If only Hogwarts offered a class in the simple art of paying attention. Then maybe she wouldn't be running in to every person around this school.

"I'm sorry, Gabben," she said tucking her hair behind her ears. I really need to focus when it comes to wandering the corridors, apparently."

One thing she noted about Gabben, was that he was extremely perceptive. Even for a guy. One look and he knew that something was going on with her.

Of course she wouldn't tell him.

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to plaster a smile to her face. "How have you been? Haven't seen you around lately."

*Gabben folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at her.*
"Nice try McDevitt. Somethings bugging you... you look ill. Whats wrong?"

"It's really not that big of a deal," Caitlin said slowly shaking her head. Oddly enough she did want someone to talk to ... though she couldn't decide if she'd want to talk to Gabben about it.

He was a nice enough guy to talk to.

"How about going for a walk?" she suggested.

*Gabben pushed the front door to the castle door open for her.*
"Lead on."

Nancy was on her way to visit her newly acquired crup which was waiting for her in Professor Morgan's Magical Creatures Sanctuary. She still need to name it and an introduction to Chistery would be necessary too. Especially after the way he'd behaved lately. Although...maybe she should wait until her crup - Jeez! It really needed a name apart from Crup - had grown a bit, or a lot, so it could defend itself against her most of the time at times violent cat. Nancy was quite sure it would like to keep its eyesight.

Upon arriving at the Entrance Hall Nancy glanced around to find it empty apart from one or two randomly passing students and well, a few flies were probably still there having been attracted by the gross water which had flooded the dungeons some time ago. Speaking of which, would they really have to stay up there in the Astronomy Tower? With aaalll those steps to walk up to? Meh...

Copernicus was well soaked from his knees down, and his shoes made a squishy sound as he walked through the Entrance Hall. Oh, miserable. These were his best shoes too, and now he simply would have to wear his second best pair of shoes, which pinched a little bit. Ugh.

He seated himself on a low bench and stared at the stairs leading down into the lower levels. Wasn't it odd how water could make you feel like you needed a bath?

Random walks around the school were good for the soul. This had been something Anna had discovered long ago during her third year at Hogwarts. The castle, in all its beauty, was always interesting to see. Seven years in the place, and Anna still hadn't managed to see it all. She stopped mid-walk when she happened to blink, come to, and find herself staring up at the stones in the house point hourglasses. She watched them for a moment, then took a seat next to a nearby wall. Sometimes being alone was good, but sometimes it was nice to have a friend around. Being along right now sort of made Anna really stop and think about how this was her 'years of lasts', meaning she'd do everything in this school for the very last time this year. Hmm...maybe being alone wasn't so nice after all.

That was when Anna decided to pull herself up and onto her feet and out of her little pity party. She wandered into the Entrance Hall, where she found, thankfully, a familiar face. "Copernicus Kettleburn!" she called out, rushing over to him, her smile fading into a look of concern. "Where you in the kitchens? Are you alright?" She sat next to him on the bench and eyed his soaking wet clothes. "This is really a mess..."

Okay... now that was seriously disgusting. Livvy was practically swimming in the water. Thank goodness she had decided against wearing her best robes. That would've been an utter disaster. As she made her way in the water, her legs getting soaked, she spotted good ol' Copernicus sitting on a bench a good ways away.

A large grin emerged from those lips perched with disgust. "Hi Copernicus!" Livvy said, waving at the older boy as she walked towards him. She smiled as she saw that Anna made her way towards Copernicus and began fussing over him and his soaked clothes. Huh. Livvy hardly noticed he was wet.

"The kitchen?" He glanced up from his shoe-related reverie and blinked first at Anna and then at Liv. "Yes. Plymouth and I were down there looking for a snack and then the water came and ruined my shoes. And Lawson told me to make sure everyone got out but people just kept appearing!"

And he lifted one foot for them to pity his very soggy feet and the dragging bottom of his robes. "Do you suppose it'll flood up here too? Because I'm going to run out of shoes if it does."

Abby walks in from the lake. She has been looking all over the place for Copernicus. She decides to look around the castle before heading to her common room. Abby needs to get started on her Herbology and Arithmancy homework. She walks into the Entrance Hall and spots Copernicus sitting with the Head Girl. Abby walks over and sees he's soaking wet from the knees down. "Are you alright Copernicus? You look like you tried to wade through the student garden's pond again."

