"That Masterson," Cope nodded steadily. "He's tricky. Tricky tricky, and probably always up to something." It was obvious, based on how disruptive he was to the whole learning process. "If someone were trying to figure out what was going on, I suspect they'd need to follow Masterson for a while."

He leaned back on his bench and wrung out the hem of his robes. "The scene of the crime, so to speak, is currently underwater. Do you suppose there's evidence around the lake? The lake... that's Masterson's domain too. He's really the perfect culprit."

Abby looks at Anna and Copernicus. "Do you really think Mr. Masterson would flood the dungeon and kitchen area? I mean hasn't he been groundskeeper here for like forever." Abby sits on the bench next to Cope.

"Tricky, you say?" Anna asked, not really expecting an answered. She'd never seen Mr. Masterson as being the tricky kind. Then again, there was that time he'd flicked acorns onto the greenhouse right in the middle of Professor Bunbury's first lesson. Oh, and the man also, apparantly, regularly conversed with a giant squid. She supposed it could be true that there was one small element of suspicious nature to the man. Then again, didn't everyone have a slight mischievous side?

"Follow Mr. Masteron? The perfect culprit? Cope, I don't know," Anna mumbled. Her parents would have it in for her for speaking ill of a professor. Then again, what happened at Hogwarts stayed at Hogwarts, just like she'd told herself when she'd been talking with Evee and Lyra just the other day. "I mean...do you think? Really?"

"No," Anna answered, even though the question wasn't directed towards her. No matter what suspicions were brought forth in regards to the flood, she couldn't bring herself to suspect a professor...or, well, staff member. "I think he might have an idea as to what's causing it, though. Like I said earlier, I asked him about his need to talk with the squid, but he pretty much dodged my question." She shrugged and grew quiet. Hopefully this whole ordeal would just work itself out (with the help of the stduents and professors, of course), just like every other dramatic event effecting the castle had done.

As Miranda walked by on her way to the hall, she overheard the group of students talking. Her shyness momentarily forgotten, she approached them. "Is it really true, the water has come up more? And what about Mr. Masterson? Did he figure out what's causing all the flooding?"

After a long hard time in detention, it was obviously... obvious, that Jake wanted to go and lay down under on his bed. Maybe Lolcat would snuggle up with him.

But... what's this?

Water?

"What the..." Jake muttered, looking around him. He couldn't go down to the Hufflepuff place... because it was majorly damp.

Wet, even.

One could go as far as to say there was a big ol' puddle.

HECK! IT WAS FLOODED!

"WHAT?!" Jake yelled out, spinning around, trying to find out some answers.

Tammy hadnt quite recovered from her argument with Eva and walked in huffy through the entrance and rolled her eyes at the pink haired -well known- annoying youngster that simply had no idea about anything considering he was shouting random one words out. "What?" Tammy repeated after him and she took some steps toward him and continued, "On earth are you shouting about?" She shook her head in disbelief at the boy.

"It's not unusual for the professors to doge our questions. They tend to want to keep us in the dark when it comes to what's going on around here.
I don't know why. They would have a lot more eyes and ears keeping up with what's going on. We generally have imformation that could be useful to them."

"I didn't know Mr. Masterson could speak squid. The giant squid is in the best position to check the parts of the castle that are under the lake. The teachers must also think the lake is causing the flooding."

Abby notices a Slytherin has joined the conversation. "The kitchen level has flooded too. Anna was telling us she saw Mr. Masterson trying to talk to the Giant Squid. Didn't Mr. Masterson turn into a niffler last term?" Mr. Masterson seems to be a man of many talents." Abby wonders is one of them should keep an eye on him. After all Professor Kazimeriz has her keeping an eye on Professor Truebridge. I don't know why the professor can't just trust us to know the truth. We could be a big help to them well most of us. Abby looks in Copernicus's direction. The one who spends all his time with his head buried in a school book.

"The... downstairs-y place," Jake stuttered, forgetting what exactly the downstairs-y place actually was. "My... the... s'all wet!"

[/captain obvious]

"What's going on?" he asked, looking up at the girl with a confused look on his face. And then it downed on him... Charlie. Charlie and Lolcat. Sure, the cat was smark enough to get out, but Charlie was being kept in a freakin' tank.

OHNOES!

His eyes welled up as Jake started considering... what might have happened.

