Lock-in Hufflepuff Gryffindor Event Closed

Dorothy: lost 50 health, she had 400 health to start so this reduced her health points to 350.
Rosie lost 150 health, knocking her unconscious as she only had 100 health.
John lost 300 health, he had 600 to start so he has 300 remaining.
Aurelia lost 300 health, she had 700 to start so has 400 health remaining.
Amadea lost 300 health, she had 500 to start and now has 200 remaining.
Anatole had 600 (of 700) health points.

Anatole

The young man would make his way down the stairs. Heels were something that required more practice and finesse than the young man would have considered as he tumbled down the stone stair and hit the gravel floor. Practice makes perfect one can suppose, sadly today was not a day for learning such a skill. Why the towel stuffed down his pants saved him from injury there the moderator would hopefully never know. For the love of all things dark and scary, stop thinking happy thoughts in this cave, no wonder it was not needed for banana hammock enlarging purposes.

Alas, onto more serious matters. Poor Anatole had sprained his ankle. It would throb and as he tried to move it and a surge of pain would shoot up to his brain. That towel, that package buffering... ankle wrapping savior of a towel would be wrapped around the young man's ankle. There was not much respite to be had sadly, yet the support felt good. Well better.

Anatole would call out, first to his fellow Huffinadors and then to the voice. To a little girl that was singing and dancing with insistence in her voice. To a little girl that would sing the same song over and over again, content it would seem to never answer the young Gryff's call.

Anatole could not dance.

Not in shoes like those.

Oh please.

Anatole drew his wand and made a simple motion, almost as if he was drawing the end of a candle's flame in the air and then in a powerful (well as powerful of a voice as Anatole could muster at the very least) he declared the incantation of his intent.

"Incendio!"

Roll: 19

So Anatole was really unwilling to dance. And his flames were more powerful than anticipated. A blast of heat would erupt from Anatole's wand and wildly lash out, repealing the darkness for a brief moment. Her target was the little girl, in an act of reckless cruelty as he attempted to set the girl ablaze. However, this space was not right. Something went terribly wrong. The flames lashed back at the young boy, but he knew where the flames had come from and was able to shy away.

The flames did not just strike back at Anatole and attack only the little girl, they went everywhere. The room was momentarily bright, the walls were made of simple stone and the floor of gravel. Everyone was there, most of them only a few feet away from Anatole. Aurelia was on the ground, John was on bended knee, Amadea was walking in place. The rest were missing. Oh-- oh no. There was Rosie.

Attack (Anatole) 19

Dodge (Rosie) 18 Grazing Blow
Dodge (John John) 9 Hit
Dodge (Aurelia) 1 Hit
Dodge (Amadea) 6 Hit

Those who were missing were "safe" underground, unlike the others. A blast of terrible heat would scorch them all. Rosie was able to somehow duck away mostly, only suffering a glancing blow that would prove to be devastating still. She would collapse onto her knees, her hands bracing herself as she fell.

Rosie lost 150 health, knocking her unconscious as she only had 100 health.
John lost 300 health, he had 600 to start so he has 300 remaining.
Aurelia lost 300 health, she had 700 to start so has 400 health remaining.
Amadea lost 300 health, she had 500 to start and now has 200 remaining.

This was not a time to think about what he had done. There was nothing Anatole could do to help Rosie even if he cared, as soon as the light from the flames disappeared his sight of the fallen girl would be lost from his vision. He still had a torch, the heat from that light likely a painful reminder of the sin he had committed. There was no going back, only forward. Anatole would try to limp onward, he would not get anywhere even if he had two healthy legs.

Anatole would fall to the ground and drag himself across the gravel floor. He would crawl forward, towards that brief flash of light he saw, calling for the help as he went. The gravel would cut and scrape through his clothes but he was below the mists so he made slow, painful progress. Anatole would be close, SO close to Aurelia. He would be able to see her, just barely beneath a veil of fog.

Could he be heard, his cry for help?

Yes, but only barely.



Amadea

Amadea was all alone, in the dark. The crunch of gravel underfoot and the song sung by a single, silly little girl was all she could hear. John was no longer with her. Anatole was no longer with her. By some cruel twist of fate, the Huffrindors had been separated on the first leg of their adventure.

She had no torch. No companion. She would find her wand in her robes, the long, slender shaft of cherry wood gripped in her hand, a saving grace. She would cast a spell with a loop d' loop of her wand in a single smooth motion.

"Lumos"

Roll: 18 (Success)

With the wave of a wand, the flick of the wrist the tip of her wand would erupt in a flash of light. She could now see, but what she saw was not particularly enlightening. There was a mist in every direction. She would not see any of her team mates, only a little girl in a red dress prancing about singing that same infernal song on repeat.

"Silly dancer turn around,
silly dancer touch the ground,
silly dancer do the kicks,
silly dancer do the splits,
silly dancer lay down,
silly dancer get out of town."

Amadea was not going to stick around. She would move onward, to better places perhaps. Well, hopefully better places than here. She would walk forward through that hazy veil getting no further away. She would feel like she was walking, her feet would rise and fall but it would be over the same patch of gravel without her noticing. The terrain was unchanging. Was she getting anywhere? Perhaps the room was massive. Her steps too small.

Without warning, for a brief moment the room would be filled with light once again. Incendio was likely the most dangerous spell in the first year's arsenal. She would not know it was cast by Anatole, her back to the young pyromancer. A blast of heat would scorch her from behind, possibly bringing the young girl to her knees but she would not ultimately fall. She was, if nothing else exceptionally durable but it was likely she had never felt such searing pain before. She would not have been able to hear the incantation, Anatole's voice not powerful enough to break through the mist unlike the fire that overcame.

Roll: Anatole 19 (attack) Amadea 6 (evasion)

Amadea lost 300 health, she had 500 to start and now has 200 remaining.

Would she scream? Why bother, nobody was going to hear her. That still might not necessarily stop her of course. Logic was often lost in these moments of peril. Was she being attacked? Who was attacking her? And WHY!

As swift as the light came, the dimness returned. Her wand would still light her way, not that it was doing much good as the mist persisted and the child insisted upon singing that same infernal song. If Amadea looked back she would see nothing but mist. If she looked forward, the little girl was dancing still.



Ami & Leslez

Ami was indeed in a coffin with a stranger, well a disembodied voice and... someone else. She was of course hopeful that she would spend dark eternity in a casket with a cute boy (maybe Howard), but sadly all she got was Leslez.

Leslez was not particularly thrilled about being there either. Missing out on likely the best opportunity in his young life to get really close to a girl he was wasting his time trying to figure out where he was rather than living in the moment. Well, pre-adolescence, much like adolescence and adulthood was all about missed opportunities.

The voice would erupt in laughter yet again. "Ok... OK... I have another one. get this. When does a skeleton laugh?" He did not wait long, the muffled chortle withstanding. "When something tickles his funny bone! Har Har Hah Hah!!" The voice was dang hilarious and he knew it.

Leslez would eventually relent, play the game.

"Hey mysterious voice!"


The young man called out.

"Oh?" The voice responded with a curious tone. "You think I am myyyysterious?"

Ami would try to remove the necklace but for one thing, Leslez was on top of her. The Hufflepuff was in her way. His feet perilously close to her face. Secondly, the chain did not appear to be long enough for her to slip it over her head. She would try of course but due to opposition she would find such impossible.

"What do skeletons hate the most about wind?"


Leslez would ask.

