Lock-in Hufflepuff Gryffindor Event Closed

Leslez had no idea what to do.

When they arrived, he was nervous, excited, and just plain 'AAAaaaAAAA' in his head. The place looked very adventure-y, mind you. It was just so exciting. But first, he should just roll out his sleeping bag. Leslez chose a random spot to the east and rolled out the thingamabob. He never used one of them and he preffered to sleep on the ground with a blanket during his previous camping trips with his family. Good times.

Now that he had done what he was supposed to do, he was clueless on what to do. He thought of exploring, but he was just not feeling it at the moment. He thought of making new friends but that idea didn't appeal to him either. He sat on the bag and pulled out his puzzle cube from his bag. Maybe he should just wait for something to happen. Things happen a lot right? He'll join in when something seems fun he supposed. For now, he'll just lay around doing nothing productive until he feels like it. 10/10 best option. 'yay'. He occasionally glanced up to see if anything was happening, or just enjoying the 'feel' of the dimly lit torches and overall look of the surroundings.

Maybe he was also looking for his friends or someone to talk to, but naaaah. That wasn't what he was thinking. Was it? Ugh, just focus on the puzzle for now.


ACTION:
Roll out sleeping bag and isolate self

Amadea had never been more nervous. There were so many people that looked so happy to be attending the event. Amadea wondered why. She was beginning to doubt even coming. She was sure that it wasn't mandatory for everyone to participate in the lock-in, as she had opted out of the last Hufflepuff event. She should have listened to her gut and stayed out. Unfortunately, her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she was now stuck here.


As if things couldn't get worse, another Hufflepuff who seemed extremely enthusiastic came bouncing over to her carrying some moss. He went rambling on about the moss and how wonderful it was to be here. As he talked, Amadea fought to urge to narrow her eyes. Clearly he didn't know what was in store. There was no other explanation as to why he was so excited. Amadea knit her eyebrows, trying to remember a time she had seen him. He mentioned something about in the common room, but Amadea had no recollection of it. 

Nevertheless, she stuck out her hand politely. "Amadea Campbell," she said. "Pleased to meet you." Despite her words, her tone gave away her obvious displeasure. "As for the moss, I am not sure. It certainly can't hurt to have some." 

She wished she wasn't in such a bad mood. She didn't want unintentionally say something that she didn't mean or make the poor boy lose his own excitement with her terrible attitude. Plus, hadn't she been hoping someone would approach her not too long ago? She sighed, wondering what she should do.  Maybe she should stand up and walk around. Would that be rude of her? Should she ask if the boy wanted to accompany her? He hadn't outright asked her to be on a team, and she wasn't going to say no if he did. Should she ask him? 

She scouted the room again, looking at some of the people who had walked in after her. There were a bunch of Hufflepuffs that she didn't recognize and a few other Gryffindors. Most of them sat alone, or in small clusters, talking and teaming up. It seemed as though almost everyone had already found a team, so Amadea figured she should gather some people as quickly as she could if she wanted to not be alone.

Turning back to John Johns (she couldn't just call him John) she decided to recruit him. "Would you like to team up?" she asked. As she awaited his response, she looked around, trying to see if anyone else didn't have a team. She watched as a Gryffindor who seemed vaguely familiar set his things down right in the center of the room, then sat down. It appeared as though he was waiting for someone to talk to. Amadea was still quite nervous, not wanting to initiate any conversations with anyone, but she knew that if she wanted to survive this lock-in, she was going to have to talk to someone. Plus, he was a Gryffindor. Weren't they supposed to be the brave ones? 

She picked up her torch, not wanting to let it out of her sight, and slowly walked over to the Gryffindor, waiting to see if John Johns was following her. Torch in hand, she approached the boy slowly, not wanting to startle him. She was still trying to figure out what she was going to say. Clearing her throat, she stuck out her non-torch hand. "Hi, I'm Amadea," she said. "Are you looking for a team?" 

Action: Team up with John Johns. Talk to Anatole.

Responding to Howard White

Initiates Conversation with Rosie Turner

Mentions a Crap-Ton™ of People (including Dorian Gray, Max Avery (aka Boy), Aurelia Bezuidenhout, Serena Towers, Paracelsus Myth, Amadea Campbell, Lucy O'Sullivan, Frost Cira, Anatole Evans, and Eris Fawley (aka Familiar Girl))

“Ami! Hiding in corners again I see. I believe I will force you to socialize once again!”

Ami sighed, although a smile was seen immediately springing onto her face at the sound of the other boy's jovial voice. "Howie, you of all people should know that I don't do well in social situations," she said in a reprimanding tone, although there was a hint of laughter and jesting behind it. Standing up as the other Hufflepuff approached, she stepped to one side to allow Howie room to roll out his sleeping bag, or whatever the British called it. Did British people call sleeping bags a weird name, too?

She couldn't help it, Ami crinkled her nose at the sight and smell of the jerky being offered to her. "Can't," she said simply with an apologetic shrug. "I'm vegan. Thank you for the offer, though." 

Spotting Rosie, Howie's friend from the common room set up her stuff next to Howie's, Ami bared her teeth smiled at her fellow redhead. "Rosie!" she said cheerfully with a smile. "Yeah, please, do set up there. I don't exactly want anyone else I don't know to be there... I'd rather be surrounded by people I can trust, y'know?" What she really meant was, I don't want Dorian to sit there and torture me all night. 

Looking around the room idly, she noted the other familiar faces dotted about. The Gryffindor boy from the cat-adventure just outside the Forbidden Forest; Aurelia, who had invited her to play Quidditch; Serena, her Hufflepost teammate; Bludger Hog Parcel, whom she'd met at the ball; Amadea, who currently held status as her Best Friend™; Lucy, the kind girl who'd helped her clean up the mess in the Trophy Room; Frost, also from the Quidditch game; Dorian, the evil little bastard; Anatole, the one she'd met in Dogweed and Deathcap; and that girl... the tiny redhead with Dorian and Boy. She looked familiar... but it must've been just a trick of the light, because she didn't ring any bells.

