The Weeping Shore 2025 Fall Ball

Just as Landon said, the calm before the storm, and all that. He heard a .oud hiss from the light his wand had emitted. Darkness veiled the area. Was his decision to check the surroundings bad? Zach wondered. But no time should be wasted on thinking.

When he was about to cast another Lumos Maxima, he stopped. The music changed into something eerie. With the only light sources from the eclipse above his head, the situation really made him shudder with horror. "Landon..." he tried to call the Hufflepuff boy. First was to check if he was okay. Second was to check if the hand he held now was still Landon's hand. "See? Something isn't right." He strengthened his grip. Then the light came back. Even so, the boy didn't loosen his grip because he guessed it wasn't the end.

And he was right.

The next thing that happened was twisted and disoriented laughter from every side of the space. It surely surprised Zach. "Cast any spell you can cast!" Zach shouted. He didn't say it to Landon only, but to everyone nearby.

Though he didn't focus on anything other than healing magic, Zach still has the memory of some offensive spells he used to study for his duel. One spell came to his mind. Perhaps it would be useful.

"Nec Divinos Crepitus."

Interacting with: @Summer Lancaster Please owl to interact if not pinged! Mentioning: N/A Date: 10/04/25

Word Count: 270

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Dylan nearly blushed, but caught himself when Summer said he looked dashing and handsome, and nice. He didn't know what to say. Only Avery had really said those words to him besides his parents, so what would he respond? He didn't have much luck with girls at all. Maybe that was why he always stuck to himself until he met Summer. Summer was different like Avery. She wasn't like most of the other girls that wanted to latch onto him and never let go. She was independent yet sweet at the same time. A good friend to have close. "Oh. Yeah. I'm alone this year. Avery's gone off with her boyfriend, so I thought I'd come in here before grabbing a quick bite to eat." Dylan smiled. Hiding the fact that his heart had begun to race. The once steady thump had turned into a rapid beat he hoped Summer didn't notice or hear. That would just make things more awkward. That was when he realized it. Why were things awkward between them? Their friendship had always been easy-going and simple, but now? Well, now it felt like everything was changing for a reason Dylan was completely oblivious to. For now, at least. An idea hit him. It was crazy. Very crazy as he hadn't danced in what felt like forever, but he had the feeling that he could still do it. Maybe. "Hey, do you want to dance?" He asked nervously. Why was he nervous? Dylan was never nervous. That feeling was new for him and he still didn't know what he was going to do with it.

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date: 4th october 2025 ──location: the weeping shore, great lake dialogue: #57756D ──mentioned: @Percival Rocier

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Embraced by pale moonlight, the pair wandered off the deck and towards the darkened lake. Cecilia released Percival’s hand as they slowed to a stop. Her bright eyes widened as they darted across the stunning scene. After peering into the depths of the lake day after day, she quickly grew accustomed to its serene beauty. And though she still appreciated its ordinary form, she had to admit that the hush of waves on the enchanted surface was truly a sight to behold. “Wow, isn't it so pretty?” she beamed, turning to Percival with a radiant smile. As she bounced up and down with glee, decals of her dress caught the moonlight, and soft curls fell across her face. Her mannerisms were far from sophisticated, but any chance of being seen as proper was likely shattered along with the draught during their first meeting. Besides, Cecilia felt certain that her companion was not one to worry about such formalities. It was a comforting realisation that allowed her to enjoy the soft, entrancing melody. Though she diligently kept up with her ballet and waltz lessons, she often missed dancing for the sake of it. The thought of twirling above the waves compelled her, but admitting it aloud seemed somewhat silly to her. Still, she refused to miss out on any fun tonight due to the fear of looking foolish. “I… I want to try dancing along,” she admitted sheepishly before extending her hand out to him. “Would you like to join me?” she asked nervously. It did not matter whether he was skilled. All she really hoped for was that he would show the same enthusiasm. Though Cecilia never danced with a partner outside of lessons, she assumed that this would not be too different. After all, they were here to have fun. “Unless another potion breaks, our steps can’t possibly be worse than last time,” she joked, trying to reassure him. Alas, it was a regretful remark, for something suddenly rammed into the platform when the words fell from her lips. “What the–” Her eyes widened as she staggered. Instinctively, she stretched her arms out in an attempt to steady herself. She had always wanted to take a plunge into the great lake, but not like this. Perhaps she had to be more careful about what she wished for. “Just our luck, eh?” she chuckled nervously, eyes brimming with fear despite her ill-timed humour. Before she had time to question what happened, the rammings continued and she stumbled once more. A sickening sense of deja vu washed over her. Perhaps it was not the ship that was cursed, but them.