"Oh... OH! I know this one." The voice would mumble out loud. "Chilled to the bone! No, that does not quite work. Needs to be punny. Needs to be funny!" The voice quibbled with itself and while doing so, Leslez shared the punchline.

"Nothing! Goes right through em."

"Har Har HA HAHAHAHAHA!" The coffin erupted in laughter. "Good one kid! Good one!" The fit of laughter would eventually die down. "Whoo--" Did disembodied voices sigh? Well, this one did. "Shame... dirty dirty shame..." The voice mused. "We're stuck in a hole in the ground. This is where we were supposed to stay unless you finally played the game, but I cannot get you out." The voice seemed to sober as it made these remarks.

They were in a coffin, pressed together, the lid closed and gravel heaped on top. They did not have the physical merit to break free unless they had an exceptional physique. on top of that, this coffin was a small, enclosed space intended for one, not two and yet a duo shared this space quite uncomfortably.

Little would Leslez know until he heard the indication overhead, but Leslez was winning the game. In fact they both had been winning. This coffin was a prize. Solomon was terrible with prizes pr perhaps he was absolutely brilliant. The point was to play the game. They partially did so with the little girl as they followed along, but just then... just now they engaged something. They made it their own. They played.

Freedom was not far. There was a grating noise overhead, as if stones were gliding over the surface, falling away.

Something was happening. Something happened.

Aurelia

Wiggle... wiggle... Aurelia would try to worm her way towards the mounds. She she did so, the gravel would grind against her unpleasantly. The torch would flare when it got close to the ground.

Wiggle... Wiggle... Aurelia would make her way across the ground. The ground was mounded ever so slightly as she had already seen.

Was she strong and agile enough to get there?

Wiggle... Wiggle...

Roll: 2

She might have been agile, nimble and strong, however she was getting nowhere but she had the right idea. She was just a terrible wiggler. Her progress across the floor was more like an inch worm.



She was making progress, just a lot less than intended and in a rather disgraceful pose.

"Shut up! Shut up silly god damned Spanish dancer!"

Wiggle... Wiggle...

The gravel was changing, there was something different here. She would not have a chance to identify much before the room lit up without warning. She would see the mounded, gravel in front of her but that vision would only last a moment as something burned her from behind, from her heels up her posterior and even to her hair. A sudden blast of heat as if she had just opened a furnace to her back. It was painful and startling, she had no warning that something terrible was to come.

Why was it that there was always fire somewhere in a Hufflepuff adventure? Truth be told, the students were more dangerous than the mad Professor, the worst of the damages were usually inflicted on each other by each other.

Roll: Anatole 19 (attack) Aurelia 1 (evasion)

Aurelia lost 300 health, she had 700 to start so has 400 health remaining.

It would hurt terribly.

She would not know what was happening or who had attacked her, only that a blaze seared her flesh. As she wiggle-wiggled, her flesh would feel like tissue paper crinkling painfully as she moved closer to the mound still. She would soldier on, that mound of earth beneath her hands. That sweet, cool mound.

She might be concerned, it would be reasonable if she was. Something had suddenly lashed out at her, like a dragon breathing a cone of flame upon her without warning or reason. As abruptly as she was attacked, the assault would cease. Then there would be nothing for a few seconds, just respite and possibly trepidation as she rested on this unmarked grave. There was no second attack, no finishing move. Could she defend herself if there was? Probably not, leaving her in this hopeless situation where she was alone, lost in the dark with only a wand to light her way.

Just the sound of gravel shifting to her left, a little behind her. Had something pursued her? It did not sound like footfalls, but rather as if something was being dragged. Then a faint, tiny voice would call out pleading for help.

"Help!"

The voice would belong to Anatole. Would Aurelia recognize the voice? Possibly but it was hard to say. Desperate for aid, Anatole would find likely no help here. Aurelia was in just as dire straits as he, her palms still upon the slightly mounded earth. But at least neither of them would be alone. Just as this reunion was about to take place, the ground would rattle beneath her hands but not below her body. It was only the mounded earth that would be disturbed. The stones would slip away. Something was happening. Pounds of stone would be discarded to either side of the hill, less a few pesky, stubborn rocks that remained. Some beneath her hand would also be trapped, but her fingertips would touch a cool, smooth lacquered surface.

Was that a coffin?

Rosie

Poor... innocent Rosie. What did you ever do to deserve a brute such as Anatole.

The poor girl was left in the dark, alone and scared with her only comfort and company being the eerie voice that sang in the night.

"Lumos"

Rosie would attempt to cast the spell, keep her sanity and light her way. A swish of her wand in a looping pattern and the magic would was all she needed.

Roll: 15 Success

Her wand erupted with a bright, warm light. An arcane comfort that would not last for very long.

Poor poor Rosie.

The mist hid everything. All Rosie could see was a wall of fog and the hazy image of a little girl dancing in cadence to the song she sang. It was a song she might have heard when she was younger, if she was the sort to play muggle playground games that is. The words were not right, in fact they were wrong.

Then the world became hot and bright. Rosie hardly had a chance to react and she truly tried. She would attempt to duck but she did not move far enough or fast enough. The flames would consume her.

Dodge (Rosie) 18 Grazing Blow

Rosie lost 150 health, knocking her unconscious as she only had 100 health.

She hardly had a chance to scream but she might have let out an anguished cry. She would know who did it. Who had hurt her. Anatole was right in front of her, and his strange silhouette, a broken boy in heels casting a dangerous spell that was perhaps too dangerous to be known by a group of first years might be the last thing she ever saw. The flames were all-consuming and then there was darkness as she fell to her knees, her hands bracing her as she fell.

She would fall to the side in a heap.

Notes:
1.) I do not kill players in my moderated situations unless the player requests a death. You will probably get close to death but you won't die, even if it costs me my character. This is a personal policy of mine.
2.) Maiming is elective. While it might make sense that your character was badly burned because you were knocked out by a single attack, beyond the fact that you have some pretty serious burns at the moment what scars (if any) you have to endure long-term is totally up to you. Some players enjoy roleplaying recovering from injuries or having tell-tale marks from their adventures but some do not. You are not a bad roleplayer for having a preference and it will always be respected by me. If your injury needs assistance in "being made gone" I can always point you to a good IC resource or reason for repair.

Howard

Howie was in a coffin alone. Well, not entirely alone, there was a voice. It spoke to him.

Silent as a grave, right?

He would feel what he thought was a lock but it was not, it was a pendant. A rather large, gaudy one with smooth cool edges and a heavy chain made of an unknown metal. It was a curious artifact wrapped around his neck. Not too tight, but the chain was not long enough that he would be able to pull it over his head.

Howard would struggle to escape his confines.

Strength Check: 16

He would muster what childish strength he had to try to free himself. The sides were unyielding, however the roof would shift ever so slightly. The weight of something above was pinning the lid down. He would hear something shift, like stone.

His wand would continue to brightly shine, his only saving grace.

Roll: 19

But panic would still set in once he figured out where he was. He was buried in a coffin someplace underground. He was screaming for help, buried alive. Nobody would hear his cries for help, not yet at the very least except John. His screams muffled and distant.

"Oh dear, they cannot hear you," the voice soothed in a likely ineffective manner. "You have to play the game to win." Howard was so loud. "Tell me Howie-baby," yes she knew his name. "Tell me a story," she or rather it instructed. "Play the game..." The instructing tone seemed to beg a bit, plead for his sanity.

