closed Pride & prejudice Open DM/Owl to join

@Avery Leveret, @Finnegan Connor, @Helena Rose & @Remedy Norden

House Colours: Hufflepuff

Calming Presence in Effect;
Figaro, Finnegan Connor & Helena Rose Affected

He teeechnically wasn't supposed to be here right now... but uh... he had had an 'errand' to run for one of his customers pertaining to the Potions Storeroom located right nearby and doing this during a class time for the local Miss Reaganomics seemed to be the best time to do some tactical acquisitions. Tucking the ingredient into his pocket to hide it from any prying eyes, the boy stuck to the side of the crowds swirling through the dungeons and let the current take him with them. It was the fastest method of transportation when it came to making sure that he kept his clothes on, otherwise Piérre would have elected to take on his light and eccentric flying form instead so that he could fly high over the mess and the mayhem. Students didn't really notice one more person in the hall, especially if he smiled and acted 'normal'.

He was dressed as a Hufflepuff, and his silver bengal Figaro trotted happily down the corridor with tail high and nose lifted. He was always on the lookout for danger, and like any good guard-cat he was the one that noticed the scuffle and returned to Piérre to 'report' all that he had seen.

One with the crowd, Piérre melted effortlessly among the minglers. Spell incantations were being thrown around back and forth, and admittedly the keenly piqued ears of Piérre had indeed heard snatches of the conversation that had eventually initiated the first spray of spells. Green eyes blinking once and then twice, the short-ish upperclassman with a stride like that of a child gradually nosed his way to the inner circle. He had been in more than one fight, of course; and actually he had found himself on the receiving end of pain far more frequently than he would have liked to admit. A wind jinx flew high into the skies and a petrification jinx hit its mark, causing the Phantom of the Opera who had cast the wind jinx to stiffen up and then topple to the ground. Between his feet, Figaro meowed up at Piérre, and Piérre looked down at his familiar with a shrug. He didn't quite know exactly what was going on; at least the Phantom had a girlfriend with him. That was more than Lloyd's iteration had managed...

Piérre's eyes lingered on a scattered part of the Hogwarts Headliner. The boy didn't really pay attention to it besides the odd this or that that just so happened to catch his; it was full of nonsense and garbage anyways. On one of the pages was... say! Wasn't that odd!

The boy grinned as he looked down at the petrified student. It would be only now that his presence was first observed... his uncanny 's Grace [d100(98) - Success] had hidden him from first entrance... it would be hard to guess for how long he had been watching for. Perhaps he had been there the entire time. "Hey, that's your face in the paper, isn't it!" He said brightly. And so it was! Avery... Lever-et? Leeveret? "Man... It sure didn't take long for celebrity hate to catch up with ya, hm?" Green eyes flicked to the Gryffindor that had locked the Phantom down. "Huh... alternate timeline but I guess Raoul comes out on top again. Weird. Is she supposed to be Christine?" Piérre's head nodded towards the girl that had stood alongside Avery [Remedy], and then he considered again when he saw the other girl [Helena]. "Oh... hi Meg!" A waggling of his fingers towards her in a giddy greeting.

Not her name, obviously, Piérre didn't know who she was... but hey, comparisons are comparisons, and it's always good to have a running joke. Striding out of the crowd like a bumbling wandering salesmen, Piérre looked at everyone as Figaro ran out beside him and began twining around his legs. "So uh... what's all this then!" He chirped brightly, crossing his arms and rocking a bit on the balls of his feet, unusually chipper for the moment that he had walked into (indeed perhaps between these young students this would be considered a magical war-zone). Of course he had emplaced himself directly between the stunned Slytherin Phantom and the aggravating Gryffindor boy... which now that Piérre had a better look at him. Ah yes... Finnegan! He knew the boy only peripherally, but had found him not terribly unlike himself at times. The Jester smiled. "A friendly spar, was it? The dueling club tends to be a better place for this sort of thing."

Of course he had heard a few of the spat words. Of pride and of mud, of this and that and all the silly little petty things in life that people put way too much emphasis and care over to really worry about what mattered most. Excellence? Wasted education? Nothing was wasted if one made sure that it wasn't, and opinions and words... ah... well... their brand of effectiveness were more niche when it came to the specific type of conversation and what kind of situation one was in. "I heard something about a mud fight? This doesn't look right for a mud fight, though."

Figaro gingerly sniffed the petrified Avery, taking note of the scent and subsequent information he received from this first meeting. Who knew if Piérre would need it again for some reason...

Statistics: Stamina 7 | Strength 5 | Evasion 18 | Wisdom 12 | Accuracy 15 | ArcPower 5

Abilities:
Keen Eye | Calming Presence | Beast Master [Cat] | 's Grace | Animagus [Hummingbird]

He felt his stomach twisting. He had never gone down to the dungeons in the past. Never. His stomach churned with both anxiety and anticipation. He was afraid of what he might see but was more so craving to discover something new, something cool.

Admittedly, if some divine being ever approached Clark, he'd- at this moment- would say he was going to face his fears. Not that it had to make any sense as Clark was the type to either result to excuses or violence. There hardly seemed to be any in-between moments.

