Fandom 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧

[natasha.]

the chosen four

 

[natasha.]

chapter one

an unexpected gathering

It's another year at Hogwarts. You're back for sixth term and you've only got one more before you'll be done with school for good and on your way to choosing what you want to do for a living.

Things this year are a little different though, even if you don't know it yet.

For starters, it begins with each of you sharing a compartment with three other people that... well, that aren't normally people you hang out with. But everywhere else is full, so you'll need to make do for the time being.

And who knows? Maybe you'll find that you have something in common with all of them. Or maybe you won't.

Either way, this is only the beginning. The school year's about to get a lot weirder.

And unfortunately, also more dangerous.

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

"Are you sure you packed everything?"

Dani barely spared her mother a glance as she asked her question. She was busy almost racing down the platform, trying to spot any familiar faces. Going back to Hogwarts always brought out a kind of excitement in her — well, a different kind of excitement, since it was usual for Dani to seem like she was constantly running on caffeine even if she hated coffee.

"Daniella," her mother called out with a more stern tone, and this caused her to slow down a little to look back. Usually, Dani's older brother Desmond was the one to drop her off at the station. Or at least, that's how it had been for the past three years. This year though, because of a few incidents over the summer that came in the form of nosebleeds, some weakness, and a fainting spell, both of Dani's parents had insisted on making the journey to King's Cross, leaving Desmond at home to look after the youngest of the Myrddens'.

"Yes, mum, I have everything. It's not my first time making this trip, in case you've forgotten," she assured the woman, who smacked her upside the head in response.

Dani's father only laughed a little but it quickly subsided when her mother shot him the same look she was giving her daughter. "Right, well, you'll be sure to send us a letter if anything's wrong?" Her father questioned, coming to a stop with Dani in front one of the open compartments. All around, students were saying their goodbyes and heading into the train to find seats for themselves.

"I will," Dani promised, giving both her parents a hug and getting onto her toes to plant a kiss to each of their cheeks. "See you at Christmas!"

And just like that, Dani lost sight of her parents because she was busy shuffling through the crowd of students to get her trunk onto the train. She managed to do so with the help of someone else who was also boarding the train, and after that it was just a matter of wheeling it along and stowing it away before meandering down the length of the train to try and find an empty compartment. She paused only briefly to wave to her parents by the window and then continued onward.

Dani could have just as easily found a few fellow Gryffindors' to sit with, but almost everything seemed full. Eventually, she came across a lone compartment with nobody in it so she happily stepped inside, setting down her owl's — Freddie's — cage down by the table adjoined to the window. As she did so, she noticed something drip onto the surface of the table. A tiny red puddle brought to light the fact that Dani had blood dripping from her nose. Again.

The last time this happened was a week ago. It was becoming increasingly common, though her parents only knew about a handful of incidents, and only because they'd been present when it happened. For all intents and purposes, she did her best to cover up any other nosebleeds she'd had, mainly because she didn't know what it meant either and she didn't want her parents to worry. She'd speak to McGonogall once she got to school. Dani made that decision ever since this happened two times in a row.

For now though, she just held her head up to try and slow the flow, while rummaging in her pockets for the handkerchief she'd brought along for this very reason.

Hogwarts Express

"Not this again."

pre-robes.

yousmelldead Uxie spooked.duke

 

[Uxie]

hogwarts express

nervous

pre-robes

daniella

natasha.

eliza

the destined

"eliza?"
"eliza. eliza."
it was the third call that finally got her attention, and she turned to look at her younger brother in surprise. ezra had an expression of sheer annoyance as he glanced up at her, and elizabeth gave him a small smile. he was now just barely an inch or two shorter than her. he sure was growing. "let go of me, i'm already in my second year. good lord if i've got to be hand-held by my sister all the way to the platform." glancing down, only then did she notice that her hand had been wrapped tightly around his the whole time. she must've grabbed it sub-consciously after returning the luggage cart.

"ah, sorry." eliza released him swiftly, giving him a bashful smile, "i suppose i was a little nervous." ezra scoffed at her remark.

"what've you got to be nervous about? it's your sixth year. you should be used to this by now." he shook his head in disbelief. "is it that gryffindor boy-"

eliza turned beet red and stopped in her tracks, turning to look at her brother in shock. "no! you." starkly aware of how shrill she sounded, she lowered her voice and continued, all the while eyeing her brother. "how did you even know about that?" ezra halted beside her and shrugged, flashing her a cheeky smirk.

"i have my sources." he glanced around the platform, and his face lighting up as he spotted a group of ravenclaw second-years hovering around a wall. "well, don't worry too much, sister dear! you'll be fine. probably." she could barely get off a "take good care of your bags!" before he ran off, his luggage swinging in his grip as he raced enthusiastically over to his friends. eliza watched her little brother's figure fade into the rest of the crowd and blew out a sigh. how reassuring. at least ezra was making enough friends. in truth, the gryffindor boy— henry— was the least of her concerns. what was occupying her mind was the fact that she and ezra had run into mr. kane as they were leaving the house. his sleeve had been rolled up, as if he was showing off the faded marks of his past, and the thought of that horrific image sent chills down her spine.

"we've got to board soon!" a passing voice and a bump on the shoulder violently shook eliza out of her thoughts, and she stumbled slightly, her grip on her luggage tightening. the student called out a hurried 'sorry' before climbing onto the hogwarts express, exchanging a laugh with their friend. eliza hesitated briefly before following behind them, climbing up the stairs into the rows upon rows of compartments. a loner as she was, eliza hadn't a compartment clique like many others did. admittedly (almost embarrassingly), she'd spent the last six years sitting in with other random hufflepuff students. they'd all been amicable, sure, but none that ever truly flowered into friendship. and she was okay with that.

she made her way through the narrow alley between the compartments, taking a quick look into each one as she passed. there were hufflepuff students scattered around, but it seemed like almost all the compartments were full. eliza brightened as she finally chanced upon one that was relatively empty, save for a lone gryffindor girl holding a handkerchief to her nose. she knew her from her charms' class— daniella myrdden, but they weren't nearly close enough for her to just strike up a conversation. should she just find one with people she knew better?

bustling behind her helped her make her decision swiftly, and she hobbled into the compartment luggage-first, moving into the closed area to allow for those behind her to find their own seats too. "i hope it's alright if i sit here." with slight difficulty, she heaved her luggage and cat carrier onto the rack above the seats, and sat down opposite her classmate, her head immediately swivelling towards the window to avoid eye contact. eliza was already second-guessing her decision, but it'd be far too rude for her to just waltz out of the compartment after sitting down. not to mention, it'd probably be a struggle to get her luggage down quickly without smacking the other girl in the face. so leaving was, most definitely, not an option.

stealing a peek at daniella again, she relaxed a little finding that the girl's gaze was fixed on the ceiling rather than her, though the relief quickly morphed into concern. "oh dear, are you alright?" eliza maintained the distance between them, watching on with worry and slight wariness, all the while bracing herself mentally for daniella to suddenly faint, or something of the sort. then again, she was no healer, and eliza had doubts she could even do anything much. "i-it's not serious, is it? should i get you a glass of warm water? i hear they help with nosebleeds somewhat." in a smaller voice, she added, "not sure if that's just a myth or not, though."

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

hogwarts express
• tired • pre-robes • daniella & elizabeth • natasha. Uxie

"You better write this time, cant use studying for your O.W.L.S. as an excuse anymore."

Ignatius pretended not to hear the nagging words of the auror tapping her sharp heel at him. Instead, he glanced over to his luggage cart, mentally double-checking if he had managed to bring everything he needed. Ignatius wasn't normally this worried about forgetting to pack a requirement, for the last 5 years of this routine, he had gotten pretty good at packing his things on time. This year however, he somehow managed to sleep through his alarm and had to scramble to get all of his luggage just so he wouldn't miss the express. To his mourning, he couldn't even prepare himself a cup of coffee, which meant a good part of him was still drowsy.

"Ignatius Carrow." Ignatius didn't know what made him finally give his attention to the woman in front of him. Was it the authoritarian tone of her voice or the fact she was now pinching his cheek? Perhaps both. "Look at your mum when she's talking to you." It took the power of Merlin himself to restrain Ignatius from taking advantage of his "mother's" choice of words. Maggie wasn't his biological mum, the genetic clash of her auburn hair to his sandy brown made it clear as day, but that didn't stop her from acting like she was (and technically she had paperwork that legally made her his mother). In times like this Iggy missed being taken to the station by his other guardian, Wilfred, the man was the complete opposite of his wife and always managed to calm her down when she got too hot-headed. Unfortunately, ever since he had been placed on the graveyard shift at St. Mungo's, Wilfred has been on the strangest sleep schedule and was normally fast asleep by the time Ignatius needed to leave for the station. Thus, ever since his 3rd year Iggy has been dropped off by Maggie, making his 6th year at Hogwarts the 3 year anniversary of him having to deal with his mother's tough love and constant reminders to write before he'd leave till Christmas.

"I'm looking, I'm looking. And yes, I'll write every end of the week. Even if all that flying will strain poor Vergil's wings." He pushed his mother's hand away and sighed. "May I please go now? I'm going to miss the express at this rate." As a result of his pleas, Maggie gave an amused laugh as she shook her head. In her eyes she could still see the timid, yet extremely excited 11 year old, and the remnants of his bright-eyed expression when he first saw the station. 6 years barely felt like 6 days, the next thing she knew, shy little Ignatius became the tall gentleman she saw pouting at her today.

"Go on scram."

