Bursting through the entry way of the hospital wing, Piers ran as fast as he could with Leo levitating by his side. He sure hoped the students were right behind him with Victor. By the way, he wasn't about to check in. They had bleeding students and a librarian here (was he even conscious anymore?).

"Cece!" he called out, before dragging Leo to a bed and directing the students to do the same with Victor. Surely she had gotten his panicked patronus.

Cece had hurried as fast as she could to the infirmary to get things ready for the injured that were on their way. She had just opened the observation room and got it ready for everyone that would be coming in when the door flew open.

"Professor Fuller. What happened out there?" She immediately started looking Professor Kitridge over while the others brought in the injured student. "And why were you two professors in the forest, at night, with students?"

There better be a damn good reason for them being in that forest, in the dark. With students.

Seriously, she was so tired of these professors putting students lives in danger. And now one of her own colleagues had been injured as well.

Jasmine had run like crazy, awkwardly trying to keep Bay steady as Cassia levitated him. She thought that they would never get back to the castle. When they finally made it to the hospital wing, Jasmine felt a little relief. Thank Merlin they had all made it back alive.

As they ran into the Observation Room, Jasmine could see Professor Fuller with Mr. Kitridge. The Healer was there ready to spring into action. Calling out to Cassia, Jasmine said, "Let's get Bay over to one of the beds". Looking at Bay, Jasmine was very worried. He didn't look too good now that the were in the light.

during the trip to where ever they were going Bay couldn't handle the pain and more and for some reason he couldn't feel some of his limbs, so he Passed out. He was floating.. floating around in nothingness, he could feel something but he just didn't know what it was or where it was happening.

How she managed to get to the hospital wing without dropping poor Victor was beyond her. But who cared, eh? The important thing is that she and Jasmine succeeded in that. Though, how she couldn't remember quite well. It was all rushed. They'd gotten to the infirmary so fast or perhaps it was them being too busy and worried to notice how long it took them.

But they were here at last. Her head of house would know what to do and both the librarian and Victor would be okay. Hopefully.

Slowly, Cassia set Victor down on the other bed and felt a great pressure left off her chest. She folded her arms over her chest feeling a chill. She'd not noticed the cold despite taking off her blanket due to the adrenaline that pumped through her veins. Fortunately it wasn't freezing here like in the forest.

Sometime during the trip to the hospital wing Leo had lost conciousness due to the bites and scratches he had sustained in the forest. When he was placed on a bed by Piers, he shortly regained some conciousness and whispered out. "Cece." as he saw the blond healer nearby and heard her voice.

With a glance in Piers's direction he mumbled out "Is everyone alll right?" before he passed out again. The wounds and scratches were sapping Leo's strength.

He was too busy panicking about Leo and the students that the charms professor hadn't paid much attention to his own scratches and... mild frostbite?

Yeah, yeah, WHY were the students with them?? That was Leo's doing, but he wasn't about to throw the bleeding man under the bus. "Leo sent me a patronus, saying he saw sparks in the forest, like from a wand. So I went down there to help him look for someone, but we were attacked. It was too fast, I couldn't see. It was too dark. But there were a lot of them. Creatures." Nodnodnod. And he was still FREEZING COLD, his teeth were still chattering.

Healer Tillstorm continued to look over Professor Kitridge noticing the missing patch of hair on his head. Someone was going to be upset when he woke up and realized he had this huge BALD spot.

Oh look. He was waking up. Or not. Before she could even answer him about the others, he has slipped into unconsciousness again.

Oh, so it was Kitridge who took the students out there? And why was it he sent for Professor Fuller to go out into the forest? Why didn't he send for the creatures professor? After all, the forest was filled with all kinds of magical creatures. Would only make sense to have Professor Thompson out there, not the charms professor. "Did either of you bother informing the headmistress about what has happened?" She asked professor Fuller after he told her what had happened.

Hearing the voices of the students she looked over towards the other bed. That's when she seen her. "Cassia! What were you doing out there?" And why was it Cece had not been notified that one of her students was being sent out to the jungle? "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Cece really wanted to focus all her attention on the snake, but seeing as how the girl was up and walking, she knew it was more important to focus on the unconscious ones. Like this boy that the girls had just brought in.

She turned back to professor Fuller before she started to tend to Victor, "Professor, please stand over here with professor Kitridge while I tend to the students." She then turned back to the girls. "Are either of you hurt?" Okay, so she had already asked Cassia that question once, but she really wanted to know. Not waiting for a reply from them she started to check over the unconscious boy.

What the hell kind of creature did this?

