You can ask... pv Closed

He hadn't really expected Santario to follow; once he was gone, she could have easily returned to the game. She hadn't been the fool who dared to dissent, after all, and since she actually had the specific accent that had been used, they all seemed happy to extend understanding to her. What absolute hypocrisy.

Glancing at her as they walked away from the game together, he arched a brow. When he spoke, his voice was calm, unruffled, the coldness he had directed at the others completely gone. "You didn't need to leave." He replied with a shrug. "You could have returned to the game, they wouldn't have held anything against you. No need to join me in.. " He paused, brow furrowing as he had to struggle for the word he was thinking of. "Eh… being shunned."

He returned had his wand to his sheath as they'd walked, sliding his hands into his pockets casually. "I understand now, manners are very different here. I've learned that over the last year. I know I expect and behave with a higher level of etiquette than most. I could have accepted that perhaps they would not share my perspective." He shook his head, disappointment filling his voice as he continued. "But to try to attack me over it is… unbelievable. I cannot imagine that kind of behaviour being considered acceptable anywhere."

When Santario asked if he was ok he gave her a cheery smile that was half-mask and didn't quite reach his eyes. It made him realize that he may have exposed a weakness in speaking up, something others could latch onto, and he didn't want anyone else to see the anger he had felt. Not at the accent, that had been nothing. No, the anger he had felt at their responses. "I am fine. I am well used to being on the wrong side of peoples' irrational actions. Maybe I didn't deserve it but people are so fascinating. I couldn't possibly have predicted such an outrageous outcome from such a small comment." That much was true, he had found it fascinating even as it had made him angry.

"What's done is done. Perhaps now I can reserve my superior Truth or Dare questions for someone who can appreciate them." He gave Santario a slight smirk, glancing up at her. It was a bit at odds with the question he posed, jumping straight into a topic he wouldn't have brought up at the game. "How many are cursed? Do you know? Was your House the first? I've been trying to find out but… No one wants to talk about it. As if silence will somehow make it all go away."

@Santario Martin

“I do not wish to associate with people that do those things to other people. The moment that girl tried to assault you, it was over for me.” A simple answer, but had the aggression continued, she had been prepared to face off next to him. She did not have to know him well to know that what the others did was not right. “Attacking you was simply unacceptable. I was not about to just stand there and let it happen.” Santario might not have been the nicest of people at times, and she certainly had a cruel streak, but that did not mean that there was not still a heart underneath it all.

She watched his face the best that she could, and his smile did not feel completely genuine, but at the same time, San would not feel like smiling if she were him right now either. So she decided not to dig and accepted it as a sign of reassurance that he would be fine at some point. “I was certainly surprised.” Really, she had hardly known most of the kinds in their group besides Dee, but she did not think that would have circled like a pack of hyenas.

Kaz’s smirk was met with a half-smile. “Now is probably the best time you’ll get.” As soon as the words tumbled from his lips, San’s eyebrows raised, and a hand ran through her hair. There was no attempt to hide the partial shock as she glanced behind them, making sure that they were now out of earshot of the group before she stopped walking. “No, most of us do not wish to relive that night.” The darkness crawling in and taking over, watching their fellow classmates writhe in agonizing pain after being bitten themselves, and the spider landing on her face. Santario shuddered as she wrapped her arms around her torse while sapphire eyes flitted across his face as she decided that breaking the silence was for the best.

A deep breath slowly let out between her lips. “Twelve to fifteen Slytherins, to the best of my knowledge from the night we were attacked. We are not the first. We might have been first from within the castle, but I’m not completely sure.” The silvery voice was a bit quieter than normal and the fire that had danced behind her eyes when she was in defense mode was extinguished. There could have been other times, but she did not know them all, just tried to put information together with the bits and pieces she heard and found.

“I do not know if the other houses have been cursed by I suspect they were. I know Victor Moore; may he rest in peace, and Marion Davenport had been cursed. Vladimir was close to both, so I would be the most wrong I have ever been if he was not. Erin Ryan, Howard White, and… Thomas Lestrange. They all have curses as well.” The pause was enough to answer one of his other possible questions if he was paying attention.

“I am positive that Victor, Marion, and Vlad happened well before we were at Hogwarts. I think that the hags in play have been in play for a long time. I know that some Ravenclaws wandered into the forest and were attacked, and I know that something happened in Hufflepuff, but I do not have those details. Then, of course, the train catastrophe in December. Though no curses, as far as I know, came from that one.” It was a good chunk of her knowledge, not all of it, but a good piece.