In the darkness and the chaos it was hard to remember that this was truly all a game, a cruel game perhaps but a game all the same. Would the professors truly let any harm come to them? The problem was, the students were more a danger than the Professors.

"Breathe baby boy... Breathe..."

The voice was coaching him. Encouraging him. Hogwarts as a school was more than a place of basic instruction. It was a place where students learned the true dangers of magic, often from first hand experience. It was not the Professor's job to keep them happy, only safe. Transfiguration permanently maims some. The trauma of some learned experiences haunt wizards well into their adulthood, but they survived. Professors teach children how to cast and how to survive, there is little time for much more.

"Play."


Johnny John Johnathan Johnson

John was a true warrior in the art of dance-fu. His master would be proud if he was not already killed by the star student from another dance school which resulted in this cliche trial to become the very best. What the specter wanted was for someone to play, this was not a game of Simon Says. This was a dance battle and John recognized this.



John was not a great dancer, nor was he particularly agile. Yet he had wit, moxie and most importantly he was playing the game.

"Silly dancer turn around."

"You're such a clown!"

The girl said something out of line! She teetered around in a small tight circle as John pirouetted and she let out a childish giggle.

"Silly dancer touch the ground."

"In the mound!"

She replied with a smile as she planted her hand on the ground and the fog started to thin. He would see a pair of mounds. He would also see faint evidence of life, just the lights. Some close to the ground.

"Silly dancer do the kicks."

"Better than your friends in the River Styx!"

Yes, some of his friends were buried. It would be then that John would hear something, something that nobody else could hear. Howard pleading for help, it was coming from the left mound that he could barely see. The little girl would kick high into the air.

"Silly dancer do the splits."

"You know all of papa's old tricks."

The little girl frowned as John quite possibly got the better of her. It was close enough to a split, no better or worse than her sad little "V" that she made with her legs.

A burst of heat would distract them both from their exchange. The roiling heat would inundate the unfortunate young man, and as the haze had partially cleared for the young Hufflepuff he would be able to just barely make out his assailant: Anatole.

Attack (Anatole) 19

Dodge (John John) 9 Hit

A rogue incendio would sear the silly dancer's flesh.

John lost 300 health, he had 600 to start so he has 300 remaining.

The flames would simply pass on through the little girl. However, the room would be momentarily bright but it would not last for long. He would see a pair of mounds, some of his classmates nearby but there were still others that should have been here. Did they run off? Did something terrible happen to them?

"Silly dancer lay down."

"A true dancer of renoun."

The girl would fall back, her eyes on John as she did so. He was just so cool. So handsome. Yes, the imaginary child was getting a little crush on the boy. Yet this love story is not meant to be.

"Silly dancer get out of town."

"You don't."

The rhymes had ceased then and there, John the victor. The mists would clear, not for just John but for everyone. He would be able to see and hear the others. Anatole in heels crawling across the ground. Aurelia laying down with her hands planted on the lid of an exposed coffin. Rosie, unconscious on the ground. Amadea standing there, singed and distressed but for the most part safe. Only Ami, Leslez and Howard were missing. A single undisturbed mound seemed to cry out for help in a muffled voice. The other, a coffin seemed to erupt with a wicked laughter.

As for the little girl in red, she was gone.

Aurelia, Anatole, Rosie, Amadea and John

The singing ceased. The mist was gone. Everyone was quite close, well most everyone. Leslez, Howard and Ami were missing. Anatole was injured but probably in the best condition of all of them despite the fact that he was crawling on the ground. The group was in pretty rough shape, despite the fact that most of the injuries were party-inflicted.

Aurelia, now if not before was likely fully aware of what she was touching -- a coffin! She was singed, likely in pain with blackened clothes from Anatole's reckless attack. A secret that Anatole would probably take to his grave.

Rosie, the most delicate of the party was unconscious on the ground. Her unfortunate, pale body darkened by the flames. The smell of burnt hair wafted from her. [Someone try to wake her up] Her wand was on the ground next to her, the light now out.

Amadea alone with her light, also burned she was now able to get somewhere finally as she attempted to traverse this space. But would she go? She would move several feet ahead with a brisk pace as he appeared to be headed for the tunnel to the left. However, now that she could see and she knew that she was not alone would she continue to amble into the unknown.

Then there was John. Oh John, what is that in your hand? A second wand? How odd, it was nothing like any wand John  would have seen before. The wood had an almost blueish tint to it, the long slender wood was ice cold to his touch. What had he found? What was he given? Was it a boon or a curse? Knowing Solomon it was something awful, but John did not know Solomon very well.

The fog had lifted, the little girl was gone. Three party members were missing. The party was at a crossroads now:

1.) They could continue down one of the two tunnels: the left or the right in search of the missing party members.
2.) They could return to the common area, the stairs they descended to come down here were once again revealed.
3.) They could search the room, try to find some loot. John had heard a voice call out for help (Howard's mound). Everyone heard laughter from the other mound (Leslez & Ami).
4.) Help Rosie, or leave her here to rot. The later hardly the Hufflepuff way. [Attempts to rouse her would be given a roll for success as long as the action is reasonable.]

So many choices.



Rosie

This Rosie was first and foremost, conscious. Secondly, this Rosie was a furrie. Was this even legal? Probably not. Neither was the collar really. Thankfully Professor Lear had tenure.

The chain was firmly affixed to the wall, the other end attached to the collar around her neck which was locked in place. Rosie was trapped here. Alan might have had a lockpick knife kit, however he was concerned with his own restraint. The rest of the party seemed intent on either hissing at the ceiling, fleeing to places unknown or following Dorian.

Nobody was offering to free her. Perhaps they were going to just abandon her there. Leave her to be eaten by the snake he had still not noticed.

Some friends Rosie...

Guess you will have to figure this one out yourself. Think like a Professor. A potentially unstable yet exceedingly brilliant and handsome Professor. What means would one use to free themselves from restraints? What options did she have. Interdependence was the most obvious choice -- find someone with the tools and the skillset to set her free. Wizards are always stronger in pairs or groups, never alone. A lesson many learned during the camp out.

The tools of the trade also effective. Siege was rescued because the girls had the tools, otherwise he would have to do this on his own.

So think Rosie... THINK. Alan donned an iron mask. Embarrassing. Strange. But he remained mobile. Siege had a pair of cuffs, a disturbing image considering the dress he also donned but again his mobility was overall not limited. Rosie's situation was different. Perhaps Professor Lear was a cruel man with random whims. That would be true, but not the case here. Everything here was to an extent carefully planned, even if it was chaotic.

Indeed, there was a lock on the chain around her neck. The other end was attached to the frame of the door. Perhaps she should look. LOOK at what is holding her in place.

Dorothy

"My mum's a murderer."

The brave little Hufflepuff announced as she traversed the threshold. A price had been paid, but the password never shared.

The consequence of failing to pay was a restraint: Imprisonment. The consequence for failing to say the magic word: A Prank.

Solomon Lear was apparently a madman with a sense of humor. As she traversed the stone frame and entered a room in chaos, she would notice a change in herself. Well, maybe not a change as much as the room was wobbly. It was as if she was on a boat, the floor simply seemed to shift. The last few steps into the room she would stagger, tripping over her own two feet.

It was kinda funny. At least that was the sense that Dorothy got.

She would look and see... well nothing too out of the ordinary. A boy in heels, we live in a progressive day and age. A girl wearing a collar and a cat-suit, again we live in a progressive day and age. One of them was a regular Usain Bolt.

