Hogwarts: Year Six - Baelfire [IC/APPS CLOSED]

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

She didn't really know how to respond to Isolde's offer at first. Rachel gave her a somewhat dismissive gesture.

"O-oh, well, you don't need to go that far. I mean, if you don't want to it's fine... I'll...I'll just ask the next time I come across him. It's fine, really!"

She stopped herself, and rubbed the back of her neck again, taking a moment to recollect her thoughts.

"Sorry, I just got a lot on my mind," she continued once they got to the Grand Staircase. "And now we have this 'essay' to do over the course of the weekend... Oh! Speaking of which, I should probably get on that! We'll talk later!"

And just like that, she was scampering up the staircase with her bag in tow.

Gryffindor Common
Later

It was hard to tell how long she had been sitting in the girls' dorm. But with the sun's light still faintly illuminating the room, she had probably been at work with her schoolwork for a couple hours at most. Trying desperately to stay on task, Rachel sat idly on her dorm bed, pen and parchment strewn out next to a sizable tome. She had already checked out a book on Grindelwald's exploits from the library earlier that week, which thankfully saved her the trouble of trying to find source material herself. And hopefully that would be the only book she needed. The library must be packed...

But despite having written enough to cause cramps in her hand, she wasn't even halfway through her essay. And with someone as strict as Avery at the helm of the course, cutting corners on an assignment of this magnitude probably wasn't an option.

But at this point, she could barely even concentrate anymore! Ever since the conversation, Isolde's words still lingered in the back of her mind. Rachel leaned against the head of her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

And for a minute or two, she simply counted the bits of wooden lining...

No. She couldn't concentrate anymore. So, she swiped up her parchment and stuffed it into her tome as an oversized bookmark before stuffing it all back into her bag. She had already fed Stigr this evening, and now he was snoozing in the bag's side compartment. Rachel promptly swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up.

Her gaze wandered to the window, where a few students were flying about on their brooms. It prompted her to glance over to her own Thunderbolt, leaning idly against the wall. She could finish the essay later. Maybe a breath of fresh air would help? It wouldn't hurt...

A few minutes later, Rachel stepped into the main Common Room dressed in her more comfortable quidditch robes and clutching her broom in one hand. Though she was surprised to see Derek sprawled out on the couch instead of practicing with the rest of the team. Practice typically helped with easing the mind. Why would he be sitting there brooding?

"You aren't practicing?"

[Skylus]

Madi answered Rachel's question in a bored, monotype voice.
"Derek started a fight with Will and both of them kinda destroyed the library, Avery walked in, repaired the damage, and banned the two of them from classes and everything else until their punishments were decided.
If you want to know why Derek decided to fight Will, it's a culmination of what happened in DADA earlier and something else.
"Everything that Derek owns or has owned is currently sitting on his bed. He lost everything, Rachel. His grandfather was executed for being a traitor, and his family is being mind controlled by the Ministry. Honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen."

Madi looked down at her essay and sighed,
"I'm about to start page five already, gonna take a break though.....You know I can help you write yours if you want, it's honestly not that hard if you know how to structure it and what you're doing."

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

Henry

Henry smirked at Raph's attempt to kick him. Honestly if he didn't know the risks Henry would have never gone for as risky a move as a low leg sweep like that, but he was having fun at this point. Moving out of the way of Raph's foot, Henry popped himself up behind the other boy's back, and threw out two jabs in rapid succession, a quick jab to the back of the head, followed by another aimed at the space between the shoulder blades, trying to inflict pain rather than damage.

Freyja

The tall blonder girl nodded her head at Astrid's explanation of the muggle book. Personally, she found herself agreeing a bit with these Ingsoc folks, but Astrid didn't need to know that. Smiling a bit, Freyja said "That's interesting. I might have to read it sometime, though personally I find quite a bit of muggle literature boring. Anyways Astrid, I was wondering if you wanted to go and work on the essay Raphael so graciously got assigned to us. I found some books I think would prove most useful."

[Triassica]

Raphael Raymond

Raph blinked as his sudden kick missed his target, swinging into the air before quickly coming back. Before he could register the question of where Henery went, the muggleborn cried out in pain as he felt two jabs at his back head and shoulder blade. Raphael fell onto his knees, cringing and groaning in unbearable agony from the attack. Everything hurted, but something in the boy refused to give up, filling him with anger and hate fed by his pain, and in a swift move, got up and spun towards wherever Henry was to try one final punch to the face.

