seriously injured and needed immediate medical attention. For some reason, having a wand backfire like that seemed too stupid to occur at random. It was not normal. Something was very wrong there!
Putting her thoughts away, she ran to help the injured student.

At the same time, in the corner of her eyes, something moved. And it gave Bea chills when she realised whatever it was, it wore a tiny red wizard hat.
The doll?

Her throat was parched. Swallowing with difficulty, her eyes wide with terror, Bea took a sharp turn and began running in the opposite direction.
She could finally make it out now: it was NOT just a doll. For what happened to the injured student, she was sure the doll was to be blamed. Perhaps she was next.
"¡Estás jodida, Bea!" you are doomed, Bea! she muttered to herself.

This thread series never reached a terminal point. So I guess we are going from here.

When things go wrong, instinct offers two choices: fight or flee. That was what the narrator had always believed, but it turns out that there is a third option, far worse than either:

Doing nothing.

@Bea Blanco was denying the call of adventure. Living her life. Forgetting the strange package that had no sender. The doll hidden behind the plain packaging that seemed simply wrong. But the moment the spell rebounded, wild, wrong, and crackling with an energy that felt too old for student wands, the spell hurled the teen across the dueling club floor like a discarded doll. The sound of impact silenced the room. Gasps bloomed like wildfire.

Students rushed to the felled teen's side. Some knelt beside the fallen body, whispering incantations. One of the older students pressed their hand to the teen’s chest, murmuring healing charms through clenched teeth. There is nothing like collective collaboration in the midst of a disaster. Duellists might be best known for their offensive spellworks, but several were proficient healers. Yet there was something dark and wrong about the spell that backfired, the student failed to rouse. One of the girls, a Hufflepuff called out hoarsely, voice cracking: “Get Nurse Barnes. Now.”

There was something wrong with this statement but Bea would not even recognize it. Something had shifted in the world and Octavius Baird was no longer a part of this construct of reality. The only knew nurse Barnes, a short-lived nurse that had left the school shortly after arriving. Her reasoning unknown.

@Bea Blanco did not involve themselves in the magical industry of their peers. she did nothing to help the injured student. Her eyes drifted, drawn by movement. Something small scurried at the edge of the chaos—tan and low to the ground. A rodent? A cat? Maybe even a particularly filthy pygmy puff.

No. It can't be. That makes no sense.

As it slipped between the shadows, she was sure, absolutely sure, that it was wearing a tiny, crimson wizard’s hat.

A doll-sized hat.

A flash of red velvet. A glint of thread. It was there watching, waiting, and it has just hurt someone. It could not have been a coincidence. Somewhere deep beneath her skin, she felt it: she might be next.

Bea could have run. That would’ve been smart. Sensible. But she didn’t.

Mellani had come here to watch a duel match, simply because she had practiced enough for quidditch, completed her homework, and had noting else to do in life at this moment. Just as she was watching the duel, a student's wand backfired, causing him several burns. Not an uncommon situation when it came to duels, but it looked pretty bad. The student definitely needed to go to the hospital wing.

Mellani went beside him in an instant, and decided to drag the poor student to the Hospital wing. Just as she was doing that, she noticed something. It was probably a pet, with a wizards hat, which was a cute way to dress your pets. In any case, she did not have much time, so with a lot of difficulty she managed to drag the poor student away.

The student was carried off by Mellani Miller, several of the other students milled about the duelling club talking about 'how strange' it was that they were knocked back by that spell. Another loudly commented that the dark mark on their shoulder from the blast looked particularly nasty and they hoped that it did not scar.

An upper classman scoffed and claimed that the student probably caused the accident on purpose to get out of a match intended next week. They would have embarrassed themselves, they suggested callously.

Nobody else noticed it except for you. A flash of red lut of the corner of your eye, near the door. Something had just ran out of the duelling club. It would be mad for you to claim a doll had done this, and perhaps a part of you was doubting this as well. You had already made a firm commitment to avoid danger and adventure and you were going to keep your metaphorical word.

Life would go on, but in a few days timer you would find another package waiting for you - Bernadette and Leonard. You were not going to be able to simply step away!

If you are interested in continuing this adventure, please loop back in with one of your other dolls and memories of this interaction. I can see you have Bernadette & Leonard.

Following the unexplained disappearance of the doll, life seemed to carry on as usual for the young Hufflepuff. There were simply more important things in life to busy himself with - homework, sneaking around at night, and of course, spectating duels whenever there was one.

Just like the one he was watching now.

Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd as a duelist's spell backfired, sending them flying across the room and landing in a crumpled heap, as charred as a roasted marshmallow. It was a medical emergency.

Without hesitation, Joseph rushed forward. There was already another student tending to the injured duelist but it didn't matter. He was going to help however he could.

Then, a flurry of movement caught his attention.

Something small and forgettable - a tan creature, darting across the floor. Probably just a cat. But no.

It wore a striking red wizard's hat.

A thought struck Joseph, making his throat run dry.

Twinkle is without a doubt on the loose. Skittering, causing mayhem and you are not entirely sure what you can do to stop it. If you can stop it. If there is even danger to endeavor against.

In fact, are you absolutely certain that you saw Twinkle just then? That little red hat, that flash of tan. Yes. No. Maybe. Hopefully not.

Take some deep breaths, move on with your day and know that something weird is happening that is completely out of your hands.

I see you, @Joseph Sims, have other dolls. Carry on. You know something is up. Hopefully you make good choices.