Details for The Pixie Attack of 38 |
Summary: | Alphard, Andromena, Eibhlin and Genevieve come across the portkey that takes them to a strange ruin. There are pixies and a puzzle! |
Date: | 1938-12-06 |
Location: | Hogsmead House, The Ruin |
Related: | — |
Characters |
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In picturesque Hogsmead, with its crooked medieval storybook cottages and tall chimneys, away from the main thoroughfare of the High Street, there was one particular cottage. A cottage that hadn't been occupied for years now. The neighbhors all tutted about it being caught in some family inheritence dispute, and occasionally there'd be lights in the windows. For the most part, though, it was desolate. Dark. Quiet. A blight on an otherwise lovely little wizarding village.
The back door, facing a narrow little alleyway between some other cottages, looked like it had been stuck for centuries. Dark wood inside a shadowy doorway. But when Alphard turned the handle and slammed his shoulder into it, it opened with a loud creak! And inside.. inside was a cozy (if dusty) livingroom. Fireplace, some furniture. A bookshelf with a colletion of.. 3 books and a lot of cobwebs.
"See? What'd I tell you? Isn't this the perfect place to relax on Hogsmead Weekends? I mean, it could use a bit of cleaning, sure, but look! Fireplace! Couches! Chairs! With some drinks and a bit of heat.. well.. it's private. And it's not like we're breaking in. It was unlocked! Imagine the possibilities!"
"Most of what I'm imagining involves someone coming in to clean it first, but aside from that…it would beat having someone else rent a room at the pub just to borrow," Jenny replied and then, flashed a bright smile in Alphard's direction for being so useful as to have a shoulder that was good for bashing in doors. The occasionally…abrasive chaser clapped the boy on the same shoulder, too just before she wiggled on beyond him, so that she could get inside and have a better look around.
"I bet those lights people talk about seeing are just other people sneaking in here for a free bed for the night or a decent plance to snog, anyway." Hadn't that been her first suggestion? "I mean, it can't be worth very much, not if no one bothered to spell the door and clearly they didn't. Nothing's screaming at us and Alphard isn't suffocating yet so…," so time to browse!
Unlocked obviously meant that anyone could enter of their own volition at any time, free of reprisal. Surely. Following to the right, and somewhat behind Alphard, Andromena peered over his shoulder into the gloomy interior when he'd manage to unstick the door. The observer to Genevieve's casual explorer, though after a moment she too had slipped inside. To her estimation, the place was a hovel. Maybe the thick coating of dust and overall air of abandonment led to such an assessment, but she wasn't ready to discount Alphard's suggestion.
"If we get others to clean it up, they have to be trustworthy," Andromena said, standing before the empty fireplace. "No use trying to wrangle up some help if they'd just turn around and tattle on us for…" Likely any number of things. Andromena shrugged her shoulders, and continued her perusal.
Eibhlin was taking a walk, turning down the street with no particular destination in mind. Its the sound that catches her attention however. The slam of shoulder against door followed by the loud creak of hinges as it opens. "Dare I ask?" the prefect questions as she comes upon the small gathering of students as they make their grand entrance to the cottage. "Still…" the redhead starts at Jenny's comment on spelling the door, but she leaves whatever she was going to say unsaid with a glance to Andromena, herself lingering in the doorway for the moment. "It is rather quaint," she agrees, casting a look about the room and surveying its potential. "You could just clean it yourself…"
There wasn't much to browse. Firewood by the fireplace, so dry by now it would go up in a flash. Infact someone seemed to have used some of it not long ago to light a fire. The dust infront of the fireplace was disturbed. One sturdy door that might lead to a second story appeared locked. Or perhaps just stuck. Another door led to a decrept kitchen that hadn't seen use in years. The dust was even heavier in here. There were a lot of spider webs in the kitchen. Cubbards would have a lot of old cans, some wreched utensils that weren't at all appealing, some wrinkled remains of pototaoes and carrots. It was the sort of place where you'd expect to see little mice nests. There were none. No sign of animal invasion at all. The only real things to browse were the books in the livingroom. Their titles were: Dragons. Things A Wizard Can Do While Bored and In Defense of Herbert Lestrange.
"Nothing wrong with a bit of private snogging," Alphard said. Might've sent a look in Andromena's direction when he said it, too.
You paged Eibhlin and Genevieve with 'Herbert Lestrange was Dark Wizard and serial killer caught fifty years ago. They said he'd killed some twenty muggles and Muggle Borns. He was sent to Azkaban for life, where he died. He always insisted 'they didn't know half of it', and he never apologized. A certifiable lunatic.'