As he finally made it down to the dungeons, he saw Avery, the horrendous rat from March 20th in his first year, and Finnegan Conner... who Clark had a terrible run-in with. Both of these people were two of the three that got the special Clark treatment that was not magical.

But who did he hate more? Who the hell would he side with? Despite beating Finnegan, Clark was taking his side. Avery was too dreadful to be around.

"Oi!" Clark yelled at Avery and prepared his round of cruelness. "I'm not dealing with another year of your rat face in this school. I hope you get expelled with whatever was in that stupid letter."

... And it was obvious Clark had some sort of grudge over that letter. What was so important about it? Why the hell would anyone be secretive over something that had to do with Ostara.

No. No time to think about it. He decided he would do another low blow to the Leveret. He hated his guts, hated seeing him around, and especially hated to hear his name. He punched him in the family jewels once again, this time in his second year. "Finn, I'm going to man up and apologize for being brutal to you- at least for yanking on your hair and slamming your head against the wall. I'm sorry. And I'm willing to put aside my differences towards you in hopes of getting rid of the rat."

September 26th 23-------

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pride & prejudice

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-------The Dungeons

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Remedy's Dialogue #796f4e

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Exhilarated was Remedy upon the mudblood's wrathful remark:

'What are you smirking at?'

His words aimed to disempower the first year, yet his eloquence only revved her jubilance to witness her prodigal cousin take him down. Only time would reveal the true competency and supremacy of one borne within the Norden bloodline...

A weighted silence befell those lingering in the dungeons. An electrical surge ebbing and flowing between every bystander and the two duelists alike. Nobody dared to speak. Move. Blink.

Her brown eyes observed the stance of her cousin, mentally taking notes of his dueling caliber. She expected a great performance after all the hype Avery had received throughout the past year — extremely annoying yet well earned, so she would assume. Although it differed capturing his prowess in live action surely. Avery remained expertly poised like a viper calculating and coiled, only his blackened orbs revealing his premeditative nature before the onslaught even beared fruit.

With no surprise, the aggression-driven mudblood struck first hastily grabbing his wand with no care for stealth. Remedy rapidly identified this clown's first mistake, her smirk transitioning into a full blown grin at the sight. An unlucky expelliarmus to withdraw Avery of his still concealed wand, ultimately ending in failure. It appeared not only was this brute impulsive, he lacked the meticulous ability of spellcasting unlike true wizards. This was only typical of his kind, yet one could give the barbarian kudos for trying.

The same could not be spoken for her cousin; his deftness with a wand was an expertise nurtured over time, now morphing into a second nature. Not only did Avery hold an advantage surrounding mastery, the circumstances now favoured him orchestrating a potent edge in almost every regard in this onslaught. This was nothing more than self defense, an unwarranted an attack upon an innocent party. A power drunk muggleborne gone mad, an assault upon the divine wizardkind.

Surges of red streaks illuminated against the walls casting a rapid flash of eerie shadows of the students' silhouettes against the bleak dungeon. In the same moment, hues of red filled her darkened eyes as she began to withdraw her wand from satchel ever so slowly. Only her wand-handle poked from the bag's opening, her movements arriving to a pause as her cousin demonstrated the capacity of his aptitude for magic. Avery dodged the mudblood’s attack efficiently and countered with a spell of his own.

Ventus; he called the charm’s incantation so fluently as though he’d practiced the charm all his life. It was charm above both of their years, but left her awestruck.

In the heat of the duel, the Slytherin was met with inquiry from Helena, yet Remedy paid no heed. The girl focused heavily on the attack before her to avoid missing this fine opportunity to study, internally judging and note taking from a master of his craft.

Yet whispers caught her attention now and the sensations of her cloak being pulled. Remedy pivoted her head to peer from her peripheral to see a whimpering badger. The girl rolled her eyes before uttering:

"You're pathetic." Her words hushed yet dripping with venom and malice for only Helena to hear.

The girl continue feel the back of her robes be tugged as Helena sought comfort and protection from Remedy. With an extended inhale then scoff upon exhale, Remedy positioned herself so Helena was at her back and well protected from any possibility of impending danger. The girl chalked the gesture up to be part of her gambit — a ruse despite her cynical nature. While it was unlike Remedy to care for someone who portrayed themselves as weak, yet this glimmer of feigned kindness simply to keep Helena on the hook a little longer.

As the battle ensued, it became apparent the Gryffindor was no stranger to combat as he deftly dodged Avery's Ventus, the cold blast colliding into the wall and billowing the robes of the gaggle of students. The temperature dropped rapidly, piercing her cheeks, nose and hand. A hand that was unknowingly still wielding her wand-handle so tight her knuckles had transitioned to a ghostly white hue.

A 'Petrificus Totalus' echoed the atmosphere from the mudblood's lips, not only silencing the murmurs of throngs of bystanders but the infamous Leveret himself. Remedy pulled a frown as Avery stiffed up and dropped onto the unforgiving stone; defeated, for now.

This was unexpected to say the least. Leveret had been bested, by a mudblood of all opponents. Was all his talent chalked up to hype, or was this a simple instance of bad luck?

A silence befell the crowd yet again. Some had expected the Gryffindor to relish this victory, but none knew if the game was truly at an end. Only moments later would the very same mudblood attempt to intimidate Remedy once more; his menacing threat cutting the silent air.