And Anatole, oh Anatole. She'd said, she'd promised, that she'd go find him... and she hadn't. She hadn't even tried. Well, too late for that now- Amadea was already talking to him, probably attempting to team up with him. She'd find him later- I swear, she thought to herself, looking the Gryffindor up and down one last time before turning back to her own little corner of solitude. 

All in all, a full-house of an assortment of students in such a confined space. This night was most definitely going to be an interesting one- who knew what tempers would fray, which relationships would snap, what knees would be broken? 

Completely and utterly bored, Ami took her wand out, twirling it absent-mindedly in between her fingers. She'd be fine, right? Surely, her two favorite professors wouldn't send the poor, innocent children out on an adventure where they'd die. No, that would be unthinkable.

"Let's team up," she said suddenly, turning back to Howie and Rosie. "Is that okay? I- I haven't really found any partners or anything to do this with, so let's team up."

ACTION

Talk with Howard White and Rosie Turner, contemplate the meaning of life, attempt to team up with Howard White and Rosie Turner, and wait for the event to officially start.

Ellory was not one to normally doubt authority, but this adventure was already starting to change that idea. Nevermind the potentially murderous door, there was an ancient crypt behind it that one might only see in a muggle horror game. She had never played one herself, coming from a magical family, but she had heard enough kids from the public school she had attended talk about games like Resident Evil and The Evil Within to be familiar with the concept. She sincerely hoped that this was just her overactive imagination at play and not an actual indicator for how the events of the evening would pan out.

Emlyn didn’t seem to be having the same thoughts as Ellory. She had been smiling nearly the whole way and let out several ooh’s and ahh’s. This was the kind of thing that Emlyn excelled at. Ellory couldn’t help but be a bit jealous of her sister; adventures were not really her cup of tea. The only reason she had joined this one was because Emlyn had all but forced her to.

Sure enough, the girls followed the group and passed through the door successfully. Ellory found a good spot for them to set up their sleeping bags and began to unpack. She spent more than a few minutes perfecting her setup, making sure the sleeping bag was completely straight and that her satchel was laid neatly by it. Once satisfied, she looked over at the place Emlyn had been, but her twin was nowhere to be seen.

Ellory immediately panicked and looked around to see if she could find her. She was about to shout her name, but Professor Lear started to speak. Once he was finished, Ellory was almost in a state of shock. He wanted them to do what? The cave was creepy enough as it was without having a bunch of students wander off without proper lighting. Her sister was still nowhere to be found, however, and Ellory was extremely motivated to try and find her.

Realizing what she had to do, Ellory went to go grab one of the remaining torches from the wall. She had yet to master the Lumos spell, so this would be her only means of not running into walls as she conducted her search. The girl was not used to being alone, and she was not about to start in the middle of a creepy cave. She ignored her instinct to cower in a corner away from everyone and instead chose to find a group of capable-looking students to journey with, hoping she would bump into Emlyn along the way.

There were a couple of Hufflepuff students not too far away, and Ellory saw that one of them was a Prefect. She took a deep breath and went to approach them. “Erm, hello!” she greeted them with a wave and a timid smile. “I’m sorry to be a bother, but would it be alright if I could pair up with you?” She averted eye contact with them and shifted uncomfortably. She was used to Emlyn doing all the talking, so she wasn’t very good at inserting herself into strangers’ conversations. “I was supposed to be teamed up with my sister, but I’m not sure where she went..” She held her torch out awkwardly. “Erm, I also have this for us to use if we need it.” If they completely hated her, which she suspected they might, she hoped they would at least agree to keep her around for her torch.

Action: Grab one of the remaining torches and awkwardly ask to pair up with Reid Kovacs and Serena Towers.

Reducio

Stamina: 6
Agility: 6
Strength: 6
Control: 3
ArcPower: 2
Accuracy: 7

Howie chuckled in response to Ami’s statement. Some might take her words the wrong way, but he could pick out the subtle tones of jest in them. Plus he had gotten a smile out of her, another victory. “Well fortunately for you, I’m here to ruin your night of solitude.” He poked back at her, as he sat down leaning his back against the cool stone wall.

Howie withdrew the jerky quickly, as Ami scrunched her face at the sight of it. To each thier own. He thought at the announcement that she was vegan. Howie held no judgement. “Sorry bout that, I packed some granola bars if you’d like that instead.” Determined to make sure his friend was taken care of. Yes, friend, whether she likes it or not.

Just then, Howie spotted bouncing red curls out of the corner of his eye. He could recognize them anywhere. Rosie. He and Ami greeted her as she approached. “Hey Rosie! You made it! Yes yes, this spot is for you.” He said as he pulled the rucksack into his lap, allowing her the space to set up. 

Howie rummaged through the bag. “ I got all the supplies we need.” Pulling out the bag of jerky and a few granola bars, he threw one of them onto Ami’s lap. “Snacks!” Next came the canteen. “Water.” Then a glass bottle emerged. “And apple juice for you.” He said as he handed the juice to Rosie, giving her a wink. “I’ve got some extra blankets too, if anyone gets too cold.” Pulling a corner of patchwork quilt out of the bag to show them, leaving his father’s knife hidden for now, still not sure if he was allowed to have it.

As Rosie got settled, Ami piped up again, suggesting that the three of them work together during the scavenger hunt ahead. “Yes, great idea Ami. We should all work together. The more the merrier.” Just then a thought came to his mind. It seemed that most of his fellow students had gathered into groups, but worried that some might be left out. Raising his voice so that the whole room could hear. “Hey everyone! Us three are going to team up! If anyone wants to join us feel free!” He could only imagine the look on Ami’s face.

Action: Learns something new about Ami. Greets Rosie and offers treats. Agrees to work together with Ami and Rosie. Calls out to anyone in the room that needs a group.

Leslez sighed as he felt like dozing off. He listened to everyone's chatter as background noise as he switched the tiles of his cube. It quietly clicked as he did so, but the sound is masked by all the talking that echoes around the room. He soon solved it, setting it down and looking around for anything interesting. Not finding anything appealing, he rubbed his eyes and picked up his cube, placing it inside his old bag beside him. He stood up and stretched, looking around once more for anyone...

“Hey everyone! Us three are going to team up! If anyone wants to join us feel free!”