Casual explorer indeed. Jenny's gaze swept the room, just as easy as her fingers did. Wading through the dust on the hearth incase some forgotten treasure was left behind as she casually made her way through the room. Her boots clicking sharply across the floor. "Aren't one of you in the Domestic club? Don't they have a spell for that? One of you could try it?" From the fireplace towards the bookshelf, where the word Bored had snagged her attention. It was the book that she was reaching for too, while Herbert rolled around in her head looking for something to connect too. "We should go for some sherbert after this. I could use something sweet to cleanse my palate after breathing in all of this dust." Sherbert. Herbert. Oh! And at the last moment, she plucked up that one instead.
"I remember reading about him. Completely bonkers, but honestly there was some reason to his madness. Nothing w—," they were in mixed company. But Jen sent Alphard a look regardless, before flipping open the book and promptly sneezing all the dust away.
Jenny went POP and vanished.
In the Ruin:
The moment the book opens, she realizes it's a port key. Probably an illegal one. The world spins and transforms, and she's SWOOOSHED into a whirlpool of time and space, only to be spat out inside of a circular stone chamber. It's high up in a tower, something easily seen since every direction has a window. It's a breath taking view. To the South the ocean is hammering massive waves agains white cliffs. To the east and north a craggy island reveals itself. Small, barren, just a bit of grass and rock. To the west.. an old semi-ruined castle, of which you're standing in one of the towers of. There's a single exit from the chamber, a stairway heading down. The book is closed again at Gen's feet. If it wasn't a one way trip.. opening the book again should take Gen back where she came from.
Except, Jenny didn't /want/ to go back. Back would be silly. Instead, she took a few seconds to brace her hands on the tops of her knees, catching her breath from the stomach wrenching sensation that was somewhat akin to being pelted in the gut by a bludger. There really should be easier ways to travel! Or a warning! Or…wait. Go on ahead or go back? To the windows then, the chaser prowled in a slow circle, staring outwards in every direction and looking for some sign of to whom this place might belong or perhaps a smoking chimney in the remains of the ruined castle. "Where /am/ I, I wonder." But more importantly, what was there to see?
There was nothing. No lights in the windows, no smoke in any of the chimneys. No sign of land beyond what was revealed to be a pretty small and wind blown island. Perhaps she was still in Scotland? But the landscape could just as likely be Norway, Ireland or perhaps France? The castle was quite large, though. Several towers, and it had the majestetic impossibility of something built with magic rather than by Muggles, even if several of the towers had now crumbled, and some of the roofs as well.
The idea, was not precisely a kind one, but to her mind, it was funny as hell. The rest of them had to see this! They just had too! So, after ensuring that no one was going to come running wildly at them out of no where if the group joined in, Jenny padded back round towards the book and then, carefully manuvered herself until she was laying face down on the floor; limbs askew and reached out a finger to lady it gently on the edge of the book.
In Hogsmead:
Andromena eventually moved past the fireplace, her eyes lingering on the wood pile, and began to scope out other parts of the interior. She spoke to Eibhlin as she did so, having flashed a surprised smile in her direction when she made her presence known. "I suppose there is that option." But her voice carried a tone that hinted at it being the less favorable choice. Andromena invited the red head to continue exploring with her. Since she was here, no reason to send her away!
"Only just joined it," Andromena informed the Slytherin girl. "And my first day there wasn't even any mention of magic." Because, actually scrubbing? Thanks for the suggestion, but this Ravenclaw would have to pass. As she meandered toward the kitchen, a few of the floorboards creaked under foot. Whatever Andromena had seen in there caused her nose to wrinkle with distaste, and she returned to the group.
"Oh, Dragons," said with a bit of cheer. She owned a copy, had it since childhood. Plucking it by the spine, Andromena flipped the book open in her hands. With clear intent she sought out a particular page- only for Genevieve Solomon to vanish! That look Alphard had sent her way was sadly missed as Andromena momentarily gawped.
Its not like it's hard," Eibhlin replies for the idea of cleaning up the place as she steps inside to give a closer look to the place. To the Domestics Club she echoes Andromena, "Only just joined." Its not as if they've learned much in the few days they've been part of it. A glance is cast in Gevenieve's direction for that cut off comment. Mixed company, yes, but she's fairly used to it by now. Its a look that says she can finish which quickly turns to surprise as the Slytherin disappears. "…What?…"
"What the..?" Alphard blinked furiously as Genevieve simply vanished the moment she'd opened up the book. He looked between Andromena and Eibhlin, the picture of confusion. "Where the hell did she go? What was.. that?!"
"Well," Andromena said, kneeling to the floor where all that remained was the scuff marks of Genevieve's feet where she had been standing. The girl could be any where. Possibly in danger, or hurt. Andromena did not know what to say, or what to do. Some start to a Hogsmeade weekend.
"Don't look at me," Eibhlin replies to Alphard's look. She certainly didn't do anything and is surprised as the rest of them. Where indeed. "Who was she saying was she'd read about?" Its not much, but its not like they really have much more to go on here and she didn't exactly catch the title the other girl was looking at.