She didn't have to say that twice because once given the signal that he could go, Ignatius took it and darted for one of the train's entrances (not before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hurried "Bye!" that is). Upon entering the train, Ignatius was greeted with the familiar rowdy noise of students. Like he expected, the express was practically filled to the brim with students, and with many students meant most of the compartments were filled. Not like that would worry Ignatius though, ever since he became a prefect in 5th year, him and the rest of the prefects of his house would share a compartment. Though he wasn't really friends with his fellow prefects, he did find their prefect kinship convinient. It gave him less stress to find a compartment, especially since he lacked friends close enough to share a compartment without him feeling incredibly awkward asking. It took a while for Iggy to get to the compartment, with him having to swim through the bustling sea of students but he managed to make his way to the usual seated room. But before he even got to reach out for the opening handle, Ignatius stopped in his tracks, eyes still locked on the room full of Ravenclaws. It was like playing a spot the difference game. Everything looked perfectly fine except for one sore thumb sticking out from the rest. That sore thumb being the current boyfriend of his classmate and fellow prefect- Victoria Smith, who had seemed to have given up Ignatius' seat in the compartment to her toad of a lover. It didn't take Victoria long to catch Ignatius staring at her with a semi-annoyed gaze, to which she responded with a sheepish grin before resuming with whatever discussion was being made in the compartment. Not like that mattered anymore to Ignatius, what mattered now was finding a new compartment to sit in. He was too tired to make a fuss over this minor inconvinience.

He shrugged off his distaste for his arse of prefect partner and turned the other way, beginning to shuffle his way through the slim alley between the fully-occupied compartments, mumbling "Excuse me" and "Sorry" to the students he bumped into his with his luggage and the cage which held his feathered companion, Vergil (the narrow hall of the train was no place for a 6'2" teenager like Ignatius). Wherever he turned, each compartment already had students chatting in them, with no chance of there being any remaining space for him. It had come to the point where Ignatius was almost willing to just stand during his entire ride to Hogwarts. That is, until he had spotted a relatively empty compartment a bit further from where he stood (it wasn't really empty, there seemed to be two other students inside but it was as close as Ignatius could get to empty at this point). As he briskly walked towards the compartment and got to the frame of the compartment entrance, he began recognizing the faces of the two students already occupying it. Elizabeth Pham shared a couple of classes with him, they've talked about some lessons before, but their conversations never went beyond a History of Magic assignment. Daniella Myrdden on the other hand, he knew a bit better. After finding her in the middle of fit in the library because of a herbology assignment back in the middle of their 5th year, Ignatius had offered to tutor her in the classes she struggled in. To this day his biggest accomplishment is somehow getting her a passing remark on her potions O.W.L.S.

"Pardon the intrusion but I was hoping- goodness gracious are you alright, Myrdden?" With his concern drowning out his initial request to join them in the compartment, Ignatius quickly placed his luggage away on the upper rack, along with the his owl cage and sat next to Gryffindor's star seeker. Ignatius looked back at his previous knowledge on healing magic, he had seen both his guardian and Madame Pomfry perform mending spells and magic that cleans off blood, but he's never gotten a bloody nose from his transformations (not unless he broke his nose). Healing spells were precise, each being created to treat a specific problem, using spells he knew like episkey or tergeo was a risk, and would probably not do anything to fix the bloody nose, maybe even make it worse. Muggle method it is then. He glanced to Eliza, who seemed wary over this, he didn't blame her, it wasn't everyday you would see someone's nosebleed out of nowhere. "There's nothing to worry about. Nosebleeds normally occur naturally." Ignatius did his best to channel his prefect aura, in an attempt of keeping both himself and Eliza level-headed as he turned back his attention to Daniella. "Myrdden, I need you to pinch your nose and refrain from putting your head up, keep it forward." He fished out his own handkerchief from his back pocket. "Here, you could use mine if you don't want your's getting stained."

 

[yousmelldead]

PERICLES CRANE

annoyed hogwarts express pre-robes
natasha. Uxie spooked.duke

From the moment his striking blue eyes had opened he knew there was something off about the day. Peri knew that he would be heading off back to Hogwarts for the start of his sixth year but some underlying reason it felt off. The blonde sighed as he stared up at the ceiling above his bed as he let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. It wasn't like him to sleep in, especially on the day that he had so many things to do, but he couldn't find the urge to get up. Honestly, it was the last thing that he wanted to do.

The morning had come and gone faster than he had liked to admit. His suitcases were packed neatly by the house elves before they had been stored away in the back of the family car. Magnus Crane, his father, had accompanied him for the ride to the station as he had the past five years while his mother, Elizabeth, did her part with staying behind. "Pericles, are you listening to me?" The deep drawl coming from Magnus' throat caused Pericles to turn his head slightly as the older man spoke. "Of course, father.", he answered quickly before his gaze traveled back towards the window of the moving vehicle. He didn't want to hear about how this year was especially crucial for no mistakes. This conversation had been the only thing that his father had been talking about for weeks. It was instilled in his brain. There was no room for error this year. The family name was hanging by a thread as it was due to the rumors of his grandfather. There couldn't be any more.

Pericles pressed his left thumb into the pocket of his black slacks as he stood beside the family car as his belongings were loaded onto a cart. Never had he carried them himself, that wasn't something a Crane did. It was pathetic seeing all the other students juggling around their luggage and a pet. The blonde's gaze moved to the owl perched happily inside of its cage, his eyebrows raising slightly as he watched it defecate the paper coating on the bottom of the cage. "Bloody bird." Peri's nose crunched slightly as he quickly averted his gaze to watch some familiar students saying their goodbyes to their families.

"Pericles."

The calling of his name caused him to snap from his trance, blue eyes moving up to his father's disappointed eyes. "I don't know what has gotten into you today but you need to pay attention." Pericles nodded his head slowly towards his father before silently moving beside him through the crowd until he reached the platform. "I expect a weekly letter with any new information regarding our family." Pericles continued his steps beside his father until he had reached the express entrance. This was the first time that he wasn't one of the first on the train and he knew it was because he had slept in. However he knew that he had a seat waiting for him beside two of his slytherin brethren, Oliver and Tye. "I'll see you for holiday." Peri spoke dimly before he made his way onto the train.

"Mister Crane, your luggage is being taken to your compartment. We apologize for not having the usual spot for you. The express has almost reached capacity." Pericles stared at the woman who had stopped him as soon as he had taken a step onto the express. What did she mean by not having his usual spot? Those bloody idiots Oliver and Tye hadn't saved his spot? His lips parted while the tip of his tongue pressed to the backside of his front teeth as he watched the woman turn to direct him to his compartment. She had been lucky she moved so quickly or his words would have cut her. From the chatter coming inside of the compartment he knew that he was the last to fill the spot. The blonde waited as the woman set his belongings down beside the frame of the compartment before he moved into the frame.

"For fucks sake.", the words left his mouth before he had a moment to process what he had said. Pericles stared at the three that were already occupying where he was supposed to be. Out of all the students he was going to be stuck with these cockroaches. The annoyance on Peri's face couldn't have been held back as he slid his luggage and the dirty bird into the empty space of the compartment. Of course Ignatius and the pathetic excuse for a pureblood, Eliza were quick to lend their hands as blood gushed from the Gryffindor's nose. He stared at the three for a few long moments as if he was waiting for one of them to do something about the blood that had started to trickle onto the floorboards of the compartment.

"Episkey."

Peri stared blankly at Dani, his wand held tightly between his thumb and middle finger as his index finger laid gently against the top of the wood. Had the other two forgotten that magic was permitted as soon as they stepped foot on the express? It wasn't a shock that they hadn't pulled out their wands to help, but instead doing things as if they were muggles. It was pathetic.

code by yousmelldead

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

Dani's attention had been taken away from her bleeding nose when someone entered the compartment. She easily recognised Eliza, having shared a few classes with her in the past year. She liked that they could bond over Charms, but Dani also knew that they weren't the type to talk much outside the confines of a classroom. Not that it had stopped her from being friendly in the past. Unless someone outright insulted her, Dani was perfectly capable of being kind and chatty with anyone she came across.

"Yeah, no problem," Dani nodded and gestured to the seat in front of her when Eliza seemed to express a little uncertainty about sharing the booth with her. Honestly, as long as Dani wasn't alone, she was fine. Being confined to her thoughts was never a good thing, and she was a social being. She didn't exactly thrive in a lonely environment.

"Hmm?" She arched an eyebrow when Eliza asked if she was okay, seemingly forgetting about the blood dripping from her nose for the moment. Dani quickly remembered it though, seeing Eliza's concerned expression. "Oh this? It's nothing, really—"

Dani didn't really get to finish what she was saying because they were joined by another presence. Once again, Dani was no stranger to the boy who entered the compartment next, and she could confidently say she knew Iggy a little better than she knew Eliza, mainly because they had a few non-magic interests in common. He quickly noticed the blood as well, and suddenly Dani's attempt to keep this whole thing under wraps failed.

"I'm not worrying—" Dani tried to interject when Iggy, being Iggy, began to recite instructions from memory about what she should do to help stop the bleeding. While Dani normally didn't mind attention — especially from a Quidditch victory — this wasn't exactly something she was enjoying. Regardless, she listened to Iggy and put her head forward like he said, though she did so with some reluctance. "Isn't the blood meant to stay in my body?" It seemed to Dani that this move would only make her lose more blood, but how much blood could a person really lose during a nosebleed? She had no idea.

Before Dani could politely decline Iggy's offer to take his handkerchief — she didn't want to get another one dirty when hers was already freshly stained with blood — another voice filtered through, causing Dani to momentarily forget about the blood. And it seemed she didn't have to worry about the blood anymore, because with a simple spell, she realised she could no longer feel it trickling from her nose. Dani used her handkerchief to wipe away what remained, but when she pulled it away from her face, the bleeding seemed to have stopped for good. At least for now. Dani knew it wouldn't be long before it came back, but hopefully by then she'd have spoken to McGonogall about what this could mean.