It was hilarious.

It was kind of blurred, these visions of course.

Hic.

This was a strange feeling, her head swimming.

Hic.

Something was terribly wrong with her. She might not know it, she probably would not recognize it unless she had experienced it before. Seen it in others. She was drunk off her @$$ but she had not consumed a drop. Her words would be slurred. Her gait would be ataxic at best, in fact she might develop a close relationship with the ground. In fact the ground was moving towards her. Gah! It almost got her! Everything, and this means everything was utterly and completely fascinating. She was a little nauseated as well. By hey, even Paracelsus looks kinda cute with these beer goggles.

Dorothy is drunk. All her stats have a -1, her health score is not effected by this.

Overhead Dorothy would hear something, not that ceilings have anything even remotely important. She was too inebriated to really care.  Something would be knocked loose and come crashing down.

She would try to avoid it, her bleary eyes and her pickled brain working slower than they should. It could have been worse, so much worse but thankfully it was only a glancing blow.

A stalactite had fallen from the ceiling, knocked loose by the serpent she had not noticed as it interacted with Parcel. The stone would cut into her her arm, ripping away her flesh. A stream of blood would drip onto the ground, marking the place she stood, likely befuddled and in pain.

HP: 50 lost, 350 remains.

"AIEEEEAAHHHHHHHHH!"

It was a scream, a really loud, glass-breaking, ear-bleeding scream. There was no context, just a scream. The source of the scream gone by the time she turned around. Lucy had fled into the room adjacent.

A rumbling from overhead could be heard and another stalactite would fall from the ceiling. This one not intended for her.

Paracelsus

"Basilisk"

Paracelsus announced, likely in a single breath.

The young man was well-learned. Well-read. He had determined that it could not be a Basilisk because he was still alive.

Lo-- he was still alive.

Yet, whatever that great serpent-like beast with a miter upon its head with its piercing yellow eyes gazed upon them still.

“Do you know if a white haired and bearded man has been through here? Or any other folk before me?”

Paracelsus was a Parcelmouth, had he known it or not and th beast above was certainly a snake.

A rattling hiss would send back reply.

"Who"

"What"

"Where are you?"

Only the Parcelmouth would know what was said. The great serpant did not see them, despite its piercing gaze. A shifting could be heard and felt as the room rumbled, a stalactite would be wiggled free and it would come crashing down. It would cut into Dorothy's arm but the girl was still standing, even if her stance did seem a bit wobbly.

"SssssSSSsssss~ A man... in a white beard. Yes," the Serpent recalled as his tongue shot out and tasted the air. "SssssSSSsssss~ You taste..." the serpent commented. "...strange. SssssSSSsssss~" it was the air the neko-wizard shared, not Parcel. "And others also," the serpent recalled. "SssssSSSsssss~ One of them made it so very dark..." it let out a low rattling hiss. "I would avoid that one, SssssSSSsssss~" he warned. "And the others. SssssSSSsssss~ This is a well-traveled cavern as of late I am afraid."

Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Not everything here was Solomon's doing. A Basilisk often serves as a sentinel, the defenses here breached but still the Professor knew what was hidden here, this massive creature and allowed them passage inside. Parcel was right on one thing however, whatever this thing was it was a snake but it was no Basilisk.

That was apparently how the narrative went.

“Would it be fine to pick up one of the eggs, are they prizes or traps?”

Parcel's interest in the reward still apparent.

"SssssSSSsssss~ Both I suppose, the mice left their baubles, then scurried off into the depths but have not returned." That did not sound good, in fact it was the opposite of good.

“I wonder if you are trapped up there… anything I can do to let you out?”

"I like the dark... and the cool. Just not this dark and this place has become too warm for my liking. SssssSSSsssss~ I am also lonesome and the door too small. At least to fit one such as I." There was a pause, the creature was pondering something. "I require the contents of the yellow egg," the snake concluded seemingly capable of recalling something. What could it possibly want with an egg. A likely prize - trick or treat, left behind by someone that had not yet returned?

"Yes, send the yellow egg up here!"

"AIEEEEAAHHHHHHHHH!"

A scream would startle the Basilisk and as the massive snake moved about, coiled around the stalactites on the ceiling another would break free. This one above Eris' head. The falling hunk of rock would narrowly miss the dwarf as she evaded the attack somehow.

Eris

Eris the bearded dwarf would race inside the room, wand in hand illuminating the space around her as the boy who held her ran rushed away.

Lumos Maintain Roll: 12 Success

The light on the tip of her wand would continue to glow bright. She would look around, attempt to listen, notice anything out of the ordinary.

A stalactite would fall, hitting but not mortally wounding a Hufflepuff.

Perception Check: 18

She was starting to notice that something was off. Parcel was hissing and there was something above them hissing back. If she looked up, she would see it. A massive creature that seemed capable of reply, but with words and a language that Eris would not recognize. Parcel seemed to either know it or at the very least was capable of communicating with it.

She could still hear the sound of rushing water as well as a faint sound, a barely there noise. "Help... Help meeee!" It was begging, pleading, calling out for help. "Master, why have you forsaken me! Help... Help me!"

It was nerve-wracking, the voice seemed and felt real. It was so far away and what could be worse than the giant snake above her head.

"AIEEEEAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Not much else according to Lucy. A scream would startle the Basilisk and as the massive snake moved about, coiled around the stalactites on the ceiling another would break free. This one above Eris' head.

Evasion Check: 9 Success

The dwarf was faster than she looked, the stone point would crash into the floor and shatter into a hundred pieces. A bit of stone would get caught in Eris' hair.

Lucy

The young girl's scream would set another stalactite loose. It would come crashing down, threatening the smallest member of this party. Eris would rush out of the way. narrowly missing disaster.

Lucy would dart away, through the room and down a hall. As she left the main space she would try to keep her Lumos maintained.

Roll: 11 Success

Her life-systaining light would remain lit. she would rush away into the next room. However she would find herself cornered. indeed, she has found a dead end. From the darkness she would find hersekf at a cliff's edge looking out into only darkness. Then she would see it, the glint of a dozen eyes looking back at her.

Something squeeked.

Then there were multiple squeeks and they were getting louder with the sounds of flapping and they were getting louder! 



Dorian

Once recovered from the trauma of his practical joke, he quickly realized the source of the offense. His shoes. Flashy. Damn sexy, but too fast.

He would try to remove the flashy footwear but they could not be forced from his feet. As if they were placed upon his soles by magic, they seemed intent on remaining in place. The poor boy would be reduced to scooting on his backside across the floor less he wish to awaken once more the sonic speed hidden within.



He would recover his wand at the base of a statue. The broken, dilapidated structure was apparently at once time a handsome young man. His smiling face, permanently posed in a winking manner. But wait, there was a second, the other face had a determined expression and a glint in his marble eye. His head to Dorian's left, both of them. An arm had also broken off, the left. Held in that hand was a large pitcher, the sort one would order at a drunkard's establishment. In the hand still attached to the largest portion of the statue was a pair of drinking glasses. Yet again like the heads there was a second broken arm, this one had a rolled up sleeve exposing a glorious chiseled bicep and a half-open hand that seemed the perfect size to grip that of another hand.

Two heads... three arms. What a strange looking specimen this could be. Well, there was only space on this statue for one. One Head. The arms, one was already in place, the broken arm could only accommodate one as well.

He needed to remove this unfortunate footwear from his person. He needed to be free. Perhaps at any cost. He would wave his wand in the pattern of a side-ways figure eight and say the hopefully correct incantation.