"Herbert Lestrange," Alphard said, which didn't seem to mean anything to him. For all that he was Mr Purist, apparently he really didn't pay nearly enough attention to Wizard history.
Without warning, Jenny reappeared. Only she flopped face down onto the floor, limp, unmoving, that whole awkward unconcious and PERHAPS DEAD pose, the book tumbling away from a single grasping finger.
Also, since Andromena had moved closer to inspect, Jenny flopped right by her feet.
As suddenly as Genevieve had disappeared, there she was again! Andromena managed to contain a gasp, though as her eyes passed over the girl's prone form they were rather filled with concern. Her thoughts in that instant were morose, though she didn't let them show. Being the closest one to Genevieve meant that she was quickly able to inspect her; hands gently fluttering over her back and towards her throat. No Healer by any means yet, Andromena nevertheless knew enough to check and see if a person was breathing. Or had a pulse. Wizards did that, didn't they? A glance was sent upwards to her companions as she did so.
Eibhlin considers the name once its supplied by Alphard. "Wasn't he.." she starts, not quite sure if she should say it. Instead opting to continue in a slightly different direction. "Sent to Azkaban a long time ago?" she asks the others only to very nearly jump when the other girl reappears. Andromena is closer though and checking on her that much sooner so Evie keeps her distance not wanting to crowd the girl. "Is she.. okay?"
"How should I know who got sent to Azkaban a long time ago?" Alphard asked of Eibhlin, frowning. It wasn't as if he was planning to be an Auror or something, and might be encouraged to do some actual research rather than simply focusing on the danger and excitement of the profession. There was some genuine concern in his furrowed brow as he drew closer to the fallen Jenny, though. "Shit. What the hell happened to her? Is she alright?"
It's as Andromena's hand is reaching towards Jenny's throat, that the girl jerks into motion, one hand reaching up blindly towards the Ravenclaw while she shouts, "Gotcha!" On the ringing peel of laughter, while her face twisted into mirth. Shit eating grin on her face. "Oh you guys are priceless! And you've got to try it! It's amazing! It goes to this like, castle that's HUGE and half falling to pieces, half not and there's no sign of anyone else there at all!"
Andromena falls backwards onto her rump, a look of sheer surprise contorting her features. As Genevieve shows no signs of injury, and is indeed babbling on about some castle and how wonderful her impromptu trip had been, Andromena gets back to her feet. She hadn't really paid all that much attention to talk of Lestrange and whether he went to Azkaban or not. Smoothing the front of her skirt down, Andromena makes no attempt at a smile. She does, however, look interested by what the other girl has to say.
"A castle?" A look to Alphard and Eibhlin. A ruined castle might be fun, right? It would probably take a lot more cleaning up than what this place required, but oh, the chance to go some place…secret. It had its allure.
Says the boy who goes on about how he's taking such a difficult NEWT load to become an Auror, but now is not the time for snarking with a another student down. Jenny's movement and shout together are more than enough to surprise Eibhlin, but as the other laughs the redhead turns a hard look towards her. "You think its funny?" but even as she says the words a bit of a smile is creeping to her lips - laughter is contagious after all and she just shakes her head.
"Are you sure it's safe?" she inquires, the question posed to all three, expression falling relatively neutral once again as the destination is described. At least she's not counting it out just yet. It sounds far to intriguing for that.
"You're a bloody idiot, Jenny," Alphard grumbled once it became clear that she had just been playing them. Make him worry, would she?! Not that he would ever admit to having worried, but it was the principle of the thing. He sniffed derisivly, even if he was also grinning.
"A castle?" Like everybody else, feeling the need to repeat what Jenny just said. A gleam of predatory curiosity came to life in his eyes. "Well.. no reason why we shouldn't, right? Jenny looks alright." There were a million reasons. He was just ignoring them all. The teenage boy in him was showing. "Let's go!"
"Of course," Jenny answered Eibhlin, flashing a crooked grin in the girl's direction, before the same was offered to Andromena and Alphard in turn. Of course, it was a mixture of, 'of course it's safe' and , 'of course it was funny' but it fit! In the meantime, she hauled herself up off the floor, still chuckling beneath her breath and dusting herself off.
"You're only sorry you didn't think of a way to pull it off first, Alphard and you know it," the girl taunted, sticking out her tongue. "Besides, we should definately go. There's so much to go through! And it can be ours! Nothing's going to jump out and grab us, anyway. We're just going to pop out in a tower with a view of the place and the ocean. It's on some kind of island, I think."
"And you came back just the same way as you left?" Andromena questioned, motioning to the book. A good part of her was saying: Andromena, this is the wrong thing to do, you ought to turn around right now and just…But it was squashed mercilessly under foot of another voice that had come into being earlier that summer. It was a little voice that was growing in size and strength, for she was beginning to pay it much more attention.