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──notes: outfit | godmodding permission recieved ──inventory: dogbreath potion, burn healing paste, antidote to common poisons, gillyweed ──antidote to uncommon poisons, hand fan

word count: 439── actions: entered with percy──

@Aly Salinger

Theo hesitated only for a moment, when Aly suggested she might have spiked the beverage, before taking another sip. "No risk, no fun.", he commented with a smirk. He doubted she had actually done anything to it, he felt just fine. "If this will really make me fall asleep, I guess I will have to task my first mate with finding me a nice place to sleep."

Theo had grown in the last years and not only physically. He had consciously decided to make some changes and focus on other things and people, but one thing had not changed- he still didn't notice the line between joking and flirting until he crossed it.
And Aly blushing was a more than clear indication. Automatically he thought back to Dee and how quickly their conversation at the lake had gone downhill. He would have to be more careful from now on.

"Why, thank you, Privateer Theo. Now, where's that 'better option' you were talking about? Is he around here somewhere? I'd love to go have a dance, if he's available."

"Well, I suppose I should ask him if he has a few minutes to spare then, shouldn't I?" He turned away from her, stole another pearl from a cupcake and threw it into his mouth before facing her again. "Well, it is your lucky day!"
With a slightly dramatic bow he took Aly's hand and let her lead him to the dancefloor.

"Look! It's like the ceiling of the Great Hall, but... rather opposite, don't you think? Must be enchanted. It'll be like we're dancing right on the waves."

Theo looked down at the "floor" as well, carefully put some weight on it at first, then even dared to try jumping on it. "Wild!" He raised their hands, leading Aly into a twirl and pulling her closer to dance. Theo was not the best dancer. He had learned some basics from his grandfather and tried dancing every now and then at a ball, but he could not help the occasional misstep. It didn't bother him much- the fact that they were surrounded by kids made the whole situation feel quite unserious.

"Look, there are real pearls here you can nick, privateer. Just don't try to eat these ones, yeah? Or at least give me a dance first before you end up in St. Mungo's choking like an inefficacious oyster."

The comment made him laugh- and immediately lose track of his steps again and he only narrowly avoided stepping on her foot. "You know, the punishment for mocking the privateer is rather awful.", he told her in as serious a tone he could muster, "Getting your feet crushed on the dancefloor."

With a grin he twirled her again, when something caught his attention. The lights. Theo was not a Hogwarts student, but he had been around Hogwarts students and at Hogwarts often enough to be convinced that there was a curse on this school and if something seemed out of the ordinary, it usually was potentially about to jump and murder you.

Just as the thought formed in his mind, something rammed the platform. "Wh-" Theo managed to catch himself and his hand tightened on Aly's waist to steady her too, before he let go to grab his wand. "What on earth- ?" Laughter filled the air but one look confirmed that it did not come from any of the children around them- They were surrounded by children. Children who probably didn't have that many tools do defend themselves yet.

One problem at a time. Theo let go of Aly's hand to crouch down and look at the platform- or through the platform rather. Was there something happening?

Actions: Looking through the platform in the hopes to find the cause of the disruption in the water

Potions: Black Fire Potion, Invisibility Potion, Erumpent Potion

Sta-10 | Eva-17 | Str-10 | Wis-8 | Arc-9 | Acc-20

Muggle Condition | Calming Presence (Ally: Aly Salinger) | Blindvision | Savior | Broken Broomshaft | Evasive Maneuvers I & II

Outfit:

Reducio

Joseph knew something was off the moment the group fell silent.

The silence pressed in, wriggling its way under his skin. Something in the air shifted. Joseph's stomach twisted, his pulse kicking up. He hated it when this happened. When the world seemed to murmur to him: you've somehow messed up kiddo. No more choco for you for the rest of the week.