[World Anarchic Union]

William Darkenstone

William was sitting in the Ravenclaw Common Room with a book in his hands but if one were to take a look at his eyes, they would see fires raging. He was furious at Derek for starting the fight and at Avery for banning him from class. Worry was also widespread in his mind. He couldn’t predict what the punishment for the fight would be, and he knew an expulsion was a grave possibility. More than anything, he wondered about how he would lead the Ravencloaks from outside Hogwarts and couldn’t find a good answer to that dilemma. For the time being, he had entrusted his lieutenants with the leadership of his followers, until the punishment would be final.

He had sworn to himself, however, that making Derek’s life a living hell would be a side project for the remainder of the year. While his plans at achieving his goals with the Ravencloaks were what preoccupied his thoughts for the most part, Derek had proven himself to be a very annoying thorn in his side. Still, before anything else, he waited for Avery to announce the punishment. Reading and occasionally writing for the essay that he most likely wouldn’t be able to present to the Headmaster, he simply waited, as time passed by at a snail’s pace.

[Britanania]

Three Days Later



"Your punishment has been decided," the Lord Chancellor of Hogwarts, the Headmaster Edmund Avery pronounced. Seated near him, the the former Board of Governors now called the Ministry of Education, looked steely eyed at the pair of students. The trial had been going on now for almost three hours. Derek and William were thoroughly interrogated as the stood in the centre of the room. They were not allowed to sit or even drink for the entire duration. Avery and the Board members had left for a brief ten minutes before they returned.

"For the rest of the term," Avery read. "Your Hogsmeade privileges are revoked. You shall spend your weekends confined to your Common Rooms. A pair of Aurors will escort you throughout the castle and will accompany you to classes. You are hereby dismissed."

---

That Afternoon
DADA Classroom

"...and that ends the lecture of combating a troll," the Headmaster told his students. "Before you leave, make sure you turn in your papers. Dismissed."

[The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune]

Henry

He watched the weaker boy stumble from the last two strikes, but Henry didn't break his form. The fight wasn't over yet. If there was one thing Raph had proven over the years it was that he was stupidly stubborn. Just as he was thinking that, he watched Raph stumble to his feet and try to land one last punch. Smirking at this last ditch effort, Henry grabed Raph's fist in the air, as though he was catching a quaffle. Squeezing the hand and twisting the arm, Henry said "At least you have honor Raymond." Before planting a kick in the middle of the other boy's chest and sending him backwards into the book case. After watching Raph slump to the floor unconcious or at least pretending to be, Henry cracked his neck, took back his wand from Burke and threw Raph's at the muggleborn. Signalling to the rest of his lads, Henry left the scene, leaving only those bystanders who would care to Raph afterward.

Three days later

Rolling up his notes, Henry placed his parchment back into his bag. Grabbing a stack of magically stuck together papers from within his bag, he brought forward his essay to Avery, along with Freyja. While Henry's was formally written, it was still clearly the work of a somewhat unorganized high schooler. Freyja meanwhile had an essay with her usual to it, the words neatly calligraphied across the page with carefully sketched diagrams added in. Henry placed his paper on Avery's desk with a curt "Have a good day Professor." Before stepping into the hallway.

[Khasinkonia]

Astrid Toujouse

20 pages of drivel, order up! That’s what I’d say if I had a pair. But this semester, I don’t even literally, so he got 20 pages of spite-driven report. My affinity for adverbs thankfully made it much easier to write, as did the fact that my handwriting was large enough that each page was more or less two paragraph’s worth of material. I wrote double-sided, and wasted a page on bibliography, as he never did specify his preference. I left ample room for an obnoxiously fancy title and heading, as well as room at the bottom for page numbers. Cushion, cushion, cushion. Not terribly soft cushioning, though, more so spiteful cushion. I’d originally wanted to write massive Chinese characters to complete the assignment, but he’d already once waved Azkaban in my face, and he had some escorts for students already, so it felt wiser not to directly antagonise Dear Leader Avery.

I had the ten pieces of parchment stapled together with care to make sure they were all even, and placed it on Avery’s desk. I made a point of leaving class more quickly than I did in most of my classes, as I had no desire to linger in such a miserable place.

