Elizabeth laughed as Mari decided to follow her lead and pull her feet up on the bench too. "I'm not really sure why I'm bothering, since my feet are already all wet. But at least they won't get any wetter," she pointed out. Then she shrugged a little. If anyone would make it through a massive flooding, she'd think it would be Mari. Now, at least. "I think the water would have to get a little higher before it got really dangerous. And I wasn't planning on waiting to see if it got too much worse, either." Or waiting to see if any staff members showed up and started yelling at all of them for being there.

She turned back to William as he spoke, taking the offered plate from him and picking a fork up from the table. "You're welcome. And thank you." She hoped he figured out what she meant. Taking a bite, she semi-tuned out his conversation with Mari as the sugar hit her. But she came back as he offered his own opinion on the flooding. Swallowing the cake in her mouth, she spoke. "Do you think anyone's even told any staff members about it? I mean, I don't see any here." She was with him on the hope that there would be some sort of warning or something, but if nobody except for those of them in the room knew . . .

Lizzie stopped in the middle of a sentence, looking at Natka with worried and surprised eyes. Do you feel that? she asked, looking down. My shoes are getting wet..

The water suddenly froze and the area around the Ravenclaw table looked like an indoor ice rink.

Karma had been making her way into the Great Hall for something to eat, when it seemed to get cooler as she walked down towards her table, when realizing there was water on the ground. She looked down at her legs, which had turned ghostly white at the coolness around the entire table. Seriously?

Why weren't girls allowed to wear pants as part of a uniform in winter? REALLY. At least she had shaved her legs today so now she wouldn't rip her own robe with that leg hair she had before.

"Seriously," she muttered. "When did the school become an ice rink?" Ahh, that was a little crabby. Well, she was bitter about it. HER LEGS WERE GOING TO FALL OFF. "I would have brought my skates if I would have known about this."

Oh well, time to make the best of it. Gently placing her foot on the ice, she pushed off and slid along down the table to her normal spot. Oh, and there it went. She grabbed for the table, in hopes of not falling and breaking her face. THAT would be something to remember in Christmas pictures for years to come.

William was about to reply when suddenly his feet were stuck. Looking down he blinked. "Um guys the water has frozen." he said i nan oddly calm voice, even though there was a chance he would never get his feet out. "I should have out my feet up I guess. Little help?" He asked tugging on his feet with no luck. Shrugging he went back to his cake eating it quicker than usual.

Sliding on the ice wasn't such a good idea because if he fell right now, he could've broken his butt muscles! Cam did NOT want to break his butt muscles--was there even such a thing? Falling down hurtttt and he wished he brought some ice skates, or else none of this slipping and all would've never happened. "EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Well at least he was heading straaaight at the Ravenclaw table. They were smart.

Smart enough... to stop him? "EHH SOMEONE STOP ME ALREADY," he shouted out loud 'cuz he was SLIIDDING way TOO fastt. "Oh-woahh--OI--," he tried to warn the girl in front of him that was sliding as well--but way more controlled than him. "WATCH--,"

CRASH!

"OOOOF!" EPIC FAIL.

o___O

Mid butt-placing on the bench, Karma was interrupted by a sliding, yelling...

"EEEEEP!"

She was thrown to the floor and slid a few feet, not really caring about anything except that her skirt was down and not showing anything... ahem. Skidding to a halt, she just laid on the ground, half slamming her arms down in defeat. Her hair was definitely messed up now. After sighing hard through her nose, she tried to push herself up by her elbows, and slid slightly.

Once she achieved her goal, she looked to see who it was and - ah ha, should have known it.

"Was that REALLY a good way to stop Cameron?" she asked, smirking.

Karma? WHOOPSSS. But... at least he stopped yet his butt was on the ice and his head was right in front of the bench. Turning to face the 7th Ravenclaw girl, he squinted his eyebrows and tried his best to smile--gently and happily so she didn't go lecture him about boooorring safety. Hogwarts wasn't even safe at all. It was packed with wild rabid animals people... and the ice and the ghosts... each term was CRAZY.