He turned to Ruth and Pam, his gaze following their line of sight.

Then he spotted her. Hands on her hips. Glare razor-sharp, as though raving to transfigure him into paper to shred to bits.

Joseph's blood churned into slushy butterbeer.

Lass Lindsey, marching across the shifting dance floor towards him.

Uh oh.

"Um hi," Joseph muttered, shrinking back as his gaze fell. His eyes landed on Astra. His smug little parrot-rock, watching the disaster unfold with the same blank, judgemental stare she always had.

Please, do something Joseph thought, his eyes becoming flashing SOS signals. He'd never been able to reach her telepathically, but now'd be a fantastic time for her to finally pick up the signal. Please. Distract her. Fake my death. Anything. HELP!

The girl in the swirling blue dress reached them, and the screaming began.

The words kept coming. Harsh, blunt, unforgiving. Joseph clenched his jaw, shoving his purple tricorne back onto his head. If only it could magically expand into a tent to hide him.

It didn't make sense. What was she saying? Dancing? Loss? Girlfriend?

What girlfriend? Their ONLY mutual agreement had been that corn-themed elephants were objectively cool, last he checked. When had they ever upgraded to romance?

His face burned. His brain fizzed.

Lindsey turned to leave, still indignant. Then turned back to fire a vicious parting shot. Something sharp enough to cleave a clean chunk out of his dignity.

Joseph stayed silent. Too much. Far too much to handle. What to do? What would a pirate captain do here? Offer some loot? Challenge her to a duel?

Lindsey left. For real this time. Joseph exhaled.

He knew practically nothing about girls, but he was pretty sure he'd just been dumped. Which was ridiculous, considering they'd never been together in the first place. Leave it to Joseph to get ditched in a nonexistent relationship.

Ruth looked stunned. Pam snorted. Astra shot him a look that said Oh well. Que será será, buddy.

Huzzah. Even Astratherapy wasn't enough to save his shredded dignity.

"Girlfriend... I- I don't-"

A sudden hiss, and they were plunged into darkness. Joseph almost screamed again.

Panic built up in his chest. Glancing around, he squeezed the closest thing he could find, which turned out to be his fluffy pet rock. Astra. He could make out his friends, blur silhouettes shifting in the dark. At least he wasn't alone. Calm down, Joseph, calm down.

He'd apologise for using Astra as a stressball later. Now wasn't the time for pirate bravado. Something was wrong, and Joseph had to figure out what.

He was Detective Joseph now.

Eerie music ripped through the air, joined by chanting that chilled him to the bones. Joseph froze, clutching Astra like a fuzzy lifeline. He rose onto tiptoes, squinting into the dark.

What was going on? Some planned prank? Or... something else entirely?

Then the lights flickered on again. Joseph blinked, disoriented. Maybe there really was nothing to worry about. Maybe it was just a technical hiccup. Though the music-

Cold laughter rang out, ending his train of thoughts. It boomed all around them - warped and menacing, like his friend, Jacob's old witch impressions back in Arisaig, but far worse.

His stomach knotted. Every nerve screamed at him to bolt, but his legs refused to obey.

The ground shook. Joseph yelped, crouching low as force after force slammed into the floating platform. His mind raced, eyes darting over the trembling platform, trying to make sense of the chaos. What was causing these violent tremors?

"Wait up-!" He called, stumbling forward as Ruth dragged Pam away from the dancefloor. Another shudder, almost sending him careering to the left. This was a living nightmare for any clumsy dude.

"We're coming," Joseph huffed, tightening his grip on Astra as he shuffled towards his friends.

"What was that?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else. Another slam. Another tremor. Someone really wanted to watch Joseph turn into a roly-poly.

Pam raised her voice, asking if they were hungry. Joseph's eyes widened. Well, at least she had her priorities straight.

"We can go back to raid Table Island later. Assuming we don't get mauled to death by aquatic demons first. Or gigantic evil crabs."

For all he knew, the night had more nasty surprises in store.

He glanced back at Astra, still unfazed like the rock champ she was. They'd figure this out. They'd survive this together. Then maybe after this... sort out his little emotional disaster.

On second thought, death by wrestling giant mutant crabs sounded rather heroic.

