Professor Kazimeriz entered the dungeon corridor, heading toward the potions lab. He hoped to find the Headmaster in his classroom; they had yet to speak about the Avis boy's death, much less about the behavior of the professors. He shuffled down the corridor, leaning heavily on his cane as his hip was bothered badly by the dank, cold dungeon air.

He raised an eyebrow and glowered at the students who appeared engaged in a conflict... one student even had her wand drawn and a student was being restrained. "What in the name of Merlin's striped pajamas is going on here?!" he demanded, his eyes blazing.

Okay, erm...now obviously wasn't a great time to spark up another conversation about pink cupcakes. What had started out looking playful now looked sort of...evil. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Anna said, looking at Reese with wide eyes. "What on Earth is going on? I sort of thought you lot were just playing around, but apparently you're not. Will everyone settle down, drop your wands, and explain yourselves?" For Merlin's sake. What on Earth was going on now?

"Help with what? ...and why on Earth are you acting like...like that?" she asked, feeling the urge to go completely prefect on somebody if she didn't get some answers soon. The younger generation was completely out of control. Psh. Cale was lucky to be heading off into the real world and leaving Hogwarts behind.

Lima jumped up n the air as she heard a scary voice behind her. She gulped and turned as white as a sheet as she turned to face her doom. "Nothing's going on here, really, Professor Kazi," she muttered weakly as she lowered her wand. She was doomed to spend the rest of Term in Detention. And she had had a perfect record so far. She screwed herself over. But it was worth it for Jake.

"Ten points for the lie, Whiggmeister. Now, who else wants to try? And I suggest you go with the truth before I throw the lot of you in detention, for obviously something is happening. Or was." Kazimeriz eyed the students, his gaze ending on Greingoth.

Reese looked at Jack when he started rolling around on the floor.Uhhh-okay.She was not going to ask why he was doing that.She looked at Anna when she asked what was going on. "I'm telling you,I'm teaching this bully how it's not NICE to strangle other people,"she sneered.She looked back at Jack and narrowed her eyes.

The sudden voice of Kazimeriz made her freeze.You got to be kidding me?She turned around to face the Professor.Why did it have to be HIM?She dropped her wand to the ground and started to speak," Professor...I was just giving Jack here what he deserved.A few days ago, he strangled an inncoent little firstie named Jake. I tried to stop him,but I thrown against the wall. And ever since, I've been mad at him and..." She stopped talk and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry.I got carried away." She looked at Jack then to Anna then to Lima then back to the Professor. "Jake is like my little brother and it was torture seeing him get strangled."

She flinched as she was docked 10 points. Yeah, that wasn't the brightest move. "We weren't going to hurt him, Professor. I swear. We were only trying to scare some sense into him for being a bully and strangling Jake for no reason." She sighed and tried to think of what else to say. "I know I shouldn't have taken my wand out, but I wasn't going to use it. I never would hex a student. And Reese had him pinned up against the wall because he lunged at me and she thought he had hurt me." Oh, she was so going to get it good for this.

"I was trying to determine the same thing as you, Professor," Anna explained. "I'd been down here making my regular prefect rounds, when I came upon this little group. I've just arrived---only about half a minute before you---so I'm not exactly sure what's happened either." It was true. She'd been in the process of figuring out what the troubles were when Professor Kazimeriz had come along. Whatever had been happening didn't look too pleasant, though.

"Very good, Miss Greingoth." Kazimeriz said, nodding once to let her know that he accepted that she was not a part of the skirmish.

Kazimeriz listened. "Strangling...? " he began, then looked at Jack. "These young ladies have accused you of attacking another student. That is a very serious accusation indeed. Explain yourself at once." He threw an icy look at the girls. "Though do not think for a moment that you will not face consequences for your own actions, I want to hear about this alleged strangling. Now. Miss Greingoth-- if you would please go get this... Jake?" he looked to the girls. "The first year alleged victim, what is his full name?"

Lima gulped. She knew that she wasn't off the hook yet. Then he asked Anna to get Jake. She was going to offer to go and get him, but decided not to. Instead she just stood there quietly and never bothered to even answer his question. She thought if she opened her mouth again she might say something that would get her in even more trouble.

"His full name is Jacob Jakers Dale Blackly-Upstead," Reese told the Professor.Geez,his name was a mouth full.She looked at Lima as worried struck her face.She was scared to what was going to be there punishment.

"Thank you, sir," Anna replied, nodding once and smiling at the professor. He really wasn't so bad when you were being honest and telling the truth. It was sort of weird the way he knew---even when he hadn't been around---when a person was being honest and when they were lying. She stood quietly and listened to the conversation unfold before her. The situation seemed worse and worse by the moment, and now Anna was expected to go and retrieve another student---Jake from Hufflepuff---and have him report to the professor. "Yes, sir," Anna said, nodding once more and then turning to go find Jake and send him to the professor.

With Anna walking directly in front of him leading the way, Jake bit down fiercely on his lip, heading to the dungeons. He had been summoned sounds scary, right? IT WAS! by a certain Professor and Anna had come and found him. Do Prefects have a kind of built in sat-nav or something...?

