In Search of the Source of the Creeping Darkness Main Story

The room lit up as Koko waved her wand - finally, she could see the bottles that she had somehow avoided running into, and she could also see a few of her housemates meandering around the room - as well as moving bottles. Sapphire was not among them.

Biting back a bitter sigh, Koko gritted her teeth and began to walk deeper into the room. If she couldn't protect her sister, she could at least protect herself - and, as a prefect, she supposed she could protect the other Slytherins if she saw any trouble. She wasn't the strongest or necessarily the best with magic, but her Lumos had worked more than well and she had managed to roam deeper into the room without falling.

A yawn worked its way out her throat as she crept along the wall. She had woken up to the rustling of paper by her ears, and it seemed that even though she needed to be at her most alert in an area of the dungeons she hadn't yet explored, she was still ready to go back to the dormitory and fall back asleep.

With her free hand, she pulled out Sapphire's letter. The words shifted less in the brighter light now emanating from her wand, but being able to read the letter more clearly did not alleviate any of Koko's worries. The last time she had been woken up at night, the spider attack had occurred - she hadn't let herself be disturbed at night until now, and now her sister was gone.

If Sapphire had left any trace, Koko didn't notice it. She had either gone back into the room they'd come from, or she had gone ahead - and because Koko felt she knew her sister, she thought Sapphire might have gone ahead into the unknown.

The thought of heading into something she wasn't prepared for terrified her almost as much as the thought of being down here and getting a detention (could prefects even receive detentions, she tried to ask herself) or getting hurt - she wasn't sure which was worse. Probably the latter.

"Sapphire..." Koko's methodically soft voice trailed off as she stared at the darkness that was out of range of her wand's light. "I came here to help you, and I will help. So don't get yourself killed before I find you."

The likelihood of her mumbling even being heard, let alone by the recipient, was quite low, but Koko stared ahead of her with an uncharacteristic determination as she began to forge through the darkness with a newfound fervour.

She wanted to leave the creepy room of bottles behind, even if she had felt somewhat safe and concealed there before she noticed her housemates. Someplace with so many tripping hazards was likely someplace Koko needed to get away from.

Action: Enter room 12
Stats & Abilities:

Reducio

Stamina: 15
Strength: 3
Evasion: 6
Accuracy: 6
ArcPower: 5
Wisdom: 6

"Mmm Jack... I thought you were the smart one."

Jack's eyes narrowed at Mathias and the use of his first name, but the majority of his attention was on his peripheral vision. Fortunately, the girl he had been trying to put out the fire on seemed to have successfully stopped burning. Had Flash made his escape yet? It seemed so.

Professor Jensen seemed too busy being distracted by both the confrontation between himself and Mathias as well as trying to check over all the Slytherins she could see. Perhaps even if she had witnessed Flash depart, she would concentrate her efforts on getting the students she could back the way they had come and out of the dungeons. After all, she couldn't very well split herself into multiple people to go after the other scattered students beyond room 2.

Mathias' pat on the side of Jack's face earned a snap like a rabid dog before the Welsh boy decided to make his move. He wasn't there to argue for once; only to buy Flash time. Satsified with his performance thus far, he darted in the direction of room 3 until he was out of sight.

Around the first corner, he quickly paused to whip out his own invisibility cloak and enshroud himself in it. Once he was covered, the boy immediately doubled back into room 2 and didn't stop as he swiftly charged into room 10 into which he'd glimpsed Flash depart. Why Flash hadn't used his own invisibility cloak, Jack wasn't sure, but so long as he could still follow his English, brunet dorm mate, he would.