Dani didn't want to say what she said next, simple because this was Crane she would be speaking to. Regardless, the words left her lips almost begrudgingly, "Thank you. But I had it handled." If anything, she could ease her own mind by saying that she thanked him because she was a good person and that he, simply put, was not.

Although the fact that he went out of his way to put an end to the bleeding said otherwise. Dani would have definitely thought that he'd make some snarky comment about using the blood for voodoo or something equally dark and cynical.

Looking around, Dani realised that their little gathering was comprised of very different personalities, and not all of them got along. "This should be interesting," she murmured, letting her gaze flit between the three others that occupied the compartment. Interesting was one word for it. Dani realised it could also very well end in a bloodbath.

hogwarts express

well this is a party.

pre-robes.

yousmelldead Uxie spooked.duke

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

hogwarts express
• "what could possibly go wrong?" • pre-robes • daniella, elizabeth, pericles • natasha. Uxie yousmelldead

A tired sigh escaped Iggy's lips. Typical for Daniella to question his instructions, it was both endearing and a tad bit annoying for Iggy knowing that she hasn't changed too much over the summer. "It is until letting it 'stay in your body' means risking the blood to travel down your throat, then it would just turn into a choking hazard. Just keep your head slightly forward and apply pressure." He responded to Dani the same way he would when she'd question the measurements and amounts given in a potions recipe, with an answer laced in sarcasm and snark. After spending quite a lot of time together in their 5th year, helping Dani study for her O.W.L.S. and the like, Ignatius considered her close enough to give her some attitude if he felt the need to. Not like that should surprise her at this point, even before he became her "study buddy" he always had similiar snide remarks when commentating for the Quidditch games. Just from the top of his head he could remember moments back before he formally talked to her where he would throw sarcasm her way if she somehow missed the snitch.

Ignatius was just about to offer his handkerchief to the Gryffindor seeker once more- whether her's was blood-stained or not, it was a reflex for the Ravenclaw to offer his handkerchief, but the mutter of an all too familiar spell made him pause. Because just like that, when Daniella had removed the blood-stained handkerchief from her nose, no blood leaked from it. It was almost embarrassing for Ignatius to not know the extent of what the simple healing spell could fix up, he could almost hear the laughter from his guardians. He'll be sure to not write this in his letter to them. "I suppose if episkey could fix broken noses, it could also fix a bloody one." He murmured, filing that into his memory as he placed his handkerchief back into his pocket. Whether Peri knew that the spell could stop the bleeding or not, Ignatius still looked at him with the smallest smile. "That was awfully nice of you, Crane." Although his tone was a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, Ignatius gave recognition when recognition was due. Even if it could possibly add more fuel to the endless fire of Peri's ego. He didn't care for the Slytherin all that much, to Iggy, he was the posterchild for a spoiled kid coming from an old money family and treated others as if they were below him. That being said, Ignatius tried to keep away from him as much as possible, though to his dismay, that really couldn't be possible at this moment, since it seemed that the pompous pureblood had to sit with them in the compartment.

It was odd seeing Krane without his little Slytherin gang, the two boneheads normally followed him around like lost puppies. Ignatius had always caught that trio in a compartment together ever since he could remember, seeing Peri practically forcing himself to sit with the hodgepodge group peaked Ignatius' curiosity. He was aware of the rumor about Krane's grandfather that leaked out last school year, but was unsure whether the gossip was true. Students at Hogwarts always knew how to dramaticize stories, and even make things up out of nowhere due to pure boredom, but apparently it got to Krane so much that he took a one month break from school. And just like that, the rumors faded as fast as they spread. Ignatius could connect two-and-two together but he didn't want to jump to conclusions, but at the same time he didn't want to confirm anything with Pericles himself. That could cause more bickering than Ignatius could deal with, with him still not in his peak of energy. So instead he looked to Dani and Eliza with a raised brow, hoping to see that they were just as surprised of Pericles' presence as he was.

When Dani actually thanked Peri, the brunette almost choked on literal air. You had to be as thick as a brick if you didn't notice the equal distaste the two seekers had for each other, it was visible both in and outside the field. Seeing the two of them racing against each other for the snitch never failed to leave the crowd at the edge of their seats and Ignatius practically barking with laughter. Although she thanked the blonde, in true Daniella fashion, she played it off as if she could have controlled the situation if she wanted. Ignatius couldn't help but give a small chuckle at that. He didn't know Dani very well per say but he did enough to know that she didn't enjoy showing weakness, especially to the likes of Crane.

Be it the sensitive hearing he got as a bonus from his lycanthropy or just the fact that he was sitting beside her, but Ignatius heard Dani's murmur, making him suddenly aware of the clash of people in this room. He let out another tired sigh as he brushed through his wavy hair with his slender fingertips. "A student from each house are forced to share a compartment, sounds like a wonderful start to a joke." At this point, Ignatius wasn't phased over the unlucky circumstance that he was in, if he were to be honest, he would've been surprised if situations like this didn't happen to him today. And now that the compartment reached its maximum amount of students, it was too late for him to stand up and fish out a book from his luggage, which meant he had to deal with either an awkward silence the whole ride or a third wizarding war confined in the walls of this small compartment. If he would have known that he had to sit with all these different personalities, he would have risked making that cup of coffee. He certainly needed it to possibly survive this ride to Hogwarts. But then again, he survived getting bitten by a werewolf and having to go through 8 years of monthly transformations, going through a train ride shouldn't be so bad, right?

 

[yousmelldead]

PERICLES CRANE

aggitated hogwarts express pre-robes
natasha. Uxie spooked.duke

Just when the day couldn't get better---that was sarcasm.

Peri pressed the wand into the inner pocket of his suit, lifting his bright eyes up to the three in the compartment once it had finally been secured. How had none of them realized such a simple spell would take away a nose bleed? Well, technically it is for broken noses but Pericles had known all too well about how those go especially from his father. Episkey had saved his nose from many incidents. Thank Merlin for magic.

The blonde ignored the Gryffindor as she spoke, moving to the seat next to the window. He would rather stare out the window of the train the whole way to Hogwarts than to look at the three idiots the whole ride. At least the foliage would be pleasant to look at. "I didn't need a bloody stain on my new suit.", he spoke sharply as he finally took his seat. Peri crossed his ankle over his right knee as he moved his gaze from the window to Ignatius. He couldn't wait to get his hands on Oliver and Tye once he got off the express. Those two were going to end up going fora ride on the whomping willow tree before they stepped foot in the school.

"You hardly had it handled. But I'll accept the gratitude." His lips pulled up lightly in what had seemed to be a famous Crane smirk, his eyebrows raising slightly in the process. Peri eyed Eliza for a moment before a small screech came from the dirty owl who still hadn't been officially named. "Quiet you bloody bird." Peri narrowed his eyes at the dark owl who had equally shared his gaze. His mother had thought that the owl would have been a good thing for Peri when his first year had came. Six years later and the owl was still as much of an annoyance as it had been the moment he was given it as a gift.

The male pressed the tips of his fingers against his eyebrow as he rubbed his eye lightly. Not even fifteen minutes and his head had felt as if it was going to burst. If this was karma then he wanted to know what he did to deserve it. "Interesting." Peri's bright eyes snapped in Daniella's direction almost immediately as the words left her mouth. Had she gone mad? Or was that a jab at having to share a compartment with him? "The only thing interesting is the fact that you three pathetic excuses couldn't clear up a simple bloody nose." If he was going to have to endure the ride, he was going to make sure he got a rise out of everyone. "How did you even get to your sixth year?" His gaze travelled from Daniella to Ignatius and finally to Eliza. "And you, a pureblood. Your parents must be so proud."

code by yousmelldead

 

[Uxie]

hogwarts express

get me out

pre-robes

daniella, ignatius, pericles

natasha. spooked.duke yousmelldead

eliza

the destined

before daniella could even finish her sentence, someone new entered their compartment. ignatius carrow! how livid ezra would be that his foolish sister got to ride in the same compartment as his idol. she watched as he took immediate notice of daniella's ailment and delivered instructions with practised ease and firmness. eliza had a lot of admiration for how quickly he reacted.

noticing a drop of blood making its way to the ground, eliza reached for her handkerchief, bending down and dabbing up the spot, only to realise that the last person of their band of misfits had arrived. she couldn't hide the dismay that flitted across her face when she saw who it was. pericles crane, usually flanked by his slytherin goonies, two boys that were equally intimidating as their leader. had they not saved him a seat? he didn't look particularly pleased with the arrangement either, and eliza avoided eye contact as she felt his glare bore into her.

"episkey." even from his very helpful spell, the contempt in his voice was clear. regardless, it had done the trick, and eliza mentally chided herself. good at charms! was she, really, if she'd forgotten such a simple spell? daniella thanked pericles for his assistance, a gesture that was quickly followed by a smart remark that was more characteristic of the other girl. truly, when you put the situation in perspective, it was unheard of. for the gryffindor seeker to be polite to her slytherin counterpart, and much less for the latter to have helped the former. in all her years of knowing him, pericles was one that would never be caught dead interacting with a⁠—

mudblood. the word echoed in her mind, finishing her sentence. eliza instantly regretted even letting the word cross her mind, and frowned. pericles decided it was the perfect time to finally sit down then, and eliza scooted away as he took the seat by the window, pressing her small frame against the wall as subtly as she could manage. as she looked around the compartment, it occurred to her just how... odd this group was. they were otherwise people who'd never have spoken more than a few words to one another on occasion, and eliza had preferred it that way. the tension in the compartment was thick enough to cut with a good diffindo, and it seemed she wasn't the only one who noticed. she barely heard daniella murmur something, the contents of which she could only attempt to guess at, but was promptly confirmed by ignatius' next remark. "a student from each house are forced to share a compartment, sounds like a wonderful start to a joke." she let out a small laugh, but immediately fell silent, as if she'd made a mistake.

the comments didn't sit well with her neighbour, and pericles lashed out, causing eliza to press her lips together into a fine line. "how did you even get into your sixth year?" she almost sunk a little lower into her seat as he turned his anger on her. "and you, a pureblood. your parents must be so proud." she furrowed her eyebrows, and turned away.