"Hey, Livvy," Anna said, leaning just a bit to spot the Ravenclaw girl who'd approached not longer after Anna had arrived. She didn't let her attention stray from Cope too long, though, as she was interesting in hearing about his obvious encounter in the kitchens. A look of concern spread across her face as Cope told his story. "This is getting out of hand. Yes, I do think...at this rate...that the flood will continue," she replied. "Anyway, did everybody get out alright? Do you think they need some more help?" Maybe she should be down there...maybe she should be concentrating one something else other than a simple wander around the schools. "Do you have any idea what's causing this? I thought maybe it was the lake, but...then the kitchens..yeah..."

"That doesn't make any sense. The dungeons are below the lake's level, but the kitchens? And the water was RUSHING in. I don't know, but it seems like the lake is lower then we are now. How can the water rise?" He squished his shoes against the stone floor, making little squelchy squeaks.

"Again, Abby? I've never been wading in that pond. You must be thinking of my brother, Plymouth... although that wasn't really wading. He stuck his head underwater on purpose." And... can we say ew?

"I wouldn't know. I spent most of my time trying to get back on the Lily after Mister Masterson decided to go swimming. Then why are you so wet?" Abby sometimes finds Copernicus difficult to talk to. It seems like he's always trying to start something with her.

"No sense at all," Anna agreed. She'd been so sure the lake had caused the flood, but then the situation in the kitchens brought all thoughts of that being the case to a screeching hault. "Do you think...now this is farfetched...but, do you think it's coming in through little nooks and crannies in the walls? I don't know why it would be or anything like that, but...do you think it could be, Cope?" she asked, staring around at the walls surrounding her, almost as if she were daring a rush of water to come through. "You know, at the rate this flood is going, we're not exactly on the best floor of the castle at the moment..."

Livvy smiled at Anna and greeted her in return. She then sat down next to the two as she listed to Copernicus tell his little story about why his clothes were completely soaked. At what he said, troubled Livvy greatly. It was all flooding. But why?

She thought and scrunched up her nose. There couldn't be a way that the water would rise.. unless it rained of course.. but wouldn't it be flooded on the outside too? Or was it flooded outside? Livvy hardly went out these days.

"What else could it be then? The lake couldn't be the reason... if it were... wouldn't it be flooded outside too? In order for the water to get in here?" Pipes... bathrooms... someone who had a large amount of tears.

"You have to climb STAIRS to get up to this level, though. I mean, we're above the grounds now, right? The water absolutely cannot climb this high," Copernicus shook his head. He was SURE he was right. "If it makes you feel better, though, we can go up a level."

He just... blinked at Abby. "The dungeons and kitchen level have flooded, Abby. Surely you know you've been kicked out of your common room?" He said it very gently, in case she DIDN'T know.

"Hufflepuff House is flooded." Abby froze on the words. She puts her hand in her pocket and pulls out George, her pygmy puff. Abby is so gratefull he didn't want to stay in her room today. "No, I've been in the student garden, and then I went to Professor Truebridge's office and took his dog to see Professor Morgan. Did they get everyone out? Are the house elves okay?" Abby sits down next to Copernicus. She's in shock. "I wonder what happened. The water had stopped at the dungeon door. This sure is a weird flood. Usually the water keeps coming until it stops. It's too much water coming too fast to be coming through the mortar around the stones. Do you think the water could be coming from no where? I mean... I'm not exactly sure what I mean. The wards should be stopping the lake water from coming in. Do you think someone is conjuring this water up? It doesn't act like any flooding I've ever heard of. It should have keep flooding from the dungeons to the kitchen level right away. It shouldn't stop and start like it is. Should it?"

Anna continued to smile at Livvy until she noted that the younger's girl's attention had been diverted to Cope and his soaking wet clothes. She listened as the two talked, and she made note of the concern in Livvy's voice. Of course everyone was concerned. Two floors of the castle had been taken over by the flood, and at the rate the water was coming, the very floor they were on at the very moment would soon practically be floating. Anna thought for a moment about encouraging everyone to leave for higher grounds, but then again, if a flood were to break out, Anna wanted to be nearby to assist those in the Great Hall.

"Yeah, you're right, Cope," she said, glancing over at her drenched friend. We are above ground, which means that it only makes sense for the water to somehow be making its way through the walls of the castle." Once again, she glanced from corner to corner, eyeing the walls for any sign of a drop of water. "Perhaps I should stay here for a little bit in case something does happen. I wasn't there to assist those in the kitchens like I should have been. Even though I do know I'm not superwoman and can't be expected to be everywhere at once." She glanced down at his dripping ensemble, then said, "Do you think you ought to go get a phial of pepperup potion? I was down in the dungeons when they flooded, and Healer Avalon had everyone effected take a dose. You'll catch cold, Cope."