Jasmine continued to look at Bay with concern. It seemed that he was in and out of consciousness and from what she could see, Mr. Kittridge didn't look much better.

Now that they were safely back in the castle, Jasmine became aware of a pain in her arm. Looking down, she saw blood and remembered that she had cut herself when she fell. When the Healer asked if she and Cassia were alright, Jasmine replied, "I'm fine." They had way bigger problems to deal with than a cut arm. Jasmine stepped back to allow the Healer to tend to Bay. "Please let them be OK", she thought to herself.

Her eyes darted from Bay to Mr.Kitridge when the man spoke. Good, he could talk meaning he was g-- never mind that. He passed out. Cassia dismissed all the dark thoughts. He was ... napping or something. People do that.

When her head of house spoke to her, she was glad to have something to say rather than be consumed with her thoughts. "I ... we..." she started gesturing to Jasmine, ".. Followed mister Kitridge and Victor to give them blankets," That seemed to have happened a long time ago when it actually couldn't have been that long.

Touched by her head of house concern, the snake nodded and willed herself to stand straighter. Despite her strictness, the healer obviously cared lots for her snakes. "I'm ok, just really cold," she said rubbing her arms. Oh, and she had scratches, as did Jasmine. She almost forgot about those.

After making sure the students from the meeting were heading back to the dorms, Javy went down to the castle doors hoping to catch them, but he missed them. Thoughts on either of them being partially wounded led him to head to the Hospital Wing. Yes, his two closest male friends were on his mind but the students came first because there was going to be some trouble if any of the students sent were seriously injured.

Entering in, Javy saw them as he stood by the Charms Professor. His eyebrows moved inward at the sight. Part of him was relieved that Piers and the young ladies weren't in grave danger by the looks, but with Leo and young Victor Bay laying while Cece was tending to the girls... Well, the worry was seeping in real fine. It wasn't an easy sight to bare. Asking if everyone was okay wasn't going to get an honest answer from either so he was bypassing that. "Thank Merlin you all made it.. " Somewhat loss for words as he felt partially responsible for them getting some of those injuries. "Did any of you see or find out the person who had entered the forest earlier?"

He had no idea what was happening it was all to dark? he couldn't feel anything he couldn't move his legs or anything, all he could feel was the burning in his collar bone…. it felt like it was on fire… he just wished that someone would put it out already.

He didn't know how he had done it but his eyes slowly opened up as he saw the bright lights above him… he moved his eyes around looking at the faces.. wanting to scream for someone to heal him.. his eyes were darting back and forth faster.. panicking he couldn't move anything and the fire…. please the fire!!!!! he wanted to scream more now than earlier.

Had any of them bothered to inform the headmistress? Piers blinked at Cece. "I hadn't thought that far. I was more concerned about getting whoever sent the sparks out of the forest." Perhaps Leo had? He didn't know and the librarian was a little too unconscious to question at the moment.

Finally, his heart rate had settled back down nearly normal and Piers followed the Healer's instructions and stood by Leo. He couldn't bear to look at the state he was in, so he looked off to the side, just in time to see Javy enter and stand beside him.

Javy. He felt better already. That was who he wanted to see. He wondered if Javy knew he had gone out. Probably not. Piers leaned against the Creatures professor's arm... just because. He shook his head at his question. "No. We were attacked and ran out as fast as we could. Whoever it was, I think they got out." Unless the spiders had led them to a completely different place, then... well that person was an icicle by now.

The girls followed Kitridge and the boy to take them blankets? "Why would you do something like that? Who gave you permission to go out into the cold forest, unsupervised?" Yes, unsupervised. Whoever had sent them out there had no clue if the girls were even going to find the librarian, let alone make it back alive.

As for the girls being alright. She could tell they were not telling her the truth. All she had to do was look at them to know that they too had injuries. Not to mention they both looked like popsicles. "Both you girls sit over there," she said pointing to the two beds on the other side of the room. "Wrap yourselves up in the blankets. I'll check back on you soon." She then placed a warming charm on the blankets for the girls.

Oh look, it was the creatures professor.coming to check on everyone.

WAIT A MINUTE!

"Thank Merlin they all made it?" She said glaring at the man. "You knew these students were out in that cold, dangerous forest yet you didn't think that just maybe, as the Care of Magical Creatures professor, you should have been out there with them?" What the hell had this man been thinking? He knew as well as anyone here that the forest was filled with all kinds of magical creatures. Most of them being of the dangerous kind.

What was with these professors and their plain lack of any common sense? "You hadn't thought that far? Oh please, let me do all the thinking then." Pointing her wand towards the door she sent a patronus off to the the headmistress. She then started cleaning the wounds on Victor, trying to assess just how bad they were when she looked up and seen...