*sniffle*

Whistling. Yes, she was oblivious to whatever was going on, as usual, because, well, she spends most of her time outside, you know...Quidditch Captain, the Pitch, the Whomping Willow...just the usual...the greenhouses...not so usual.

And, then.

She saw him!

The pink hair was hard to miss.

"JAKE!" she screamed, running toward the second year like he was a Silver Arrow that people were giving for free, "JAKE!" she screamed again, and, since she ran pretty fast she was next to the boy in a second.

"Oh, Jake, are you alright? Where have you been? Dominic said you were in detention...I didn't believe him, but then I saw the hair up in the Owlery places...never mind...why were you lead towards such an awful place? Who put you through it?" so many questions, so little time, and she was simply so happy to see him you could see it in her face.

Wait...

"Jake, are you actually alright? What happened? Why are you about to cry?" or crying already, for all she knew.

JAKE!

AHHHHHMAHGAWDDDDDD!!!!! DUCK AND COVERRRRRR!!!!!

Oh wait... it was only Kaika.

...

...

RUN FO YO LAAAAIIIIIIFFFFF!!!!!

Sniffling, Jake didn't really feel in the mood to run. Not really. But Kaika was running. Cool. Ahaaaaaa. Wooohoooo. Yo. "Kaika," Jake repeated back to the girl in a small voice. "Erm, had detention... a couple. Lawson put me in the first one, 'cause I like, hurt someone... and kinda wrecked the suits of armour on the second floor."

Hehe.

"And... I was in detention with Truebridge for that," Jake mumbled on, his voice nearing a whisper. "Then... I lost my temper at someone, and Healer Avalon put me back in... I just got out. Kaika," he added, turning to look up at the girl, pointing towards the Kitchen level. "S'all wet."

Lawson?! There! She knew that fella was up to no good. Ever since she believed that Kazi was out of Hogwarts.

She was about to interrupt, but decided it was best to let the boy finish. After all, she'd asked quite a few questions.

And she could totally cry, the little sweet Huffie boy was clearly in awful shape with the detentions. Because it wasn't only ONE. But TWO or more, or whatever. The amount didn't matter.

"I knew Lawson was up to no good with his cookies and friendliness...and why they do to you? I mean, they must have done something for you to hurt them somehow, right?" because she couldn't believe Jake was capable of hurting someone just because. The girl was obviously blind. "WHAT? The suits of armor?! So, what if you wrecked them? Like those things couldn't be put together....you weren't hurt by the suits of armors, were you?" complete and entire blindness.

Healer Avalon? That's a new one. That must have been the woman who was chasing after Mr. Masterson that one time. "You got in detention for losing your temper?! That's just stupid..." she said, shaking her head, how could they do something like that, and to Jake? If she didn't know better she would say it's a plot against the boy...and a plot against the boy meant a plot against the team...but that's just plain paranoia...right?

Kaika nodded, as Jake spoke her name...wet? Well, yes, tears had that effect of wetting your face, no? Oh, no, he meant the kitchens. "Yeah...well, they're probably cleaning" she shrugged, not even bothering to look at the place Jake had just pointed to. "You're fine now, and that's what matters..."....then she looked....and then she noticed...

"The Kitchens?! But, that means..." yes, the Common Room. Uh-Oh. Where was her broom?! Safely, in the Locker Room. Where was her bat?! Safely, in the Locker Room. Where was Jake?! Here, next to her. Where was Dominic?! Probably with Willow. Where was Miranda?! Where was Miranda?! Probably safe...with Vannie...right? And Emalyn?! Probably safe, after all, she was there when the dungeons flooded and she knew that no student was left behind.

"We don't have a Common Room!" yeah, that's obvious. And then she looked at Jake, trying to compose her face, there was no need to freak the little boy out. "I'm....sure...they'll figure something out..." she said, and hugged the little boy, "You're alright, and out of there..." she said, pointing downstairs, "...that's all that matters, right?" well, that and Quidditch.

Shrugging, Jake began chewing on his thumbnail. Bleh... at least Kaika was being all nice. She wasn't mad.

Unlike SOME people.

"I dunno... she wouldn't leave me alone. I tried to run off, but she followed me. I mean, just because she's the head girl..." snifflesniffle. "And... suits of armour... I mean, c'mon. Those things were made for battle. I'm not gonna do much," he added sullenly, staring down at his feet.