"Avifors"

Roll: 2

It would not work out the way he had planned, although an interesting concept. Yes, create birds wrapped around his... feet. Indeed, he did this. Just not quite as intended/ Birds would be conjured, transfigured from those cursed shoes. The birds would squawk and squeal, their bodies formed around Dorian's intruding foot. The birds would let of anguished cries.

DORIAN YOU MONSTER WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!

Their little wings would flap, Dorian could feel their flesh between his toes. This was the risk of transfiguration, the infliction of suffering. Life is delicate and uncanny yet as a wizard many of of forget the fact that the heart beats, it breathes, it feels, while not living it is in a way alive even if for a short time.

Max

"Lumos"

With the flick of his hand Max attempted to light his own path.

Roll: 6 Failed

Sadly it was more a swirl than a dash. Max lacked the luck or perhaps the skill to cast this charm. The dim illumination offered by others, including Dorian would have to be sufficient in lighting his path. There were enough of them that were successful, Max was not left in the dark. Not yet in any case.

Max was rocking those heels even if he had not quite worked out how to sashay quite yet. Max would wobble off, not bothering to rescue to leashed kitten or shave the gnome's beard.

Agility Check: 19 Success

Actually, Max was getting the hang of this. They were like stilts. Like weapons strapped to the bottoms of his feet. He would strut his stuff into the next room, the heels did wonder's for the boy's backside. Perhaps that was what attracted Alan to the young boy, well that and the love potion intoxication.

Max would make his way into the next room and he would see a terrible sight. Dorian on the ground, a pair of crying birds frantically trying to fly away, his feet wedged deeply inside. Beside him, a broken statue. Two heads, two arms.

Perception Check: 18

Max would notice one queer thing about the statues -- the fact that there were two heads and two arms was odd considering there was only space for one but that was not the strangest part. That was the fact that both heads and both arms appeared to be a perfect fit. One looked like that of a man looking to celebrate with a drink. The second, like a test of brawn.

The sound of moving water would persist, louder than it was in the other room, he was getting closer to the source. There was also a sound, a voice but it was too remote and far away for him to discern what was being said.

Something terrible was about to happen. Hadn't enough gone wrong already.

Alan

The boy came prepared. With a locksmith knife he would attempt to pick the lock around his neck and free himself from the iron mask he donned.

Roll: 11 Success

He would insert the narrow blade inside of the keyhole and feel it click against the tumblers inside. Tsk. Click. Snick. Click!

Ah Ha!

There it was, sweet sweet freedom. The mask would become slack and fall from his head unless he caught it. the mask itself heavy, the burden immense as if he had not already noticed it previous.

He was free.

Also, he was in a room full of misfits. Parcel was hissing. Rosie was mewling. Duncan was not doing much of anything. Eris had somehow in this brief period of time became the bearded lady or a true dwarf. Lucy had fled. Dorian was already gone and Max had already started to follow.

Alan could stay here with these people, with the garbage nest. With the chaos. Or... he could move ahead. Alan chose the later.

He would traverse across the room, likely taking care to not step on the eggs in the nest in the middle of the room. They were large and brightly colored.

Alan would escape through the narrow and enter a new space with a dilapidated structure, a statue. A strange headless statue with only one arm. However there were two arms and two heads on the ground. The faces differed, one of determination and the other a sly wink. The arms as well, one seemed to demonstrate brawn while the other had a great pitcher, like the kind one would fill with beer, in hand.

Dorian was on the ground with a pair of birds squawking, screaming really attached to his feet. Max was sporting a pair of extremely sexy heels that could quite potentially also serve as a powerful piercing weapon.

Duncan: Did not post or do anything. 
Rhea: Did not post or do anything.
Winifrey: Has not posted or done anything for a few rounds. If she does nothing next round I will say she went to sleep in the common area.

Frost

Frost would miss most of the chaos. She had decided to run away and live another day by joining Serena's group. She would catch up to the party as they entered a strange room that was obviously intended to be a puzzle.

Serena, Reid and Cynthia were very quiet people. Like so quiet one would think that they forgot to do something. Perhaps they were deep in thought.

[I am so sorry, I have literally nothing to write here for you.] 

Siege: Did not post, quit also I believe. He passed out on top of his pile of belongings.
Cynthia: Did not post, going to assume they are simply staring into the room.
Serena:  Did not post, going to assume they are simply staring into the room.
Reid:  Did not post, going to assume they are simply staring into the room.

Interact: The Huffrindors and Rosie
Mention: Aurelia

Amadea refrained from gasping out loud, as light illuminated from the tip of her wand. She finally had something to see with. As she peered through the mist, she saw a small girl in a red dress. Amadea realized it was the girl that had been singing the eerie song that she had heard before. Amadea shivered. She wondered if she should approach or try to do anything.

Trying to continue forward, Amadea began walking, but it seemed as though the scenery around her was unchanging. Was she really moving forward at all? The gravel beneath her feet crunched as she continued trying to move forward, but everything else stayed in the same spot. Amadea wondered what was happening.

Before she could do anything about it, she saw a sudden flash of light and suddenly stumbled forward. It confirmed the fact that someone else was nearby, though whom it may be was a mystery to Amadea. Almost immediately after, she felt a blazing heat on her back and she stumbled forward again. Amadea had been scared of many things during the lock-in but being on fire again was something that hadn’t crossed her mind in the slightest. This time, the heat only scorched her, not engulfing her in the flames. She supposed this was lucky, however she envied the tingling sensations of almost a hug that the flames gave her instead of this searing pain that she felt when only scorched by the heat. She refrained from screaming out in pain. She didn’t want to alert anyone to her presence, and screaming wouldn’t do much help anyway. After all, whoever had cast Incendio could be nearby still; Amadea didn’t know if they were friend or foe and she didn’t want to find out. If someone...or something was attacking her, she didn’t want to stick around to find out.

After taking a minute to let herself adjust, she continued attempting to walk forward, though she wasn’t sure if it was helping at all.  The light disappeared as soon as it had came, and Amadea’s wand light was the only thing illuminating the path ahead of her. Looking around, Amadea realized the girl was still singing her song and dancing. Apparently, the fire hadn’t affected her.

Then suddenly, everything disappeared. The mist faded so Amadea could see again, and the singing stopped abruptly. Amadea looked around, no longer needing her wand light to see, and realized there were several people in close proximity to her. Quickly saying ”Nox!” to hopefully turn off the light from the wand, she looked around the room at all of the people. She wondered if it was one of them who had cast the fire spell. She recognized many of the people standing in the room, some looking as beat up as she felt. There was Aurelia, the girl she had met in the corridors and brought to the hospital wing. There was also Rosie, fellow Hufflepuff whom she didn’t know personally but had seen around the common room lying on the floor. And of course, the Huffrindors were there! Amadea could have rejoiced with happiness. She was no longer alone.

She ran over to her fellow teammates, resisting the urge to crush John Johns and Anatole in a big bear hug. ”Oh my gosh you guys are okay!” she exclaimed. Giving them a onceover, Amadea noticed something peculiar in John’s hand. ”Did you guys hear that weird song? And see the girl? Did anyone else get hit by the flames? John why do you have a second wand? You should have mentioned that earlier when we were going over inventory.” Amadea wasn’t even sure what she was saying anymore and realized she was rambling on and bombarding them with questions. The burns on her back were starting to hurt even more than before, which she didn’t think was possible, but she ignored the searing sensations.