“Well, Freyja,” I commented, walking up alongside her, “It’s done; hopefully we won’t get any more of those damn assignments if everyone keeps their mouths shut...”

[Triassica]

Raphael Raymond

The past days have been absolute hell for Raph since his lost in that brawl with Henry in the Library, of which he still felt aches and pains. Between that, having to write a freaking 20 page essay, and having to clean up shit, Raphael was exhausted. Still, despite all of that, the muggleborn still managed to actually write out that 20 page essay demanded of him, staying up each night to do so. However, he did take an hour break each night, managing to get around five and six pages done each.

"I hope that you are enjoying this as much as I am..." Raph muttered as he handed his stack of papers in, just glad that at least one part of his outrageously unfair punishment was over, "Won't do something like that earlier again... Have a good day, I guess..."

Raph yawned and rubbed his eyes before turning around to leave class for the Library. All he wanted to do now was find a quiet place, and take a long relaxing nap...

[Segral]

Ed Wilson

Fuck Avery. That was all he had to say. Fuck him and his stupid twenty-page essays on Grindelface and his sexscapades with Dumblydore. He didn't want to talk or think about it anymore. He wasn't worth the time. Kaiser had lost Ed's courtesy of caring. He was going to leave it at that. Maybe he should just stop thinking about him now, cut things off here. That was it. Better things to focus on, right?

Damn, he couldn't erase him from his mind that quickly.

He had stayed up for the last three days, using any spare time he had to write and research this stupid essay. The first day had been all research, combing every book in the library for the slightest scrap of info about Grindelface. If he was going to hand in the 20-page essay, he was going to make sure it was done well, so that Avery couldn't make any qualms about it or hold it over his head for the rest of the year. The second and third day had been all writing, ten pages each day. His penmanship was somewhere in between the lines of neat script and messy chicken-scratch, small and clear enough to make heads or tails out of it, but not exactly perfect calligraphy. As such, it had taken quite a bit of time and plenty of aching pains in his wrist to finish it, double-siding and frantically writing away to finish the stupid paper. He had taken a couple of liberties to ease the pain, making it double-sided, making the first page a title page, and making the last page a bibliography. But even with eating up two pages worth of information, he had to reach for the last three or four pages or so, basically stuffing it with some extra filler and hoping Avery wouldn't notice. He had never written this much about something so boring!

But alas it was complete. Complete, and coming with endless cramps in his wrist. It was so stiff he could barely move it. With an awkward shuffle, he gathered up all of his books and quills and parchment and those stupid glass ink bottles (would it kill them to use something less fragile?) into his book bag, his essay clenched in his left hand as he made his way up the front. It was stapled at one corner with some odd useless charm he had looked up, and neatly signed at the top with his name and date. perfect precision. With a grimace, he dropped it on the teacher's desk, and rushed away.

[Britanania]

Caitie

Like the rest of her class, Caitie spent the majority of her weekend composing her essay on Gellert Grindelwald. Unlike the others, however, with the exception of a few, she had nothing better to do with the unofficial ban on her Hogsmeade rights. So, like the dutiful student she was and not wishing to risk the wrath of her uncle Caitie wrote her paper in her clear cursive calligraphy precisely with 20 completed pages. She had debated about writing it in hieroglyphs but thought better of it.

She did, however, spend a few pages debunking the popular myth that Grindelwald and Dumbledore had any sort of relationship besides a brief friendship, and cited a lack of credible evidence in the primary sources. She concluded that the myth was an early twenty-first-century notion that only appeared in the material in late 2007 and never before.

Caitie also addressed the myth that Grindelwald was motivated by events in the muggle world. Again, she noted a lack of credible sources to support the assertion and she maintained the earlier scholarly consensus that his motivations were built on wizard supremacy.

In the end, she handed her stack of papers in with the rest of her peers and quit the classroom.

[Arlye Austros]

Isolde

An owl… It pecked through the window of the Hufflepuff Common upper lounge, a small section that rose over the surface and allowed natural light inside. However the full moon was the only source of light the bird could have used before following the lights of the castle. It woke her up as Isolde was nearly falling asleep.

Her mother had written to her. At that hour? She read and stopped breathing as the message went past her eyes. It sunk in with a trace taste of confusion and worry. Isolde walked back to the desk she had been writing the essay on, looking at the message once more, then pointed at the piece of paper with her wand. The letter disintegrated into a dark-purple scorch, then to ashes, then to a sweet-scent smoke.
It was late, and she still had two pages to go.