It was only then Remedy would realize her hand remained positioned on her wand-handle, her hand trembling with hot anger as confusion and disappointment radiated from the transpired events. The boy must have seen it poking from her satchel, a smirk touching her lips as she relinquished her grip slowly.

A returning thought reaffirmed her position; she realized Avery and Remedy still held the power of influence here, as long as the Slytherin didn’t give into the instinct of invoking additional violence despite the temptation.

'Don't even think about it unless you want to end up like him.'

"Oh, please.” she replied with her venomous smirk as she stepped forward from the crowd. "He's right, you know. You are so dramatic,"

Seemingly unlike the boy standing before her, Remedy lacked his impulsivity and tendency for an emotional outburst. And that was all this was -- emotion. Her earth toned eyes met Helena's and then…what? Someone Remedy hadn't seen before began to commentate (Pierre) on the events; he was clearly another Hufflepuff and stood beside Helena as though they’ve met before. Remedy chalked his random appearance to that she was so hyperfocused on the spar to notice another bystander in their midst.

Then yet another Hufflepuff arrived barging into the dungeons, his stride filled with intention before shouting at Avery, some nonsense about a stupid letter. A letter that had caused so much internal conflict that resorted to another emotional outburst against Avery’s family jewels.

Merlin’s sake. How people could be so envious of those clearly better in every regard that they literally felt the need to kick — in this case; punch— the wizard while he was already down.

It was a curiosity Remedy pondered an explanation for the justification on. How letter could invoked so much turmoil in another; was it the fragility of this ‘puff or was there a deeper revelation of this letter. Her head spiraled into conspiracy, but now was not the time.

She stepped away from the gaggle with confidence and positioned herself in front of Avery. It was her attempt to buy him time to recover from the curse and assault upon his lower region, or speak on his behalf had a professor or prefect made appearance; whichever occurred first, although she still remained unsure if Avery deserved such mercy. He was bested by a muggleborn, after all.

Their grandmother had always emphasized the significance of family loyalty, therefore she refused to stand still and allow her cousin to be injusticed like this, but wouldn't contribute to the affray. Her violence would be calculated; the Gryffindor (Finn) undoubtedly expected a reaction from her, and even if Remedy did act on her impulse, Avery’s one adversary unexpectedly had an ally now.

For the time being, she'd remain patient and level-headed, refusing to be dragged and baited into a fight that she knew she couldn’t win. Not yet, that was. Retribution was best served cold and unexpected. It would only be a matter of when Remedy would orchestrate an opportunity to fulfil that desire for vengeance. Both of these halfwits resided at the top of her list.

'Finn, I'm going to man up and apologize for being brutal to you- at least for yanking on your hair and slamming your head against the wall. I'm sorry. And I'm willing to put aside my differences towards you in hopes of getting rid of the rat.'

So, the muggleborn had a name. Finn. She studied his face with a smirk and playful twinkle in her eye. The latter of the duo remained unknown, but appeared to have bad blood with both Finn and Avery. His clear motive for his admitted temper remained unknown, sparking further curiosity from the girl. With a chuckle from the girl’s lips after hearing his (Clark’s) words, Remedy’s eyes glanced between her opponents and Helena alike.

"Those were wonderful performances, everyone." Remedy remarked while holding her position in front of Leveret. She internally prayed that he recovered quick as to not further tarnish and embarrass their family name.

She envisioned many different directions and possibilities of what could happened next, but remained certain of one thing: if the chimps dared to strike an unarmed opponent, surely it would be a game over for them.

Tags: @Finnegan Connor, @Avery Leveret, @Helena Rose, @Piérre Marchonné & @Clark Baird. WC: --
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H E L E N A

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Date 00/00/00

Helena's Dialogue #aa8b00

Tags @Remedy Norden @Clark Baird@Finnegan Connor@Avery Leveret@Piérre Marchonné

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⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅

S[font=typewritertaring at the chaos ensuing in front of the golden haired girl. Helena was unsure and concerned about what to do. Her sea blue eyes radiated concern as she thought of what to do.

Now the chaos seemed to worsen slightly as the Gryffindor boy sent a petrificaus totalus towards the Slytherin boy. As silence seemed to befall the corridors it was eerily quiet for a bit until an older Hufflepuff boy began to commemorate what was happening inside in the musty damp dungeon corridor.

What happened next shocked Helena slightly when a rather shorter boy appeared from practically nowhere and punched an already petrified Avery in the one spot no man would want punched.

The golden haired girl winced slightly. Her mind rushed around with many thoughts. It was not right or admirable of someone to punch someone already down.

Noticing Remedy move forwards to stand in front of the petrified second year. Helena followed behind her comrade slightly. Her sea blue eyes glaring daggers at the incredibly short tyrant that involved himself into this affair.

“Do you know manners? The boy guy is already down and you have the audacity to punch him rather low blow? Though I suppose for someone so short and insignificant you have nothing better to do rather than stir up more trouble.”

Helena glared daggers towards the shorter of many of the students surrounding them. Her sea blue eyes in a dagger like stance burning holes towards the short tiny little garden gnome wanna be.