"don't talk about my parents." she muttered quietly. "i know we're not all particularly pleased with the arrangement, but can't we just have a peaceful ride?" her voice was a little louder this time, though there was a slight shake to it. she hugged herself tightly, praying the other pureblood wouldn't just continue on his tirade of attacks and would just take the truce. pain in the arse as he was, eliza knew how hard the older mr. crane was on his son, if her mother's tea party friend's gossip was anything to go by. if she was a good person (and she was trying very hard to be), eliza would be patient about it. it helped, also, that she was positively terrified he'd just set his goons on her, and she'd be left for dead in a dark hallway outside the slytherin common room. he'd quelled the rumours about his family quickly, and eliza didn't want to doubt how swift his "teach her a lesson" would take effect.

but dear god, she should've just left when she had the chance.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

Dani's head whipped around to face Iggy when he praised Peri for helping out. She was surprised at her own expression of gratitude, however brief, but to hear it coming from Ignatius' mouth was somehow more surprising. She wasn't sure why, since after all, he was the one among them most likely to appreciate some quick thinking and the most effective use of a spell.

Of course, as she expected, the compliment wasn't something Peri was willing to take in his stride. Nope, he just had to rile everyone up. Well, at least it was working on Dani. They couldn't seem to go more than a few days without making some snarky remark about the other for everyone to hear. If anything, Dani would only begin to worry if she didn't receive that kind of treatment from Peri since it was almost as natural as breathing at this point, and she didn't doubt that he felt the same, given how easily some of the words left his lips.

Upon hearing Iggy's comment about how this would make a good joke, Dani smirked a little. "A good start," she nodded in agreement. "Can't say if it'll end as good." It might just end in them all murdering each other. Well, truthfully, the only one Dani would consider hexing in this compartment was Peri, but it'd still make for an interesting joke, nonetheless.

There was always a fire within Dani that was waiting to be ignited, and Peri usually gave her the fuel for it, just as he did now when he turned his attention onto Eliza. As much as Dani herself hated being referred to as a mudblood, she could tolerate. What she couldn't stand by and watch was Peri targeting other people that she considered her friends. Even if Eliza and her weren't all that friendly outside of the classroom, Dani still treated her the way she would treat a friend.

She would have said something in her defence, but she seemed to do that all on her own, causing Dani to smirk a little. She admittedly also felt a little pride, since she had long since noticed Eliza's tendency to be a little more reserved. Or perhaps that was just around Dani since she could admittedly talk enough for the both of them but either way, she was happy she said something back to Peri, even if Dani's choice of words might have been a little more... colourful.

"I can be peaceful," Dani nodded in agreement before focusing her gaze on Peri. "I could also use a simple Langlock jinx to make sure Crane doesn't speak for the rest of the ride," she added with a smirk. It was just one of many hexes that Dani had used several times in the past, and not always for revenge. The only reason she mentioned it now instead of actually using it was because she believed in fairness, and as much as she hated to admit it, Peri had helped her with the bleeding nose, regardless of what he said to defend himself about the little gesture.

hogwarts express

fine, fine, i won't use hexes.

pre-robes.

yousmelldead Uxie spooked.duke

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

hogwarts express
• "oh come on" • pre-robes • daniella, elizabeth, pericles • natasha. Uxie yousmelldead

Ignatius had no one to blame but himself for Peri's attitude. Of course he couldn't just take the praise like a normal human being. Pericles somehow morphed Ignatius' recognition into a dagger, attempting to slice back at him. And though the prefect could admit that he should've known better about the healing charm, conceding to the prat accross from him would give him even more gratification.

The responses to Ignatius' comment were mostly well-received, he laughed along to Dani's response and even saw that Eliza gave a brief laugh before abruptly stopping. With what Ignatius has noticed, she had always been reserved with herself, almost as if she was afraid she'd do something wrong. He sympathized with that. Although he had two jobs at school that made him in the limelight at times, he kept it professional (well, as professional as it could get for a sarcastic Quidditch commentator). Most students just knew him from the things he did and said, but who he was behind closed doors and under the light of moon were a mystery. Naturally that meant he didn't attend many of the parties hosted in the Ravenclaw common room to maintain that safe distance. Games like truth or dare never failed to make Ignatius sweat in his seat.

It was no surprise to Ignatius that Pericles wouldn't take any jokes or comments lightly. Never in the werewolf's life has he seen such a stick in the mud, and that's saying a lot considering he had to deal with an auror for a guardian and be around prefects. The Slytherin had snapped at namely Dani's comment and began stirring the pot with his venomous words. Ignatius would have just deemed it as one of the two's usual bickering fits but when he began attacking him as well and Eliza to a higher degree, Ignatius had to hold something back within himself.

Instead of lashing out at the Slytherin like a part of him desired, Ignatius only chuckled at Peri's attempt to stir the pot. His chuckle wasn't out of amusement though, it was one made from annoyance. Although Ignatius' knowledge on Perciles was small, he knew the game he was playing, he wanted everyone to be upset, and Ignatius didn't want to give him the time of day. His questioning on how the three got to their 6th year made Ignatius roll his eyes. "I'm sure the marks on my papers can tell you how." Ignatius responded with a tone as cold as ice, the last thing he wanted to do was lose his cool. With the next full moon not being scheduled to arise for a while, it made controlling his spikes of anger easier, but if Pericles would continue, he didn't know what he'd do.

Why couldn't this guy just bugger off? It made Ignatius' blood boil when Pericles mentioned blood status and parents to have a go at Eliza. He had to shove his hand into the inside of his cardigan pocket just to crumple the material as an attempt to release a bit of his anger. Only when Eliza defended herself did his grip soften ever so slightly, he was glad she had it in her. One of the many things he couldn't sit well with in regards to Crane was when he could get away with saying the most awful things. Even a number of the prefects found it difficult to reprimand the Slytherin and his goons, they'd rather turn a blind eye in exchange for not being their next target.

He had nodded to what Eliza had said, if they didn't want this compartment to burst into flames, they needed to be at least civilised with one another. And as much as he wanted to let Dani hex Peri's mouth shut, giving her the free pass would make him just as bad as the prefects who gave consideration to Crane. "There will be no hexing of any sort. As much as some would possibly like the idea of Crane shutting his insufferable trap, it's against the rules." Though he made the statement to hold Dani back, the words seemed to be directed at the student across from him. He gave both Dani and Peri a warning look before clicking his tongue, if he wasn't so tired over this entire situation he would've inwardly cringed at the fact he was acting like a mum. This was giving him an all too familiar headache that usually a cup of coffee would help subside, unfortunately he didn't have such a luxury. "Let's all settle down."

 

[yousmelldead]

PERICLES CRANE

over it hogwarts express pre-robes
natasha. Uxie spooked.duke

He was over it.

Over the three idiots in the compartment. Over this school year. Over the stupid train ride. Over. It.

His patience was thin to begin with and it was being tested with every moment that passed as he sat by the window. The blonde kept his gaze out the window as Eliza muttered something about not talking about her parents. It was a waste of his breathe arguing with the pureblood. It didn't matter anyway, in two years the odds of him ever coming in contact with them were slim to just about none. He had big plans when he left Hogwarts, well his family did for him at least. His shoulders relaxed slightly at Eliza's statement about having the ride be peaceful. It was probably best before there was a blood bath on board.

"I could also use a simple Langlock jinx to make sure Crane doesn't speak for the rest of the ride."

"What did you just say?" Peri's neck could have snapped from how quickly his gaze shifted from the window to Daniella. Did...did she just threaten to hex him? His jaw slacked slightly while his piercing blue eyes had narrowed towards the brunette. Had she lost her bloody mind? His leg uncrossed slowly, both feet now planted firmly on the ground while the tip of his tongue peeked out from between his lips. He pressed the tips of his fingers against his knee, tapping every few seconds as he fought with the thoughts in his head. There were two paths that could be taken. One being the calm way and the other being the...well not so calm way.

Ignatius was quick to retort Daniella's statement causing Peri's fingers to halt on his knee. He hated to admit it but the Ravenclaw was right. Peri pressed his lips into a thin line as he moved his gaze back to the window. His father's words were now outlined in his mind. Under absolutely any circumstance was he to put the family name through anymore chaos. As soon as the little rumor had been played off Daniella was in for it.