The next day

Still somehow tired, mostly annoyed at the amount of time and effort it took, and frustrated at the fact that protesting to the Headmaster would do nothing to revert it, she handled the paper to Avery’s table. She had quickly explained the well-known and the not-so-well-known events regarding Grindelwald’s rise. She was thorough on the intention and, evidence pointing towards it, of Grindelwalds subversion of wizards under the ruse of greater freedom over Muggles, creating a police apparatus able to control each individual through bureocracy, fear and sheer force. She also did a cross comparison with Muggle leaders, pointing out similarities of some prominent Muggle figures at the time.

As for her thesis, she implied whether Grindelwald’s project could be sustained in the long term, giving points for and against both from the point of view of institutions and practical magic, explaining more on the field of Dark Arts and Care of Magic Creatures. Her own opinion was that Grindelwald would have succeeded in the short term, but on the long run it seemed unlikely, as he was too compromised over his personal power than State-like force. Still, it seemed following leaders may have, or could eventually, learn from such mistake, and rely on a full-control apparatus over the press, transportation, education and the economy, as well as magic itself, for instance, through the regulation of wands.


Ricardo

The fight had been over short after he looked upon Raph and Grey fighting. Ricardo thought that he would have to help him, if not during the fight, after it was over. But once Raph laid defeated, a rush went through his body. Ricardo left, hoping he would not be seen.

That feeling transformed into shame and guilt, and the only way he could shake it off was by putting his mind to the work. He decided, however, to merge the essay with his own, personal project. The manipulation of not only the human will, but of the human body as well was intriguing, and frightening. Grindelwald seemed to have been, at least at some point, interested in that, and so he worked whipped by that feeling of shame and guilt, but also drawn by the desire to revert the Invunche curse.

His paper, once delivered to Avery, had been completed last night, so he was able to sleep. Ricardo wrote of the ways magic could be used to control people. Starting with restraining curses, passing through the Imperio curse, up to way of controlling entire populations. He explained how Grindelwald, or at least some of his followers in Eastern Europe, experimented and perfected these methods, including an entire village in Ukraine that was forced to drink a potion that made them submissive and unquestioning, although still retaining their will to an extent. He also explored the theory and ways Grindelwald changed people through human transmutation and how he harnessed different sources of power, among others the Obscurial.

His thesis was focused on how Grindelwald’s influence might still be all too alive, perhaps even more than rather-recently defeated Voldemort. He listed a number of wizards who claimed similar projects throughout the world, including the Kalkus, and numbered similar methods copied by these groups. Ricardo advocated for a realistic world effort to put an end to Grindelwald’s influence beyond death, and even proposed a spell, similar to the tracer, which could be used to ensure a wizard’s power cannot be used by other.

[Skylus]

"So what's with the Aurors?"
Derek didn't say anything to Madi, but merely kept walking down the hallway. Haverbouch and another Auror were walking close behind him.
Haverbouch nodded to Madi in acknowledgement, but continued to speak to Derek.
"...I'll keep the younger one in line, think of me as your personal bodyguard, relative to what's happened and all. let's just say that I'll look the other way most of the time. ...There was that incident this morning though...."
Madi looked curious but didn't ask about said incident and started to walk towards the DADA classroom.

At least she had finished her essay.
She had chosen to write about the beasts and creatures that Grindelwald had used in his attempted conquest. For certain reasons, the topic on werewolves was scarily detailed.
Madi entered the classroom and placed her paper onto of the others, then spoke to Avery.
"I hope you find this acceptable."
She then took her usual seat and Derek sat down next to her, no paper in sight.

"So what's with the Aurors?" Madi asked again and Derek sighed and stared up at the ceiling.
"I fought Will in the library and my punishment is no Hogsmeade for the rest of the year, I'm confined to the Common Room for the rest of the weekends for this year, I'm out of Quidditch, I can't go to any more meetings, and those two Aurors are going to follow me everywhere from now on."
"...Right...So what am I supposed to do now?"
"I honestly have no idea."

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

Somehow, Madi's answer didn't even seem surprising to her in the slightest. Rachel stared at her for a moment. She looked over to Derek, and then back to Madi, Something felt familiar about walking in on Derek laying on the common room sofa after having gotten himself in huge trouble. She looked to Derek again.