He noticed someone call out to the room and perked up at the mention of joining. He was planning on going alone, but now that idea didn't seem too appealing did it? He gave it a short while to think about before saying 'screw it.' and walking over, a bit nervous about approaching them. He stopped near the group and tried to say something, his hands shaking more than usual.

Okay, he wasn't the best at just walking up to people and conversing but he should try, right? He took a small breath and he tried to utter the words... It's just a simple request of joining their scavenger hunt group, how hard can it be? Just don't stutter too much-

"H-H-H-Hey c-can-n I j-joinn y-your r g-group p??"

Riiiiiight. Wow. That was bad.
His voice faded at the end of his sentence and he felt like he failed miserably. He clenches his shaking hands as he muttered more words under his breath. "it's o-okay i-if you d-don't want-t to I mean l-like-" he stopped himself and shook his head, trying to hide his embarrassed expression. He regretted ever coming ughhhh...

"The p-point is," he gathered up enough nerves to ask again. "c-can I join your g-group?"
He failed this but hey, a coherent sentence! That counts, right?


ACTION:
Try to join Howie/Rosie/Ami's group while trying to beat his nervousness and failing.

John gladly shook Amadea’s hand, even if her attitude suggested she would have rather been somewhere else. It was an attitude not uncommon around the camp site. It’s like everyone knew exactly what was going to happen tonight and none of it was good. None of that stopped them from showing up of course. John, pretty much oblivious to the sense of foreboding around him, replied to Amadea’s darkness with his usual sunshine.

“Pleasure’s mine,” John replied. “Though I wish more people were happy to be here. I thought this was supposed to be a party, not a funeral.”

When asked if he wanted to team up, John’s eye’s widened with excitement. This was just like one of those Avengers movies, and Amadea was playing the role of Samuel L. Jackson. All she needed was an eyepatch and it would be perfect.

“Of course I wanna team up!” John replied enthusiastically. “I hope we get to keep some of the stuff we find! I do love getting souvenirs, and this place is bound to have some weird stuff.”

Once their team was established, John followed Amadea around the site, mostly because she held what little light was left in the room. They came across a Gryffindor boy, who Amadea struggled to talk to. Once she finally asked him to be part of their team, John chimed in with more gusto.

“Yeah, join our team! We can be the Huffrindors!”

A quick reply. John talks with Amadea Campbell and Anatole Evans, forms the Huffrindors

Talking to Ami Procoppio, Howard White, Leslez Skoris

Rosie scooted her things closer to where Howie's stuff and finished rolling out her bed roll and getting set up for the night.

"Let's team up," she said suddenly, turning back to Howie and Rosie. "Is that okay? I- I haven't really found any partners or anything to do this with, so let's team up."

Rosie grinned at the suggestion. Ami seemed to be really nice and being on a team with people she could trust sounded like a good idea. Especially down here. This place was creepy. "Good idea, Ami."

“Hey everyone! Us three are going to team up! If anyone wants to join us feel free!”

Rosie just kind of looked at Howie when he called out the invitation. Well... the invitation was out there now. At least Howie was with her. She just hoped not everyone took the invitation, though meeting a couple new people would be okay.

It wasn't long before the first person accepted Howie's invitation and he seemed more nervous than she ever had been. "

"c-can I join your g-group?"

She smiled welcomingly. "Of course. My name is Rosie." She pointed to Howie, "That's Howie," She then pointed to Ami, "and that's Ami." She looked around the room they were standing in, it was starting to thin out and get darker as students were grabbing torches and heading into the caves. "What now?"

Action: Talk to Howie and Ami. Welcome Leslez.

Siege was an idiot with a pack full of butter-beer and slug repellent. The sort of protagonist that anticipates taking part in a journey or adventure but gets drunk and forgets to participate in the adventure because he never left the floor of the bar.

So there he was, at the threshold of adventure, the sort of place where the puzzle had already been solved and the students were passing through without incident and what does Siege do once the other first years are let on past: he antagonizes the very structure he was clear instructed to leave be.

The door would look down at him, the sad mortal child. He did not belong here, it was obvious now. The figure above the door would let out a snarl. It did not sound human, in fact it sounded quite dangerous. Then the door would say something strange -- "I am not a door."

The threshold was dimly lit but one could see past -- the other students were settling in. Yet now the image of the students appeared to be hazy. If Siege was to blink once... twice... even thrice, it would still remain the same, as if his sight was clouded when he tried to look inside. The temperature around the foolish Gryffindor would drop significantly, he could see his breath make clouds in front of him. The hair on the back of his neck would start to stand up on end, this was his sixth sense trying to warn him that he was in terrible danger. But there was a second truth about Gryffindors, they were not only brave but also foolish. The concept of fear was healthy for one, it told them what to avoid, that something was dangerous. Siege lacked this concept and for the reason he was about to suffer.

From the door, a darkness would spew out, inky like smoky tendrils that would reach out for the Prefect. He should have listened. He should have taken the Professor's advice. Perhaps there was a learning opportunity here, one that he would later realize. The tendrils would reach out for him, Siege would try to break away, defend himself, fend them off [Roll: 20 (tendril); Roll: 14 (Siege)].

Critically successful, the tendrils would reach out for the Prefect, the dark shadows had enough form to grip the young man. His wrists and his ankles, about his waist and he would be drawn inside. As he was dragged in through the threshold, possibly cussing and dragging his heels the whole way Siege would disappear for a moment, well several. Noises could be heard, restless noises and again potentially more cussing. Perhaps a bit of screaming. Exactly what happened in there, impossible to say for certain, Siege very possibly blocked out what happened but when he reappeared the young man would seem to come from nowhere, his wrists chained together with large, heavy silvered chained. He appeared for the most part unharmed, but he was certainly harmed in a less physical manner. He was not dressed as he was previously, now wearing a [DRESS] that failed to flatter his figure in the least the disgraced Prefect would emerge 'safe' on the other side of the door.

His supplies, including his clothes, the ones he was wearing would end up nearby and the truth about the door was now quite obvious to observers. The door was a liar and Siege did in fact die -- his social standing that was, now as dead as a door nail.

The door would slam shut behind him and seal. In fact, there was no longer a door there at all. This was a defensive measure, one built to defend unintended places such as this from being explored by errant students. It was well-known and likely that children love to explore, this class being no exception and for that reason these passageways had deterrents such as these.