Go for it. Have fun. Safe is boring.
"I'm ready," she said, tone shifting into 'don't give a damn,' as she faced Genevieve. "Going to come with us, Evie?"
Eibhlin was trying to be the voice of reason here, but curiosity gets the better of her easily enough with the rest of them pushing the issue. Assurance, however poorly considered, is accepted with a nod. "You're probably right," she agrees with Genevieve's commentary to Alphard, turning a grin to the boy though she doesn't quite stick out her tongue at him this time. As for the 'trip', "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to just take a look."
"Brilliant. Then we'll just everybody touch it in one… two.. three!" And Alphard leaned down to place his hand on the book, looking at the others to make sure they were all doing the same thing as well.
In The Ruin:
"See," Jenny shrilled, one hand hugging in against her ribs as she looked around; taking a step back from the group at large. "But if we get seperated, nobody goes back without the rest. Deal?" It's got the kind of tone that suggests she'll make a mad dive for the book right now, if that's the case.
"Agreed," Andromena readily offered. Unless of course something terrible happened and one person was forced to leave to go and fetch the proper help required. Andromena, however, was not any sort of advocate and thus was not about to list off her clauses for the others to discuss at their leisure. They'd come here to explore, not talk about safety! If that had been the case then they never should have opened the book a second time, no?
"So the book stays right here," said as she began walking toward the stairway, hands clasped at her back. It is in a cautious manner that she peers down it, idly musing aloud, "I wonder how long this place has been abandoned." Likely as long as their original little camp, if not longer.
That's one wild ride to say the least. Lifting a hand to tuck a lock of hair back behind her ear after their arrival Eibhlin takes a step or two towards one of the windows, taking in the scenery. "Agreed," she echoes Andromena, only a second behind her housemate in the word as she turns back towards the others.
Alphard's eyes sparkled with boyish delight as he got back to his feet. He'd lost his balance in the initial transport, and gotten hurled back across the dusty floor a few feet. Brushing himself off, he put his nose to one of the slightly grimy windows. "This is.. bloody brilliant!"
"Anyway, we can just Apparate, can't we? If we really have to. Like.." Except, as soon as he tried it became apparent that.. No. No he couldnt. Alphard cleared his voice. "Ahem. Alright, fine. That portkey might just be the only way in or out.. so.. no touching it until we're all here."
He peered at the stairway. "Ladies first?" His grin was sly and teasing.. and more than little excited.
"Brilliant," Jenny chimes, and takes another fortifying breath before she pads forward, not about to be left behind by the rest. She ambles over to join Andromena at the staircase, intent on following them down.
Andromena nods to Alphard as he so graciously allows her to be the first foreward. Nothing left to do but descend, hey? Without a backwards glance Andromena strides boldly downward. Her voice can be heard as it echoes back up to those remaining, "I guess Alphard will have to take rear guard!" She doesn't go all that slowly, though she is cautious enough to watch her step in case the stairs are in ill-repair. Mostly, she's excited to see what lies beyond.
Eibhlin turns towards Alphard at his suggestion of apparating out taking silent note of the 'apparently not' in that regard. "Its more than brilliant," she comments in one of those rare moments of agreeing with the Slytherin boy as she crosses the floor to join the rest of them at the top of the stairs. She doesn't hesitate to follow Andromena's decent, though she does take care of her step on the way down. "Where do you figure we are exactly?"
"I have no idea. Scotland? Ireland? Don't they both have a lot of grassy craggy islands?" Alphard shrugged, obviously not the best source for information on this particular topic. Like Andromena asked, he took the rear guard. How brave and considerate of him!
Down, down down, march march march. Jenny skips, because it was slow going otherwise. Even if this means that she's got to wiggle past Andromena to manage it. "Does it really matter where we are? We're somewhere others aren't, with a whole building to explore and who knows what to be found in it! That in and of itself, ought to be more than plenty, dontcha think?" Jenny just wanted to hurry up and get to the bottom, or a doorway going off somewhere else or, something!
The stairway was quite narrow, spiralling around and around and around. It got quite dark quite fast, too, unless one of them brought out their wand for light. No windows at all. But there was a landing some wihle down. A sturdy wooden door. It was locked, but the key was still in it, a massive big cast iron one.
The stairway continued down past the door.
The Slytherin passed Andromena because rather than contest the stairs she just let her go. A backwards glance to Eibhlin as she reached for her wand, tossing up a quick, "Lumos," so that they needn't be shuffling about in the shadows. Around and around, with very little to excite visually, even Andromena would agree. After some indefinite amount of time - five, ten minutes? Don't look to this particular Ravenclaw when it came to keeping track of hours and minutes - Andromena reached the landing with its door.