...

Ah, she'd... only just noticed. It seemed Jake wasn't the only oblivious. Sigh. Hiccoughing a little, Jake leaned into the hug from Kaika, trying not to start sobbing. "But my... cat... I only had him a year... and my tarantula, Charlie... he's only a baby..."

It was widely known that arachnids were conquered by water? Ever heard Incy Wincy Spider?

I rest my case.

Aaaaaaand, there go the tears.

What? What was he trying to do? "It's all fine, Jake...wait, Head Girl?" that means...Anna...why was Anna bothering Jake? She should pick someone her own size, no? "Never mind, you're out of detention" not thanks to the ones that placed him in there.

"I know about the suits of armor...there's no way you could've damage those...but...that's not really the point...I'm just glad that you're suddenly free" and suddenly facing a flooding? Perhaps it was better if he was away in the Owlery, right? Away from the water.

Oh. His cat. She was completely glad she'd returned Seven to his cage in the Sanctuary, no way the crup could've survived a flood. "Cats don't like water...and they're utterly fast, Jake, I'm sure he's fine" she smiled, nodding, "And, well, about the spider...the instinct of survival must have made Charlie leave quickly" maybe, she didn't know much about spiders, though....

All she's ever taken care of were Owls, Pygmypuffs and a Crup. Dragons don't fall into that category, for the 'taken care of them' hasn't truly happen. Yet.

Tears. Oh, no.

"Oh, Jake, no, don't cry...I'm sure they're all fine, really" and if they aren't, you could always get a new one. But she wasn't going to say that. "Umm, do you want a chocolate frog?" she asked, trying to leave the comments of the flodding vanish.

Speaking of nearly drowned cats, Kaika had to know, "I was wondering something...you remember Gingersnapple in tryouts, right? The cat was....pink...the same tone as your hair...and I've been meaning to ask you if you, somehow knew....if you knew anything about that?" but, he couldn't, because he was Jake. And Jake never got in trouble.

"But Charlie was in a taaaaaaank," Jake whined, balling up his fist and rubbing his eye. "He's... dooomed..."

Jake loved animals. LOVED them. He could even remember that time when he was three and saw that badger roadkill. He was upset and disturbed... for a very long time after that. At least that would have been quick. Poor badger. "I want them baaaaack," Jake added, hiding his face.

Then the shock came when he was offered a chocolate frog. But that wasn't the shock, ohhhhh no. People often did that to shut him up... and it rarely worked. The shock, to him and anyone who really knew him, was that he shook his head.

Jake Upstead just turned down a chocolate frog.

Twas a sad day for sugar companies everywhere.

ANYWAY!

"Gingersnapple..." Jake mumbled, taking in a few gasps for breath every now and then. "I took him... he left, I followed... and, like... turned him pink, kind of..."

Ahem... yeah.

"Yes, it's really true," Anna said, smiling and replying to a girl who'd just walked up and joined the group. She didn't really know this girl well, but she remembered seeing her around in classes and the such. "Well, true that the water level has come up more. A lot more. The kitchen level is now completely flooded, which means that the Hufflepuffs are now without a home, too." She shrugged when the girl asked about Mr. Masterson. "We're not sure about Mr. Masterson's knowledge at all, but from what I can gather, he thinks the giant squid might be able to help us. He was down at the cliffside earlier tossing fish to it trying to get it to come up."

She glanced up as none other than Jake Upstead dared to show his face. That kid had been in as much trouble as those Moisier kids had gotten themselves into last term. Not to mention the fact the kid shoved a whole suit of armor on her. Absentmindedly, Anna linked her arm through Cope's. "That kid freaks me out," she whispered to him. "He pushed a suit of armor on top of me a few weeks ago." She shot her friend an apologetic look when she realized she'd been more or less clinging to him. "Sorry...just a reaction one has when spotting someone who's...well, like him."

Cope patted Anna's arm before slipping it free and putting it over her shoulder. It was a fully protective gesture for a friend who was obviously intimidated by something in the room, although as to what... he hadn't figured that bit out yet.

"I suppose it is inappropriate to accuse a professor of misdeed, but he was VERY disruptive in Herbology, and I don't understand how someone with out best interests could do such a thing. But... the jury is out. He has my faith until he proves untrustworthy. I still think his deeds bear watching, regardless of his motive."