Turning to survey the rest of the room, Amadea noticed Rosie lying on the floor. Was she dead? Amadea rushed over to the girl, looking down at her, wondering what to do. She grabbed Rosie’s wrist, feeling for a pulse. When she found one, Amadea let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. That meant Rosie was still alive, unconscious but still alive. ”How do we wake her up?” Amadea asked, concerned. ”And where are we going to go after this?”

ACTION: Cast Nox. 
Talk to the Huffrindors,;check Rosie for a pulse.  
Ask what to do next. 

Serena obediently followed her captain, Captain Kovacs, to their destruction through the corridor. They made their way down the hall until they came across a set of stairs. Naturally, the group made their way up it. There was no other way to go, after all - unless you counted going backwards. To be fair though, going backwards and running out of the cave was probably the best and safest idea. Unfortunately, with the door now gone, that was no longer an option. As they walked, the sound of the handcuffs clanking together could be heard. It was muffled slightly by her bag and the contents in it but metal was such an unique sound that it was hard to mask fully. 

The Hufflepuff boy in front of her questioned the stairs. Serena did not. A part of her hoped it would lead them back out of the cave - they walked down a flight to get to the entrance, perhaps this was the exit. She frowned slightly as she was walking up the stairs. She couldn't tell if it was just or if the room was getting hotter. It felt like it was getting warmer, that was for sure but she was also carrying more weight now due to the metal cuffs that she had bagged earlier. Perhaps her body was simply getting hot from the exercise. Walking up stairs with what was basically weights at this point counts as exercise, right? She panted a little, slightly breathless by the time they were approaching the end of the stairs and certainly feeling a lot hotter than before.

Luckily, she quickly found out that it was not just her. "Of course you can join us!" Serena confirmed, after Reid had spoken, "I'm Serena," she continued smiling, a little relieved that the heat wasn't just her - and slightly bemused by Reid's attempt at a joke. They got to the top of the stairs, entering a room that had unusual markings in it. The Hufflepuff frowned. Rocks? Wait- carvings... Uh that uh... Runes? There were two sets and two different colours. Red and blue - a bit like they were in the Matrix. It was as though they had to pick a side, rather like a pill. One to go back and one to go forward. Unfortunately, it was not in English. Working out what did what would be a bit harder when you had no idea what they said. "Well that explains why it's hot..." She mumbled as she saw something that looked a bit like lava next to the water. The Professors must have put it there but she had no idea why.

Walking slowly further into the room, Serena cast her eyes onto the runes. "Oh God... This is the stuff we learnt in uhh what's it called?" Serena mumbled to herself, than to the group before she heard Reid's voice say the same thing, "Yes! Professor Yawny's class... Transfig!" Serena exclaimed. It clearly boded very well for the group that she knew what the class was called... It wasn't like she was pretty much asleep in that lesson. Transfiguration was certainly not her strong point. In fact, she couldn't even remember the Professor's actual name. It sounded like 'yawn' and made her fall asleep so that seemed to be the most appropriate nickname for him.

"Do we have to translate them?" She asked herself, absentmindedly. The room appeared to have nothing but these slabs. There were a lot of the runes, it seemed to make sense that they had to work out what they said. Perhaps it was a riddle or spelled out a charm that they had to use. Something to overcome the room. It might be a word that they could say and a hidden door suddenly opened.

The Hufflepuff stared at it, internally gulping. The runes were some sort of alphabet, if she recalled correctly but for the life of her, she could not tell you which was which. Looking at the blue runes, she noticed they had different patterns to the red set. "Uh, is this one an E? Wait, no, O. It's a circle, looks like an O. Wait, this is a circle too..." She rambled on to herself, noting that two of the Red runes were full circles but definitely different in their carvings. She might have a terrible skill at translating runes but at the very least, she could recognise the small differences in the etchings.

Luckily, she did not have to panic for long. Reid translated them all quickly and efficiently by himself. Though what he said made no sense. "Anodgrr? Eskeki?" She repeated after being puzzled by his words. "I don't think that's English... What in Merlin's name is an Anodgrr?" She continued, thinking out aloud.

Serena paced a little, near the runes as she stared down at them. She was trying to figure out if they were spells or passwords or something. Neither word meant anything to her. Nor did anything happen when the pair said them out aloud. "Wai-" She paused for a moment suddenly, "There's six of them. Six letters in each..." She said softly as she thought out aloud. Both sets of runes had exactly six letters. In the middle of the room there were grooves that looked like they fit the runes perfectly - and there was exactly six of those too, "I think we have to put them into there-" She started, pointing out the grooves, "I guess we have to pick just one set to put in? I don't know what An- what was it? A, N, O, D? Or G?" She continued to herself, trying to recall if the word was 'Anod' or 'Anog'., "Uh grr, right so uh anodgrrrr-", Serena walked along the runes, "Did you say this one was an K or an E? There's two of this one but the others only have one so it can't have two Es and two Ks, right?" Serena continued, "It sort of looks like an E, doesn't it? Like a lower case one so uh what's Eskeki with just one K? That's the opposite. That's uh, is it an J or an L?" Serena continued, vaguely recalling that the similar letters were near each other. She couldn't recall what everything was but when she was bored, doodling in that class between her naps, she recognised that the circle shaped ones were next to each other and the rectangles were all next to them. It was weird.

Suddenly Serena gasped, "If that's an L, doesn't it spell 'Kelpie'?!" Serena exclaimed suddenly as she stared down at the blue runes, "We have to reorder it! Kelpie has a K, an L, two Es, an I and an P- wait, you said S. Darn..." She pulled a face, thinking she had suddenly worked it out before realising it was wrong. It might not have even been an "L" in the first place. She just assumed it was, it could have been a "J" or any other letter for all she knew.

The Hufflepuff fell silent, feeling a little dejected after that exclamation. She sat down next to the runes, annoyed. She proved herself wrong. This was her sulking at her own stupidity. What made her think it would spell out 'Kelpie'? That was random. Then again, this was Lear's cave. The care of magical creatures... It made sense to have it after creatures, surely. Well that was if he made the puzzle, it would have been the History of Magic professor. Kelpie pretty much had all of the letters, though. And who doesn't love animals? It was perfect for the Hufflepuff and her Head of House. Serena did love animals. They were so interesting. Kelpie, Phoenix, Dra- Wait- "Dragon." Serena whispered before suddenly standing up, "DRAGON! A-N-O-D-G-R. That's it!" She exclaimed as she went over it again in her head. 

D, check, R, check. A, check. G, check. O, check, N- yes! Dragon.

"We reorder them to spell out dragon and put them into there!" She claimed, pointing from the runes to the grooves. With that, Serena carefully allowed the candle she was holding to float near by, and moved towards the red runes. Pointing to the fourth one, "This one was D, right? We can try it at the front and see what happens". With that, Serena attempted to move the runes into the grooves, "Can you help grab them and move them please?" She asked the group. Blissfully unaware that spelling out 'dragon' in a room with lava might not be the smartest idea.

ACTION: Use Reid's translation. Attempt to move red runes into grooves to spell "Dragon"

Cynthia watched as Reid led the way onward down the tunnel.  She secretly hoped that this adventure would be nothing like the campout disaster.  Like Reid, she felt she was partly responsible since she had taken a muggle device on that trip.  This time, she made certain to leave all of those behind.  She followed her new friends down the corridor, heading towards the unknown.  They had to be cautious when it came to the unknown.  She was soon following them up a flight of stairs and feeling the temperature rise with each step she took upwards.