"Professor?" Jake said cautiously, taking in the scene around him and certainly not failing to notice Jack Mosier there on the floor. The bruises were still quite blatantly visible on his neck, and Jake finger his collar nervously, finally taking his eyes away from Jack and looking up at Kazimeriz. "You wanted to talk to me, sir? Anna came and found me..."

Lima smiled when she saw Jake come. She didn't know why, but seeing him made her feel happier. Even though she had been talking to him not that long before. She was just glad to see that he was alright. She had to resist the urge to hug him. "Jake!" she exclaimed happily.

He nodded at Northway and Greingoth as they responded, then watched Greingoth leave, waiting and leaning on his cane, looking at the group in a calculating silence. Still... and vulpine in his stance.

Soon thereafter, Greingoth returned with Upstead. "Hold your tongue figuratively, Whiggmeister, or you may find yourself holding it literally." He glared at her. "Five points for your speedy retrieval, Greingoth, very good."

He turned to Upstead. "Mr. Upstead. I have heard a tale of a recent event between yourself and Mr. Mosier. You shall share the anecdote with us all now, please. And I caution you to be extremely honest" He raised an eyebrow and waited, still and quiet, for Upstead to explain, his eyes moving between the students intensely.... almost as if he were using legilimency. Almost.

Lima couldn't believe that she was being yelled at again. It wasn't fair at all! Anll she had done was say hi to Jake. She closed her mouth and swore not to open it again unless it was asked of her. Though as soon as his back was turned, he was getting a death glare. Evil Professor! BOO!

Damn! Why the heck did he find out?!

Trying hard to avoid looking at anyone but Kazimeriz, Jake cast his mind back the day he'd been on the 6th floor, minding his own business. "Well... basically, Jack corners me alot since there was an incident a while back, sir," Jake started to explain softly. "And he keeps trying to make me talk to him, and I just want to stay away, because he scares me... I've tried telling him but he doesn't leave me alone..." Jake's eyes glazed over for a moment as he tried to totally retrace the steps in his mind.

"He like... kept standing in front of me... wouldn't let me leave, then he backed me into a corner and pulled his wand on me, so I pulled my own out in case I needed to sheild," Jake added. "And then, I put my wand away and he put his away, and then he backed off and sat down. As I left I said he had good acting, because he started acting totally opposite..."

What came next? Jake thought to himself, screwing up his face in concentration. Ahhh yeah... "He got me with spell that sent me flying backwards, because he had shouted at me and I turned to face him, and I ended up on the floor, yeah, and my wand fell out of my pocket and he kicked it away..." Faltering here, Jake looked up at the old man, a scared look on his face. "He pointed his wand at my neck... then... he held on to mine and tried to strangle me..."

Jake sniffed and looked away, remembering how scared he had felt. The pure panic of not getting oxygen into his lungs... it was intense. "Three people came along and tried to help, they pulled him off... Reese was one of 'em... Then he smacked me in the stomach, like punched, and grabbed my neck again... After they pulled him off again someone told him to stop and he booted me in the leg, real hard... been limping for days..." Jake trailed off, looking at his feet and afraid to admit the final point. "I've been so scared, sir... I haven't slept since it happened... I can't afford to let my guard down..." he whispered.

And after all the stress and emotional turmoil he'd been through over this so far, Jake felt one single tear run down his cheek, and he quickly brushed it away. "That's it, sir... He's been intimidating with his height a few times... but that was around teachers, so it wasn't important."

Holding himself up straight again and composed, Jake looked Professor Kazimeriz in the eye again.

Jack closed his mouth, trying to stifle a giggle again.

"It's ok" he giggled "I dunnooooooo" he laughed as he sprawled out on the floor.

Jack started to hum a taunting song quietly as Lima lied.

Jack laughed again, detention, how could he get detention for having fun and... wait, oh, he'd forgotten, ah, theeeeere it was, the tears came back to him as he remembered, they'd threatened him! He started to rock back and forth again.

Jack suddenly gasped, oh, the tears, heeere they came, making an entrance as always, Jack started to cry.

Jack frowned at Lima, tears still falling "Liar" he mumbled

Jack started to rock gently to keep himself doing somthing not dangerous or stupid.

Jack sniffed and started to shake a little, he needed a way out, he hated being cornered, people standing there like they owned him, he started to play with the bottom of his robes, saying nothing.

Jack shivered as Lima stood there, this was scary, why were there so many people picking on him?

Jack started to hyperventilate again as Reese mentioned Jake, NO! All the avoiding! Ruined!

Jack watched Anna leave, he closed his eyes and giggled a little, it was a slightly crazy giggle though.

Jack needed to hide behind someone, the professor! Jack scrambled to get behind the professor, when he was half hidden, he started to relax, a little.

Jack shot Lima a look that told her he did not want to be there.

Jack covered his eyes and put his head on his knees when Kazimeriz spoke, he then remembered his tail, he'd been meaning to get that taken away, but, he'd never managed to get the courage to ask Kazimeriz to take it off.