Somebody, please untie the Prefect~

Siege may attempt to break the chains, ask for help or explore whilst partially bound (what could go wrong there). If nothing else, Siege now has a nifty silvered chain, a pretty pink dress and hopefully the gams to make it look good.

Eris: 
Eris had found her way inside of the catacombs, through the speaking door. She would find herself inside a great cavernous room, four sconces on the walls bearing great torches. Being one of the first to enter she would meet her friends at the door: Dorian Gray and Rhea Bishop.

Rosie:
Rosie would enter the great underground room and immediately be drawn to a group of friends. One little Huffle with a group of Gryffindors. She would not stand out quite as much as she could have considering the fact that most were dressed casually, but there was an obvious and growing divide between the houses as the children made camp. Rosie here was the exception.

"What's up guys?"

Max
Max thought like a Slytherin, perhaps the sorting hat was wrong in where it had placed him. That was in fact true, there was a hidden cruel streak to the boy but he was also exceptionally clever. He noticed something nobody else had, the moss on the ground. Indeed, there was moss between the cracks in the stones. At least in a portion of the room. He found this odd as he should have, plants require light. Well, most of them do anyways. It was part of the process known as photosynthesis. Perhaps Ravenclaw would have been just as fitting.

He would push the wonder to the back of his mind, it would likely not be important. After all, his friends were here.

"Thank Merlin there's some red in this yellow sea" 

Max, the Slytherin commented, his face enough to keep most Hufflepuffs more than arm's breadth away from him. Well, most Huffles anyways.

"I bet the four us can get up to some trou - " 

Not all of them were red coats, there was a golden badger among them, Rosie. She might have been better off camping out with her housemates, her other friends. "

"- ble. Should be interesting."

Max would settle in like the rest, taking out his things and making camp.

Dorothy:
House-division be damned, another Hufflepuff like Rosie that saw no color divide between the houses, Dorothy would join the Gryffindor-heavy corner of the room, mixing in a hint of gold doing so. She was friendly, perky, spunky. Everything that Max was not at the moment as the unfortunate Gryff was starting to find himself surrounded by Hufflepuff girls. Most boys would be elated, it would be a wonder to see the case here.

"Hello Rosie.  Hello girls and boys of Gryffindor.  I believe introductions are in order.  I'm Dorothy Doland.. I mean! Dorothy Do.  I-I.."

Introductions obviously in order and she would share more that was needed upon first introductions, such as her pedigree.

"Dorothy Do.  Ha-halfblood.  And you are?"

To make matters worse, she recognized one of the youths.

"Hey! You're the bloke who beat up that Hufflepuff kid.  As annoying as we badgers can be, I don't thank you for it.  I had to help carry him up to the Hospital wing, and he wasn't light."

The moderator needs to say little here, this girl was not going to last for very long if Dawinist theory had anything to say.

Rhea:
Rhea was able to cast Lumos successfully, a step up from many of her peers. She had also learned something -- A lost fah vodahmin. It was an old, strange language that she did not fully understand. Perhaps it would be relevant here or perhaps in another adventure. Words had meaning and moreover words had awesome power. 

"I'm just really bloody excited for this... and I hope I can get past the fact that I completely messed up with the door riddle thing," 

This was a secret she could share but it was a secret a Slytherin would keep. It would be interesting to see how cunning and ambitious the young girl truly was. This was something that only her and Dorian could see and she knew it. Now she only had to know what it meant.

"We have more people coming, right? Cause if there is, we have something to tell you, but it's better if we don't have to repeat it more than once."

Well, she was no Slytherin it would appear. She would attempt to maintain her Lumos spell. [Roll: 3] Her wand would sputter out, showing her just how necessary it was to team up. To depend on her friends. 

She would find a place to lay her sleeping-bag next to the redhead's. She would have the coveted final corner of the room. The torch would be taken away by Parcelsus, placing them all in a shadowy corner but it was fine... there was enough of them, right? between all of them at least one of them could maintain the charm.

They had a large group with one unfamiliar: Rosie, a Hufflepuff.

"I'm Rhea Bishop. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The polite Prefect would include the girl in the group. She seemed to like outsiders more than Max did. Hopefully that would prove advantageous.

It was time to plan and the girl had a plan. Actually a pretty decent plan - split up and cover more ground. There was enough of them in this group but were all of them capable and prepared in case their wand extinguished? Did each of them have a back-up? A secondary plan? Hopefully they did. Hopefully nothing would go wrong and if it did... well, they could complain to their parents that their Professor's sucked.

"We should make three groups, since there's three possible directions we can go. We'll still be able to hear each other, I think, if we stand close enough to each other. Yeah?"

She would go on.

"If we were to split into groups, at least one person would need to know the Lumos spell, right?"  

Dorian:
Dorian would join his people, plus a pair of Huffles. Like Rhea, he was those ancient words almost invisibly written on the door. Was it a curse? A dire warning? Some old school graffiti? 

The young man who was hopefully as young as he appeared and did not have a painting in his attic doing the aging for him would find a place to smooth out his bedroll and drop his belongings. The group he was a part of was quite large and it was growing to an impressive size.

"I was born ready!"

Dorian would exclaim to Eris. He was at the very least excited in a positive way for the adventure they were about to undertake.

He would attempt to maintain his Lumos [Roll: 19] and it would be successful. The tip of his wand would continue to glow.

After learning of Max's 'alternative activities' the young man did not seem offended or even that he minded. a bit of mischievous humor perhaps, after all boys will be boys. 

He would listen to the plan, adding his experience regarding the door to the discussion.

"If that failed attempt at solving the riddle outside has taught me anything, it's that Lumos is the most useless spell we'll ever know."

He was not going to be sharing the secret of the door. Apparently there was an ambitious and cunning one among them, a snake one could say. but that secret was not his alone, Rhea knew it as well. Was he going to do anything to prevent her from sharing? Simply hope for the best? Take his or rather their fate into his own hands? Silence her? Wait, this is getting a bit dark, Dorian was a Gryff... What darkness is there to be had there? He would get to it in good time, right?