"Well Karma, it WAS. See, people are laik waay way way wayyyyy waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy," he breathed and then started again, "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy MEAN. Wouldn't even stop me, I would'a died and all!"

Would he have dieddd...? Currrriousss.

"Anyways, ahem..." he cleared his throat...

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE."

Karma listened to him as he rambled on about how mean people were, like they didn't stop him. It was hard to keep a straight face while he was trying to breathe, and about lost it when he continued with the word. But when he started yelling about dying, that was when she flat out laughed at him.

"Cam," she said, pushing herself on the ice with her butt. She grabbed the bench to stop from going any further to stop in front of him. "You're crazy. No one dies while I'm around, anyway."

That stupid lightbulb was back. She was in a good mood, and looked up to see if one was floating there. It wouldn't have surprised her if it was. And when it wasn't, she was going to conjure one.

"HAY," she said outloud. "Wanna skate?"

Elizabeth had looked over as people suddenly started skidding into the table, and her curiosity mounted. What's going on now?, she wondered, glancing down at the ground at the same time she heard William say the water had frozen and he was now stuck. Hmm, new advantage to her tactic of keeping her feet on the bench. But she wasn't going to let him stay stuck. Not when he had given her birthday cake.

Grinning a little at how he had simply gone back to his own cake, even though she could tell he was a little worried by the way he had sped up his eating, she nodded to him. "I can try to get you out," she said, as she dug in her bag to retrieve her wand from her new stash of fruit, not to mention the little bit of chocolate and textbooks that were inside as well. I carry way too many things, she thought, before finding her wand and extracting it. pointing it at the ice around the second-year's feet, she moved it in a small but complex pattern, casting a hot air charm to melt the ice, at least long enough for him to pull his feet out. "I'm not sure how long this'll work," she warned him. Hopefully he got free before whatever had frozen the water countered her spell.

Blink.

SOOO KARMAAA DIDN'T TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY, EH?! "I am crazy buuut I speak with FACTS, I TELL YA! FACTSSS." He smirked and then used the Ravenclaw bench for support, resting his currently bruised butt there and proceeded to poke Karma on da cheeks! Why? For no reason at aaaaall--he just felt like poking someone! He stole a bit of food from the Ravenclaw table, making sure no one had watched him steaaal it. Besides, he was still HUNGRRREHHH.

"SKATEEeeeeee?!" she expected him to skate even after he just broke his butt bonesss?! "SURE!" But like he was scared and... ice skating with his shoes on were WAY hard. He nervously looked at her, wondering if she'd gotten her cooties shot yet or if she had some deadly rabid disease that only boys got.

"But ya gotta hold meh hand!"

William glanced over at the skating people, a slight grin on his face as he watched. he couldn't help but wince as one fell and landed hard. At least they weren't stuck to the ice like him he thought pursing his lips as he glared daggers at the offending ice. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to be eating his cake here after all. All well what was he to do now, besides finish off his piece, carry his cake back up to the common room, without dropping it - and eat it there.

Finishing his piece of cake off in record time (and now feeling the effects of the sugar) William looked at Elizabeth as she dug around in her bag. He couldn't help but grin a bit as she found her wand. Watching as she attempted the hot air charm he tried to lift his feet out, accomplishing nothing more than getting his shoe laces stuck. The water froze solid once more, leaving him with his feet dangling millimeters before the slippery ice. "Well it's a start." He grinned looking up at her.

Elizabeth tried to keep the charm going as William finished his cake, then started trying to pul his feet out. But, as she had pretty much expected, whatever was causing the flooding and now this freezing fought back, and he had barely gotten his feet free before it won, and the melted ice refroze. "Well, I think we have a couple options here," she said, grinning back at the second year as he spoke. "Either you're going to have to leave your shoes here, I try the charm once more to see if you can get your shoelaces free, or we cut them so your feet are free as well as your shoes, but the laces stay frozen there." Personally, she thought she would go for the second option, only because she couldn't imagine walking around a frozen room with no shoes on, or destroying her shoes just so she'd be free. Of course, she wasn't the one frozen to the ice, either.