"Unless... you've got any other ideas?"

Action: Interacting with @Ruth Fairchild, @Pamela Graham & the most fabulous @Astra the Rock.

Mentioning: @Lindsey Bliss

Stamina 8 | Evasion 3 | Strength 5 |  Wisdom 6 | Arcane Power 6 | Accuracy 7

Owl for interactions! :>

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Date: 10/04/25| Outfit: Here | CC: #1f5cc6 | Words: 244 | Graphic by Damien Dragonclaw
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Landon flinched as the lights all went out after Zach casted his spell. He held his wand firmly, preparing for trouble. He looked over his shoulder at Zach, his blue eyes wide. He couldn't really see anything, but he held Zach's hand tightly as he heard the music changing to something spooky. "Zach..." he said softly, though the sound of his voice was probably not loud enough to be heard over the eerie music.

Landon nodded and squeezed Zach's hand tighter when Zach said something wasn't right. He let out a small sigh of relief when the lights came on again, but this was interrupted by the frightening laughter that came from all directions. He didn't know what to do. Why were the professors always away when things happened? Why did they always seem to think things would be okay with a bunch of kids on their own?

Landon heard Zach's recommendation and he thought hard, trying to figure out what spell to cast. Surely there was a spell that could alert the professors of the danger. He figured out one to do, hoping that it would be useful, even if it wasn't an offensive spell. Still holding Zach's other hand, Landon pointed his wand to the sky and cried out "Periculum!" He remembered being taught this spell in his first year and that it was used to alert people of immediate danger. He hoped that it would help get professors around to help.

MOD POST SIX
[this will be the last moderated post !!]
you can of course continue to post, fight with the air and all but i shall not accompany you in this journey

Though in appearance inoffensive, the accumulation of disturbing events had drawn a large range of reaction from our dear guest's hearts.

They were those fleeting, gathering hoops and skirts in shaking hands and running as fast as their lungs permitted, escaping this hellish depiction of a tranquil sea. A brunette, draped in a cloudy shade of blue, held firmly the wrist of her companion, her blonde strands brushed by the wind as the two girls ran for their lives. Swiftly, a recogniseable lilac pirate followed, trailing after them, one hand clenched on his parrot-dressed rock. (@ruth fairchild, @pamela graham, @joseph sims.)

Others, though, in particular two elder gentlemen whose anxiety appeared to sweat through their very pores, had decided to wave their wands around, casting several spells, frightened by the hiss their previous outburst of light had caused. One casted a cracker-conjurating spell, a rather... odd choice, given his wand was aimed at the disturbing depths of the lake. The items crackled for a few seconds before being swallowed by the depths, enlightening briefly what could be found beneath the platforms — the void. No siren, no sea monster, no kraken, no 'gigantic evil crabs'. The other, hand clasped together as though their hearts might wander without this tangible link, rose his wand to the sky and produced blood-red sparks, trying to alert whoever might be watching. No one, in that case. (@zach zaphiere,@landon matthews.)

For indeed, no matter how incredibly well imitated, the occurrences that unfolded prior to this cry for help were nothing close to a modicus of actual danger. Only a few well-timed light extinction, a faulty gramophones, some speakers drowned beneath the platforms with pre-recorded laughters, songs and other sound effects. The platforms were a genius idea, using projected images and a limited range of movement to create the impression something, someone was ramming onto them from beneath.

Of course, other blissful souls had arrived, unaware of the dramatic turn the events had taken. Though, one might note, the weather had started to settle. The raging waves had softened into tranquil ondulations, no longer crashing the shores as though doomsday was about to dawn on the merry hearts twirling beneath the moon ; the melodic chants had vanished, only leaving the sweetened notes of the music playing throughout the scene ; no uncanny laughter echoed through the lake, instilling fear into the bravest of hears. No, definitely, the night was finally the serene atmosphere it had meant to be, nothing but the gently gaze of the moon, observing guests dancing and twirling, laughter rising up to the stars.

Then, as though to crown the eventful evening, a goodbye. Lights dimmed slowly, delicately, as a lovely song rose from beneath their feet — woven with laughter, yet devoid of that frightening tone it had previously taken. A silhouette, that of a siren, was casted onto the platforms, simmering between guests before disappearing in the night, a last splash addressed to anyone remaining a bit too close to those enchanted depths.