Helena was not a confrontational person, but this scenario definitely enraged her greatly. Who in their right mind would gang up on someone who is already down nonetheless! It was outrageous and completely unnecessary.

Moving from her spot behind Remedy the girl stood beside her still glaring daggers mainly at the shorter of the boys. After all this seemed to be getting out of hand now than it originally was.[/font]

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• PRIDE AND PREJUDICE •

”What will you do when there’s blood in the water...”

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26th September | Home - The Dungeons
Avery's Hex #136b5c
wc: 804

Ref. Headliner Interview

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	----- W easels. Rats. Vermin. Beasts. Finnegan Conner was a mediocre spell caster, which was probably something to do with his disgusting genealogy. Finnegan had luck to blame for his magical ability, surely, and once more he had luck to blame for this harrowing development. Though he knew some advanced spells, he was classless. He was a barbarian, stampeding through a ballet; as elegant as mud-bathing pig in the grim English heat. Luck. - The wind blast had narrowly missed, and Finn had made to run down the corridor, likely to flee; showing his cowardice for all to see. What Avery hadn’t expected was the quickness of his slung spell, what he curled around another student, he was sure. The blast had come out of nowhere and it spelled the beginning of a darkness that would hang over Avery for a time to come. Before he could register anything, his body had betrayed him; snapping to a tightness that toppled him backwards. The paralysis felt like a chill that had overtaken his senses; screwing up his posture, his counter and- well everything else. The worst victim was of course, the pride. Avery Leveret was accomplished. Avery Leveret was; bested. To those watching, he was propped backwards against the corridor wall like an incredibly large, and stiff, plank of wood; waiting to be stepped on and snapped. He was a pale lad, usually, but every bit of his exposed skin was red hot with anger and shame and although he was physically restrained by the tight weave of magic around his limbs, his eyes blazing fury was left to witness the escalating events. An older student had seemingly been watching, having made himself known at a most inconvenient time and Avery’s suspicion only led him to be wary of the chap. The idea that he just happened into the dungeons during this altercation was too coincidental to be true to him. He was an unrecognised, and unwelcome, social parasite. How the worms climb to the surface once the sky threatens to rain. – He mumbled something about celebrity hate, and then something about sparring with mud, and he quickly confirmed Avery’s summation of the chap. Piérre was nothing more than another outcast that kept to the shadows, but Avery couldn’t tell if it was entirely by choice or if he had been outshone and left to dwell in that which greater witches and wizards left in their wake. It took seconds to make a first impression, and each breath after only solidified it. Piérre’s purpose here was unknown, but he was the kind of man to take a pot shot whilst someone else had done all the hard work. Despicable. Speaking of pot-shots, Avery thought, here came Clark. His mind was instantly drawn from thinking about his inability to formulate some particularly venomous, derogatory remarks to those who stood opposed to him. It was now trained on the leech-like little beast boy like a seeker to a snitch when their team was one hundred points down. Clark, as ever, never failed to smash Avery’s expectations. The dirty half-breed had dared to call him a mudblood, and then he had struck him. Time would see him remunerated, with interest of course, but Clark; like Piérre but perhaps more extensively; was a cowardly pot-shot taker and what happened next would define and plot the course of Avery’s academic period. He had lost his prefecthood, he had lost a number of duels, he had lost his pride and with his encounter with Vladimir; he had lost his sense of self. It only became clear to him in the moment that Clark spouted some complete and utter shit, walked up to him and socked him in the crotch for the second and last time. It wasn’t the pain that took his entire focus, nor was it any kind of attempt to free himself but rather a dark and sinister thought. Although he couldn’t shut his eyes, a darkness fell over them and he was once again in the stands of the quidditch pitch; with wicked words ringing in his head. Every part of him wanted to commit an awful crime, a permanent hurt, something that wasn’t even close to the pain or shame Clark had brought but something, otherwise. Avery couldn’t make out the words in the moment, but he knew that he was scared of what they made him think. Remedy and her friend had stepped in front of him, shielding him from anything else. His mind was not with them, nor their words. He could later infer, but he was otherwise consumed and yet no one there could possible know him to have embraced the darkness so easily; was that the part of his father he had inherited, come to rear its head for the first time?
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STATS:
Stamina: 8 | Evasion: 10 | Strength: 0 | Wisdom: 9 | ArcPower: 4 | Accuracy: 12
Abilities: Statistical Relevance, Prodigal Charms Learner

Action: Avery fails to break out of the petrification.
Rolls:

Reducio

Strength DC: 15
Strength: [d20:5] + 0 = 5 < 15 → Failure!

Interacting with: @Finnegan Connor, @Remedy Norden, @Helena Rose, @Piérre Marchonné & @Clark Baird

F I N N E G A Nx⳧xC O N N O R

☙ Pride & prejudice, 26st of September 2023 ❧

This wasn't at all what he had intended. He'd just meant to have a bit of fun, not to have half the school down here taking pot shots at each other.

Within the span of no more than three spells the corridor had transformed into a veritable warzone. Avery lay petrified, accompanied by an older, very familiar looking boy in the colors of Hufflepuff whose jests went right over his head. Something about the Phantom of the Opera? He wasn't all that familiar with the story but it didn't seem to matter much anyway.