"Excuse me professors. Are we interrupting something here?" Yes, she seen the way Fuller was leaning on Thompson. "I expect a little more professionalism here than that. Either help out here or both of you can leave." That includes you 'Mr. I didn't think that far'.

Turning all of her attention back to the student, she finished cleaning up his wounds. She then gave him something for the pain she was sure he would be in when he woke up.

If only she knew what had attacked them she would be able to better treat them.

Ohhhhhh, she had been afraid of this. The Healer was legendary and Jasmine was almost as afraid of her as she was of the creatures they had encountered in the forest. Almost. Then the Healer asked who gave them permission to out unsupervised. Gulp. Jasmine looked at Cassia with wide eyes. She wasn't going to be the one to throw Professor Thompson under the bus.

When she was offered a warm blanket, Jasmine did not hesitate. She walked across the room, grabbed a blanket for herself and handed one to Cassia. Then she sat down on one of the empty beds. Before she knew it, Professor Thompson entered the observation room. Oooops, busted. Jasmine didn't have to tell on him because he just told on himself.......or the Healer figured it out. Either way the Healer unleashed a tongue lashing of epic proportions.

Then Jasmine saw a Patronus heading out the door. Three guesses who the recipient of that message would be. If she thought the situation couldn't be any worse, she was wrong. It was about to go downhill.....fast. Jasmine tightened the blanket around her and wished she was anywhere but here.

Having received Cece's armadillo patronus, the Headmistress naturally rushed into the hospital wing, her hair somewhat askew and still clutching her cat to her chest. She edged in between Javy and Piers, because obviously they would know something. Annie's bright blue eyes darted around to the two girls standing there and then over to the boys well, the librarian and the student stretched out on a cot.

Goodness gracious!!!!!!! She clung to Gingy tighter until he gave out a whiny 'meowwww,' which she ignored as she looked over to Cece.

"What happened? What's going on? Is everyone alright?!" NO ONE HAD DIED, CORRECT?

Did she not say they were sent by professor Thompson? Apparently not. And maybe that was a good thing. Professor Javy was a nice man. Though, it made both Jasmine and Cassia look like a pair of Gryffindors who stormed towards the forbidden to give people blankets. The last bit sounded a little bit Hufflepuff-like actually. But then again, who would know there were things that would attack them in there! For all the knew, they were looking for someone who sent out sparks.

The snake was quite glad she did not have to clarify anything since the care of magical creatures professor was here himself.

Nodding at her head of house, Cassia followed Jasmine after accepting a blanket and muttering a thank you. The room was full of tense adults and the blond felt like she needed to stay quite and just watch instead. Have a look at how crisis is handled in here.

On her way to the empty bed, she peered at the librarian. Of course, the one staffer whom she liked gets hurt. Talk about luck. And ..... since when did he have a bald spot! She tried not stare but it was a bit hard. She'd never noticed it before!! Totally none of her business and it wasn't the time for that, nope. It was a matter of life and death, hair didn't matter. It actually did but it mattered less now.

Finally she moved, bringing the blanket tighter around her, and plopped down on a bed just when the Headmistress showed up. With a cat that didn't look pleased to be here. Cassia made a pssssst sound in an attempt to lure the cat. Might as well entertain herself while they solved this. Or you know, treated the wounded maybe.

Once Cece felt she had done all she could for Victor and she seen that the girls had done as she had instructed them to do, she went back over to the bed with the librarian on it. The bed that had a crowd around it which now included the headmistress.

"Maybe you should be asking those two yahoos you're standing between what happened. It seems they thought it was a good idea to take students out into the FORBIDDEN forest." There was a reason the forest was called FORBIDDEN.

O__O

Was everyone alright? "You're joking right? Does it look like everyone is alright? Of course they're not alright. I didn't send for you just so you could come up here to have tea." Seriously woman. Look around you. "Not only are the students and professor injured, but they are also suffering from severe hypothermia. And until I know exactly what it is that attacked these two, I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for them." Sure, she could take care of them being cold, but those two that were unconscious. Not so much right now.

It was then that she noticed the noisy creature in the arms of the headmistress. "That cat will have to leave the infirmary at once." This was a hospital for humans, not for animals. She didn't care that it was her boss who brought the animal in. She was expected to follow the same rules as everyone else.

Shoo cat. Be gone with you.