She stopped talking and turned in Abby's direction when Cope questioned the Hufflepuff's knowledge about the flooding kitchens. "Awww, Abby. I'm so sorry," Anna said, reaching over and patting the girl on the back. "Everyone's safe, though...including the house elves. I've just received word that they were saved and able to apparate out. I heard someone talking about it in the corridors." She thought about the newly-merged Slytherin and Gryffindor Common Rooms and thought that maybe Abby's new home would be with the Ravenclaw's. She wasn't entirely sure, though, so she didn't say anything just yet.

Abby looks up at Anna and mouthes the word thank you. "Well that's at least something. I was afraid the house elves would refuse to leave the kitchen they are so dedicated. I had a feeling Hufflepuff would be next. It doesn't look like this flooding is ever going to stop."

"It HAS to stop," he shook his head. He completely refused to believe that the water on the bottom-most floors was somehow going to defy the laws of science. Except... well... magic often defied the laws of science. That's what made it so magical. "We're above the water line now. It can't come up here."

Why did they continue to doubt him? He read books.

"I don't know why you think something will happen at this moment. There were weeks between the dungeon and the kitchen level flooding. And it seems to have... stopped at the moment." Or so he assumed because they were above the waterline! "You're probably safe, Anna. You don't have to stand guard over the Entrance Hall."

And then he sneezed.

Anna nodded in Abby's direction, agreeing with her that the house elves were indeed quite dedicated to the kitchens. "That's true, but even they know when enough is enough. I wasn't down in the kitchens when they flooded, but I was in the dungeons for that part of the flood. That water is nothing to play with, for sure!" she replied. "I'm sure the elves knew that for the time being, until a solution is reached, they'd have to get out. I wonder where they are now..." Anna glanced away and absentmindedly stared a good ways off for a few seconds before turning towards Cope.

"Well, yeah...it does have to stop," Anna said, assuming Cope was just merely talking about the dangers that accompanied such a flood. "The water line...this is Hogwarts, Cope. I've been here seven years and not once have I proceeded normally through a school year. It's coming in through the walls, I tell ya. Either that, or it's that squid out there." She glanced at Cope out of the corner of her eye, knowing good and well that he was considered the technical aspect of the situation. After that, that'd be the Copernicus Kettleburn thing to do, now wouldn't it.

"This is a flood we're talking about. The water could come barging through these walls whenever it pleases. That's what scares me. It's too unpredictable," she said, her face wrinkling in concern. "I know I don't have to stand guard, but I just feel like I need to be there for the students when...if something happens." She sighed and grew quiet...

...until Cope sneezed.

"Copernicus Kettleburn! You are getting sick! You need a pepperup potion, yes you do," she half-fussed. She gave him a look, then added, "You need to go to the nurse. She can give you one of those potions that she's been administering."

"God bless you. I think Cope is right. I don't think all this water is just seeping through the walls. It has to be coming from the lake. I don't think the water will seep through these walls. If it does, we should get a great deal of advance notice since the water would cover the ground first." Abby hands Copernicus a handkerchief. "You really should get out of those wet clothes at least."

"I'm not ILL," Copernicus sounded very much like a sulky baby as he accepted the handkerchief. "And I would be a miserable sort of gentleman indeed if I let you stay here, guarding the hall from flooding, all by yourself."

He balled up the handkerchief thoughtfully. "You think its the squid? What is it DOING?"

Abby smiles visualizing Copernicus standing in the doorway daring the flood waters to come in. "Do you think the squid has knocked a hole in one of the walls?"

Anna nodded as Abby talked about the possibility of the flood coming from a situation out at the lake. It did make sense that the water wouldn't just merely be flowing throughout the walls of the castle. The students had put that to rest when they'd knocked down several of the walls a few years ago during that treasure hunt. "The lake is the most likely possibility. I'm so curious as to what it's doing out there to cause this crazy flood, though. I do hope we find out soon," she half-mumbled, deep in thought.

Anna laughed softly when Cope fussed about not being ill. Leave it to a guy to try and play Macho Man at a time like this. "Guarding the hall from flooding, huh? Weren't you the one just stressing the fact that it was days or weeks one between the other two floods?" she playfully asked. "What would we ever do without you, Sir Cope?" Anna smiled and jokingly nudged Cope.

"Yeah, I do think it's the squid. Or, well, I think he knows what's going on. Get this...," Anna said, her voice getting a little quiet as she told the next part of her story. "Lyra and I were out on the grounds a few days ago, and we happened upon Mr. Masteron tossing fish over a small cliff. He told us that he was trying to get the squid to come up, because he required its assistance with something or another. I asked if he thought the squid might be able to help with the flood, but he sort of dodged my question."