Alan
Alan would find himself an outsider when he entered the site of the scavenger hunt. It was obvious that the students were grouping up, the two corners, upper left and lower right being the most popular. He would stand just outside, on the fringe really of Eris' group.

He would not be approached, he would have to come to them and he did.

"I-I am Alan, Alan Vanes" he greeted them insecurely as he looked around in the group. "It sounds good, I was thinking about taking a torch also, but I am too small to reach them"

[/i]


Cynthia:
Cynthia was an outsider like Alan, the only difference being that she did not seem to yearn for companionship and she knew to fear the darkness. She would find a place near one of the great torches, the warmth it emitted and the bright glow would afford the young girl a sense of safety. Something that had been cruelly taken from her during her last adventure. She would cast the Lumos spell from her wand all the same. [Roll: 8] 

The wand would try to let off a warm glow but it would simply spark and fail. There might be a sense of foreboding and dread, the darkness was no place for a little girl such as her. She knew what it could mean to have a spell fail in a time of dire need. She would have to try again.



Aurelia:
Aurelia was not partnering up like the rest of them were, she seemed rather content to place her bag down in a corner and prepare herself for what would prove to be a long night. There was a great deal of chatter in this room, their voices would drown out the natural noises that the cavern made. Yet the air was cool and nice, the torches made the space bright and warm. 

Aurelia would look around, her perceptive abilities perhaps not much stronger than the rest, the difference here being that she actually bothered to use her powers of perception. [Roll: 16] She would notice a few things that seemed quite odd. For one, the door. Solomon did not appear to recognize with any level of certainty what the door wanted but he appeared to be capable of devising an answer. How did the House Elves get inside? They were not particularly clever creatures even if they possessed powerful magic. For another, there was moss in the cracks of the tiles near the door and down the very center aisle of this great room. It seemed unusual. Some of the Hufflepuffs seemed to be afraid of the dark. Finally, why would the Hufflepuff Professor be keen on sending his House on another adventure so soon after tragedy struck.

Something would not seem right to the young girl.

Frost
Frost needed to make new friends. New friends that were not perverted Hogwarts boys. Thankfully the young woman's innocence would be safe, she had chosen a spot far from Siege. She recognized Aurelia from somewhere and this was probably the best time for her to make new friends and that was exactly what she was going to do: make new friends. 

"Hello, Aurelia! You might not remember me, but in Frost. Mind if I join you?"

She would place her stuff down near the Gryff, this was going to be a like totally awesome night. hopefully one of them brought the nail polish. Actually, she made a sensible decision not that she knew it. The girl she had chosen to camp out next to was considering her surroundings. She was a keen observer of the world around her and in this case that might be enough to save both of their lives.




Parcelsus:
Parcelus seemed to make no effort to socialize as he dropped his belongings nearest the western corridor and started to explore with little thought otherwise. He would of course not go ill-prepared as he took a torch from above Dorian's head with him before he departed. He would find the torch was heavy but bright, like an explorer or an archaeologist in need of a brimmed hat and a whip he would venture alone, the first into the unexplored cavernous tunnels. 

The flames would feel hot against his face as he left through an archway, the floor still tiled and civilized, if he looked over to either side he would see uneven stones, some hewn away as evidenced by nice, straight cuts in the dark grey stone and some worn away. The cavern was quite old, how old? That was impossible for a youth such as Parcelsus to know. 

Behind him he would hear the students chattering away. Their voices muted the further he went. The caverns were massive and they absorbed sound well it would seem. He would hear something deeper in the cave of course, the sound of water rushing. Strange. It would grow louder the further he went away from the safety numbers would have afforded the curious, the brave and the quite possibly foolish Gryffindor.

Down four steps he would find himself in front of a door. The door ajar, but not enough that he could pass. If he tried to force the door open with his impressive strength [5], he would find no success. There was however an inscription over the door. It was in common and it read simply: The password is a secret.

Beyond the door, just barely Parcelsus would see something, it looked like a nest.

Winifrey:

Parcelsus was an outsider no longer. Winifrey would place her bags down next to Parcelsus, the promise of adventure ringing in her mind. She would waste no time as she marked her place. Parcelsus would not be alone, Winifrey would dash after him into the darkness. Winifrey did not take a torch nor did she cast the Lumos charm so her pursuit would be in darkness, Parcelsus' torch just a bit ahead casting its dim glow behind him and long, spindly shadows in his wake. She was either foolish or brave to follow him as she did down that unknown hall but she did.

She would find him, he was stopped by a strange door. She would see the same inscription: The password is a secret. And she would hear the same sound of rushing water. If she peered over his shoulder or around him, Winifrey would see the same nest sitting in the very center of the room. What was it? How were they supposed to get any further.

Lucy
Lucy would follow the pair that had already started exploring the western cavern. Interested in adventure or perhaps making new friends, the girl would forfeit her stuff next to where Winifrey and Pacelsus already had and dash after them. 

"Hey!"

She would shout into the darkness, the shadow of Winifrey against the backdrop of Parcelsus' light would guide her. It was a good thing too, it was as black as tar in here, the edges were somewhat perilous and it would have been a terrible fall if she had wandered off the edge.

When she caught up she would address them. 

"Can I come with you guys? I don't want to waste time sitting around if there's puzzles to solve."

Catching them was not particularly difficult, there was a door in their way. A door with a riddle. Two lions and a badger, among the first to explore the catacombs. What could possibly go wrong?

"I haven't had too much practice, but I'm going to try to do the Wand-Lighting Charm as back up."

She announced as she waved her wand about and said the incantation: Lumos. [Roll: 2] She unfortunately failed but thankfully they were not in complete darkness but they were limited, the sound of rushing water could be heard. Would that torch hold up against water? Was that a magical torch? Let's hope so.

Duncan:
Duncan was not one to go anyplace ill-prepared. Duncan would also hear this call for adventure and bring cookies. He was a man of adventure here to reinforce Hufflepuff stereotypes it would seem. 

"Wait for me." 

Duncan would call out after Parcelsus.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

He would rush after the Gryff, offering 'smuggled' cookies. Yes, this man was a true deviant. No, not really, in line with Hufflepuff stereotypes his head of House encouraged the students to bring all forms of snack. Snacks were in no way considered to be a Muggle device.