"Huh," said as she reached out to give the key a turn. If it wasn't rusted in its lock, then she'd seek to push the door open, and continue forward, ignoring the rest of the stairs for the time being.
The door opened with a loud creak beneath Andromena's push. Lit up by her wand was a chamber that took up all the space of the tower. A bedroom by all appearences, there was a large four posted bed. Luxurient, with drapes running down the sides. There were some wardrobes, and a mirrored lady-time desk. The windows were covered with heavy dark drapes.
Everybody could hear some nosie coming from inside of the drapes. Also.. a closer look at the bed revealed.. that there were chains by each of the four posts. Smooth, steel links, with shackles at the end of them.
Fingers trailing along the wall as they continue in that downward spiral Eibhlin sends a "Thanks," in Andromena's direction as she produces wand and light. "I suppose…" she replies given Alphard's suggestions. Its as good a guess as any. She pauses behind the other Ravenclaw as she stops at the door. They all came together, they're all leaving together, it only makes sense they explore together. At first glance its a pretty room they've come to, but then the sounds and… "Did you..?" she asks, turning a glance to the others. They heard it too, right?
Alphard crowded into the room after Eibhlin and Andromena, peering over their shoulders. He had his wand out, it bearing the pale ghost blue hue of the Lumos spell as well. "Someone was a bit rowdy, weren't they?" He asked when he noticed those chains. "What do you all think? Someone playing naughty games, or a princess prison cell?" Wagglebrow, ensue.
"Uh, yeah. Coming form those drapes, isn't it?"
Genevieve had contined down the stairs.
"Imagine Damsel in here," Andromena blurted to Alphard, unable to help herself. Princess Prison indeed! She had strode over to the curtains, to the source of the sound. Pulling them aside she revealed the chains to both Alphard and Eibhlin, the light of her wand casting them in almost harsh blue-black glow.
"I'm not sure I…really want to know." Andromena hoped that not all the rooms would have little, ah, surprises like this. "We ought to follow after Jenny." Because as much as she did not want to admit it, she wanted even less for the group to be split up.
Pulling those curtains.. had an immediate effect. From within a fluttery host of bewinged creatures spewed out, pouring over Andromena. Little hands tearing at her hair, tearing at her clothes, poking her nose. PIXIES! And there were more, coming from every other dark hiding spot, knocking things over, buzzing, insect eyes glowing with malice.
IT wasn't just Andromena they were going for. They flew at Alphard and Eibhlin as well.
"Hopeless," Eibhlin sighs with a glance towards Alphard for his suggestions. Boys, can't live with or without them. Her gaze returns to and lingers on the scene illuminated by their wands for a moment longer before she nods her agreement with Andromena. "I don't know that I want to … Ack!" Its about that moment that those terrible little beasts emerge from their hiding places and try as she may to duck out of their way the redhead only manages to fall on her behind, putting up her arms in an attempt to deflect them.
"Pixies!" Alphard roared with annoyance, immediately flummoxed by the great tidal wave of nasty pests pouring down onto the trio with shrill mischief in mind. HE felt himself being lifted up into the air. Damn it. That was one of the dangers with pixies.. they loved picking things up.. then DROPPING THEM BACK DOWN, preferably from somewhere high up.
They were starting to try to pull up Eibhlin by her hair. Poor downed opponent was going to be scalp sore if she didn't find a way to get rid of them!
Andromena, wand remaining firmly in hand, could not help but throw her arms up and over her face when the damnable pixies CONVERGED on her like moths to a flame. There was a startled yelp of dismay, too. For a brief moment Andromena was afraid that she'd topple over, but manages to remain standing. For whatever good it does her, because the wretched fiends were tugging at her hair and - UGH, was that a wet finger in her ear!? So vile! That wasn't the worst of it, not by a long shot, because for one flickering instant her vision cleared and there was Alphard…poor Alphard being hauled into the air! She was unable to see Eibhlin at first, due to the other girl having been knocked over, but a few tendrils of red hair being yanked managed to trail their way into her vision.
Growling in frustration, because this was not at all the sort of adventure she'd had in mind, Andromena's wand shot forward as she proclaimed, "Immobilus!" At a group of pixies harassing her.
Immediately a good half of the pixies assaulting Andromena were frozen, floating through the air rather than diving down like angry fighter planes.
They looked fairly annoyed.
Eibhlin winces. "OW!" she cries her hair being yanked roughly. "Get OFF," annoyance clearly evident in her voice as she deter the pixies with a swat of her hand while she tries to reach for her wand with the other. That is until there's one, no two, trying to crawl up her skirt which causes her to writhe all the more in a futile attempt to escape their tiny hands and finally get her wand at the ready.