"He called me a mudblood," Finnegan grumbled back in response to Piérre's questions. No part of him felt like explaining the full story, he imagined he would be doing plenty of explaining before long. Besides, he had the sense Piérre must've been watching for a while, though he didn't remember seeing him amid the small crowd before. If he had, he wouldn't have been quite so eager to start a fight.

That's the problem, isn't it? he wondered in the privacy of his mind. He'd started this.

If he hadn't mocked Avery, if he hadn't egged the pale Slytherin boy on, if he'd just kept his mouth shut. How many more minutes would it be before their Professor would arrive? Either way, someone was going to tattle for sure. Maybe the timid looking Hufflepuff, maybe her wolfish friend, maybe just Piérre though he didn't seem the type for it.

He puffed his cheeks, sighed and just when he was about to lower his wand, none other than Clark Baird made his presence known. He'd recognize that grating, screeching voice anywhere, and if not by his voice then surely by the nonsense that came tumbling out of his mouth. Something about a letter? What letter? What business did an arseling like Clark have with someone like Avery? The two couldn't possibly be further apart in stature or manner and as if to prove that point, Clark punched down.

Finnegan hissed through his teeth, his face contorting in pain that seen rather than felt. It had to hurt and hurt badly, not just the punch itself but the way it had been doled out with Avery being incapable to do anything about it. He tore his gaze away from Avery and squinted at Clark who in his infinite stupidity now not only loudly admitted to his earlier crimes, but by apologizing for them made it seem like it had been some casual tussle. How convenient from the little tyrant to keep the bit about the venomous snake bite out of his apology, nevermind his obsession with hitting people in the nuts.

Finnegan raised his wand again only this time he aimed it at Clark. The boy's apology was about as sincere as a smoker promising to quit smoking after just one more cigarette, and he hadn't even bothered to apologize for all he had done. What kind of world did the tiny tyrant live inhabit where you could punch someone bloody one day and expect to have your insincere apology accepted the next?

"Just shut up, will you?" He sounded exasperated. "Maybe you should listen to her," he jutted his chin in the direction of Helena who had finally crept out of her shell just a little bit. "How'd you like a taste of your own medicine, huh? Or is there nothing there?" It only seemed sensible, everything else about Clark was tiny too after all.

He took a few paces forward, mirroring the dark-haired girl who little more than four foot away from him now. She had guts and now that he stood a little closer to her, he could tell they didn't differ all that much in age or height. Still, he knew spells, she did not. He made a little mock bow in answer to her comment about their performances and made a mental note to keep an eye on her. "You're pretty bold, you sure you're in the right house? If you could step aside please, I'd like to help your friend back up." His word probably wasn't going to be enough for her, so he threw in a sweetener for good measure. "I'm not like Clark, if I wanted to hurt him more, I would've done it by now. Step aside."

It didn't matter whether she did or if he had to aim around her, because when he had finished waving his wand around muttering "Finite Incantatem," precisely nothing happened. He slowly dropped his arm, letting it hang uselessly by his side.

Nothing continued to happen.

"Uh, that should've released him..." He looked to the fifth year in Hufflepuff attire then, "You're Piérre right? Could you..." he gestured vaguely toward Avery, "you know... get him up again?" He put his wand back into his robes, none too worried about what the Slytherin girl in front of him might try to do. As far as he was concerned, the fighting was over.

Stamina 10 ✶ Evasion 10 ✶ Strength 2 ✶ Wisdom 3 ✶ Arcane Power 5 ✶ Accuracy 10

@Avery Leveret, @Clark Baird, @Finnegan Connor, @Helena Rose & @Remedy Norden

House Colours: Hufflepuff

Calming Presence in Effect;
Figaro, Finnegan Connor & Helena Rose Affected

No sooner had he introduced himself to the conversation, another player in this unfortunate drama decided to make an appearance. Short, likely a first year or something like it, there came a loud and slightly shrill shout from a yellow-inseamed boy about... well, a few things, but the one that caused the naturally curiosity-inclined Piérre to perk the most was the mention of a letter. A letter that could have the potential of leading to expulsion?

Interesting. Now that was potentially something worth looking into beyond this immediate situation.

But that didn't prevent Piérre from letting out a wheeze and subsequent cringe of his own as the small child proceeded to inflict pain upon the petrified Avery. A sudden, sharp bark of laughter left him as the boy realized just how sharply this situation had upturned in not only violence but escalation. Doubling over slightly as Figaro ran away from both parties and back to his side, Piérre chuckled aloud. "Pff! Wow, that was... Haha!" It was almost like something out of a bad physical comedy. "That was not really necessary, ahaha!" He couldn't help but laugh, this situation was odd even for him. This kid... this kid really did seem to have others that were out for his blood, huh? Still the Britalian's gaze was unwavering at mention of other acts of violence by the boy, a coldness briefly overtaking them. "Nobody is a rat here. If you try to pull a stunt like that here, I will put you on the ground just like him." He remarked coldly with a small nod to Avery's condition. There was no humor in his voice to be found in those words.

Damn it, they were all going to figure this out and get through this; even if Piérre had to round-robin petrify people to ensure cooperation. They didn't need a prefect, they didn't need a professor, and they sure as Hell didn't need the mad nurse intruding in a moment like this. Any of those components would make everything worse.