Open to interactions
Interacting with: @Mathias Pride
Mentioning: @Piper Clark, @Hjørdis Jensen, & @Flash Holmwood
Location: Going from room 2 to 10 (if possible)
Action: Attempting to feign going from room 2 to 3, but doubling back under the guise of an invisibility cloak to follow Flash (and unknowingly, Evelynn) into room 10 (if possible)
Abilities: Prodigal Charms Learner; Binding Mark
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 10 | ArcPower: 7 | Accuracy: 7
Inventory: Bluebottle broom, bag, wand, invisibility cloak, Locksmith's Knife, a bottle of holy water, pencil, paper, salt
Post Tracker: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

_{Open to interactions}
Interacting:@Henry Llewellyn | @Cassandra Ironwoods | @Illowy Magnard
Mentioning: @Starlee Kennedy | @Santario Martin | @Bridget Collins
Languages: _{English | French | Italian | Arabic | Russian}
Outfit

Continuing down the path that Varellion had cleared, he was followed after by a cloakless Evelynn. He admittedly was glad that she was still with him, and it sounded like they weren't being chased. There was plenty of commotion going on otherwise (and not that Flash knew it, but several almost-dead children), so for at least a short while longer he would be free to keep looking. Not long through stepping carefully around the bottles though, did Flash see two separate wands light up with Lumos and go in opposite directions. He grit his teeth in exasperation, letting out an aggravated noise. How hard was it to stick together, even with such diminished numbers as these?

He was sure one of them was Varellion, while the other was likely Koko, who had bounced her way further in with what seemed like zero regard for the possibility of encountering danger somewhere along the line. Turning around and whisper-talking, Flash would finally have a moment to re-convene with Evelynn.

"It's an invisibility cloak," He'd start by explaining himself, "If you wear it, there's a chance you won't be seen. I hope it works, at least."

Looking behind him again, a decision had to be made quickly. "Varellion is going left, Miss Koko went right. Maybe we should both make sure neither of them is alone." That was his initial thought. Evenlynn was his preferred companion of all of them, but they couldn't just chose which of the two were more deserving of being abandoned. "I'll follow Miss Koko, you check on Varellion?"

He did indeed state it as a question, because they didn't have much time to deliberate. Two isolated students, and a room of consequence behind them. Either way they chose, the path was currently lit. If she agreed, he'd move further on to follow his misled teammate before more traps were triggered or rats were angered. Or worse. Of course, he trusted Evelynn's opinion, if she had a better plan, he'd stay put and listen.

Slowly, ever so slowly Alexander's right eyebrow would rise. Creating an image of interesting surprise. A move he vaguely remembered reading in a book long ago. In a better time, though that might just be nostalgia speaking.

Still, Alexander had to admit, this was a unique room. He had not known what to expect but this clearly was not it. A fact that was acknowledged by his own words. "Curious, very curious." With his wand still solidly gripped in his right hand Alexander entered the room, though not before sending a quick glance around to see if he was not stepping on any pressure plate or immediate danger.

As he stepped into the room, he was immediately absorbed by how out of place it felt. Certainly, the creepiness and oddness fit into the atmosphere of the dungeon, yet it was clean and seemed to be (relatively) well-maintained. Out of place with the generally abandoned nature, which made one wonder how often people came here.

What was certain was (roughly) why people came here, because it was certainly some type of workshop, that was clear. Though Alexander himself nor his father had been much in the way of handymen, he knew a workshop when he saw one. He had seen a few of them just before going to Hogwarts, on a few school trips. The workshop itself honestly wasn't that odd, it had tools, the smell of used tools and some kind of furnace. Well, it wasn't odd if you ignored the dozens of pictures of children. One of many students around the school, including himself, perhaps this was another part of the puzzle that was Hogwarts? Regardless it seemed that one Henry Knight was featured prominently. He didn't know the boy that well, he only knew that he was a decent duellist and that he was part of the duelling club. As well as that he shared a last name with his own duelling partner, Ileen Knight. Though..... a few of these pictures also looked vaguely similar. Hadn't he seen that face during a summer trip with Aida and a few of her friends ?

Anyways, though the pictures themselves were interesting, they didn't reveal a lot, and he had to start investigating the room. Turning it upside down so he could find what was there. So he did precisely that.

So with his wand at the ready for any dangers, and to give him light, Alexander cautiously began sweeping the chamber for anything interesting that could be found.