Cynthia stepped through the doorway and looked at the room she was now standing in.  It was nothing like she had ever seen before.  Smooth grey walls all around.  At the far end of the room, filled to the brim, was a vat of water.  Cynthia also noticed cracked stone filled almost to the top with lava.  Looking down towards the floor, she noticed symbols etched into the tiles.  Upon closer examination, she recognized them as runes.  Some were red while others were blue.  This was obviously a room which contained a puzzle of some sort that clearly needed to be solved in order to proceed.  She decided to proceed with the utmost caution.

Interacting with: Leslez Skoris, Disembodied Voice
Mentions: Solomon Lear

Try as she might, Ami simply couldn't get the necklace off of herself. Frustrated, she kicked the lid of the coffin- and ow ow ow, that stung. Clearly, the lid couldn't be moved, and her 'strength' had failed her once more. A pity, really. Maybe she could have broken the two of them out of the coffin.

The voice proceeded to tell another joke, something about a skeleton laughing. Before it could try to tell a fourth one, Leslez interrupted with his own joke, for which Ami was thankfu- nevermind, his was worse. The voice continued on, saying something about being stuck in a hole, and playing a game... what game? Was this all some big fat joke to the Professor? How had Professor Lear even come up with this maniacal idea? Was he sure that this was safe?

Time to up the ante, and tell her own joke. "Hey!" she called out suddenly, alarmed at her own brazenness. "Why can't a skeleton be a church musician?" Pause. "Because he doesn't have any organs!" Okay, so maybe her's was even worse than Leslez's, and maybe she shouldn't have prompted the voice further- what was that noise?

It was a scraping sound, she knew that much. Did that mean- was their coffin in the ground? "Hey, Leslez..." she said quietly. "What do you think is happening?" The clatter of objects rolling over the top of the coffin was intriguing, and Ami had no idea where to proceed from there. Maybe just sit, and wait it out?

ACTIONS

Speech: Tell a terrible joke to the voice, wonder about the clattering
Action: Attempt (and fail) to kick off the lid of the coffin
Spell: Maintaining lumos
Notable Inventory: Weird necklace thing around neck

Was there something amiss, besides the tail and ears on Rosie Parker? Something seemed to be funny, because Max’s face barely concealed a look of desperate amusement, and the way he tried to hide it could only mean it was something to do with her. If it was something, or someone else, Max would never try to hide his laughter. Of course something was wrong with her, there was something wrong with everyone else. She hardly listened to his words, blush creeping over her cheeks, as Eris thought of ways that Lear might of messed with her

Was there pudding on her face from dinner? Inconspicuously trying to rub at her face, Eris finally gave up, looking down at the floor, or more so, looking down at the pair of heels that Max was wearing. A low chuckle burst from her lips, concealed with a hacking cough as he walked away.

Once he was gone, Eris ignored the pang of sadness, turning back to Rosie. “Hold on, we’ll find something!” Looking around, and finally up at a snake that seemed to be talking to the boy? It took all of Eris’s willpower not to scream, to stagger forward and closer to the nest of safety with it’s toys and goodies, the only thing she had wanted out of this adventure. Why was there always something that went wrong? Couldn’t they just have prizes and fun, without a boy and his snake pet from hell? The eggs must of been a very good prize, if there was a super huge snake guarding them. Maybe it wasn’t going to harm them? It seemed capable enough of speech, talking to the boy (one she remembered hitting with a tickling charm) in a series of clicks and hisses that made chills erupt on Eris’s skin. Whatever they were talking in, it was unnatural and terrifying.

She was supposed to be brave, but in that moment, Eris was frozen with terror, staring at the huge snake on the ceiling. Why not a giant teddy bear? Boa, you've got some explaining to do, Professor Lear. Was his idea of fun tormenting children with huge snakes, or had piss boy the snake charmer first year magically summoned the snake? How was she supposed to be brave, when there was a giant snake and a bunch of students with her, along with her friends, who were either far away or trapped in chains or strange shoes?

Her hands were almost shaking, as Eris stared at the Slytherin mascot one last time, before looking down at the eggs again, closing her eyes. This was a dream, just a really bad dream. In a moment she was going to wake up in the Dorm Room to Rhea’s loud hyperactivity & Sabrina’s smiles. After ten seconds, Eris opened her eyes again, only to hear a girl let out a loud scream, taking off almost as fast as Dorian had, looking a lot like the Flash.

Eris’s eyes widened at once, as she stared up at the beast at the ceiling. Didn’t she realize that the loud noise would creep out the creature?What on earth? The hufflepuff’s fear distracted Eris from Rosie, as she craned her neck around to stare at everything in the room. The strange hissing of the boy stopped, just as Eris looked around, seeing the dust of some rocky thing falling to the floor a distance away, before a noise froze her again.

Another one of Lear’s tricks? A final boss for them to face, a monster and his master? It didn’t matter anymore, because before Eris could do anything, another noise, more deafening in nature rang out, and she had time to look up just once, as a huge thing covered her vision, the stalactite moving as the snake moved. She forget everything about the terror of the other voice, as the stone came crashing down.

In superhero movies, jumping out of the way was often is in slow motion, or looks really awesome, or at least, looks awesome in the eyes of an eleven year old girl. In reality, it was not either of those things, but one would never dare to say that to Eris. Eris, the brave gryffindor herself, let out a childlike screech, before biting down on her tongue, hard to make sure not to move the snake again, and make it send even more stalactites crashing down.

Her small legs ran as fast as they could, and the effect was near comical, as Eris ducked out of the way just before the stone fell onto the ground, covering her in a small chunk of stone. Of course, she was proud of herself for running out of the way, and was almost certain she had jumped out of the way like a superhero.

Eris did not care about the stone in her hair, or anything in the room. She wanted her prize, her friends, and then some help with whatever was going on.

Maybe not in that order.

Turning back to Rosie, Eris’s voice was a whisper, as she took a step closer to her furry friend, looking at the chain that held towards the door. She had nothing to get rid of it, and no way to help her friend, something that filled Eris with guilt. “Rosie, are you okay? We need to get out of here. Your hands aren’t tied, you can use your wand and follow the chain, and get out of here, or find the end of it, right?”

There was another pause, as Eris shoved down her fear and focused on the bravery that she had, that had lead her to be a gryffindor. “I have to get Max and Dorian, and the prize. I refuse to believe this was for nothing, and that we’ll all come out bare handed. Can you get the Professors, Rosie? Something is really wrong, I’m sorry I can’t help you more, I really am, just follow the chain, okay?” The bravery was under her shaking, quivering voice, and she almost felt bad for leaving Rosie, but before she turned back to the hellhole, Eris gave her catlike friend a hug, ignoring the metal of the collar on the top of her head.

The light of her wand had almost gone out when she hugged Rosie, but it was still dim enough to light the room. Letting the lumos spell light up the areas where the stone had fallen, Eris started to run, ducking down into the nest of eggs. There were three of them, and she could only carry one in her robe pockets, if she was to keep holding her wand and if she was able to run after Max and Dorian.

Taking one of the eggs into her hands, Eris shoved the object into the pocket of her robes, before attempting to run in the direction of the two boys that had taken off into the shadows with their strange footwear.