"Immobilus!" Alphard shouted, aiming his wand at the pixies trying to carry him away. A cloud of the nasty buggers were immediately stilled, but unfortunately Alphard hadn't been thinking very far ahead. He'd aimed his wand at the pixies grabbing his arm, rather than the ones grabbing his feet. The result? He flopped down onto his back with a THUNK that threw every last bit of air out of his lungs. He was still be lifted, only this time by his feet, upside down!
Andromena was still under assault. Half a cloud of pixies gone still meant the other half were turning her hair into a mess. Some were crawling under her robes, too, now.
Eibhlin was being lifted up from the floor.. by her hair, still, until she floated in the air by it!
Andromena wanted to shriek as the remaining cloud of pixies that she was contending with continued to make hell out of her hair. Worse were the ones crawling about in her robes! If she had any less self control she may have began to bat at them, futilely. Fortunately for Andromena her grip remained just strong enough to launch a second Immobilus at the majority of those within her hair. No way she was going the way of Eibhlin Shine, and her first try at it had worked so well…even if those frozen pixies did look rather upset about it.
Andromena's spell was barely enough to neutralize the rest of the pixies assaulting her. Leaving her in the clear.. except for the couple beneath her robes. One of them was pinching her bottom.
Finally Eibhlin's found her wand only to find herself being lifted up as well, painfully so given it involves pulling of hair instead of clothes. Andromena may want to shreik, but Evie does cry out a pained "Immobilus!" aiming her wand towards the cause of it all above her head.
Cry or not, it's enough to banish the Pixies clinging to Eibhlin's hair. She's dropped back down. Though like Meanie she's got troubles in her clothes. Something bites her thigh!
"IMMOBILUS!" And there went the rest of Alphard's attackers. He dropped down to the floor with enough wits about him NOT to break his neck. With an angry growl he leaped to his feet. "BLOODY PIXIES!"
Andromena, as hurriedly as she could, swatted the remaining villains out of her robes - and wherever ELSE they may have tried to squirm to, if that nasty pinch of her behind was any indication. As soon as they were taken care of she'd rush towards her beleaguered friends with an exasperated, "OUT, get out!" So that they could slam the door shut before those horrible little creatures could shake off their spells and launch themselves back into the fray once more. Her hair was in utter disarray, and her robes were thoroughly rumpled. A rare state for Meanie.
At least they aren't pulling her hair out anymore more still… "You bloody little-" Eibhlin mutters, uttering a string of curses in gaelic as she tries to shoo that one remaining from her skirt. Knotted hair and rumbled clothing aside if she could just get rid of that one last.. "Ow! Bloody thing bit me!" Its laughable really, watching her try to shoo it off.
Even if Eibhlin wasn't technically free of her antagonists just yet, Alphard still grabbed the red head's arm once he got to his feet, and would bodily drag her along out of the room even if she was still doing the swatting-wriggling-horrified dance. He stumbled out with a million pixies staring daggers after them.
"Ugh," Alphard uttered, collapsing against the door. Then he started laughing, unable to help himself. Initial fury was replaced with a sort of giddy post-adrenaline rush. Plus, watching Eibhlin still struggle was hillarious. He doubled over, laughing, the echoes of it bouncing up and down the stairway.
Andromena wasn't ready to laugh, not yet. Once Alphard let go of her friend she set upon helping the other girl rid herself of that last little bugger, smacking it even as it climbed free of Eibhlin's clothes. In fact, Andromena smacked it rather hard, several times. WHACK, WHACK, WHACK! She'd a good arm for someone that called themselves a pacifist. (Pests, such as these, did not fall under her category of: things not to harm). It was only after the pixie began to look thoroughly dazed and confused, and that Andromena spied Eibhlin's hair that she began to laugh too.
Eibhlin stumbling, is pulled from the room by Alphard and thanks to Andromena is finally free of the tiny terror. Dazed as it is the redhead gives the poor thing a good kick down the stairs. Take that! Bite her will you. "Jerk," shoots towards Alphard with a hard glare only to fall into laughter herself at the state of her fellow Ravenclaw, "You look terrible." But at least they can laugh about it in the aftermath.
"Don't the pair of you just look absolutely raveshing," Alphard commented wryly, then once the last pixie fluttered dazedly towards safety of numbers, he boy slammed the door shut. "New hair fashion: The Pixie Nest. I expect it'll be a favorite all over school this season."
"At least they weren't Doxies." Because Eibhlin had gotten bitten, she said, and Doxie bites were poisenous!
Andromena had begun to smooth her hair down, and bit back an acidic retort for Alphard as her laughter began to die down. "Yes, well," haughty sniff as she kept trying to put her hair back into something not…Pixie's Nest. It wasn't going all that well, but at some point she decided there was little more she could do about it. Some years in the future Muggle men and women would rock this look.
"I won't be doing anything like that again. What do you guys think - were the pixies there after the fact, or are they part of the chained-charm of the room?" Her thumb jerked in the direction of the door. Then, as she thought about it, Andromena returned to that big key…and she twisted it back to the locked position.