Jack tried not to laugh as Lima glared at the professor

Jack started to shake again, not with fear, with anger, he bit his lip and tried to breathe slowly, he had to get out of here, now, Jake had omitted the parts that had made Jack want to go for him, Jack started to rock and stay calm, but it wasn't helping, he stood up and started to pace around, hoping that might get rid of the unnecessary anger.

Shana looked back and forth back and forth and did the same over and over again.She didn't know what was going on,she just knew they were all angry at Jack,there was a Professor,a Prefect,Lima,Reese,Jack and then Jake! She was starting to believe that Jack had been in the wrong all the time.She looked at him and shook her head dissapointedly.She shifted towards Reese and started to bite her finger,she wasn't being the one everyone was angry at but she was acctually quite scared.She'd never seen Reese or Lima this angry.She sighed and shook her head at Jack again.

Jack looked up at Shana and tried to stop crying, he was hated even more now, he wanted to go, leave "I wanna go home, never come back" he sobbed.

Kazimeriz listened intently to the boy, his expression most grave. "I see. I expect to hear more from you about this initial incident you spoke of in a moment, Upstead. But first, I would like to hear from Mosier."He turned to Mosier.

"Be careful what you wish for." Professor Kazimeriz said coldly as he glared at the boy. "Straighten up and save your tears; they do not impress me. If what they say is true, this situation is of your own making and you face very severe consequences indeed. You will tell me your perspective on this situation now, but be warned: your entire academic future at this institution may hinge on your actions and statements within the next few moments. Choose your words wisely and well, Mr. Mosier." He watched Mosier closely, his dark eyes glistening under the shadows cast by his furrowed brows.

Reese watched Anna walked off to fetch Jake and when she disappeared down the corridor,she looked back at Professor Kazimeriz.Silence.Silence in the corridor with a creepy Professor.She didn't like the quiet.She looked at Shana and Lima then back at the Professor.How about some small talk? "So,Professor-" she started to say.She was cut short when she heard footsteps approaching. She turned around and saw Anna brining Jake.Thanks goodness. "Hey Jake,"she said with a smile.

Reese sat back and listened to Jake tell his story when Kazimeriz asked for him to speak.She looked at Jack when Jake got to the part about him grabbing Jake's neck.How could someone do this to another student?She shook her head at the thought of it. When Jake got done with his story, Reese gave him a little smile.

Reese looked at Kazimeriz then to Jack when he asked for Jack's story.Come on, bring on the liiiiiiies!She crossed her arms as she waited for Jack to speak.

Jack took a minute to compose himself, he sniffed back the tears and hiccupped slightly before looking up at Kazimeriz "It isn't how they say it, Jake omitted the parts that he did to provoke me" Jack then shook his head "I wasn't trying to impress you, I was simply trying to get rid of my frustration in the safest way possible," Jack explained.

Then he was ordered to speak, but he didn't want to "They..." Jack hesitated "got it mostly right..." he told Kazimeriz miserably before sitting perfectly still and trying to keep his emotions under control "I tried to talk to..." Jack had to force himself to say his name "Jake" he took another breath and carried on "to see if we could be friends and it seemed like the only way to do that" Jack admitted "So, I had him in the corridor, he kept trying to run I didn't want to let him leave, I wanted to talk to him" Jack took another deep breath and carried on "I tried to be nice, but Jake called me a git, a coward, and a nutjob" Jack told him honestly while trying not to do something stupid "I can't stop myself" he admitted "When I get angry, I just lose it" he put his head in his hands and groaned quietly.

"I don't even try to be mean, it's just how I come across, and professor, everyone at Hogwarts hates me, do you?" he asked, he was crying out for some attention for a good reason, if Kazimeriz was nice, Jack would ask about the tail, if not, he was stuck with it, he looked up at Kazimeriz almost begging for an answer. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts if there were people who wanted him there, but it seemed like no-one wanted him there anymore, a simple yes or no would decide Jack's future and safety.

Thinking about that first incident, Jake nodded slowly, understanding. "Yes sir."

He knew it was only fair to give Jack a chance to say his side of the story, so he kept quiet, but couldn't stop himself from looking downright outraged when Jack accused him of saying those things. Resisting the urge to argue, Jake thought back yet again.

Yes, he had indeed called Jack a coward. Because he was being one... but the rest he'd not said at all. "Please, sir," Jake said when Jack was silent again. "I didn't do all those things... I swear... you can... I would happily show you by any means necessary that I didn't say that stuff, except the coward thing... I'm telling the truth!" A tear leaked out of the corner of Jake's eye and he stubbornly rubbed it away. It wouldn't do him any favours to cry in front of Reese and Lima, now would it?

Kazimeriz listened to the boys, then stood in quiet contemplation for a moment. "Upstead. You mentioned an 'initial incident'. Please recount the events of that initial altercation as you recall them." He favored his cane a bit more as he waited.

Jai walked out of the common room with her cloak buttoned around her neck by a sterling silver snake. With each of her steps small clings came from her pocket as the bounced on her legs. She wanted to go to Hogsmeade and replenish her store of ink and maybe get an extra pair of socks since she seemed to have mispalced some.

As she turned the corner her thin eyebrows shot up, What on earth are they doing? Loosing us points that we dont have I can bet. Wait Reese!