"I'm glad to know there are some students who don't believe bullying and physically attacking people are acceptable actions, even if it seems we are in the minority." Kazuo replied with a wry smile. Some days it truly felt to him as if violence was the only thing these European students seemed to react with. "To be fair, Aden and McGregor-Martin's responses might have more to do with their dislike of me for other reasons than this specific one." He admitted with amusement. "I did not given them a favorable review at the Trial of Apollo…"

He had surprised her with his questions, that much was apparent. Was it the bluntness with which he asked that surprised her? Or perhaps that he was even aware of the troubling undercurrents within the school? So many seemed blissfully unaware of the troubles that had been brewing for years. “While I appreciate that it was a terrible experience, I don’t think refusing to talk about it is going to help anyone.” He observed, casting a serious glance at Santario. “If anything the secrecy with which many seem to be treating the strange happenings makes us more vulnerable, I would think. It’s impossible to make good decisions without information.”

He considered the numbers that Santario revealed, eyes narrowing in contemplation. Twelve to fifteen was quite a large number. Victor, Marion, and Vlad were not a surprise; he’d heard enough rumours that it made sense. The same went for Erin, Howard and Thomas. He arched a brow at the way Santario seemed to pause before adding Thomas to the list. “The Slytherins who were cursed, it was because they were attacked, yes? But Erin, Howard and Thomas, I was given the impression that they made deals with the hags. They are not suffering the same curse, the poison that is slowly killing.”

He hummed softly, considering the events that Santario spoke of. He’d heard about the Ravenclaws getting attacked in the Forbidden Forest and had been there when Hufflepuff was attacked. “As I understand it, the train attack seemed to be an entirely different problem. Less hags, more terrorists…? Like the recent tragedy in Hogsmeade.” Santario had answered his questions, had given him more than he’d asked for, in fact. It seemed only fair to share what he knew.

“The evening that everyone returned to school from winter break.” He began, thinking back to the night in question. He wasn’t particularly fond of the memory but it wasn’t because of fear or trauma. Rather, it was the sense of frustration and helplessness he had felt at his inability to do more. “Something had gotten into the common room, I’m not sure how. The window was open, I remember, but I don’t know if that’s how it got in. It was tall and thin… unnaturally so. Dressed in a red suit like your Santa Klaus stories. Except he wasn’t fat. Or jolly. In fact, he was somehow part of the shadows? But he gave gifts. And the gifts were full of tricks or traps or something. There was a bell and it’s chime seemed to summon creatures. They were creepy, just hands grasping from beneath us, breaking through the floorboards to try to drag us under. One gift had a screaming mushroom that deafened everyone. I don’t know if there were other gifts. At one point, smoke filled the common room, unnaturally thick. Everything turned to chaos pretty quick and it was hard to track what was happening. The creatures under the floor, one of them showed itself. It looked like a zombie or something and I’m pretty sure it was wearing school robes. Someone hit it with a spell and it disappeared beneath the floor. It looked like there was some sort of tunnel beneath the floorboards. That was about when Browne-sensei showed up. Moreso than any other House, I admit I find it fascinating and terrifying how quickly the rest of my House seemed to forget about what happened, or perhaps willfully ignore it.”

@Santario Martin

Kazuo was, of course, correct, and it was something she had comes to terms with a while ago. The real question was, who did it help to tell and who did it hurt. Not everyone wanted them to succeed; she just was not sure who exactly that was. “No, you are correct. I have a habit of using the same word for the deals versus the curse that is killing… More like taking over its host. Those three and Vladimir made deals. I know some of the details of them. I can tell you they were not made to purposefully cause harm to people. But you know what they say about good intentions.”

The train was technically different, but she did not honestly believe it was not connected so far; everything else was. Why would SCAR be any different? Kazuo continued, however, and she would listen to his every word without interruption. If anything, his story only further lead her to believe that the darkness could shapeshift. Whether she was right or not, she didn’t know, but everything so far lead her to that assumption.

This would prompt San to seemingly just word vomit out most of what she knew. “I think everything is connected. Even SCAR. Sure they might be their own organization, but I think everything is being manipulated by someone I only know as The White Lady. I do not know anything about it other than that nickname. I do not even know if it is a person or a creature.” Mainly because she did not manage to get anything else out of Vladimir during their short talk from the hospital wing down to her common room.

“I believe The Darkness is its own entity, and from what I can tell, it is not exactly controlled by the Hags. Also, possibly even more important. Erin Ryan is turning into a Hag at no real fault of her own. I do not know how much longer we have to try and save her, nor do I exactly know what else to do besides kill the coven trying to take her. Even that is a long shot. I’ve only very recently been able to put everything together, and I am going to Professor Jensen as soon as I can get her alone. I am not trying to cause widespread panic, and it might be best for the professors to organize. Plus, this info might put some puzzle pieces together for them that they might have been missing and, maybe, they can stop it now.” She didn’t know how much the professors were keeping from them, but it was worth a shot that her information could help.