Duncan would of course meet two young ladies down this hall as well, another Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The group was actually pretty even in terms of gender and house. Of course, now was time for cookies but also for inspection. They were at a door, a door with yet another riddle. Beyond that door, a nest. In the distance he could hear rushing water and perhaps even a distant and small voice. 

This group has a quick puzzle. Speaking is free of course and you have a view of the area around you. By all means try to figure out what you can and work together. Maybe there is something awesome (or terrible) in that nest!

John:
John would enter the great, stone tiled room, his supplies being his only burden it would seem. He would drop them and then attempt to cast Lumos, the wand-lighting spell. Did he succeed, well of course not but this adventure would be likely long and perilous so he had time to learn the lightpost Lumos spell.

Ami:
Ami would find herself as far away from Dorian and company as possible. Was there some sort of lover's spat? Most likely. Young love was often overly dramatic. She would find herself unfortunately alone but there were others nearby, potential new friends, romances or even enemies. John, a boy whose parents either lacked any sort of creativity in naming or simply had a sense of humor the day he was born being one.

Of course there was some passive-aggressiveness. This really felt like school, just at night and in a cave. Meeting the friends of a friendly boy. Having to share, but finding some people tolerable because they preferred to tolerate that person over another person. Yeah, that was about right and how it went.

She was ready to team-up, she had a lot of friends nearby. More friends than enemies at the very least. Howard White and Rosie Turner would make good partners. Would that comprise a full team? What about John-John? What about Amandea? Harsh~

Howard:
Howard would find himself inside this great, cavernous space. The floor, smooth and tiled with stone. The ceiling uneven with stalactites jutting downwards at them. The roof was well beyond their reach, twenty feet at the lowest and at the highest well over forty. The cracks in the tiles were filled with moss nearest the door but the further one went the less growth one could see less a narrow band down the center.

“Hey guys!”

The enthusiastic youth announced. Most of the other students were busy unpacking although some acknowledged him with a glance, a wave or a muttered hello. As Howard approached Professor Lear, the good Professor gave him a wide smile and a hearty greeting. 

"It is good to see you m'boy!" He appeared excited, or at the very least happy at at ease. A practiced liar perhaps considering the tragedies as of late. He still had that twinkle in his eye and that proud, imposing stance despite his alleged advanced age. "But don't hang around me," he made a shooing motion. "Make friends, socialize with men less old than I!" He let out a cough, darn frog.

Howie would find people he recognized, namely Ami and John. They had already started to secure a corner of the room, one near a pair of caves. 

“Hey”

He greeted John casually. 

“Ami! Hiding in corners again I see. I believe I will force you to socialize once again!”

And how cute, a girl. He addressed her slightly different than he did the boy. Apparently she was going to have a slumber mate. Howard rolled out his bag, taking the spot next to Ami, leaving a spot available for Rosie like a real ladies man. Rosie.

Shame he was hitting on a vegan. All the more jerky for him! He would start showing off his supplies, he had everything short of a violin to serenade the ladies he had surrounded himself with. It was a rather impressive feat. His mistake, the extra blankets. He could have kept them warm just find. Novice.

He would call out to the rest of the room, was there anyone else that needed a partner. He also seemed to forget about Amandea and John John, that was OK, they had each other.

Rosie:
Rosie was not wrong in her assessment that the catacombs were creepy. Darkness is feared for a reason, it hides so much. Yet despite the damp, coolness of the cave there were torches to make the room bright and there were her friends. Indeed with friends such as Howie, she was going to need for little. He had already saved her a spot for the night. 

"Is that spot for me?"

How sweet. 

Amandea
Amandea would find no isolated corner in this shared room, the corners were the first places that attracted students it would seem. She would take a spot between Ami and John John. She would liberate the torch from the wall and jealously guard it as another already had. 

She would not remain alone for long, John was set-up nearby. He would approach the young first year, his smile his most used asset.

"I've seen you around the common room."

In the history of Hogwarts there have been worse pickup lines.

"John Johns. All the Johns you ever need, all in one John."

Actually, it was probably close to the worst but it was unique.

"Isn't this grand? Treasure to find. Cool people to team up with. All this moss. Seriously, do we need this moss for Potions or something?"

And with that statement he would stuff his pocket full of the strange moss. He just assumed it would be safe to fill his pockets with whatever it was. Hopefully he was right. He would find out soon enough.

The moss was nice, maybe but she was going to play hard to get. If moss boy wanted to hang out with her, he would have to ask. She would approach John-John and ask him to join and of course and taking her torch with her she would also ask Anatole. Perhaps Anatole would not be an outsider after all.

Anatole:
While the boy knew a number of the first years gathered here, he decided to find a place of his own. Oddly enough thinking about Dorian's lack of clothes as he did so. Midly troublesome considering they would be sharing a room for the evening but it mattered little... probably. Anatole would set out his things, finding a nice spot not already taken as many of the places that were available were already filled by the time he arrived.

So there he would sit, bordered by first years he had probably not interacted with very much before: Alan, Duncan, Dorothy, Rosie, Amandea, John with too many Johns in his name, and Lucy.

John-John would approach Anatole, offering him the chance to be a part of something great. The chance to be a part of a team. A chance to be a part of the Huffrindors. Would Anatole accept or remain a solo student?

Leslez:
Another solitary bird, Leslez would find a spot that was not already taken and plop his bag down. He would spread out all of his stuff, finding himself in a rather Hufflepuff-heavy area less the Prefect hovering nearby that seemed to have been spewed into the room through some rip in space itself.

Well, this would be why Leslez kept to himself. yeah, we will blame Siege, afterall it is the Hogwarts way.

Leslez, on the other hand would approach Howie, Rosie, and Ami's group. It would take away the haram aspect John was starting to develop knowingly or unknowingly. Nervous of course, Leslez would attempt to take John up on his offer to partner up.



Serena:
Serena should have known better, in fact she did. This was dangerous, going out into the dark. Terrible things were happening and terrible things would continue to happen. Perhaps there was a sense of duty, a hint of pride, and a trace of curiosity that beckoned the young Prefect on. She had checked this time, she was absolutely certain that no muggle devices would be brought on this adventure. That would make the difference, right? That would be enough to keep them safe.