Next thing Javy felt was more cold. Piers leaning himself on him. On regular circumstances he would have hugged him and not denied the closeness of this man.. But this Charms Professor had just came from the outside and was a cool as a popsicle, which wasn't helping his already cold self. "Should've taken one of the blankets.." Yes, he was just going to wrap one around him, ignoring the need to remain professional... and now he could do some explaining since the girls were likely under shock on top of freezing. His mouth opened to begin explaining, just as Annie with her cat arrived.. Merlin, his brooding face was glad the Healer's anger was only coming out on the patients concerning well-being he deduced.

Well, for starters, "I was hosting a Creatures meeting in the Library while Leo and Nessa were holding their own Book meeting in the same area nearby. We were just beginning our meetings when we all saw the sparks. The students were beginning to panic, so while we were trying to maintain control, I noticed Leo and Mr. Bay were leaving to check things out I assume."

And now the truth, "So yes, I had sent Miss Guidry and Miss Somerlad out to hurry and deliver them blankets and see if they needed any other assistance since their lack of winter attire was quite concerning. I imagine the brave gentlemen were very quick and in a hurry to rescue whoever was out there, which may have forced the young ladies to chase them all the way outside to make the delivery and feel inclined to join them too."

So it wasn't a horrible thing on their part. "I'll admit it wasn't the most wise choice of mine.." His eyes peering at the sad states of the now semi-bald Librarian and Gryffindor student. His thoughts calculating how the situation could've played if it was just them out there. "But from the looks of things.. I think the situation could've been much worse if they didn't have the extra help."

Once she had saw the attendees of the Book Club off to their dorms, Nessa doubled back to try to catch up with students and staff that had gone outside. She couldn't make out who was being levitated or what was going on from her spot at the window, but she had a bad feeling about things. Unfortunately she had somehow missed them, but caught sight of the back of Javy on the third floor.

Rushing up the stairs after him, she furrowed her brow as she saw him enter the hospital wing and she followed in behind. Standing off to the side, the History of Magic professor lifted a hand to her mouth to cover the gasp she emitted. Oh! Leo and Victor.. Brown eyes flicked back and forth to each of them as they lay unconscious on cots and then to Cecelia as she began diagnosing them and asking questions.

She stayed off to the side so as to let the woman do her job uninterrupted but she had to know.. Nessa was just about to open her mouth to ask what had happened and would they be alright when the Headmistress rushed in and spoke the exact words she had been thinking. Yes.. that. Brown eyes turned to the Healer as she then spoke - Hypothermia? Attacked?! Not much she could do? But.. she had to do something! She frowned as she looked at the two poor injured souls. They couldn't just be left like this..

Merlin's beard, did the woman ever shut up? All she was doing was yelling at them as if everything they had done was wrong. Quite frankly, Piers wasn't going to take it. "Well, sorry for trying to save someone's life. You do know what SOS sparks are, right?" Or was she as daft as she was rude?

More professionalism? HAH. "I'm sorry, are you feeling left out?" he asked, his voice raising at the blonde. "Would you like to take a gander in the forest yourself? Watch your mate get stabbed in the gut by some beast you don't even know? All you've been doing since we got here is yap at us for trying to help, telling us all we did was wrong, so why don't you do your bloody job and make sure our librarian doesn't bleed out tonight, alright?" He was pretty sure he had FROSTBITE, so EXCUSE HIM for trying to keep warm.

That was when Bunz hopped in and squeezed herself right in between him and Javy. There went his warmth. And there went Cece, blabbing on again. Oh, she wanted him to talk? The "yahoo's"??? "No, Cece, go ahead. You seem to have no problem keeping your vocal chords active."

He was very cold and so done.

Two yahoos? Geez, Cece, sound like you're 75 much? Anastasia's wide eyes narrowed somewhat as the Healer started to talk to her like she was five. Okay, so she had brought a cat to a so-called sterile infirmary. But she had been startled! Gingy was here for comfort, wasn't he?! *squish*

"Mrrrrrowwwwwwwwwww," the cat let out a response to the sassy Healer, flicking his tail in Cassia's direction.

Bunz, meanwhile, opened her mouth to respond but found Javy speaking up first. So she closed her mouth quickly. Ahhhhhhh see, now that all made sense. Rude Cece, always jumping to conclusions. The Headmistress gave the Creatures teacher a firm nod. She would have patted him on the arm but it looked like Piers had that under control heheheheheh.

Annnnnd then Piers spoke up too, and Bunz nearly started laughing right into Gingersnapple's fur. Nearly laughing. If this hadn't been such a serious scenario, she probably would have made some 'ooooh, it's onnn' comment, with snaps for Piers. Was there about to be a girl fight here between two of her staffers? No, she needed to speak up and do some damage control.