"I did think they were brilliant, weren't they?" The Britalian remarked coldly in return to the statement of the more aggressive of the two girls, his eyes flashing with similar sharpness to match her blaséness as he held himself upright again. "Amusing, just how frequently and swiftly a crumb becomes a cupcake and a lizard becomes a dragon." Came the snicker-snack of his tongue, right on time. "How quickly the fire under the ass heats." At this point, perhaps he was just being snarky, as his sharp glance tracked towards the spontaneous Hufflepuff in turn. "Regardless of if it was deserved or not."

He crossed his arms, turning the pieces in his mind and reconfiguring the best course of action forward as tensions and hackles continued to rise. Luckily, there seemed to be at least one other person of the mind to at least attempt to move forward with diplomacy. "Mudblood? What kind of outdated childhood taunt is that?" Piérre almost snickered to himself, making a show of his 'incredulousness'. It was not that he was unfamiliar with the term; he knew it well even if he had never been called one directly. That was a conversation better saved for a different day and a different moment than this, but this confrontation was an old one at best and downright worn straight down and through the threads and seams at worst. "Everyone knows that everyone has mud in their blood; the world likes to recycle elements, after all, and that iron hemoglobin, carbon, nitrogen, running in your veins has been around for millions and millions of years and shared among... well... probably hundreds of people, animals, and plants before you. If we're playing a game of insults, I personally prefer for them to be creative and unique."

He flourished his hands outwards for a second, spinning back to face Finnegan once and raising both eyebrows. "Right? Am I right? If you're going to be insulted you deserve a clever insult, not one of those dime a dozen ones." And then, befitting one of the noble Gryffindor house, Finnegan attempted the general counterspell to dispel the body-bind on the petrified target of his attack; obviously he seemed to know that the confrontation was over and that there was no further need to exacerbate the issue with further humiliations--an opinion that it was likely that many could have disagreed with in this situation.

And yet perhaps it was an opinion that was in the air when it came to action as Piérre's brow piqued and he watched the failure of the spell from the younger Gryffindor student. Ah well... he was much newer to the world of controlled magic, after all. There were bound to be a few slipups here and there when it came to casting the general countercharm. But then again... magic did tend to follow intent. This was more interesting to the boy than if he had simply been facing off against another duelist in the competitive fray. This was something worth analyzing, indeed...

But thereafter there had been the direct call of his name, something that made the Britalian's pointed ear pique a bit in unconscious response as green eyes flicked once to the side before refocusing his attention back upon Finnegan. A slow raise to his lips presented themselves. Ah... so he had learned his real name. A part of the boy wondered how and when that was. Perhaps his name was just becoming so popular nowadays among gossip and 'underdealing' markets. "That is a name of mine, yes." He said softly and open-endedly, neither confirming nor denying as a gleam passed briefly through his irises. Then came a polite request, a very reasonable one considering the circumstances.

In other situations, as interesting as this situation was, Piérre may have been more inclined to either exacerbate the situation or to perhaps try to request further explanations of the situation... but on second thought it was in fact probably for the best that Piérre cease the magical constraints on the helpless focal point of the recent Hogwarts Headliner before something more tragic or drastic could occur to one of their shared sex that what had already been bequeathed to him. The time for explanations could happen when the phantom boy was able to properly defend himself again. "Oh, psh. Yeah, I gotchu. Ahem... mm. Finite Incantatem!" Came the chirp from the Britalian, flicking the tip of the leaf-blessed yew wand in a pattern with a hum and then a bright smile as the spell took effect [Finite Incantatem Wisdom Check: d20(10) + 12 = 22 Success] and loosened the limbs of the poor Avery.

The boy hummed again lightly, letting a small muse escape him that was definitely loud enough for everyone to hear. "Magic is about intent." He raised one brow. "I wonder if your own wand knew what your intentions were..." And then came a wink. He would let Finnegan decide on his answer, not put it into his mouth for him.

And then just as quickly as that the boy rounded back on Avery. "Alrighty then, up you get." He offered a hand to help Avery stand up from against the wall, though he didn't expect a graceful acceptance of it in the slightest. "And now we hear your side of the tale. How exactly did you so happen to end up as a wall attraction to begin with?" The puck's eyes glittered with intrigue as he began making holding bets against himself on how this kid would react to him, his cat, and his assistances. People in these situations always intrigued him; whether they would lie or try to defend their pride or to gracelessly lash out or to sulk in wounded disgrace... or perhaps tell the truth and explain, or to try and paint their side in the brightest and most beautiful light that could be managed. Piérre had no horse in the race, he had no sides (save perhaps his own, but even then he was oft a turncoat to that 'unwavering' side), and oh did it delight him to see a face attempt to mask emotions or to observe the emotions flash openly across it at a moment's notice. The more one swathed themselves in their own designs, the more Piérre too was tangled in with them. It was a blessing and a curse, and it was oh so fun. "Something tells me you didn't just stiffen up for no reason." He said softly, the yew wand now being turned slowly between his lithe hands. "It wouldn't have anything to do with your recent debut in the headliner article... or this mysterious letter, would it?"

Figaro twined around Piérre's legs, a low purr rumbling in his throat.