She would never feel safe, or at the very least she would not for a very long time. Eventually the memories would be less vivid, shades of grey rather than crimson and smoke. The memories would always come flooding back of course, taking her breath away every time that they did. There was always a chance, always a risk. Always that sense that perhaps once again she would not be enough. She would be a burden rather than an asset. Something that needed to be saved, a damsel not a hero.

At the Door -- Indeed everyone was cautious, more than they would have been a few weeks earlier before the Hufflepuff disaster that nearly took their lives. That was a good thing wasn't it, that the painful lesson learned by her house was shared so less had to suffer. She did notice something of course, that there was something wrong with her Head of House. It had been ongoing for weeks, the changes so subtle most would not have noticed and none had. Not until now of course, his voice... his personality... it was different. Or perhaps he was just a bit better at hiding things but with time his real self was emerging.

Serena would try to cast Lumos but fail each time. The panic inside of her likely welling with each attempted cast. Solomon would see her standing by the door, trying to cast a spell before she dared enter. It pained his heart but it was a necessary thing, fear that is. It was needed to survive. Children are born fearless, reckloose and in a perfect world he would have been able to protect them. Shield them from the pain of betrayal, the danger of a formidable opponent. He tried of course, his first instinct was to let them run away. To flee from this place, but he couldn't. There were immutable laws that he could not overcome. He did not trust his fellow Professors, how could he? They let these children stay knowing the possible peril they would be in, barely capable of casting a wand lighting spell in the presence of a criminal who was able to cleanly escape the Ministry's reach.

Serena needed to be afraid, all of them did. It was all he could do to prepare them. To defend them. He was young once, it was not as long ago as some would think. He had aged prematurely, it was in part what caused him to lose his wife. To lose a great meany things. But he was not the concern, nor was his condition. Someday he would make it right, let them know he was the fiend that let them know fear and pain. They could hate him then, when they were safe. For now, however, they were far from secure.

"It is fine Serena," Solomon lied. His voice wrong once again and pained as he said that.

Serena would enter, be it from his encouragement or her own ambition and bravery. Solomon's heart would sink, knowing fully what was to come. He was going to keep them safe, all of them even if it was the last thing he ever did. He would look towards Professor Cazarez, knowing in part that indeed it was likely the last thing he would ever do.

Serena would find refuge near a torch, her candle out as well to provide her with some additional, yet meager light. Solomon would smile faintly, the girl was clever, he hoped that she would survive.

Reid:
Reid would be one of the last to see Siege dressed and unbound. Reid would enter before the foolish Gryffindor, before the cavern went into lock-down. The space was already filling up nicely, many of the students had already found a place to lay. Oddly enough one of the most popular girls in the school was for the most part alone, in a corner huddled next to a candle.

Reid would know the girl well. They were good friends. The best of friends. Serena had taken the events quite hard, in a way she was broken even if her flesh was mended and her bones were straight. How much did he know? How much did he guess? Probably more than Serena realized. He was there too, he also nearly died. He also suffered that profound sense of failure and uselessness. It was humbling and humiliating but worst of all, it was a fate worse than death to see those around you suffer and know that there was nothing that you could do about it. It was likely that Reid blamed himself just as much as she did, it would make sense if he did.

Some people were better at hiding it. Some people were better at pushing it out of their mind.

He was here for you Serena.

"Ready?"

He asked the Prefect.

"It might be better if we go in teams, maybe with them. Besides, this place is ..."

He trailed off.

"Odd. It smells ancient, worse than my nan's."

His sixth sense was likely screaming at him. There is something wrong! Something is not right! But it is easy to ignore that little voice, assume it to be paranoia, depression. Just as he said that, a place not far from him and Serena ripped open, a dimensional gap of some sort and Siege was spewed out. The bound and made-up Gryff Prefect would come tumbling out. His wrists bound in heavy silvered chains and he was wearing something that made him resemble little bo peep. he would tumble away and as he did the rip would spit out his bag and clothes, strewing them about the area.

Reid would observe his surroundings. Something was just not right about this place after he was done reacting to the horrors he had just seen of course. [Roll: 12] He would smell something that did not belong, it was not a scent the boy knew well. It smelled like fire, well not fire as much as it did something else. A part of him might instinctively panic at the notion as the door to leave was sealed up due to Siege's idiocy. But no, he would remember that smell, it was charcoal, something wizards rarely need when they have powerful fire spells that even children are entrusted to know. If that was a good idea or not is a debate for another day of course.

He would also hear a sound, a tiny voice perhaps? Something, carried in the air from far away. Even if he strained his ears he would not be able to fully make out the sound.

Ellory:
Ellory would find herself in a sea of gold, with a spattering of red where she decided to lay her bag. She really did not know anyone here but she would have to make the best of it. She would approach the Hufflepuff prefect and her friend, making herself a third wheel is Solomon's ship hopes ever see fruition. 

“Erm, hello!” 

She greeted them with a wave and a timid smile. 

“I’m sorry to be a bother, but would it be alright if I could pair up with you?” 

Like an awkward penguin she would continue. 

“I was supposed to be teamed up with my sister, but I’m not sure where she went..” 

She gestured with the torch she had taken from the corner nearest Cynthia and Serena.

“Erm, I also have this for us to use if we need it.” 

My best guess at who was partnered up:

• Ami, Howard, Leslez and Rosie.
• John-John, Anantole and Amandea
• Seige
• Cynthia
• Serena, Reid and Ellory
• Eris, Rosie, Dorothy, Rhea, Alan, Max and Dorian'
• Parcel, Winifrey, and Duncan

I am sure I forgot someone, I am sorry if I did. There is a lot of you and I feel like I just did the seating arrangement for a wedding.

The Professor had no choice but to hate muggle devices, muggle implements. The pure-blood Professor knew that it was through muggle-means that the thief had gotten past the Ministry's security and that was troublesome. There were no advances in the case and if there was, those secrets were not shared with him. There was a criminal on Hogwarts grounds with a powerful, dangerous artifact that took away the will of a subject. He would shudder to think of the damage that could be done with such power if it fell into the wrong hands.