"Anything off the trolly dears?" A grinning woman had strolled up to the compartment, the door sliding open quickly as her chirpy voice came through. "Piss off." Peri eyed the older woman for a moment before biting his tongue. Keeping a low profile was going to be much harder than he thought. Being a prick was all he ever really knew how to do.

code by yousmelldead

 

[natasha.]

chapter two

an important message

the train ride to hogwarts this year was... less than desirable, but you managed to make it to school without turning it into a bloodbath which is a step in the right direction.

now that the term has begun, you see each other as sparsely as before, mainly around the corridors and in shared classes or during quidditch. two weeks have gone by like this, but tonight, something's different.

there's some uneasiness within all the students this year. it feels as though something's brewing in the shadows, something that could strike when they least expect it. the war happened years ago, but it never quite removed all of the evil in the wizarding world, and while none of the students have the slightest clue as for what is to come, tonight might change things. at the very least, it might plant a seed of doubt.

it's late in the evening — a couple of minutes past curfew, in fact — so you're running from wherever you are to get to your dorm before filch (yes, that old prune is still around) or mrs. norris find you. maybe you were in the library studying, or maybe you were taking a stroll. whatever the case, you need to hurry back, and all of you use a particular corridor to get to the staircase (or get off the staircase).

when you pass this corridor tonight, something stops you.

one of the portraits on the wall has a message, but only for one of you.

and suddenly, the four of you find yourselves in the same place once again.

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

Only two weeks since she'd returned to Hogwarts for a new term and Dani was already stuck in detention.

As she had politely explained to Professor McGonogall, there wasn't much one could do if some student up and decided to act like a prick, but Dani sure as hell wasn't going to stand by and let such behaviour be allowed right in front of her. Not to mention it had been directed at her. And, as if aligning itself with history, it had been a Slytherin. While the longstanding rivalry between the two houses was slightly more relaxed these days, there were still many idiots among the lot. At least according to Dani. She had no problem making friends with anyone, regardless of which house they were in, but if people out there were going to take a shot at her or her friends, then she sure as hell was going to strike back.

It was almost routine. A comment had been made, a hex had been fired, and a student ended up in the hospital wing with a head that was much larger than his body. Dani had thought it was perfect since it fit that Slytherin girl's ego, but McGonogall hadn't shared the same view, unfortunately.

As a result, Dani was stuck polishing silver. She'd done this so many times that she began to wonder if a spell had been used to undo all the work any student had done with polishing the silver just so it could serve as a punishment for other students in the future. Whatever the case, it was an incredibly boring task, as all detention tasks were, and after nearly falling asleep in between, Dani was finally done.

It was late, so all she was thinking about was heading back to her dorm so she could collapse on her bed and fall asleep. Those plans were put on hold for a moment when she passed by the ground floor corridor. She had been intending on using the staircase to get up to her common room but before she could get there, something stopped her. Or rather, someone.

"Hey!"

Freezing in her tracks, Dani whipped her head around, though she cocked her head to the side in confusion when she saw that the corridor behind her was empty. Dani's first assumption was that someone was messing with her, but then she heard the voice again.

"Over here! On the wall!"

On the wall? Dani looked to her right where three paintings were hung up. Two of them — the right and left ones — were seemingly empty, but the one in the centre was of a man with curly white hair and a long beard. He was dressed... well? Dani could only assume he was dressed well since she wasn't totally sure what fashion had been like years ago but he was standing beside a chair that was easily nothing short of a throne of sorts. The detailing was impressive.

But Dani wasn't really paying attention to that since she was being called out by a painting.

"My, my, you look like you've been through a war," the man tutted as Dani approached the painting.

"What do you want?" Dani was usually friendly with the portraits in the castle, but she had a long day, and she'd already been reprimanded earlier by McGonogall for leaving her shirt untucked. She had, of course, pulled it out of her skirt again as soon as the headmistress was out of sight, but she didn't need someone else pointing out her messy style in the same day.

"I have a message," he explained, "but not for you."

Dani arched an eyebrow. "Then what do you need me for?"

"I had to ask if you know who the recipient might be, so you can direct him here," the man told her, walking closer to the edge of the frame, as if he were about to whisper a secret. "Do you happen to know an Ignatius Carrow?"

ground floor corridor.

eat, sleep, detention, repeat.

gryffindor robes.

yousmelldead Uxie spooked.duke

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

first floor corridor
• curious • ravenclaw robes • daniella • natasha.

Ever since Ignatius was a kid he always had trouble sleeping. At first he just thought it was because the orphanage made them all sleep like a can of sardines, then he blamed it on his lycanthropy, but at present he started to come to terms with the fact that he was just naturally restless. It had always been a problem for him to fall asleep, the running thoughts in his head always managed to keep him up at ungodly hours. Just 2 weeks into his 6th year at Hogwarts and his dormmates were already fed up with the constant lumos spells he'd use to continue his midnight readings.

Luckily for them, Ignatius was put on patrol tonight. Normally, he would be fine with doing his prefect duties, although they make him look like a prat at times, he had no problem inforcing the rules. But having to be with the same prefect who forced him into that awful experience on the express- Victoria Smith, left him wanting to toss away his prefect pin and go back to his dorm. Most would expect the two of them to get along, they were in the same year and represented the same house, with the amount of time they've spent together, he should be considering her as his best mate. Unfortunately, that was far from the case. Even calling them frenemies would be pushing it, the both disliked each other in the most passive aggressive way, the two always tried to find a way to shove their responsibilities to the other.

With that being said, the victim tonight was Ignatius. While the two were on their way to the first floor, Victoria had excused herself to "powder her nose". Ignatius saw the little gleam in her eyes as she told him, though she was a Ravenclaw and was quite bright, Victoria was an awful liar. Her thin lips always curled into the most horrifying smile and she 'd give too much eye contact for her to seem innocent. And though she asked him, both her and Ignatius knew that he had no control over her wishes, she was going to leave anyway but Iggy had given her a shrug as his answer nonetheless. And like that, he was left patrolling the first floor by himself.

Patrolling began to be more of a mindless stroll than a duty for Ignatius as it seemed that this year, unlike how it was last year with students sneaking around at every corner, there was no one to be found. There was something about this particular year that made everyone on-edge. Even Ignatius felt the foreboding presence, he couldn't grasp nor figure out what exactly was going on that made him feel irked, but it was unlike how he felt when a full moon would draw near. Whatever it is, it's enough for even the usual rule-breaking students to feel discouraged to roam the corridors past curfew. He would be lying if he wasn't concerned (but also relieved) over the lack of snogging students in the badly lit corners of the first floor corridors. After seeing to it that no one was left outside their dormitories, Ignatius began his trip back to his.

The walk back to the staircase was quiet, most of the paintings that decorate the walls were sound asleep and Ignatius made his best effort to walk quietly, he was a few minutes past scheduled patrolling hours and if the old geezer and that blasted cat would find him, they'd throw him into their torturous punishments, 5 minutes beyond prefect patrolling meant he was fair game to them. The two were practically hunting kids to punish. As he was just a turn away to get to the corridor with the staircase, the silence was interrupted by the chatter just at that very turn. A knowing smile grew onto the prefect's lips, he didn't enjoy reprimanding students, but he did enjoy seeing the look on their faces when he catches them. His heightened hearing is one of the only things Ignatius finds useful when it came down to his lycanthropy, and even then there were times he found it extremely annoying. Always being forced to listen to the whispers and gossip of students whenever they sat too close to him was a pain, it was also the main reason onto why he's so well-informed with all the recent rumors spreading around the school. And as he neared the turn of the corridor, this situation was no different, it also didn't help that the two people seemed not to even hide their presence. It's as if they're asking for Mrs. Norris to pounce at them.

"Do you happen to know an Ignatius Carrow?"

His smile dropped. What? A sharp hit of confusion and uneasiness entered Ignatius' bloodstream as he quickly turned the corner to see who these people were. Only when he saw Daniella did the furrow of his brows soften and he let himself give out the tiniest sigh of relief. In front of her was one of the paintings, with a man who would have fallen off the portrait by now if it were possible with the way he was leaning. Ignatius didn't have to be wizard Sherlock Holmes to figure out that the portrait was the one asking about him. Deciding to act as if he didn't hear their conversation, Ignatius' amber eyes landed on the Gryffindor, beginning to regain his composure he smiled. "Why am I not surprised you're out here past curfew?" Ignatius was aware of the dispute Daniella had with that Slytherin girl, how could he not? He was in the hospital wing having a talk with Madame Pomfrey when he saw the life-sized bobble head Daniella turned that Slytherin into. It took a slap on the back of his head from Pomfrey to get him to stop laughing.

"Are you lot done with this little gossip session or should I give you both a few more minutes?" The comment he gave was a joke but his eyes gave away the curiosity he has in regards to this situation. Why would a painting be asking about him? What was this message? As a young man with some important skeletons in his closet, it made Ignatius nervous. Numerous of possible outcomes played inside his mind, a part of him just wanted to keep walking but another part of him wanted to know. He didn't want to show the two that he was internally in a panic, so he leaned against the stone wall. It may look casual but with the uncertainty of what this painting wanted to tell him, he was doing it for extra support.

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

"Ignatuis Carrow?" Daniella echoed. She sure as hell knew who that was, but she didn't understand why someone in a painting wanted anything to do with him. She vaguely wondered if this was some sort of prank being played on the Ravenclaw prefect but she couldn't predict why anyone would want to do such a thing. She was more than ready to interrogate when Iggy himself suddenly appeared.

While his presence might normally garner a smile or a smirk from her, at this moment she could only stare at him, even upon hearing his words to her. For once, Dani was speechless. She knew she should say something about the fact that the portrait she was having a conversation with seemed to be looking for him, for whatever reason, but on the off chance that it was a prank, she felt the need to shield him from it. Despite mainly seeing each other in the library, Dani considered him a friend, and she didn't want any kind of harm coming to him.

But, at the end of the day, she had no way of knowing whether this was a prank or something serious, and she wasn't in a position to keep something like that from him since it was none of her business, so when Iggy leaned against the wall and asked if they needed a few more minutes, Dani glanced briefly at the old man in the portrait before looking back at Ignatius. "He was asking me about you," she explained, gesturing to the painting and then standing back a bit in case Iggy wanted to take her place in front of the old man to see what was up.