ACTIONS:
۞keep casting lumos
۞sort of help Rosie Parker
۞attempt to take a random egg & run towards Max and Dorian

The whip of his wand was fierce yet correct, and like a beast of its own, flames of fury bursted out of the tip of his measly wand. They were wild, expurgating the darkness (Anatole could actually see where he was for a few moments) momentarily and lashing out like a tongue at the two children. Anatole let out another squeamish scream as he tossed his head aside, falling to the ground to avoid the blaze surrounding him like a gang of thugs. Sweat framed his face as the flames narrowly missed the narrow threads of his chestnut locks.

In a frenzy of panic, Anatole curled back up and noticed a simple tableau illuminated by the amber.
Around him, gravel and stone. This whole escapade was a deceiving sense of loneliness. His fellow male Huffrindor was kneeling as if to accept a crown from the frantically receding darkness, while the fiery-haired Huffrindor was stationary, yet moving her feet. "J-John! Amadea!" He called to his teammates with wide, frightened eyes. And turning back with a sharp breath, Anatole saw a girl he didn't know a few feet in front of him on the ground.

One more. There was one more face in the distance that he couldn't make out.

A twirling string of deadly embers curled towards those innocent, breathless faces, brushing the first three with its searing fingers until they were significantly burned and racing towards the last stranger who was visibly weak already and snatching up only the last bit of get-go she had in her. In the distance, she fell. Gravity took her by the shoulders and yanked her to the gravel, but her hands held her in a table-esque position.

To keep this concise, Anatole was simply startled. Horrified. The flames were quicker and more vicious than he could have imagined. It was all sudden and honestly a little traumatic. It immediately flashed him back to what Serena said about the Hufflepuff campout, which he doubted was more horrific than this catastrophic ordeal.

Frozen for a moment, Anatole slowly retracted his wand and reached for his torch. It was all silent as he no longer saw the girl that had wanted him to dance when he couldn't. The mist crept out of the room, cat-like leaving a bit of visibility for the other shadows. Anatole crawled back cautiously, eventually running into the girl behind him. He jumped back for a moment, sliding back on the gravel. "Oh! Hello there!" Once he took notice of her blackened clothes (she probably took notice of his visage drenched in perspiration), he grimaced and sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Sorry about th--"

A pang shot through his body as he realized the girl had kicked him [Aurelia did give me permission to say she kicked him.], and it hurt like the devil. He cringed, dropping the torch again and hunching in. "I...I said I was sorry!"

And as swift as the flames had come, Amadea quickly called out to Anatole and John. With a grateful smile, her hair bounced as she sprinted over. Anatole squinted his eyes at the girl behind him and then focused on all the questions Amadea had to ask. He cleared his throat, still feeling bad about the catastrophe of the cast. Amadea did look like she had come out of an oven. He could only imagine her pain...

...that is, if he wasn't focusing on his own.

"Oh my gosh, hey! I...I'm so glad to see you're alright!" Guilty. He was guilty of the crime. "The song? Yeah, I heard it!" And ran away from it, and tried to attack it with freaking Incendio. "She scared the heck out of me." And she made him squeal with fear. "I...I narrowly missed those flames. They were crazy...I...I...it was close." Yeah, sure. Anatole was the boy who started the firestorm.

But the Hufflepuffs didn't have to know. Was Anatole the new Charles York?

He wiped his eyes, realizing that the pain from the girl's kick stacked with the pulsing pain of the sprained ankle had hurt almost enough to make him cry. Anatole couldn't stand without someone to help him or act as his crutch. Standing on his own hurt like the equally fiery depths of hell.

She turned away and Anatole adjusted the knot on his ankle. It wasn't alleviated, for sure, but it wasn't deteriorating. It was just there. Just pain.

In the distance, there she was. The other redhead, passed out on the painful gravel. His first instinct was to help, but then he doubted himself and stayed here. What if she woke up and realized Anatole was the boy who did this to her? A bad first impression could sting for his life. And hey, he couldn't really move as well. "Amadea, go check her out for me! I can't move...I-I sprained my ankle after falling off the stairs. I hope she's alright!" He didn't know the answer to her first distant question. "Maybe we could check around for loot then go down the...uh...right path. Sure! That sound alright?"

Releasing a sigh, Anatole got to his knees and turned toward Aurelia. "I...I'd really like it if you'd do two things for me, one being not kicking me again..." Then, he lowered his voice and whispered to her. "And two, don't tell them I burned them."

Looking at the girl and then their surroundings, Anatole took note of what the girl in front of him was touching: a coffin. A coffin? Out of all things? Pulling his inventory (high heels and torch) toward him, Anatole wiggled past the girl and placed his hands on it as well. Inside...laughing? "Amadea!" He called back. "While you're working on her, I'm going to try to get this open!" Lowering his voice once more, Anatole placed his hands on the edges. "I swear...i-if this is another creepy girl..." It looked tough to open on his own, but a boy could try. He looked to the other Gryffindor. "If you want to help me, you can."

Interactions: N/A
Mentions: N/A

Lucy’s full sprint had started slowing down as she made her way slightly deeper into the passage. She didn’t have great cardio. However, she didn’t slow down quite enough. She spied the cliff and immediately started backpedalling, finding her feet skidding in the dirt and her momentum carrying her forward. She landed hard on her butt, her feet nearly touching the edge of the cliff. Ouch. That was… undignified. Good thing she was the only person on this path. Everyone else was back with the basilisk. A shudder ran through her body. Despite her solitude – something she would never choose on her own – she was glad to be here and not back there with that giant thing.

The dead end was illuminated, thanks to her wand maintaining Lumos. Looking up into the blackness, she was surprised to see lights reflected back at her. No… not lights… they were EYES. Lucy gasped as something in the darkness squeaked, and she clenched her wand in her right fist, ready to fight the bodiless eyes. It was only then that she heard the flapping. Her mind raced to put together the clues. Squeaking plus flapping plus glittery eyes plus dark cave… “BATS!” she cried, finally figuring it out as the winged beasts flew towards her.

From her seated position, she couldn’t get to her feet in time to evade them. She also wasn’t sure that it was worth it to run back into the room behind her when the basilisk was still there. She put her head between her knees and threw her arms over her head, covering the top of it as the sound of wings filled the air around her and hopefully went past her. Goosebumps covered her skin as the air currents from their wings beat against her body, sending her hair swirling first one way and then another across her back. The sound of squeaking intensified as they flew over her head, some of their claws perhaps even catching slightly in her hair. She shrieked again, ducking farther down and clamping her arms more securely over the back of her head.

Her wand was still in her hand, brightly illuminating the room. Unfortunately, Lucy could only see the dirt beneath her legs. She had little desire to see the beasts in question. Finally, the flapping and squeaking faded. Where had they gone? Lucy wasn’t sure, but she didn’t really care to find out. She uncurled from her huddled position and peered around, on the lookout for straggling bats. Safe. Well, relatively safe. There was still this cliff in front of her… wait! A cliff! Perhaps this was part of the scavenger hunt? She flipped onto her stomach and army-crawled to the edge, careful to keep most of her body on the dirt. Only her head and shoulders hung over the empty space below.
With only a slight tremble, from exertion or fear Lucy herself didn’t know, she brought her wand-arm forward and held her arm over the cliff. She pointed her wand down, hoping to use her maintained Lumos to investigate the darkness below.

ACTIONS

Movement: Duck and cover until the bats pass over. Flop onto belly and extend lit wand (Lumos maintained) over the cliff. Look for anything interesting or noteworthy in the darkness below (perception check).
Spell: Maintain Lumos