"Huh..." she remarked, the sarcasm apparent in her voice. "I'm getting a weird feeling of deja vu here..."

Rachel clicked her tongue, shooting finger guns at the two of them. "Well, good luck with that!" she concluded, before scrambling out through the hallway.

Monday

'THUD!'

Even as Rachel plunked her own stack of papers onto Avery's desk, she was still questioning how she got this done on time. Finding the information and putting it into writing was one thing, but structuring the stupid thing in an acceptable manner was another entirely. Hell, she had spent almost the entirety of her Sunday proofreading! It was well above and beyond her usual effort, but damn did it look good! If she weren't so exhausted, she'd probably feel proud of herself for it.

To hell with the paper, she thought. At this point in the day, the only thing on her mind was sleep. She probably looked like a zombie as she shuffled through the crowd of like-minded classmates, ever so desperate to leave the room. Defence Against the Dreaded Avery.

Rachel smiled. Okay, that one was pretty good. She'd have to remember that...

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Celene

Celene's essay had been 20 pages of tiny handwriting; grindelwald and tiny handwriting both being things she knew quite a lot about. She had done a very thorough study of the mans motivations, creating a very thorough argument for why she personally believed that Grindelwald's hatred of muggles had been overblown in more recent histories. She had also studied the effects that Grindelwald had had over the nations he had affected; concluding that they were minor at best, and certainly nothing compared to Voldemorts levels of sheer terror. Thinking that the dark arts-loving head would appreciate it, the muscular witch had concluded with a piece about what she would have done better, with Grindelwalds motivations and resources; she handed it in with the rest

"The most disappointing of all historical figures," she remarked to Avery as she placed it on the pile; "Would that he had more brain power, the world would have been a lot more interesting. Might have even stopped Voldemort, if he had progressed for long enough...interesting thought."

[Britanania]

Caitie

When Caitie returned to the Slytherin Dungeons after their DADA class, she was met with a startling image. In various places throughout the common rooms, and in a further inspection the dormitories themselves, someone placed statues of famous Slytherins--such as Salazar Slytherin himself, Merlin, and even Servus Snape. The statues were roughly life-sized and made of granite, but the most striking part was the jewelled eyes of the figures. The eyes seemed life-like and seemed to bore into the souls of the students. Some of the younger students actively turned away from their gaze.

For her part, Caitie ignored the statues and took her usual seat in the common room and started reading. Within a few minutes, the intercom system that Avery used to communicate with the students blared his voice.

"Students and Staff of Hogwarts," his posh voice rang out. "A new rule is being implemented immediately. No more animagi transformations inside the castle. That is all."

[Arlye Austros]

Isolde

Isolde raised he head at the voice of the Headmaster and frowned, annoyed both by the content of his words as well by the fact she had to interrupt her reading of Splitting the Rhine: The Art of Water Manipulation, by A.R. Hochspieler. So Avery was willing to press further the students. It made her remember the image of Madi running off his class, a week before. The prefect recalled Derek was an animagi, as well as Rachel. She sighed. In the end, it was more job for her.

Unable to concentrate, Isolde left the Great Hall, and headed to the Common to get ready for her next class. Once she walked in it, and strode through the main chamber, she realized something was off. She turned and noticed the head of a woman staring at her. She recognize no one other than Artemisa Lufkin, Minister of Magic in the late 1700s. Isolde gasped at the surprise, then saw other faces around. The Common was filled with busts of former Hufflepuff students. They watched with odd gems, scouting the Common. Annoyed at this, and startled as well, Isolde headed to her dormitory.

But to her frustration, this was also under the presence of such busts. Bridget Wenlock was placed directly opposite to her bed! Isolde pointed at it with her wand, and a crown of flowers appeared on her head, growing to cover her face, leaving a grey figure veiled with a thick-thorny tangle of leaves and branches.


Ricardo

Upon asking, Ricardo learned the man depicted in the dormitory was a former Minister of Magic from Hufflepuff, called McPhial. The eyes were brought to life by two gems that reflected a vivid light as anyone passed by, distorting the shadow. It was unsettling. Some younger Hufflepuff had said in the Common he wanted to sleep there, and avoid the dormitory, but found himself taunted by his peers. Ricardo frowned before heading once more to his dormitory to grab some things. McPhial watched from three beds away.