“Vlad… is that why he has become the primary target for everyone who wants someone to blame?” Kazuo asked with a hint of amusement. “I suppose his attitude doesn’t help with that. What were the deals that were made? Is there a way for them to get out of the deals? I would assume, as a last resort, that killing the hags would render the deal null, as you said but is there any other way? I…” He paused when his thoughts drifted to Erin and with some regret in his voice, he continued. “I don’t know if Erin will be able to recover from whatever has been done to her. But if you kill the hags… well they seem to be the only ones who know what was done to make her into one of them. The answers would be lost with their deaths, I would think.”

The next thought that crossed Kazuo’s mind he didn’t voice. It was the sort of rash idea that should not be given voice to, not without serious examination of the situation. But it came to mind regardless - could a deal be made with the hags to spare Erin, to reverse the deal she made? Who would even be willing to make such a deal? Well… perhaps he could think of one idiot who might do such a thing.

“So the hags have been around, trying to lure students, for at least four years. But the curse, that’s newer from what I understand. This White Lady… do you think she has to do with the Darkness? Is she the one controlling it? Is it possible that she is controlling the hags as well, manipulating them?” This White Lady concept was completely new to him, not something he had come across in his information gathering so far. The attacks by SCAR didn’t seem to fit with the other issues yet - how could a bunch of magicless terrorists be involved in a clearly magical living darkness that seemed to have a purpose of its own? He wondered if Santario was being too paranoid about their presence but he wouldn’t discount the idea either. He had thought talking to Santario would clear up some of the mystery but it had only led to more questions.

“I don’t understand why SCAR is allowed to continue existing. It seems to me that their actions are a significant threat to the wizarding community here. Attacking children is an absolutely monstrous act. I am curious to know how they have managed to hide themselves from the Ministry.” He doubted Santario would know much more about them than he did; she was only a year older than him, a child. SCAR was one of those issues they wouldn’t tell the children about - wanting to protect them and all that nonsense, no doubt.

He fell silent when Santario suggested going to the professors, then shook his head vigorously. “You actually thing the professors are going to do anything with the information you give them? I don’t think anything will come from that.” He replied bluntly. A memory was unearthed, of a different conversation, one with Howard far back in October. [color=#BBF0000] “Do you trust the House Elves?”[/color] He asked abruptly.

@Santario Martin

“Believe that is why he has been targeted. Do not get me wrong, he has not always made the best choices in his life, but he is not all bad underneath it all.” Well… Maybe he was now… How far had his condition progressed? Had the darkness inside of him managed to take over completely by now? She was not sure, but she did worry; at least he was in her cabin so she could keep an eye on him. (If he is still alive at this point, otherwise consider all Vlad things spoken in the past tense.)

“The deals made were harmless and personal. I will not betray the confidences, but I could see myself doing the same if I were in their shoes. Childish wishes were made by children who were manipulated into thinking they could get want they wanted without paying the price. Prices are often more than we want to pay, and they hardly ever match what is given in return.” She wanted to do the same right this very moment. To go make a deal to take away the curse and deals from everyone else, but San was a realistic girl, and she did not think offering up herself was enough to take it away from everyone else.

“Possibly, but they are the ones who did this to Erin because of her deal with them. For all we know, eradicating them would set her free. I honestly do not know of any other way.” And she did not; that was the deafening truth of it all. She was in over her head, and there was nothing to grab onto to keep her afloat. “As I’ve said, I think the White Lady is controlling everything. I do not know whether she is taking orders from someone else, but I think she is the major player. A General in the war we are in.” That was the thing about situations like these; there would always be more questions with minimal answers. The most they could do was communicate and hope that they somehow could be ready enough when the war came.

“SCAR is made up of mostly non-magical or other races. I think depending on who was doing the dirty work, it might be easy enough for them to hide. And if this White Lady is controlling everything, she might have some insanely powerful magics protecting them. Also, look at the track record of our Ministry and how they handled the last big bad in town. They ignored it until it was thrown through their front door.” A shrug followed as she assumed the Ministry would be just as useless now as it was then.

“I think that if we are going to war that we need all the firepower, we can get. The Professors are cursed too, most of them, Professor Browne and Jensen, hide it well, but the marks are there. I think they want as much of an end to it all as we do. Do you not trust the professors?” His next question elicited a dry chuckle and a shake of her head. “Yes, and no. I do not believe they are doing anything with the intent to hurt us, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” She did not know what the elves were doing to the food, only that there was something wrong with it. She got by eating as little as she could of the school’s food. It was easier for her as she got care packages from her grandparents, but it didn’t save her from not eating at all. “Realistically, Kazuo, I am terrified and barely holding it together most days. I am just trying to get as many people on the same page as I can.”