First, before his fingers were dirtied and made it nearly impossible, Alexander would have the index and middle finger of his go across one of the wooden surfaces. He would then inspect it closely, looking for any signs of dust. Depending on the quantity, it might be an indicator of when this room was last used, an important piece of knowledge when it came to investigating a place like this.

Then he walked towards the kiln, first taking the time to grab the handsaw from the room. Then with the handsaw, he began to gingerly poke into the kiln. Though he was at times a little reckless and certainly quick, he mostly wasn't stupid. Thus the saw might allow him a split second to pull back from any suspicious things in the kiln, or to prevent his hand from touching something dangerous. As well as checking the top of it for anything somehow hiding up there.

If nothing dangerous happens with the kiln

Alexander let out a small sight of relief he did not realize he had been holding, he then went forward into the kiln, investigating it more closely. Trying to see if he could find any scraps of the burned plastic. Because it was very odd to smell plastic at Hogwarts. Becaues who would use plastic ? Magical society was in many ways still stuck in the Victorian Era, plastic was rarely sold or used in common appliances. Which made one wonder, who and why would use plastic in handicrafts. And specifically, why would they burn the plastic? Thus with the curse of curiosity Alexander's grubby hands, not afraid of getting dirty, would check the kiln for any trace of the plastic. Perhaps it would provide a hint as to the true purpose of this place.

After checking the kiln

Now that that was dealt with, Alex wiped his dirty hands off his pants, it could easily be cleaned with a quick scourgify once he returned to his dorms. RIght now some ash and other stuff on his pants wasn't that much of a problem. He wouldn't mind dirty hands but he didn't want to contaminate some of the evidence too much. Thus Alexander would grab some of the photographs and start turning them around, seeing if there was any hidden writing on the back of the photos. Or other hints that could be used.

Finally, after checking all that, Alexander did a final scan around the room. Checking the nooks and crannies for anything unusual. Looking closer at the tools, looking for any hidden compartments in the wood etc.

Actions: Investigating the room for anything interesting.
Location: Room 11
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers and Non-human Enthusiast Monster Hunter (In my heart it will always remain monster hunter, xD)
Stats:
Stamina: 7
Evasion: 9
Strength: 3
Wisdom: 8
Arc Power: 6
Accuracy: 8
Total: 41

Henry stared where the tip of his wand would be in the dark based on where he felt it in his hand. At the incanting of the words, he hoped to see a spark, at the very least, but nothing happened. He heard K cast his spell, though, and hoped it was a success. He didn’t hear anything from the person K had cast the spell on yet, so he hoped they were alright. Grateful for the dark, Henry felt a rush of blood reach the tops of his ears, embarrassed at his failure. It was such a basic spell, what had he done wrong.

Despite this, he heard K in the darkness speaking to him. Looking down, Henry shuffled his feet and muttered a small “thanks,” before looking toward where he remembered the well. It was so dark, he couldn’t really see it. He still had the things from his pockets in his hand and could feel each object. Slowly, he ran his fingers over the braided strings of the bracelet, thinking that it would likely be the most useful to them if they could only think of a way to use it.

One of the other people in the room with them left, Henry’s gaze following the footsteps to the faint glow of other peoples’ wands through the doorway in which they had come. Hopefully the other person would be able to find someone to help. As he watched the girls vague shape disappear, he heard K start speaking again. “Okay. We just have to think of something first.” Henry responded, hoping K had better ideas than him. He didn’t know anything about the people in the room with them, besides that K seemed to know the person he had cast the spell on. One of the girls had left, leaving K, K’s friend, and another girl. There were the two at the bottom of the well, but they wouldn’t be of any use, as there was no sound coming from down there.

Goosebumps tingled up Henry’s arms as he reached for the edge of the well, looking down to see if he could see anything at the bottom. Nodding to what K said, he almost forgot there was no light in the room. “Erm, right. I could, er, get help, if we can get them out.” He suggested, thinking about how there might be professors nearby that could help with the girls. Of course, they’d have to get them out first. Or a professor could be of help getting them out. What if, in going to get a professor, they got the girls out while Henry was gone? He didn’t want to leave until they were out…. Perhaps he could stay until they had exhausted all possible ideas.