Eibhlin huffs, shooting Alphard a glace as she tries to somewhat smooth her own hair, not that its terribly effective. "I've no idea," she replies given the question of the room but she does nod towards the lock, "But that's a good one," she agrees with Andromena's decision to ensure the door is locked again. "Dreadful creatures."
"No idea. Though quite right. Let's not do that again. How about if we hear any strange noises, we make sure everybody has their wands out and are ready to deal with whatever's waiting behind the curtains. Or in the chest. Or under the bed. Or wherever." Alphard sounded more bemused than really miffed with the consequences of Andromena's thoughtless actions. With a grin he linked his arm through the girl's, then leaned in to plant a wet kiss on her cheek. With a wink.
"So.. shit. Jenny! I guess we should find out where she went to. Uhm, wands out?" Then down the stairs!
"Sounds like a good idea," Andromena replied, just as Alphard gave her that big wet smooch. The young woman couldn't honestly say that it didn't do a good deal to lift her spirits after being so viciously harassed! …Not that her plight had been any worse than poor Eibhlin's, but life is all about perspective. The arm that was not linked through Alphard's own still had her wand in hand, and Andromena reignited its light.
"I don't see a light of her own," she told the pair of them, as if she needed to give a reason for doing so. Andromena would do her best to keep Alphard from getting too far ahead of Eibhlin (if he was walking fast), so that the three of them could descend the stairs together.
Eibhlin had nearly forgotten the other girl in the pixie enduced chaos. "Right," she agrees, being prepared after all is always a good start towards deterring such a situation from occurring again. Peering down the stairs around the others she shakes her head, "Me either," she says of seeing any light from Genevieve. "I hope she's alright.." and didn't walk into anything like they just did.
Down, down, down. They found Genevieve at the bottom of the stairs. Though there had been more doors along the ways, all of these had been locked. She had a lumos light glowing from her wand. The chamber she was in was a perfect octagon, and each side had a bronze door. The doors were covered with script in Ancient Runes, which Jenny had been having difficulties with. Infront of each door stood a stone pedestal.
The room was littered with rubbish. Old pieces of this and that. Clothes, ripped paintings, cracked status, small this and thats of wizard life. Among them were: A star, a cracked jar that looked like it was meant to carry water, a sundial, a doll with its mouth sewed shut, a dirty mirror, an hourglass, a grinning skull and lastly a rusty old sword.
"I didn't take Ancient Runes," Alphard said with a wrinkle of his nose. He moved forward to one of the doors, putting his hand tentativly against the bronze surface. He pushed. It didn't budge. "There are no bloody handles or key holes or anything!"
Andromena was glad to see that their missing companion had not experienced any troubles herself, and since she was plainly alright, Andromena's eyes were quickly tugged away to peruse the room in which the quartet now found themselves. A lot of trash, which she found a little odd.
"Perhaps people have been here before…" She gestured about her as she strode after Alphard to stand before the door he was wrinkling his nose up at. "But never got any farther." To clarify. "I mean, like us. And they just hung out or something."
The objects around her were ignored as she began to make an attempt to decipher the door - let's call it Door One - and the runes scrawled upon it. Brows crimping downward in a thoughtful expression, Andromena tapped a forefinger to her lips. A low, 'Hmm…' was issued before Andromena shrugged helplessly. "All I was able to make out was 'Dungeon.'" She turned back to face her friends. "I'll have to do some extra studying on the side this week if I'm to read anything further."
"Alphard, let me borrow some paper from your notebook? So I can copy this down." Suggested Meanie.
Thank goodness Genevieve is alright given the encounter the three of them hand. Eibhlin raises a brow in Alphard's direction. "Really? That's your complaint? You think everything should be that easy?" As if every door in the wizard world has a keyhole or handle. She just shakes her head as she turns towards the door nearest to her, "None of these look familiar…" she notes of the runes there before turning back to the others. "It would seem so.." she agrees with Andromena as her eyes settle on some of the discarded items in the room. Her attention turns to what Mena's found at Door One then however. "I'd be happy to help," she offers to assist in the research.
"Whatever! There's a reason people use keys. They're easier."
Alphard sighed, but of course he always did carry his notebook and writing tools with him. So he pulled it out from inside of his robes, carefully unbound the leather chord keeping it secure, and then flipped it open. From the back he tore out a page, and even just that made him scowl. It seemed so cruel to mutilate his beautiful book. But he didn't want her to have an excuse to ask for it all the time. He placed the paper on the outside of the cover, then handed it all over to her. "Here." So they could Geek out like proper Ravenclaws. Perhaps they'd figure it out by next time. Because there would be a next time, right? It was too much of an adventure to just.. not return.