William looked shocked as she mentioned cutting his shoelaces off. "What? no I need my shoes, intact. They're my only pair here. My other ones fell into the lake when i was attempting to polar dive." he said his eyes wide. Looking down at his shoes he frowned before looking back up again. "What if we both chopped at the ice? I think it might let go of my laces." he suggested, really not liking the idea of loosing his favorite laces.

Elizabeth's green eyes went to William again as he said they were his only pair of shoes left. There went that idea. "Why were you trying to polar dive?," she asked idly, as she tried to come up with more ideas. And then he made a suggestion, and she factored it into her head. "I'm going to try something," she murmured, keeping her wand pointed near where his shoelaces were frozen, but a little ways away. If he wanted his shoes intact, she was going to try her hardest to keep them that way. Even though she still couldn't imagine why he lost his only other pair of shoes in the lake.

Nonverbally casting "Relashio", she watched sparks fly from her wand, hoping they would work a little better in melting the ice, before glancing at William again. "If this doesn't work, either we're going to have to actually get into this Muggle style, trying to break the ice by hand, or we could try to carefully cast Reducto." And if nothing worked, she was starting to think she'd need to slide her way out of the Hall to locate a professor.

Kevin skated past the Ravenclaw table and saw Elizabeth trying to help a boy out of the ice and tried his best to stop but couldnt stop and was going to go crashing into someone or something at any time.

Since the Ravenclaw table was near the Gryffindor table, Anna sort of stepped over a bit and approached William and Elizabeth. Yup. Poor William was indeed stuck, and it didn't look like he'd be able to get out too easily either. "Hey, guys. I was just over at the Gryffindor table and noticed you seemed to be in a bit of a bind," she said, nodding towards William. "Are you hurt, William? I mean, other than being stuck and all." Her eyes flickered from William to Elizabeth. "What spells have you tried?"

Darn creepy water. Darn shoes laces. Darn bad timing. He was growing frustrated now as he wiggled in his seat, promptly stuck due to the fact he had to sit normally. groaning in frustration he went to take his wand out as Elizabeth tried doing a non verbal spell he couldn't see properly and attempted got get more comfortable. all he ended up doing was falling under the table, is legs twisted. I'm not sure this is working." He groaned as he perched himself on the ice frowning as he held his wand. holding his wand out towards the ice around his feet he muttered, "Incendio". the spell shot out of his wand, a tiny flicker of fire before it sizzled out.

Just then he heard Anna. "I'm not hurt I don't think. But I will be if my shoes don't come unstuck soon." He replied smiling up at her.

Kevin was so out of control that he slipped and landed on his bum close by to Anna and was rather embrassed and tried his best to get back up onto his feet it was difficult in the icy conditions.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as William started wriggling around while she cast her spell. "Careful . . .," she warned, concerned about inadvertently burning him with the sparks. But then he fell under the table, and she leaned forward and down to look at him all twisted around and lying on the ice. "I'm trying. And I think it was starting to melt again, before you fell," she said, hoping he didn't get even more frozen to the ground the position he was in. But then he decided to cast his own spell, and she couldn't help but cringe a little at the flames. She breathed a sigh of relief, involuntarily, as the spell kind of flickered and died, not that she had wanted him to fail, but . . . "I don't know if I'd use that charm. You might accidentally light your feet on fire."

Hearing Anna's voice from behind them, she tried to sit up and inadvertently banged the back of her head on the edge of the table before she remembered the position she had been in. Straightening up as William answered the Head Girl, she rubbed the back of her head a little before answereing the question that had been posed to her. "Well, first I tried a hot air charm, and he managed to mostly get his feet out. But the water froze again before he got his shoelaces clear." Leaving them in the ridiculous position they were in now. "And then I tried Relashio." This ice was starting to annoy her.