Statistics: Stamina 7 | Strength 5 | Evasion 18 | Wisdom 12 | Accuracy 15 | ArcPower 5

Abilities:
Keen Eye | Calming Presence | Beast Master [Cat] | 's Grace | Animagus [Hummingbird]

Ey, it was magical! That thrilling moment when he was finally able to prove his dominance or absolute brilliance. It was nothing more than a fever dream, how he survived that night in the Astronomy Tower, without being murdered, but it seems he did the same thing and survived this time around as well. As he looked at Finnegan, he took notice of the vibe that was in the room.

Did he toxify the environment? Was it all because of him? Okay, well, this rat had it coming, even if no one else could see it.

Clark believed that he should get the last laugh, the last punch, the last hexing, the last everything. He should retain a victor, no matter what else anyone could've said or done.

"Listen Finn, my dad works here, this means I get away with punishments." Clark said to finnegan, knowing what he just said wasn't entirely true. He knew his dad was too weak to actually punish him like most parents would. He knew his dad lacked the morals to do so. The worst that could happen would be of him writing an essay and listening to his father sing disco songs off key. "So you shut the fu-" He would've said it but quickly changed. "fudge up. You guys just can't take a damn joke can you? Besides, the damned rat had it coming. He deserved it. And I deserve the last laugh, so HA!" He said with a sense of rudeness within him and a tone of anger slowly rising to his mouth (ooc, that is to say that he punched Avery for no literal reason and is now annoyed that he's being confronted and his response is anger), leaving a bad taste.

"Are you the girl I punched the other day? I can't tell." He said simply, intentionally ignoring what Helena said to display that he had no manners nor respect for anyone.

He looked at the girl now standing in front of Leveret. "Shut the hell up. What the hell are you meaning a 'performance'? This just- AH!" He didn't finish and erupted in a scream of anger.

Oh? Was the taller student threatening him? "Why don't I do the same to you? We'll see then what you have to say about taking me down." That was an attempt at threatening the ancient student donning yellow.

September 26th 23-------

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Pride & Prejudice

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Remedy's Dialogue #796f4e

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The lesson of history is that no one learns.

The flock were making history all right, yet every waking moment that crept upon the meandering students made it further apparent that the throng wouldn't collect insight nor understand the consequences of their actions. Whilst this was mere observation from the lame potshots between students noted by the Slytherin's gaze, it also was a promise of revenge yearning to be fulfilled and Remedy would err on the side of stealth to get it done.

Her darkened orbs greeted Helena's eyes with a frown as the meek, strawberry-blonde girl barked out nonsense. An irksome chuckle stifling from her lips as the Hufflepuff's ramblings went disregarded by the masses; if there was a being amongst the gaggle that was merely all bark, it was Helena. Whilst this was left unspoken, everyone knew it. Remedy could have commended her acquaintance on such a bold display of 'bravery' feigning as a true friend, yet Remedy was peeved from their earlier interactions and the Puff's timing was poor. Her words were a simply a hinderance, and further reminding Remedy that she didn't require assistance from anyone, especially Helena, in this regard.

'He called me a mudblood,'

The girl veiled her cheeky smirk with a hand although the corners of her lips would reveal obvious humor in Finn's grumbled words. Remedy did expect a fraudulent story to be uttered by the Gryffindor and readied a concocted rebuttal for the occurrence had Finn taken the opportunity, but such wouldn't come. At least the boy had some sense; this was to say that Remedy had supposed Avery was not at fault nor instigated such a heated skirmish.

The older Hufflepuff (Pierre) rambled some nonsense about nobody being pure, which was further from the truth, and prompted an eye roll from Remedy. The ravenous girl dismissed his words entirely and heaved a feigned yawn, folding her arms in silent ignorance while pondering who he was supposed to be, what his role was, or if he required the respect his words seemed to demand. Yet, Remedy wouldn't be swayed to care considering he was no Prefect and just happened to be older than them, but that certainly did not dub him as being better.

Silence hung in the air so thick as tensions ignited like a brazier, and yet, this heathen's (Clark) vocals seemed to grate right through it. His voice resembled nails upon a chalkboard, invoking the gritting of fangs and inspired anguish alike. He reeked of impudency, yet posed an intriguing and tactical offer to Finn that had yet to be responded to. Her eyes flickered in silent contemplance between the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff. The choice was in Finn's hands now; what action would he take?

The swarm likely egging on similar queries as murmurs from the throng rattled the silent air, though Remedy couldn't be swayed to be distracted; her trembling fingertips actively posing the opportunity to wield her chestnut wooded-wand. As Finn raised his up, Remedy lunged for her own and pointed it at Clark. Daring eyes met Finn's for half a second, her temporary allegiance aligning with Finn's aims for one reason and one reason alone: to take the arsling down.

A thought trickled from the darkest corner of Remedy's mind; was this all simply a ruse to buy time to cohort in secrecy? Were these two dogs even strategic enough to plot such a gambit? The Slytherin couldn't be too sure about either, and held tightly to her wit as the ravenous girl took aim with her wand.

'Just shut up, will you? Maybe you should listen to her. How'd you like a taste of your own medicine, huh? Or is there nothing there?'