Andromena, once Alphard had parted with his precious notebook and laid it into her possession, gave the door another look before she began to copy down the runes. Part of her would love to ask Professor Black about them, but then she'd have to explain herself and that simply was not an option. For the time being, all that can be heard is the sound of a quill scribbling upon parchment. Absently Andromena said, "Alphard, is that a real skull on the ground over there?"
Eibhlin sends a glance towards the skull in question, but for the moment those runes are far more interesting and the next door over draws her attention more fully. "We may as well copy them all down right away," she notes, "Do you think Mena?" She'll let her do the writing though being that notebook and quill both belong to the boy and she already has them in hand.
Alphard shrugged, then stalked over to where the grinning skull was lying. He kneeled down, leaning close with a thoughtful squint. "Yup. It's a real skull alright. There's a crack in the back of it, too." Which meant.. whatever end had created this particularly grisly artifact, it hadn't been a peaceful one. "Think he or she just had an accident.. or?"
"No body, though." He added.
"Yes, let's do that," Andromena said to Eibhlin when she voiced her suggestion. She would rather have all the copies of the runes on hand to work on as opposed to returning every other weekend just to work on another door. The Ravenclaw might enjoy herself a good puzzle or two, but she was also all about being efficient. Each stroke of Alphard's fancy quill was made just so; she wouldn't rush.
"Maybe it," she would not humanize the skull by assigning it a gender. "Was just somehow…deposited here, and that was where the crack came from?" A nice clean counter to what would otherwise be a very gruesome end. Andromena preferred clean, because that way she had further excuse to return to this place even after the Great Pixie Attack of '38. When she finishes one door, she moves on to the next.
"It could have just been dropped when moved," Eibhlin suggests, the lack of other bones in the room is evidence enough that it was moved at some point or another. Her focus is on the runes however, "Here," she points out one or two, "Make sure to get those ticks." One little line could make all the difference back in the library after all. A second pair of eyes is almost always useful, they see different nuances.
"I guess so," Alphard admitted. "It's not exactly tidy here." All this rubbish. Abruptly he backed away, swallowing. There had been movement inside of the eye, a creepy crawler with eight legs. Pretending like nothing, he straightened back up and prepared to squish with his heel. "Someone could've dropped it." Though he still felt his mind be drawn towards the thought of a club, or a knife. Murder!
Gen was rooting through the rubbish. Alphard regaled her about the Pixie Attack she'd missed.
Andromena was glad for Eibhlin's eyes, because the other girl was great in Ancient Runes. More, that old saying was quite true: two sets of eyes were better than one. Andromena's almost compulsive need to see that things were done perfectly came into play here. If it was slower than others might like, then at least all could be assured that the Ravenclaws weren't just geeking out for the fun of it.
"Still…who would've been moving a skull - or skeleton about? Oh," she chimed, the quill feather against her lips. A personal quirk. "Maybe it was one of those skulls you sometimes see under glass. Somebody was moving it and they dropped it here." Or threw it, because it looked like someone had been using this particular spot as a trash heap. It was likely rife with spiders.
"Good question…" Eibhlin comments in return to Andromena's inquiry, turning a glance over her shoulder towards Alphard and the skull. There is something creepy about it… But she looks back to the symbols as they move on to the last of the doors. "It looks like there's one…" she leans in to blow some dust from the lower lines revealing some that might otherwise have been missed under the layers of time.
"You got them all, then?" Alphard asked, having moved up to the stairway and away from the worthless junk. SHUT UP ANDROMENA. It had nothing at all to do with the possibility of spiders. Even if there had been cobwebs about. He shuddered despite himself.
"Yes…" Andromena answered at length. She had moved closer to that final door, squinting at the rune Eibhlin had so kindly cleared the dust from, and was just then copying the last of the strange, archaic script down. A final 'tap' to the parchment, and Andromena was turning to face Alphard with a grin. He could have his beloved notebook back now. And oh, she made sure to close it the CORRECT way. Unless Alphard had purposely gone and changed it after that one near-disastrous event.
"What?" She asked when mention of Herbert Lestrange cropped back up. "Oh, right. Yes. I'll bet there are books about him in the library." She could even ask Anthony, too. But only if Alphard would let her.
Eibhlin nods, though he might not be able to see it from his position on the stairs. "I think so," she replies giving it one more look before turning to Andromena to make sure she's happy with her copy of the runes and give the paper her own once over. "Perhaps," she agrees about Lestrange, "There's certain to me," she agrees with the other girl, "Maybe we should look into him as well?" she suggests, moving towards the stairs as well.
We fade on the four adventurers as they return to Hogsmead. They agree to put the book back where they found it, if only because taking it with them to Hogwarts was a good way to get it confiscated. Which just wouldn't do before they'd properly explored the strange ruined castle! Eibhlin and Andromena kept the papers to research, since it was neither Genevive or Alphard's strong points.