If it was muggle means that he or she used, then it would be muggle means that they used again and again he concluded. It was what set this unknown villain apart from wizards, the only means he had to identify. The only means he had to alert the children that there was something dangerous nearby. Muggle devices exist simply, burdened by science rather than magic and likely useless here. Solomon had been perpetuating a terrible lie to keep the children 'safe', making them believe that muggle devices cause their magic to go dangerously wrong. 

Solomon had no reason to believe that the fiend had made his way inside of Hogwarts. He felt that the runes were too strong, indeed his hubris and assurance was not nearly as great as the others but he did not believe that they were this wide-open. It would have explained the moss on the ground had he really thought about it. That the door was open quite a bit and quite often, a door that was hardly used. The environment was cool, dark and damp but not bereft of light when the door was ajar. 

This seldom-used passage was the perfect place to hide. The perfect place to continue with whatever their plan might have been. He thought they were in the woods, that was why the shadows were found there. That was why he let them grow fearful of muggle devices, the only identifiable trait he knew of the criminal. And yet... here they were. He had brought them to the worst place possible without even knowing. He had his own plans for them of course, to give them a rightful scare. To keep them 'safe' but not necessarily happy or unharmed, pain was how you learned, adapted and changed for the better he believed. 

After Siege was done embarrassing himself and launched back into the room, Solomon let out a hearty laugh. "Not your day... not your day m'boy!"

He would wait until the ruckus died down, after any concerns were raised about the door that was no longer there. "Don't worry... don't worry class. This cavern is completely and totally safe. There is another way out. In fact there are several. You just need to have the keys," he pat his pocket.

Some of the students had already run off down the western cavern, they could not be left to have all of the fun. "OK students, stop hanging out with me and get a move on. Shoo-shoo. Remember: no Muggle devices in these caves. Nothing is dangerous unless you bring out a muggle device," he warned them. It was true, the cavern was full of a number of practical jokes like the one that Siege had experienced but in the presence of "magic-disabling muggle devices" a joke could quickly become a tragedy. "So carry on. Go-go-go!"

It was all he could do to keep himself together and jolly in appearance as he gave the students this message. He would looks around for Sebastian, that sexy tragic Spaniard. Where was Professor Crab? Who knows! He should be here somewhere, maybe he had to take a wizz down one of the caves. ((Dude: show up or I am gonna say the mask kid that is a first year took you down, don't think I wont! [*Stern Lear Face*]))

"Sebastian?" Solomon called out in confusion after all or at least most of the students were gone. "Sebastian?"

OK Folks -- explore the caves, try to not die. Please post in all your posts or have it in your signature your stats. There is a lot of you and I have the memory of Dori from Finding Nemo so help me out.  I will post weekly as i have here. I will be doing more listed cause and effects from here on in... I do not want to prevent you from talking to each other because communication is key and important to having fun here and some of you are much faster than others. but my attempt to order what was said becomes convoluted and confusing. My posts will still be quite large regardless, things get harder and more detailed from here on in.

Someone should consider picking up Cynthia and Siege, neither of them have a team.

Lucy hissed in annoyance as her spell refused to work. Well, perhaps not her spell. Her own abilities seemed to prevent it. She had halted just behind Parcel, across from Winifery, after the group had descended a few stairs. Just the three of them almost spanned the entire corridor. With a slight feeling of unease rippling along her neck, Lucy quickly looked up at the ceiling to see if there were anything lying in wait for them. After all, she had heard rumours about the last camp-out. Couldn't be too careful.

She jumped when Duncan caught up to them. "Blimey, you scared me to bits," she chastised, watching him offer a cookie to Parcel. Wait- why were they stopped in the first place? She realised all at once that the corridor was not as quiet as it should have been given the fact that they had all stopped moving, and, for the moment, talking. There was a dull roar of... water? Something that reached her ears. Was it just her imagination, or did the passageway feel damper? Perhaps a bit more forbidding? She shivered out of nervousness, glad that she had her school robes on. They were quite thick and protected her from the chill.

Lucy peered around Parcel, the torch throwing troublesome shadows as it flared temporarily as a  soft breeze from the slightly open door toyed with the flame. She narrowed her eyes, reading the inscription on the door. "The password is a secret?" she wondered aloud, her mind turning over the phrase. Surely if the password was "a secret," it would open just by reading the phrase aloud. A bit too obvious, like when an eight year old asked you how many letters were in "the alphabet."

She bit her lip, wand hanging limply in her hand, forgotten for a moment. A secret... wait. Could it be an actual secret? It was a magical door. It could know whether you were actually telling a secret or not. She turned to the others. "Do you think it could be that, if you want to pass through, you have to tell it a real secret? One that no one else knows? Like an actual secret from your life?"

Her heart hammered. She didn't know these people. In fact, she realised she didn't even know their names. She had just grouped up with them on a whim, not wanting to be left behind. She hadn't been prepared to reveal personal things to them... but... she did want to win the scavenger hunt. At the very least, she wanted to solve some puzzles and feel worthwhile.

She moved up a bit to stand next to Parcel, sucking in a breath. "I'm willing to tell one of my secrets, but I'm going to try to cast Lumos again first. Just in case. If that door swings wide, I feel like we should try to be prepared," she said, thinking about the water beyond the door and looking pointedly at the flame. She doubted that the flame would last if it came in contact with water. She tried not to think about what would it would take for that flame to come into contact with enough water to douse it, though. 

She closed her eyes, drawing in another breath, and focused her concentration. She had done this spell successfully before, so she needed it to work now. There was prizes to be won, after all! She pictured her wand tip lighting up and manoeuvred the cherry wood through the necessary motion. "Lumos," she said firmly, concentrating on her wand tip with full expectation that it would light.

ACTIONS 

Speaking: Suggest to the group that the password might be a secret that they have never told anyone before.
Movement: Move up one square to stand next to Parcel's right side, immediately in the square next to him and in front of the door.
Spell: Attempt to cast Lumos (again)

**Note to group: If the group agrees it could be a secret, I will post a short post after the rest of you post so that Lucy can reveal her own secret, assuming that each of them needs to tell a secret. If the rest of you disagree, though, that's fine too!