Mari had winced when Elizabeth had conked her head coming up from under the table and she laughed a little. " Well, at least if you have a bump we've got enough ice to put on it. "She said with a smile. She looked up over at Anna, and then at Elizabeth...and then at William. " You could cast Reducto again, but somewhere away from his feet...then we could just pry the ice off with a knife or something." She suggested, giving her friend a look that said she wouldn't mind terribly pulling Williams feet out of the ice. He did offer her cake and he didn't even really know her. That put him on Mari's good side already.

Anna nodded towards William, glad to hear that the young boy wasn't hurting---yet at least. She returned his smile, though, happy to see that even though he was in a rather difficult position, he was still taking it easy. "I'm glad, William. We're going to get you out of there in no time, so don't you worry. It's just ice, afterall, so ice can't be too hard to break through, right?" she said, nodding as she spoke. She started to say something else to him, what she couldn't even remember, but Kevin tumbling to the ground at her feet sort of distracted her. She smiled politely, then bent down to help him off the ground.

Anna listened as Elizabeth explained what they'd been doing, nodding as she listed a few spells they'd tried. "Ok, well, good thinking, first of all. It looks like you've nearly got him free. Why don't you try Diffindo," she suggested. "You can cut a hole in the ice around William, so at least that would isolate him from the rest of the frozen rink. I think it might be easier to melt then. I'm going to head back over to the other table and see if the same charm will work on Cy." Just as she started to leave, Mari came up with a good solution, too. "That sounds good, Mari. You can also try using Diffindo to cut that ice off. This is charmed water, so maybe a charm might be a little stronger. I'll be over at the Gryffindor table helping Cy, so call for me if you need me." She gave William an apologetic glance, then turned and headed back over to help Cy.

Alex rushed into the Great Hall and jolted into her seat.
She had gotten up a it later than she wanted to today and was in a rush to eat.
As she got into her seat, her clumsiness kicked in and she knocked over a drink onto the person next to her. She wasn't aware of this until a noise of distraught came from the left of her.
Slowly turning around to see who she had got, she said quickly,"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Elizabeth turned to look at Mari, still rubbing her head, as her best friend teased her. Grinning, she lowered her hand again before shaking her head. "Nope. I think I'll be fine. But that certainly does appear to be the case, doesn't it?" She wasn't really sure how she was going to get out of the Hall, considering her shoes didn't exactly have a lot of traction. But at least it didn't look like she was going to have to swim. "I think that was plan B," she then said, as Mari picked up on her earlier suggestion about Reducto.

Then she turned back to Anna as the Head Girl spoke. "Nearly. Just the shoelaces left, and whatever's freezing the water seems like it wants to keep hold." She nodded as Anna then brought up Diffindo. It was worth a shot, and if it worked, at least then they weren't risking flying ice shrapnel or something. As the Gryffindor table was brought up, she glanced over to see a little Huffie also stuck in the ice. And then Anna was leaving, so she tried to reply before the Gryffindor got too far off. "Will do." Now to attempt once again to get William free, without harming his shoes.

trying to feel as if nothing was wrong, that it was perfectly normal to be sitting on the ice-filled floor William nodded smiling slightly at Anna. "Hope so, my feet are starting to get cold." okay cold wasn't the word he'd describe. It seemed as if the coldness of the ice was permeating through his already soaked feet making him feel like he was in an ice berg. He hoped his cake was at least doing better than he was. his mother would be devastated if she found out he was in this mess.

Watching as Anna left after throwing him an apologetic look he tilted his head upwards at an awkward angle looking for any professors that surely would have been making their way down. Sighing he shifted in his position and listened to Mari and Elizabeth. "I trust you guys; just be careful." he warned, even though he knew they would. It would just be awful if her spell missed even in the slightest and he ended up with a missing shoe. He tried to look over at the Gryffindor table but couldn't see anything but the bench in front of him and the bottom of the table. Hmm someone loves ginger snaps he thought reading an inscription etched into the table. Someone else is stuck in the ice?" Hr asked looking over to what he hoped was Elizabeths shoes.