"You mean to tell me that this is Ignatius Carrow?" The man looked him up and down as much as he could, narrowing his eyes as if it might help him see better. His tone made it sound like he was expecting someone else but he shrugged after a moment and continued. "Very well, I have a message for you."

"From who?" Dani interjected, folding her arms over her chest and inspecting the painting with some degree of suspicion.

The man stood back, looking appalled. "I'm not at liberty to say. I can say, however, that she gave the message directly to me, so I won't be breaking anyone's trust today," he waved his hand dismissively. Dani caught on to the fact that he clarified it was a 'she', but she didn't take it up further. "In any case, the person who sent the message doesn't matter. What matters is that it comes with a warning."

He studied Iggy for a moment and pretended as though Daniella wasn't there for the time being. "I've been asked to tell you to be careful."

Dani stood silently, expecting him to continue. He took a few moments, almost as if he wanted to dramatise the entire thing, before he continued. "Someone out there who believed you to be dead now knows you aren't dead. It would be in your best interest if this person were to never find you."

A lot of what he was saying confused Dani. Iggy was believed to be dead? More surprising was the fact that someone was looking for him? Why? She knew it wasn't her business, but she couldn't keep herself from asking. "This person who now knows he's alive, who is it?"

The man shot her an exhausted look and glanced between her and Iggy. "Well I thought that was obvious," he shrugged and looked focused on Iggy. "It's your mother."

ground floor corridor.

what's this guy talking about?

gryffindor robes.

yousmelldead Uxie spooked.duke

 

[Uxie]

hogwarts express

no no no no no

hufflepuff robes

daniella, ignatius

natasha.

eliza

the destined

she was almost embarrassed to admit that she'd lost track of time while wandering the library. eliza had gone there after dinner originally with the intention of studying for her upcoming tests, but had ended up being drawn into the rows upon rows of old books. every other book seemed to catch her eye, and she'd managed to revise only a quarter of her planned material. eliza was usually punctual, but the reason for her present lateness was certainly predictable.

and now, she was going to get it from filch. whatever it was, and eliza didn't plan on stalling around long enough to find out. taking a familiar route, one that she'd discovered was the shortest distance between the library and the hufflepuff common room, the girl was speed-walking through the hallways with a tight grip on her notes. she had never been a fast walker, but her strolling abilities were being fuelled by fear. dodging one of those trick staircases that would've surely gotten her in a pinch, eliza finally located the correct staircase.

excited at the thought of her imminent safety, eliza sped up, missing the first step and nearly taking a tumble down the whole way. a quick hand on the railing saved her from a trip to the infirmary, but the hufflepuff promptly decided that taking it slow the rest of the way would be better for her limbs and her heart. she'd probably still make it in time. hopefully, filch and mrs. norris were still patrolling the sixth floor, and she could take her sweet time with the last part of her journey.

her pace slowed even more as she reached the bottom, catching sight of two familiar figures. daniella and ignatius. for some reason, eliza had felt like she'd crossed paths with them a lot more since they shared a compartment on the train ride here. perhaps it was because she noticed them more, but regardless, she was pleasantly surprised to find it was a little less awkward greeting them nowadays. their attentions were fixated on the wall in front of them, and eliza followed their gazes to the man in the painting with a serious expression.

she approached them carefully, just catching the last of the painting's sentence. "it would be in your best interest if this person were to never find you." that was... creepy. but who was this person? daniella echoed her silent question almost telepathically, and eliza flushed, becoming quite aware of the fact that she was very much eavesdropping on what could be a private conversation. it was terribly unbecoming of her, but admittedly, her curiosity was piqued. still, she might as well try to preserve her honour by squeezing past them quietly and pretending she hadn't heard a word.

"well, i thought that was obvious. it's your mother."

that halted her in her tracks. one of her books tumbled out of her grasp in her stupor, landing unceremoniously on the ground with a loud 'thud'. so much for going quietly. she scrambled for her book, then gave her acquaintances a bashful smile as she got to her feet. eliza considered right then just making a run for it, but she didn't think that would make a great impression either.

"good evening," she greeted politely, hating the subtle shake in her voice. her nervousness was painfully evident, and eliza had no doubt her expression was akin to a deer caught in the headlights. "it's a, uh, lovely night... i didn't hear about anyone's mother." she winced at her last words. real subtle.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Xed]

Arc Le'Frey

Wandering the hallways of Hogwarts past curfew was pretty much par for course with Arc but tonight it wasn't the usual mix of boredom and curiosity that had lulled him out of bed. Had it been that then his feet would have carried him outside and not stayed indoors to take an aimless stroll. It was hard to believe that this was the first time he snuck out past curfew in the two weeks since the new school year started. Old Filch had even given him curious looks from time to time during the day as if he missed trying to catch him out of bed. He had to admit that in the squib's shoes, he'd probably be doing the same thing.

Normally he was happy to return to Hogwarts and inch another year closer to graduation. In fact this was meant to be the year that Audelia began to take her place as next head of the family, a year of celebration for the both of them. A half-hearted smile flashed on his lips at the memory of his older sister. Audie had always exceeded the expectations others had of her and she had always looked forward to emulating their great grandmother. Bringing more glory to their family legacy had always been her dream and his dream had been to be free to pursue what he wanted and go where he desired. This was meant to be the year that those dreams took form in earnest and started to become their reality. Instead all of that was nothing more than a pipe dream. Audie would never take that seat and he would never be free. Graduation now promised him a life chained to the family he despised, eternally trapped in the shadow of what his sister had been and could have become. It made all his years of rule breaking and doing whatever he wanted seem like a complete joke. Like fate was mocking him for having even tried to carve out his own past.

Arc scuffed his feet on the ground as he continued to walk aimlessly with bitterness in his gaze. Anytime someone saw him nowadays, they all seemed to give him a look that made him want to claw their eyes out or whisper about his sister and grandfather. It made him sick and had landed him in serious trouble when he attempted to transfigure a student who had thought to mess with him into a rat. They were only supposed to start learning human transfiguration this year but curiosity had led him to read ahead and anger had spurred him into action. The lucky bastard had been saved by the timely arrival of the headmistress and he...well at least he got to see the wimp wet himself in fear and lose all strength in his legs if nothing else and most of the other students gave him a wide berth once word of his insane attempt had gotten round. However, dealing with the headmistress, punishments and the verbal tirade from his parents had been painful and though he had a reputation for causing chaos, even he had to admit the transfiguration attempt was a little out of character for him. Audie would have been scolding him upside down and giving another one of her lessons on being kind and having more consideration for others. In truth her influence was probably the only reason why he even considered that transfiguration attempt out of character. And to think his parents actually birthed someone like her when they only knew how to speak acidic words. Laughable. Even now the words they had drilled into his brain since that day were echoing in his mind and eroding the last bits of the lid he had tamped down on his anger and frustration. All he wanted to do was be free, to pretend freedom was still what awaited him after graduation. That his life hadn't changed. But everyone seemed determined to get in his way, to remind him that nothing would ever be the same. And it was bringing out the worst in him.

Arc slowed as his ears picked up on the sound of voices coming from the corner up ahead. Filch? No, he couldn't detect the old man's signature croak, the voices belonged to a group that didn't have him. Arc paused for a half a step when he rounded the corner and was greeted with the sight of an odd group. His dear old detention buddy and occasional partner in crime, the naggy, do good Ravenclaw prefect and the spineless Hufflepuff girl. If they were lucky, a few taunts and snarky words would be enough to abate his building frustration tonight. His lips curled into a smirk as he made his way down the hall towards them. "Well, well, if it isn't our resident golden boy. Whatever is a goody two shoes like you doing out here after curfew? Don't tell me," his eyes flickered from Dani to Eliza then back to Iggy, as he feigned shock "you've been secretly having a three way tryst with shorty here and the stutterer?" his voice was dripping with sarcasm as he continued, "Who would have known you had such fetishes in you. The rest of the school would have such a shock if they found out. Perhaps I should do them all a service and let them in on this wonderful news I've stumbled upon." Arc was just throwing up whatever came to mind but that idea actually didn't sound too bad. Completely untrue yes, but he couldn't care less about that. If nothing else, it would be extremely entertaining to watch it all unfold and it would take some of that unwanted attention off the news surrounding his family and give him the breathing room he desperately needed.
spooked.duke
Uxie
natasha.

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

first floor corridor
• "this isn't real." • ravenclaw robes • daniella, elizabeth, archard • natasha. Uxie Xed

"My mother? That cant be possible."​

The words slipped out so fast, Ignatius forgot that Dani was there to hear them. When he had inserted himself into the conversation, a list of possible outcomes played within his head, but this situation was not on that list. To him, it was completely out of the realm of possibility. He expected the portrait to tell him about an extra assignment from a professor, something regarding his quidditch casting, or even a message from his prefect partner before she left, not a warning and a claim that his mother once thought he was dead and she was now looking for him. If anything, it was her who was thought to be dead. And even with this awfully serious-sounding message, Ignatius still believed her to be buried somewhere six feet under, or at least enjoying her life without him in it. There had to be a reason onto why someone had left him in that orphanage, dropped off and left neatly wrapped up in a blanket with the name "Ignatius" embroidered onto it. For her to be alive and actively searching for him would destroy everything he built up for himself to believe.