Henry heard K reassure his friend and then vaguely heard whispered words, but he was too busy thinking about solutions. K was right when he said that most spells were above their years, but what about the fourth person in the room? Henry didn’t know her (Illowy), but she was older than him. He had a hard time telling if she was older than K, though, and wasn’t sure about K’s friend. As K asked for ideas, he shuffled his feet and thought about suggesting it. Finally, he decided to mention his idea. “I dunno if all spells are above our experience. I have this bracelet we could use as rope, if anyone knows the enlargement charm. I could even see if I could unbraid some string so we can have several ropes.” They could have one person climb down, tie the girls up, and then the others could pull them back up. Other than this idea, Henry didn’t know what else to do. Getting down there without magic was going to be extremely difficult, unless they could find some sort of rope in the room. Even if that happened, he wasn’t sure how strong an old dungeon rope would be. As K attempted to re-light his wand, Henry absently picked at the knots on the bracelet. He was a Ravenclaw, he was known for his creativity, why was nothing else coming to mind?

@Henry Knight @Illowy Magnard @Cassandra Ironwoods @Starlee Kennedy @Santario Martin
Action: Undoing braid, making suggestion, looking around for rope of some sort (if Knight's Lumos works)
Abilities: Keen Eye
Stats: Sta.: 7 l Eva.: 7 l Str.: 3 l Wis.: 4 l ArcPow.: 8 l Acc.: 6
color code = #5A8697

He could see them, see them struggling. The well, it seemed. It didn't surprise the little ravenclaw, that trap was one of the few that he actually held in fairly high regard. He had forgotten if he had even been the one to set it up, but it didn't matter. It was effective, all the same. Kaegen's realm was a shared one, but luckily those who lived in the dungeons were mostly of a similar mind. And that similar mind had a penchant for traps.

Should he try to finish them off? Get rid of the sentinels by the well and then hurl rubble down at however many were in the pit? A scenario played out in Kaegen's head, ending in his being overwhelmed, killed, feasted upon, mocked, destroyed utterly. No, that was probably not the best way to be doing things. If anything, he should use the other weapon in his arsenal, the one that didn't involve weapons.

A handwritten note was hastily forged, with blotchy handwriting that was legible, but not by much. He always carried around the book, always carried enough to write with. And what was more, he could fold a paper plane. There was a map included, but not much of one. It showed the room with the well, room 2 behind it, and then the corridors of room 10 leading to room 12, which was marked with an inky X.

There's another way into the well. 3rd stone from the left, 2nd from the ground. hurry!
[insert drawn map bit here]

It was a simple trap, but an effective one. Of course, it wouldn't actually harm, but it would disperse. Alternatively, they would assume a trap and stick around, choosing to remain on high alert, which in a way, also suited him. Kaegen wanted them either in a manageable, avoidable chunk, or dispersed. Anything tactically in the middle wasn't something he was prepared to deal with.

The paper plane was folded, and then sent aloft by the tactile wires that passed for human fingers. Jack skellington, but without the aesthetic, charisma, height, charm, friends, or really anything that made him appealing. Kaegen lurked and glared and hated. He thought and feared and lashed out. There was nothing appealing there, just a monster that stole the ill-fitting skin of a little kid.

Now he just had to make sure that they wouldn't be able to track him down. Paper planes were pretty easy to follow back to their source. Because that was the third possibility. They hunt down whoever threw the plane. And that was the possibility that was really the problem, although, he reasoned, that would allow him to lead them all away. He was faster, wasn't he? Wasn't he?

A gamble. He would take a desperate, desperate gamble. Moving to the corner, Kaegen would shuffle down into the dust and debris with practiced skill, to all the world like one of those fish that covered themselves with sand. The cloak would hide his skin, which it did fairly well, as the cloak would not have been considered misplaced should it have been found in a dumpster on a good day.