'Listen Finn, my dad works here, this means I get away with punishments. So you shut the fu----dge up. You guys just can't take a damn joke can you? Besides, the damned rat had it coming. He deserved it. And I deserve the last laugh, so HA!'

The other Hufflepuff chimed in: 'Nobody is a rat here. If you try to pull a stunt like that here, I will put you on the ground just like him.'

A chuckle spelled from Remedy interjected their exchange, "Your dad works here?" she repeated tauntingly, "So, are you like, his pet or something? I only ask because you lack the obedience training per Hogwarts' Pet requirements, but fear not. In my country, we don't blame the mongrel -- just the master. And, luckily for you, I think Care of Magical Creatures might have a spare muzzle."

This sudden allegiance between foes appeared to rattle the board under the animalistic Hufflepuff's feet, prompting him to spew retorts before screaming out in frustration. That appeared to be the end of him, for now that was, as Finn now directed his attention to Remedy.

'You're pretty bold, you sure you're in the right house? If you could step aside please, I'd like to help your friend back up,' Remedy focused on him and gauging his words for hints of sincerity. 'I'm not like Clark, if I wanted to hurt him more, I would've done it by now. Step aside.'

As though bestowing a gift to Remedy, her face lit up as Finn announced the alias of this bottom-feeder's identity, one of the final missing pieces remaining in the puzzle she constructed internally. "Clark, hm? How cute." She purred, her orbs dissecting this 'Clark' like a starved wolf spying prey. Her gaze rejoined Finn's with a villainous smile as she lowered her wand from Clark's direction and nodded. Stepping aside a few paces, Remedy kept her distance from both as she glanced upon Clark once more. "So, you must be my cousin's friend?"

Doing as promised, Finn casted this charm to undo his previous incantation. There was an awkward silence when Avery remained solid as wood, nothing happening. Remedy harbored a low snicker in response to his substandard casting, further backing her judgments of mudbloods as a whole. It wasn't their fault they lacked the knack and aptitude for magic; muggleborns could only blame their tainted genealogy, but she applauded Finn for trying -- literally.

'Uh, that should've released him.. Could you...you know... get him up again?'

'Oh, psh. Yeah, I gotchu. Ahem... mm. Finite Incantatem!

Before her eyes, Avery's body loosened.

'Magic is about intent. I wonder if your own wand knew what your intentions were...Alrighty then, up you get. And now we hear your side of the tale. How exactly did you so happen to end up as a wall attraction to begin with? Something tells me you didn't just stiffen up for no reason. It wouldn't have anything to do with your recent debut in the headliner article... or this mysterious letter, would it?'

'Why don't I do the same to you? We'll see then what you have to say about taking me down.' Clark growled, egging on the quarrel.

"Hungry dogs are never satisfied," Remedy stated with a grin as she ambled towards Avery with a hand extended, prepared to aid her cousin in his impending ploy against their swarm of adversaries.

Tags: @Finnegan Connor, @Avery Leveret, @Helena Rose, @Piérre Marchonné & @Clark Baird. WC: 925

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Helena's Dialogue #aa8b00

Tags @Remedy Norden@Avery Leveret@Finnegan Connor@Clark Baird

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Helena glared daggers over at the shorter Hufflepuff boy. Helena moved closer towards Remedy clenching her small bony knuckles together in small fists. Her sea blue eyes seemed to burn with anger as she gritted her teeth.

Helena felt a tad bit angry with the shorter boy; he always seemed to mouth off and act like he is in charge, which makes sense since the boy’s father was a professor. Helena straightened up a snake-like smirk forming on her pale face as she stared at the boy.

“Makes sense why you act like you own the place. Not only do you not have manners, you must be a fathers boy. As Remedy said nothing but a teacher's pet. May as well run off to your father before it gets ugly you little Imp.”

Helena hissed venomously at the shorter boy. Her sea blue eyes glared daggers at the shorter boy. Helena stood closely next to Remedy as she listened to the other students around her conversing and talking.

Helena tried to listen the best she could to conversations over all; it seemed nothing but chaos problems in this corridor. Helena was fairly surprised how a teacher has not appeared out of nowhere yet to break up the chaos.

Even though the older boy in Hufflepuff robes seemed to try and calm down the tension the two other boys seemed to still be tense. While the older Slytherin boy seemed to still be out of it. Helena felt uncertain of what to do exactly.

Neither parties were in the right nor where they were in the wrong. The golden haired girl stepped a foot in front of Remedy thinking of a way to calm the situation even though it seemed to be a lost cause at this point especially with the tiny imp that was hanging around.

Helena figured it would be best to stay quiet at this point to continue arguing and the tension in the air was weighing heavily on the girl. She was tempted to throw a punch at the small imp of a student that was Clark. But she decided it would be against her morals to lay a hand on someone who does not deserve it even though he really truly deserved getting the light knocked out of him for being so disrespectful.

Turning her blue gaze towards Remedy hearing her speak with a grin on her face Helena could not help but smirk glancing towards everyone in front of the duo.

“I do agree with you in a way, Remedy. Even feeding them won’t do much besides send them into a frenzy.”

Helena spoke coldly her eyes glaring daggers mainly at the shorter hufflepuff boy that seemed to enrage the young golden haired girl.