Before Ignatius could even muster a proper response, a familiar Hufflepuff made her presence known to the group. He winced the same second she did. Of course she heard everything, her little ramble made it obvious. Ignatius was never one to cuss in front of others, Maggie taught him that lesson from a young age, but at this moment, he sure wanted to chuck that lesson out the nearest window and swear like a sailor. He felt helpless. In no possible way did he have control over this predicament nor had an idea on what this portrait was on about, his biological parents were gone, he was sent to an orphanage for Merlin's sake; but suddenly out of the blue, a magic painting wanted to tell him otherwise. Regardless of what he was saying were true, it's always been a reflex for Ignatius to hide things, whether it was a lie or fact, gossip spreads like a wildfire and Ignatius didn't want any of it. Eliza being an added member to this whole debacle only made Iggy's normally calm demeanor crack.

"Ah, miss Pham. What a... pleasant surprise. " There was a noticeable falter in his voice, but he brushed it off in hopes that both she and Dani didn't notice his shift in attitude. "A lovely night indeed, but you should be in your dorm right now." For a quick second Ignatius pauses, eyes looking between the two before taking a sharp breath, almost in defeat. Whatever this was, these two heard about it, and to pretend that they didn't would be foolish. "Obviously, this portrait either woke up from a wild dream or is mistaken with the supposed recipient of this message." Ignatius is unsure if he's trying to convince Eliza and Dani or himself. He gives a narrow glance to the man behind the frame. "With all do respect sir, the woman who birthed me didn't want anything to do with me, or at least died before she had the chance to. If this is a joke, consider me highly amused." Ignatius was stubborn to believe this portrait, if anything, this was a poorly outputted joke that some jokester students thought would be funny to pull on him. Unfortunately, Ignatius was far from laughing. For some reason, this entire situation got him riled up. But why? Although he was almost certain that this entire message wasn't for him or at least wasn't meant to be taken seriously, he acted as if it was for him and that it was to be taken seriously.

"Well, well, if it isn't our resident golden boy."

The additional voice made Ignatius stiffen. If Eliza's presence wasn't enough to hurl Ignatius into a miniature panic, the next entering force was. Archard Le' Frey If there was one person in the world that Ignatius didn't want to see at this time, it was him. The Slytherin has been a pain in his arse since 5th year, constantly making his duties as a prefect much harder than they usually are. His attention on the talking painting quickly snapped to Arc, there was a mixture of emotions in the prefect's eyes, but annoyance was the most distinctive when his eyes met Arc's. "Was this your doing, Le' Frey? I don't have the patience to deal with your antics tonight. If you piss off now, I'll spare you the extra detention." There was a clear sound of warning in Ignatius' tone, he wasn't normally one to let people like Arc off the hook, but he just didn't have the energy nor the patience to hold back if Arc's taunting continued. It felt right for Ignatius to accuse this all to be a joke, and Arc managing to be just around the corner only solidified this belief. Because this couldn't all be true... right?

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

Dani faced Ignatius as soon as the man in the portrait explained that his mother knew he was alive. A lot of this didn't make sense to her. She didn't understand why he was believed to be dead in the first place, and aside from that, his birth mother was out there somewhere searching for him?

Dani knew she should say something, though she didn't get the chance because they were soon joined by Eliza, who was clearly trying to pretend like she hadn't overheard anything that had just been said. It was pretty clear that she did hear though, and Dani gave her a small smile in greeting before she proceeded to chew on her lower lip because she felt like a lot of people — including herself — were being clued in on something important that was meant to just be Iggy's business. Now that she knew though, she was a little concerned, in part because she couldn't believe that a mother could be fooled into thinking her own son had died when he was, in fact, alive, and also because she had no idea how Ignatius was reacting to this news on the inside.

She could tell there was a shift, but Iggy seemed to not want to address what had just been revealed to him. For once in her life, Dani stayed silent, mainly because she was at a loss for words. Either that or she had so much to say about it that she had no clue where to begin.

The man in the painting seemed quite offended by the fact that Iggy seemed to think he was playing some cruel joke on him. "A joke?" He echoed, placing a hand against his chest dramatically. "Do I look like the kind of person who jokes around? I maintain a professional image at all times, thank you very much," he shook his head slowly, as if in disappointment. "This is no lie, nor is it a mistake. You, Ignatius Carrow, have a mother out there who's looking for you, and as I hear it, she's not too happy about finding out that she'd been lied to about your death."

As if to make matters worse, Archard soon arrived onto the scene. What were the odds that they'd all somehow stumble upon one another after curfew after just being forced to sit together on the train while traveling to Hogwarts? A frustrated groan escaped Dani's lips as he poked jabs at Iggy, clearly not sensing what was going on. Well at least he hadn't heard the portrait. At least, Dani didn't think so. This could also just be his way of taking some attention away from it all.

The situation was only becoming more tense. While Dani might have otherwise poked a jab right back at Archard, whether for fun or to defend Iggy, right now she didn't feel like that would help any of them. "I'm sure Arc had nothing to do with it because even if he can be a pain in the ass, he's not that cruel. Right, Arc?" She looked at him pointedly, as if she needed to hear the words to believe her own assumption.

If it really was no joke though, what did it all mean?

ground floor corridor.

oh boy.

gryffindor robes.

Xed Uxie spooked.duke

 

[Uxie]

ground floor corridor

no fights please!

hufflepuff robes

daniella, ignatius, archard

natasha. spooked.duke Xed

eliza

the destined

she didn't know what she had been expecting. maybe a kind greeting or a polite 'good evening', but it was at times that the fact that ignatius was a prefect slipped her mind. his demeanour differed so vastly from his colleagues that she supposed he'd never had that kind of image in her head, though the stern look he was giving her now said otherwise. the slightest waver in his voice only further told her that she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. eliza was thankful, at least, for the small smile daniella gave her that provided her that little bit of comfort in a tense situation.

"s-sorry, i was just-" a voice interrupted her rather unceremoniously, and eliza cringed at the crude words that came with the too-familiar drawl.

"you've been secretly having a tryst with shorty here and the stutterer?" as if on cue, eliza felt her cheeks burn, both at his insult and the act he was suggesting. she seized up, shifting ever so slightly towards daniella as if wanting to hide behind the girl, though she'd much rather have just sunk into a hole right there and then. would it hurt to just make a break for it still? the atmosphere was getting horridly suffocating.

dani made an attempt at defending arc, and eliza pressed her lips into a fine line. she didn't know anything about the true extent of arc's cruelty, and she wouldn't put it past him, if her past experiences were anything to go by. either way, if it escalated into a real fight, all of them would be implicated. "i-i don't think we should jump to conclusions," she echoed softly, her eyes wide, "either way, i don't believe mr..." her voice trailed off as she stared at the old wizard, trying to match a name to his face, but gave up shortly after. "painting's inclined to lie about such a thing."

she clutched her books to her chest, and snuck a glance at the ravenclaw prefect, her expression betraying her concern. she couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his— maybe it was the tension or just plain tiredness, his mind opened just that bit for her and eliza unwittingly took a front-row seat to his thoughts. sheer disbelief, annoyance, but also an almost overwhelming sense of panic as he struggled to get a handle on the situation. she forced the door closed, immediately regretting having committed such an invasion of privacy, but her little peer in almost certainly told her that ignatius needed anything but more fuel to the fire from cynical le'frey.

her gaze darted to the hallway she and archard had come from, her mind seeking out anything that could be used to change the subject. the quietest of meows from at least several floors up provided the perfect opportunity. "filch might be coming soon. i thought i saw him on my way down. s-so we should just, um, scatter." eliza finished with a meek smile, all while avoiding ignatius' gaze, still feeling guilty about having used her ability on him. she wondered, though, why it would be such a bad thing for ignatius' mother to be alive and looking for him. perhaps the animated canvas would have more answers, but it definitely wasn't her place to ask, and with how things were turning out, there was no doubt eliza had already overstayed her welcome.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Xed]

Arc Le'Frey

Oh boy was Arc enjoying this. Talk about a perfect cocktail of students to lift his mood. He cocked an eyebrow as Iggy fired accusations his way. His doing? Had someone else gotten fed up with the goody two shoes act Iggy was always doing cause as far as Arc could recall, he hadn’t done anything to mess with the prefect this year, yet. Though considering the look Ignatius was giving him because of whatever this was, he was more than happy to claim the credit…once he got more details of course. It would be just pure foolishness on his part if he did not do his due diligence to find out whatever it was that had poor old Iggy all riled up like this when he could potentially use it to mess with him in the future. Arc did so love poking holes in that golden boy image of his. He considered how to prod the information out of the Ravenclaw when Daniella chimed in.

“even if he can be a pain in the ass, he’s not that cruel. Right, Arc?”

Arc blinked and fought off a laugh at Dani’s words. She was giving him this look as if her eyes could drag the answer she wanted to hear from his lips which amused him even more. Had the Gryffindor gone blind or deaf over the break? Or was she so short that all the gossip just flew right over her head out of reach from her ears? Him, ‘not that cruel’? If this was her attempt at a joke it was hilarious. Had she suddenly forgotten everything he had done over the past few years? Did she not hear about how McGonagall had to stop him from attempting to use a spell they hadn’t been taught yet to transfigure a student into a rat? Oh hell it was so hard to not just burst out laughing.