Until then, foolish sailors.

WELCOME TO THE WEEPING SHORE.

OOC INFORMATION ;
1. To participate, you must be indexed. If you are not indexed yet, please apply here.
2. Moderation will occur roughly every week, sometimes later due to the little activity of this thread !! Waiting until at least a few people posted before making the modpost.
3. Your character is allowed one moderated action per round. Please specify your moderated action somewhere OOC in your post. Moderated actions are those actions that requires rolls like casting a spell on someone, physically fighting (like punching) with someone, surprising someone etc. Rolls are not needed for pre-decided or consented actions, like asking someone for a dance.
4. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
5. There are two other threads in this event, The Lost Pearl (dining area) and The Drowned Palace (escape game). IC speaking, your character would enter through The Lost Pearl to reach The Weeping Shore. You are not required to post in The Lost Pearl to access The Weeping Shore. The location of The Drowned Palace, as well as an additional clue to the treasure hunt, are hidden in The Lost Pearl. Your character doesn't need either to access or play the game, these are options adding to the atmosphere.
6. You can enter directly either threads without needing to post in this thread, but if you already have, please specify that you are leaving this thread for either one of the other two.
6. Please follow all usual HIO rules.
7. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, beware of the bewitching siren's chant, but most importantly, enjoy !
{it has been a long time but as last round's action was the main disturbance (sorry, no krake fights today), I wanted to give you guys a while to react !! it has been a ton of fun modding this thread and seeing the drama unfurls, i hope you liked my posts and i wish you all a very merry christmas !! <33}

How could this happen to her. She thought that going to the dance floor would be the worst idea of the evening, but what happened afterwards was somehow even worse. Had she had the confidence to walk back in an assertive manner, this would've worked out very differently. Instead, she refused to meet anyone's eyes, and as a result, she almost walked into someone. At first, she was unsure who the person was that skilfully moved out of her way. She held back a threat that was threatening to leave her mouth before looking up and seeing another flash of ginger hair. Really, him again? Was he stalking her?

In her head, she kept repeating that there was no need to be embarrassed for her slight overreaction earlier. Just stay calm and collected, she told herself. Keep your head cold. Before she could even think about which low-key insult she could come up with, words started coming out of his mouth. Did she want to dance with this stranger who apparently liked the color of her dress?

Surprisingly, Milica actually thought about it. The act reminded her of her childhood. After hearing her first fairy tales as a child, it had been a dream of hers to dance with a handsome boy at a ball. She always knew this would never happen to her, as the muggles in her neighbourhood didn't like her at all. No boy could stand being near her, let alone dance with her. Besides, how often is it that one attends a ball as magical as this one? She quickly realised that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. "I'll dance with you if it means you stop stalking me", she responded rudely, not wanting to let her true feelings shine through.

Unfortunately, before they could even make it to the dance floor, chaos broke out. The lights went out, the music stopped and the waves seemed to ram into the platforms from beneath. 'There goes my fairy tale ball moment', she thought, before turning her head to look at the boy beside her. She realised she never even learned his name. "Maybe.. maybe we should postpone this dance." To her dismay, she actually stuttered. Whether it was from shock, disbelief or still some leftover embarrassment, she didn't know. Some students around her started casting spells, but she decided to do nothing. This would fix itself, surely.

Her thoughts proved to be correct as soon, the chaos calmed down and she was met with the same calming atmosphere she encountered when she entered the area. "How could an event go so horribly wrong? Who was even in charge of planning this, they should really get a stern talking to," Milica whined with a slight frown on her face. She wondered what the boy next to her had to say, and whether perhaps he would ask her to dance once again.