"It sounds like... like it was all just an accident!" the Headmistress interjected quickly. The Charms professors was right, though. They shouldn't all be standing around in a panic, especially when there were CHILDREN within earshot. She snuggled Gingy closer to her and took a small step back from the group. Of course, of course Gingy would leave per Cece's orders... he probably WANTED to leave. Who CARED about the healing powers of her precious cat! That Healer was catty enough for this whole Hospital Wing!

But, back to the injured parties.

"There's really no time to argue and point fingers now. They did what they could in the cold of the moment. So, Cece, what you can do, it sounds like, is treat their symptoms as they show up." Yes, Bunz was going to pretend to know how to do Tillstorm's job. She had gone to Healer school herself, after all she'd just dropped out instead of finishing it. "Treat the symptoms, take detailed notes on what comes up, and maybe when they wake, they'll be able to tell us something."

Right right, best to remain positive. Bunz nodded and looked around at the group. The two girls that had gone outside looked fine, thank Merlin, since one of them was the HEAD Girl. She would have been a big loss to the school, best not think that way right now.

"Cassia, J...J.." what was the Ravenclaw's name? "Jasmine? You didn't see what attacked them, did you?"

Well, that escalated quickly.

Cassia glanced at Jasmine raising her eyebrows when the discussion heated. Was she just finding it awkward.

Sinking further down into the mattress, the snake's eyes darted from one to another as they each spoke. Although, no one asked for her opinion, she wondered on whose side she'd be. Probably on no-one's. Because like, they all seemed to be concerned about the situation but they just weren't handling it correctly. Like they needed to bicker less and think more about the important thing. Like who was that woman with the funny accent whom the spiders referred to? And was she the one who sent the sparks? Unless these people knew but weren't saying much. She couldn't be the only one curious here.

And poor cat, getting mixed up in that situation. No doubt it preferred the company of anyone or anything.

Just when Cassia thought that if she remained motionless they would forget she was here Bunz spoke to them. The seventh-year pushed herself up and shook her head, "No, ma'am," Unless Jasmine did? "It was too dark and we were all knocked to the ground almost at the same time," And she may have, sort of shut her eyes close and flattened her body against the ground hoping to stay out of whatever attacked the spider. Survival instincts. That until Victor let out that scream. "It killed an acromantula, though," You know, bonus info. Might be of importance. Should they send something to its mate? That one seemed like really upset.

So it was the creature man who sent the girls out into the cold and dangerous forest on their own. "Ill say it wasn't a wise choice," she mumbled as she began cleaning up the wounds on the librarian. But that last comment...

"Things could have been worse? Maybe if you had been out there with them, none of this would have happened. After all, creatures are your specialty are they not?" It just amazed her at some of the stupid things people said in times of crisis.

She seriously was not in the mood to deal with these idiots right now. "Of course I know what SOS sparks are. I also know NOT to send children out where there could be danger!" But apparently the professors around here didn't think like that.

She wasn't even going to dignify Fuller's little feeling left out comment of his with a response. But that remark about her doing her job. Yeah, she wasn't letting that one go. "In case you haven't noticed, I am the ONLY one here doing anything to help the injured. But please, if you think you can do my job better than I can, by all means, step up and heal this man." Since it seemed Leo was the only one he was concerned about here.

Cece just glared at her boss when she spoke again. Accident! This was no accident! All of this could have been avoided if those careless professors would have taken the proper precautions. Starting with NOT letting students go out into the JUNGLE! "Think what you want, but you know as well as I do that these children getting hurt could have and should have been avoided."

Oh, and look at that, yet another person (Bunz) telling her how to do her damn job. "I don't need you telling me what to do. I'm perfectly capable of doing my job. I only summoned you here so you would be aware of what happened." Did no one SEE that she had been taking care of the wounded? Did it LOOK like she was just standing around like all the other adults in the room? NO! She was actually working. "How about you and those two go try and figure out what it was that attacked everyone and let me do my job."

Yes, she could be sassy and do her job all at the same time. She was talented like that.

Once she was done tending to Leo, she went over to the girls. Standing between their two beds she ignored the adults in the room and spoke only to the girls. "How are you girls feeling now?" And don't lie to her either. She couldn't very well do her job if she didn't know what was wrong with them now could she.

HOLY ACROMANTULA!

"Cassia, you're telling us that whatever it was that attacked all of you was able to kill an acromantula, yet no one seen what it was?" She glared back over at the creature man. Yeah, wise move sending students out into that forest. I hope you're happy with yourself.