“A pain in the ass? You wound me Dani. I thought we were closer than that.” Arc managed once he had suppressed his urge to laugh enough to feign hurt. They were probably as close as cats and dogs who teamed up every once in a while to go after a mouse but honestly, who cared? He didn't. Done responding to the Gryffindor, he turned his attention to the Ravenclaw. One wrong word too many and it felt like Carrow might actually tear into him. Was it bad that he wanted to push him over the edge? Probably, but he didn’t care. Unlike what Dani seemed to want to believe, he was cruel and it wasn’t like anyone else would disagree. The one person who would wasn't around anymore and even she couldn't completely deny his cruel streak, no, in fact, she'd tell him off for it, but she would also insist that he had a kind heart underneath that prickly exterior and that he could change. Audie was probably the only person who believed that, she was certainly the only person he knew who'd tried. Even the teachers seemed to give up after a while. Now that she was gone, it felt like the stuff she had taught him didn’t matter. There didn’t seem to be a point to trying anymore. Plus he had a reputation and a target on his back as the only son, and now child, of the Le'Frey Family. That target had only grown bigger after the events that occurred last year with his family. It was better for him not to have any weaknesses and kindness could be a weakness, especially in their world where power was the most important thing. Audie had always insisted that wasn't the case but she had always been considered one of the most gifted and powerful witches of her year and their position as children of one of the most powerful wizarding families demanded it. She may have never admitted it out loud but in her heart she had to have known as he did, nothing mattered more than power.

Eliza chimed in with a voice so soft Arc almost didn’t catch her talking, caught up in his thoughts as he was. It was all kinds of amusing to see the taller girl attempt to hide behind Dani but it was what she said that really caught his attention. A painting? Lying? This was turning out to be both interesting and sad. Sad because there went his chance to claim credit for causing Carrow’s grief. Not that he ever intended on openly declaring that he was responsible because that was plain stupid, and he didn’t do plain stupid. No, he’d just planned to pretend and keep the Ravenclaw upset and guessing as to whether he really was involved. Now, he’d just have to settle for keeping Ignatius guessing until the painting cleared the air. Still plenty good fun and definitely hadn’t dampened his curiosity as to what had upset Ignatius so.

“I know you don’t like me Mr Prefect, but you really shouldn’t falsely accuse a student because of a personal grudge and certainly not without any evidence.” He paused for effect as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “Just imagine what others would say if they heard you right now, accusing and threatening a student like this, why one might say you’re abusing your authority and I can only imagine they would be oh so disappointed.” He dragged out a sigh and shook his head in mock disappointment as he finished. It probably wouldn’t take much more before the prefect snapped if he hadn’t already. Just a few more touches and – “You should be kinder Archie. Not everyone is like our parents.” Arc paused at the memory of his sister’s voice echoing in his head. The smirk faded and his fingers tightened their grip ever so slightly where they rested on his arms. Forget it. As the timid Hufflepuff had squeaked out earlier, filch could pop out at any moment, especially if things got loud and violent, and as fun as seeing the prefect get even angrier would be, the only thing worse than his parents getting another letter would be getting caught by the squib with the three of them.
spooked.duke
Uxie
natasha.

 

[spooked.duke]

Ignatius Carrow

the orphan

first floor corridor
• "shut up." • ravenclaw robes • daniella, elizabeth, archard • natasha. Uxie Xed

So it really wasn't a joke. Nor a misunderstanding. Nor anything else but what the portrait had said. His mother was alive and looking for him. She wasn't dead in a ditch nor enjoying her escapades in a tropical island. She's looking for him. But why is it so bad that she is? Ignatius didn't know. He didn't know anything and it was more than starting to get to him. He was at his wits end with this entire conversation and he didn't know whether to press the portrait for more questions or to storm off from the frustration building up within him. "Then... Then why should I be careful of her...?" He decided to continue pushing even though his brain was practically telling him to leave it. What was the point? The other three had already heard nearly everything that had been said by the portrait. There was no use fooling himself that he alone would burden this secret. And to continue debating with himself would just entertain the thing inside him which practically grew from his torments.

Ignatius didn't have a name for the monster that resided within him. As a child, he believed giving it one would only give it more power over him. Like it would to a monster under his bed, or a boggart burrowed within his wardrobe, and young Ignatius didn't want to face it nor look at it. And he didn't really need to back then. From his eighth to fourteenth birthday, the only time he ever really feared it's presence was during the full moon; and even then all there was to worry about was possibly getting out of the numerous chains Maggie would charm onto him in their old cellar. When looking back at it, the reasoning of his child self was only made to give an excuse, and dilute it's existence, to only fear it when the full form of lady Luna was among the stars. Now at the age of sixteen he wasn't given such a luxury. The beast that was once so dormant suddenly made it's presence more known to the boy, as if to get back at him for all the times he ignored it and tried to live a "normal" life. It was when Iggy was in a heated argument with Maggie when he got back from his fifth year at Hogwarts did the first red flag occur, he practically growled at her before he was sent to his room. He did greatly regret it moments after but ever since then, whenever the full moon was just around the corner it became easy to get on Iggy's nerves and eventually cause him to lash out if he isn't too careful.

It was more than obvious that his sense of carefulness was quickly fleeting the more Arc spoke. The way Ignatius clenched his fist was enough to leave a mark on his palm if he doesn't look into healing it later. Normally rage made him deaf to all things around him, but in this case it only heightened his awareness to the piercing words stabbing through his patience. Ignatius knew Archard either far too well or far too little, he didn't know if Dani was blind to how much of a total arse Arc is or if she knew more to him that Ignatius didn't, a part of him wanted to believe that she just had a tolerance for prats - she still does associate herself with Iggy even after he showed her his snarky side after all but Ignatius also knew her to be rather reckless. Maybe her choice of friends was a reflection of that. But regardless she was right. The more Ignatius glared at Le' Frey, the more he noticed how completely unaware the Slytherin was to the situation. That is, until prior when the portrait had defensively stated that what he said was not a joke.

Ignatius would have been ashamed of himself for wrongly accusing Archard if the other wasn't taunting him for it. Instead of uttering a slightly genuine apology, Ignatius clenched his fist tighter and let out a scoff. "Oh shut up already Le' Frey. I've had enough of you, you've been a pain in my arse ever since you came back. It was more than enough for me to deal with you on the trolley but you chose the wrong time to poke your snotty little head here. And don't you dare start lecturing me about my self image when your's isn't pretty to begin with." The prefect had expected to bellow out a growl, to bare his teeth and just let it take advantage of this situation. He was initially fueled by rage and yet his voice gave away the exhaustion and frustration he felt. His volume was surprisingly hushed, like if he were to be any louder, he'd find himself dizzy from the energy being exerted. Ignatius has never felt so torn up by words that would commonly mean nothing to him. It took every fiber of his being to not run back to his dorm when he found his vision to be blurred by the buildup of tears that he didn't even know were surfacing as he spoke. "Just shut up, Le' Frey." Ignatius turned the other way as Eliza softly spoke, head facing the ground as he pretended to rub his eyes, he knew that the three had most likely seen the tears building up as he had lashed out, but he didn't want it to be acknowledged.

After rubbing away any traces of the tears, Ignatius looked to Eliza, who had somehow managed to stay calmer than he expected from her. He was ready to face the pitiful look she'd give him but to his small surprise, he found her looking anywhere but at him. Did she feel sorry for him that much? Ignatius didn't want to know. Instead, Ignatius recomposed himself, even fixing his robes while he was at it, and nodded. "Right." He agreed before shifting his gaze from person to person. "It's been... quite the night. And I deeply apologize for everything that had been done here. You all shouldn't have been roped into this predicament and yet here we are. I'm truly sorry." He acted as if he showed no vulnerability just a moment ago, just resorting back to polite prefect Ignatius. He didn't want to burden them even more with a sob story. "And if you don't mind... I wouldn't like any of this being talked about." His eyes immediately went back to Archard.

 

[natasha.]

daniella myrdden

the cursed

Since Dani was typically the one caught in tricky situations and arguments like the one they were now in, it was a little awkward to be standing on the sidelines and witnessing it happen between Arc and Iggy. Archard's words at least were expected. Eliza's attempts to defuse the situation before it got any worse were appreciated and Dani wanted to chime in, though before she got the chance to do so, Iggy spoke up, and it was clear to her that he was upset. She couldn't quite remember if she'd ever actually seen him this way. Snarky comments were one thing, but this was different. If this was a prank, it had gotten way too far.

But, as the portrait insisted, it wasn't a prank. It was all true, whatever he was saying. And that seemed to make Iggy even more frustrated. He recomposed himself though, after a moment, and there was a brief moment of silence. Dani had a feeling it was because all of them were a little surprised by Iggy's outburst. The guy in the painting seemed to be watching on in silence as well, clearly knowing that if he spoke right now, his words definitely wouldn't be appreciated.

Dani intended to speak up to assure Ignatius that they wouldn't talk about whatever just happened because it was his business — even if she was the tiniest bit curious to learn more about whatever this portrait was talking about — but she never got the chance to say anything. Amid it all, they'd failed to hear the approaching footsteps, and as Dani opened her mouth to speak, another familiar voice spoke up instead, causing her to whip around only to come face to face with Professor McGonogall.

"Do you four have any idea what time it is?" She crossed her arms over her chest. Dani had been worried that Filch would catch them, but somehow, being caught by the headmistress herself was somehow worse.

"I'm not surprised by you two," she glanced at Arc and Dani before shifting her gaze to Eliza and Ignatius. "But you two? What's going on here?"

The man in the painting disappeared, as if he too were worried about getting detention. Dani wanted to say something to cover up for them being out there well past curfew — at this point even the prefects were meant to be indoors — but she wasn't really sure what to say that would make sense or keep McGonogall from asking further questions.

She seemed unhappy with the silence. "Very well." Dani seemed to sense what was coming next because it was a tone she often got from McGonogall. At least once every day. "Since you four seem to enjoy loitering about past curfew you can do the same tomorrow as well. During detention."

Dani was already serving another detention for the rest of the week, so this was just what she needed. And her quidditch team was not going to be very forgiving for her missing out on practise when the year had only just begun.

"Now run along back to your common rooms. We'll discuss the details of your punishment tomorrow after class."

ground floor corridor.

well that's the end of that.

gryffindor robes.

Xed Uxie spooked.duke