Ricardo stood up and walked to it, crouching before the figure. ”Quizas tu me ayudas con mi problema, McPhial.” He said in spanish before returning to his things and heading out for Care of Magical Creatures.

[Britanania]

The Headmaster

As his students dropped their papers off at his desk and left to return to their common rooms, the Lord Chancellor of Education said nothing. He just stood there watching them with his usual cold expression until the last quit the lecture hall. Satisfied, the Headmaster took the papers and returned to his office.

Once inside, he activated his magical intercom system.

"Students and Staff of Hogwarts, a new rule is being implemented immediately. No more animagi transformations inside the castle. That is all."

Finished with that, Avery turned his attention to the stack of essays. He gave it a passing look before the stack burst into flames as he went on to finish more important work.

[Arlye Austros]

Ricardo

McPhial’s eyes watched in silence as Ricardo consumed his hours before the coming class module laying on his bed, reading for the seventeenth time his notes. He barely slept. It was all coming to his head in rushes. He had made a diagram, trying to organize and explain to himself once more the relationship between the Invunche and the Obscurial. He had renamed the former <<Iraemens>> , as he was nearly sure, thanks to his extensive reading, the submission of the Invunche was based on constant and well-designed fits of rage imposed on the subject, directed at everyone but the captor who parasites on the victim. The feeling of isolation makes the Obscurial emerge, but with something to direct it to, if only on the inside. That explained why Invunche could only make it slightly past fifteen.

In any case, the easiest explanation was that the Kalku managed to weaponize the Obscurial.

The theory grew, from a simple base to an eventual cure for it. If the condition emerged from the feeling of isolation, explained through rage to the victim, perhaps a well-placed memory, thought, or feeling could liberate the child trapped in it. Ricardo, for the first time since he heard of this crime, felt the chance to actually set it right, to save lives that were, at that very moment, being destroyed. And he even had an idea of just how to do it.

Raph had taught him the basics of the Patronus Charm. But he would need much more than the basics. Much, much more.

“Caitie. Do you have a minute?” He asked Caitie Glacies once she saw her walking thought the Eastern Hallway of the third floor of the castle. This time, he hoped, there was no Henry Grey to yell back at him. At least it was better for him not to show a hair.

[Britanania]

Caitie

The young quarter-Veela was returning to her common room from the library when she heard the familiar accented English behind her. She stopped and turned to face Ricardo.

"Oh, Ricardo," she said, a little surprised to find him stopping to talk to her. In the few years since she's known him, Caitie could not think of an occasion where the two of them had anything resembling a conversation save for an aborted attempt on the Express some time ago. For her part, Caitie brushed back some of her long silver-blonde hair.

"Yes, I was just getting some books from the library. What is it that you need?"

[Arlye Austros]

Ricardo

<<God and Jesus and all the Saints; she is astonishing!>> Ricardo couldn’t help to think after she turned around. But cleared his throat before continuing.

“Sorry, I was hoping you could help me with something personal, I couldn’t think of anyone else, since your scores in Defence are… well, way beyond mine for sure.” He held a notebook under his armpit, and it was feeling heavy. Ricardo’s mind rushed towards its content, the explanation of the Iraemens and the possible “cure” for it.
A group of Third Year Hufflepuffs passed by giggling, he allowed them to pass before continuing.

“I once wished to ask you for help on account of your father.” He realized a bit too late he was talking about a dead man, but chose to keep going as if it didn’t matter. “But turns out now I need your help alone.” He began. “An easy way to put it is to say that young wizards are being cursed back home. And I believe I know how to help them, I just need your opinion and ideas, if you have any.”

He then proceeded to explain his theory the best he could, wishing he could convey the whole thing in as little time as possible.

[Britanania]

Caitie

Caitie stood in the middle of the hallway as Ricardo explained his theory regarding Obscurials and Invunche. From a pure theory point of view, Caitie understood the logic of his argument, although what was lacking, pure and simple, was a tested experiment. Without that what Ricardo had was simply a theory and unlikely to do him, or his community in South America, any good.

"It sounds to me," Caitie said dryly, "Is that you need to test it out, although it is unlikely you'll find a willing participant. How far are you willing to go?"