Action: Interacting with Blaize

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Information Interactions: @Blaize Valerian Stats: sta ◦ 4 | eva ◦ 7 | str ◦ 8 | wis ◦ 2 | arc ◦ 1 | acc ◦ 8 Abilities: Dhampir (year 1) Notes: none

The American partner she'd swept in for a dance wasn't the most talented with his feet, that much was for certain. Luckily, Aly knew a fair bit by now on how to avoid getting stepped on by bumbling dance partners, and she even subtly switched the hand that was in his so that hers was the leading. The Ravenclaw was quite sure he wouldn't mind; not everyone had the unfortunate privilege of months' worth of private ballroom dancing lessons from the most vexatious Lady Prudence. That being said, he was awfully good at twirling her around - her newly ruffled lace skirt whirling in a beautifully ragged circle around her legs, the long edges of the red sash around her waist very narrowly avoiding smacking into his thigh as she spun. It was lucky that he was so tall - it made his arms perfect for twirling her at a certain length away. Aly chuckled, too, at his own self-deprecation. "You're not that bad," she said, instinctively, before realising that such a thing sounded more like a pitying placation than a compliment. Quickly, she restructured her commentary. "That is to say, you haven't yet stepped on my- agh!"

That last bit was unintentional, the cry ripping from her mouth as she stumbled from the lurch of the dance floor underneath her heeled feet. Surely that wasn't just the rippling waves of the Great Lake underneath them, no? That had to be something more. She'd have tripped right into Theo if he hadn't caught her, his warm hand steadying her at the waist before letting go to take his wand. Aly followed suit, her own stick of aspen much easier to reach now that her gown was all slitted and sliced. The knife she had strapped to her thigh would be easy to grab if necessary, too - such a thing had been deemed a necessary accompaniment to all Hogwarts balls after the eye-curdling event towards the end of her fifth year. She didn't take it out quite yet - no need to scare the children about - but instead watched as Theo crouched down to examine the glass beneath them. What did he think - that there was something there, in the water? "Mayhap it's just the Giant Squid saying hello," she murmured, her voice audibly uncertain.

But then - inexplicably, and thankfully - peace. The shaking of the very platform beneath them calmed, the lights returning to normal and the music resuming. Aly breathed a sigh of relief, extending her hand to help her dance partner return to his feet. "I don't think it was anything of danger," she said, her voice stronger now. "The Giant Squid wanting to join in on the festivities, perhaps, or someone playing a prank of sorts. It's certainly not the worst ball I've been to here." A smile played upon her glossed lips. "And thank you for the dance. Really, this has been so fun."

A shout in a despicably all-too-familiar accented voice rose from the direction of the ship at about that point, and Aly knew her absence had been discovered. A hefty sigh bubbled up from the pit of her lungs. "I should probably be getting out of here - find my mates, at least," she explained, even though she really did not want to go; it had been such a lovely night thus far, full of danger and intrigue, but the longer she stayed, the worse it would likely be for her in the morn - this she knew. "Maybe if I fake an illness I won't get in as much trouble for abandoning my date."

Before she left, though, she pressed forward onto her tiptoes, hand reaching up to take Theo's cheek in her slender fingers. To the opposite cheek, she pinned a soft, friendly kiss. A thank-you, of sorts.

"See you around, captain," she said, before turning and vanishing, off into the dark.

Action: Kissing Theo on the cheek, then leaving

Closed to other interactions | October 4^th, 2025 | outfit in banner, | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | paragon allies: theo, peri | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 16
inventory: knife, wand, hardanger's cosmetics, murtlap essence, welcome card | @Theodore Duncain

Nothing. Nothing really happened. It was all a false alarm, or something that was actually not dangerous in the first place. Weird. Really weird. Perhaps chaos didn't chase after Hogwarts anymore, or the staff and the committee worked their best to chase away anything that made the place haunting earlier. Whatever it was, Zach could take a relieved breath. He didn't have to fight anything in the end. Giant squid or ugly lake creatures, nothing. He shrugged and put his wand inside. "I guess there's nothing here. Not sure why there were blackouts or creepy sounds earlier. I expected something," he chuckled. He looked at Landon and gave him a big grin.

"Nice spellcasting, anyway," he bumped Landon's shoulder. It was his first time to see Landon's spellwork this close. Zach was always excited for spellcasting, another thing that grabbed his interest besides healing magic. "Maybe you should try duelling if you're bored with Quidditch," he chuckled. He learned more about Landon through this event.

The song was back to being melodious. No more creepy songs. No more siren's calling. "We should continue dancing, if you still like it," he said. His fingers were tangled, trying to hide his wish to continue dancing.