Actions: send plane, then hide in a corner like a fish
location: 6b

Interactions: @Hjørdis Jensen
Mentions: Starlee Kennedy, Santario Martin, and Mathias Pride
Open to Interactions

The last communication of how the two girls at the bottom of the well were doing, that they were both still alive with Santario just unconscious, had turned the onset of horror into a thrum of urgency. Knocked out was a vast improvement on where her thoughts had first jumped, but it was in no way a good thing. It didn't mean Santario was stable and didn't say enough about how long she would last like that.

After Starlee flew through the air only to plummet down again, landing atop Santario in the process, the shocking scene met with silence down below, all that could be determined was that the situation was worse. She dearly hoped they were still nothing more than unconscious. But, yes, urgency. They needed to do something, fast. They needed help. And so she had to go get help as quickly as she could.

She gave a nod to Illowy's last comment, her friend seconding the need for speed and bidding caution, before spinning on her heel to head right back the way she came at a jog. Quick, but not too quick to trip or fall prey to any other potential traps. Her progress wasn't helped by the light source going out, plunging the chamber into darkness. That could be... bad. Her suspicions about the shadows had been pushed to the side while she tried to deal with the discovery of what had happened with the well, but if they were sinister, this would be the moment for them to attack, surely, no light around to keep them at bay. She heard no signs of attack, so maybe they'd gotten lucky or maybe she really was wrong about the movement of the shadows.

She had other things to think about, anyhow. Getting out of the dungeons was the first objective. Then what? Finding a Professor was the goal, though she would settle for a sixth or seventh year if she found one and felt she could convince them quickly. Of the staff, who was likely to be closest? Either Professor Jensen or Professor Barlow, right? Their Head of House would be her first choice, but who was more likely to be in their office? Maybe the Slytherin Common Room was the better bet since even if Professor Jensen wasn't there, she could count on at least a few more experienced students.

Emerging into the previous room, she blinked at the sudden presence of light, several basic Wand-Lighting Charms along with the flashlight-like beam of Lumos Duo. There were raised voices, but the tones didn't match up with a cry for help. It sounded like an argument going on. That wasn't her concern right now. And at the other end of the Lumos Duo...

"Professor!" The exclamation was admittedly born mostly of surprise but served the useful function of getting her attention as well. When had Professor Jensen gotten here? Her gaze flicked briefly to the redhead from earlier; apparently he had actually gone for an adult. Well, the timing was perfect. It was like a weight had lifted off her chest; finding help this fast gave Santario and Starlee the best possible chance of being okay.

Right, now for actually getting that help. She figured Professor Jensen wasn't too happy with them for being down here, but that was a worry for later. Besides, she'd seen how the Head of House had reacted when she found them after the spider attack; Bridget trusted she would be swift to aid the injured students. "Professor Jensen, we need help. There's a well and Santario and Starlee, they fell down it. They're both unconscious." I think. "We can't get them up safely." It was the short version of the story, meant to expedite the process of getting a capable witch to the scene.

The worry in her expression would probably be enough to tell Professor Jensen this was no prank. With a wave of her hand, she would try to lead her back to the way she'd just come. Hopefully the situation over there hadn't gotten any worse; she was barely paying attention to her surroundings, far more focused on Professor Jensen, but it was clear the state of things here had deteriorated since she'd last been there not too long ago. If the Head of House didn't follow, she would have to figure out another way of convincing her to.

Action: Trying to lead Professor Jensen to Santario and Starlee
Location: Room 2 → Room 3 (only if Nora follows)
Stats: STA: 7 | EVA: 9 | STR: 7 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 7 | ACC: 8
Abilities: Sixth Sense | Evasive Maneuvers | Prodigal DADA Learner

Interacting with | @Piper Clark
Mentions | @Jack Burnett | @Percival Rainwood | @Evelynn Decipio

Ileen’s focus was still on the girl after Jack Burnett had extinguished her. Piper was upset and hurt and the healer in Ileen wanted to step up.
Ignoring her screaming and ranting, she quickly looked back at Percival and Evelynn who was apparently distracted, not noticing the arrival of the teacher herself. She would return to them after she had helped that poor girl.
Gritting her teeth to fight back the rising panic that always was with her when shadows were around, the young Slytherin girl focused on her new quest. “Yeah, sorry, stupid and obvious question.” Jeez, she was just trying to help. So typical Slytherin. But now was not a good time to be all judgmental and annoyed. Piper had been attacked, set on fire and thus she had a really good reason to lose her temper. But the trouble was not over yet. She had wanted to help the girl and treat her injuries, but Piper had already turned away and was defending herself against… rats?