[Segral]

Ed Wilson

"OH SWEET BLOODY JESUS!" Ed screamed upon strolling into the Ravenclaw common room, promptly leaping behind the nearest armchair and ducking straight to the ground, hands over his eyes. After a good ten seconds over pondering what exactly he had just seen that caused him to literally stop drop and roll without an uncontained fire in sight, he slowly peered from around the corner of the armchair, and found himself coming eye to eye, in an epic staring match, with a massive statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.

What an ugly hag. Oh sure, maybe back in 1024 AD, she was a pretty Scot and all, but whoever made this version was clearly not adept with the use of a chisel. Because it was awful. Her ears looked sharp enough to cut diamonds, her cheekbones were askew, and her eyes and nose had this thin, pinched quality that made her look like a changeling from some Shakespeare play. But more importantly, WHY DID IT EXIST??!! What was the point of this god-awful statue? To spy on him? That might be it actually...was the statue literally here so that Avery could keep a watch on him specifically? Granted, he wasn't sure how it was that precise, but Avery was an advanced wizard, surely there was some way to make it work.

Ed stood up from behind the armchair, dusting himself off. Thankfully, nobody else was here, as all the younger O.W.L students were in class, and all the N.E.W.T's were away studying their free periods away. He had meant to also do the same but had forgotten his Ancient Runes book in his dormitory. Might as well check there for any other statues.

Clambering up the stairs, he was greeted by two things of importance. His book sitting neatly on the nightstand beside him, and another statue, this time a putridly ugly, gnome-like rendition of Filius Flitwick that seemed to...watch him across the room, like some demonic magical version of the Mona Lisa. Oh god, help. He couldn't help but feel like Filius was going to pop right off his base and murder him right in the middle of that dormitory. As silently as he could, he picked the heavy book off of the nightstand and made his way downstairs, intending to execute phase 3 of the plan. If the statue was in the girl's dormitory as well, then it wasn't specifically targeted towards him, it was just a general camera! Hopefully, nobody was in the actual dormitory, but he couldn't hear a sound. A quick "Sonorus" charm at the door confirmed this. If any sound vibrations hit the door, they would be amplified and he could hear them. And yet, not a sound. One "Quietus" later, he was good to go.

Grabbing the wooden banister, he quickly began to step up the stone stairs, but only got roughly halfway up before all hell broke loose. Suddenly, he felt the steps melt away beneath his feet, simply dissolving into thin air. Falling forward with a slight thump, he came eye to eye with the steps...which were completely smooth. Shit. He was going on the slip n' slide, only without the water!

For a few seconds, he desperately attempted to maintain his momentum and claw his way up by digging his hands into the sides of the chute, but the stone was so smooth and polished that it was no use, and he quickly lost his footing. With a yelp, he tipped backward and slid in a free-for-all tumble, his book launched out of his grasp. Soon, he was in a heap of robes at the bottom, his book painfully landing on his face and sliding to the crook of his neck. He didn't have the mental focus to do anything else besides groan.

With an effort, he stood up, dusted his robes, gathered his book bag, and walked out of the Ravenclaw common room with his head held high, attempting to preserve some dignity and thanking his lucky stars that nobody was in that room.

[Arlye Austros]

Ricardo

He looked into a nearby painting in the wall. How far was he willing to go indeed? It was exactly the same question he had been making himself over and over that morning. Ricardo remembered his cousin. If what Christian had said was true, he was probably already an Imbunche. He turned back to Catie.

“Pretty far.” Ricardo replied, resolute. “But I am not willing to force anyone to go through that, willingly or not. I believe my best chance is to get one of the poor sods who are already an Iraemens.” He realized he was talking about people at the other side of the world. “Get one, bring it here, and make an attempt. But I believe it has to be someone I know, or at least have access to a close relative or friend of whoever we can get hold of.”

Of course, there was the obvious problem of the Headmaster. “However I don’t think we can possibly go halfway around the world and come back with a potentially dangerous creature. Even Hogsmeade is no longer a given.”

[Britanania]

Caitie

Caitie concurred that travelling all the way to South America in this environment was beyond the realm of possibility. They could hardly leave the castle, and it would be just as difficult, if not more so, to get out of Britain. Well, Caitie had her own means of doing so but wasn't inclined to extend the offer to Ricardo.

"No, Hogsmeade is just as difficult. You heard about the barmaid, after all." Caitie paused for a moment and waited for a group of first years to pass before she continued in a low voice. "You would need to work on someone already here."