Ileen’s eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. “Hey, we need some help here!” She called out for Percival, Evelynn and everyone else who had been with her. There had been people right next to her. Did they all just leave?
Her wand already in her hand, Ileen didn’t hesitate to help the girl. Questions over questions ran through her mind. How did she get in here? What was even going on? But now was not a good time to talk. One of the rats that had tried to attack Piper had passed by Ileen.
Her instinct to help and defend the girl showed how much Ileen had changed during the past year. She would not let her be alone in this. They had to fight together. Standing back on back with Piper now, she would face the rat who had missed the girl and point her wand at her, determined to take that beast out. “Flipendo!”

Action: Casts flipendo at the rat
Ability: Sixth Sense, Prodigal Charms Learner
Stats: Sta:6 | Ev:8 | Str:3 | Wis:9 | Arc:6 | Acc:9
Location: Room 2

| Outfit |

Percival's gaze followed the white powder on the ground. Though, as feet moved quickly by he couldn't help but lose it. There were far too many people in this room to be able to look further than a few feet in front of him. A disgruntled look crossed his facial features. His hand coming up to push his bangs out of his face. Some days he truly wished he could just chop off all of his hair. Percival grit his teeth as he listened to the red-haired boy speak. It did little to simmer to boiling annoyance that seemed to grasp at straws underneath his skin. His chest felt tight and he glowered at the boy with thinly veiled dislike. "We may have needed help, but Burnett is correct. Why lie Pride?" he asked annoyance made his lips press tight as he looked down on the shorter boy.

The boy's face morphed into disgust as the other blew a kiss in his general direction. Unsure as to how he was supposed to react to the other's misplaced flirt. The boy bit the inside cheek as he sent the boy a practically harsh glower. A part of him wanted to yell at the boy that his threat was not to be taken lightly. That he would make the other see he was serious. In truth, he hadn't planned to actually do something to the red-haired fiend, but now. Something about the way the other brushed off his threats as if it were mild flirting annoyed him greatly. Either, this boy just wanted to get on his nerves or he was truly messed up in the head. Both options did nothing to sate his annoyance. "I'll see you later Pride." he said his threat thinly veiled. He didn't have time to deal with this situation. Though, it was not like he truly wanted to anyways. Instead, deciding to focus on Ileen's sudden call for help.

His gaze flicked up towards the source of the sound. The boy's eyes widened ever so slightly as he felt his heart smash into the bones of his rib cage. As if it were trying to escape its white prison. He wasn't too sure when they had separated. She had only been a couple of paces away from him, and now she was further away from him. Percival moved towards the sound of her call his wand falling into his hand as he did so. He wasn't too sure what was wrong, but whatever it was it could not be good.

The boy gritted his teeth as he moved forward once he caught sight of the familiar brown hair. Percival stopped at the doorway next to the girl. His eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. A girl, who he did not know the name of was being mauled by rats. "Flipendo!" he called out as he pointed his wand towards one of the rats. The boy copied the girl's choice in spell too unsure to really do much else in such close quarters. With any luck, he wouldn't cause more damage than good. He would rather avoid Ileen chewing off his ear if he ended up hurting the downed girl more.

Open to Interactions

Location: Room 2
Action: Attempting to cast Flipendo on the rat.

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett, @Ileen Knight, @Mathias Pride
Mentioning: @Evelynn Decipio, @Hjørdis Jensen, @Piper Clark

Reducio

|Sta 6 | Eva 6 | | Str 8 | Wis 5 | | Arc 8 | Acc 7 |

Inventory: ⋅ Metal Lighter ⋅ Scrap of Parchament / Fountain Pen

Foulplay ⋅ Lovely Creature