Constantine let out a huff as he finally hit the ground floor after coming from 7 floors above. He had his letter to Madison in his hand, re-reading it over to make sure that he had covered everything sufficiently. He didn't need her bawling again the next time he saw her.

His eyes looked up as he heard the sounds of students talking. As he drew nearer, he slipped the letter into his pocket, eyeing the group. He really didn't need them asking about the letter or anything. With a sigh, he slipped his hands in his pockets and walked right on by.

"Well, then, if he's in a tank...then, there's no reason to worry, now" she wasn't even sure if such a thing even made sense, "But, I guess you'll find out eventually...he probably made it, though, usually bad news are fast" not fast enough, considering she didn't hear about the flooding issue up until this moment.

Wait a minute...If the Gryffindors were sharing their place with the Slytherins...Kaika gasped. Why, oh, why did the kitchens have to be flooded?!

Still, there were so many thoughts running through her mind, and then, she frowned. No chocolate frogs? Wait, what? Wasn't Jake the boy who couldn't deal with sugar? "Yes, well, I want one...you don't happen to have any chocolate frogs with you?" where was Mirandaaaaaaaa?! Miranda always had chocolate frogs! And why didn't Kaika had one?!

Oh. Professor Vindictus always keep them in his office. Hmmmm.

No. Focus. Chocolate frogs aren't important at the moment. What's important is...nothing, really, because she didn't know what to do now or anything.

Gingersnapple. Of course. Oh, Jake was spending time with him, what a sweetheart!

"What?! You turned the cat pink?!" wasn't she like supposed to be angry at whoever did such a thing? "Oh, well, nice spell, Jake...and I hope Bunbury likes it, after all, she does like pink" riiiiiiiiight.

Abby watches Mr. Masterson walk past them. Copernicus is starting to sound like Professors Kazimeriz and Truebridge. Everyone needs to be watch just in case their up to no good. "Yes it is inappropriate to make accusations unless you have proof to back them up. I don't think throwing acorns at one of the greenhouses qualifies. I don't understand why everyone mistrust each other."

"Plastic tank, with airholes..." Jake went on miserably. Big enough to let more than air through. That thing could let Charlie through if he wore like, one of them little spider corsets... that didn't exist.

Geez... people were obsessed with chocolate frogs. I mean, why, dude? WHYYYYYYY?

They weren't that good...

THIS IS JAKE UPSTEAD!!!!!

"Yeah..." Jake nodded. Cat was pink, just like Boy. "I like Gingersnapple. He's my friend."

Nyawwwwww. Don't that just make yo heart melt?

... me neither.

Okay. There was no way to win this. So, she wanted to say 'Well, Jake, maybe the spider didn't make it, big deal' but she didn't...because, well, she was thinking of both Snowy and Seven, and she would feel so worried about them.

Actually, if it was her in Jake's place she'll be looking for them as we speak. Perhaps. Who knows.

Uh-huh. No chocolate frogs then? She wanted something relating chocolate, but having a cup of hot cocoa was a no-no, considering the current Kitchens situation. OMG! Are the House-elves all right? Of course they are, they beyond magic, no?

Awwww. How sweet this little boy was. "I don't, the cat took the clipboard away" where did that come from?

"Er, yeah, well, Jake...I'm gonna...go...yes, because..." what was going to happen to them? Where were they going to sleep? The Pitch sounded fairly good, yes, "...because, actually, we should get going, you...to the Great Hall, maybe...I don't know...just don't jump into the water..." now she was probably giving him ideas, "...though, it's better if you ask Professor Morgan about both the cat and the spider, no?" yes, better to have him safely away from the water, unless it was the lake.

"So, I'll be seeing you soon...right, Jake? And...don't let people get you in detention" because it was never the boy's fault.

Cracking a smile, Jake looked up at Kaika, shrugging one shoulder. He remembered that practice... where Gingersnapple kind of hijacked the clipboard at they had to chaaaaaase him.

Good times.

"Okay then," Jake nodded, glancing around him still. He wasn't moving from here yet. Sooner or later, everyone in the school passed through this Entrance Hall, and one of them had to know what happened to Lolcat and Charlie, right?

"I'll try... to not let them," he added, more as an after-thought than anything.

Kaika rocked, dude. She found Jake innocent.

She needed some kind of medal.

"Wow", was all Miranda could say at first. "So I guess more people will have to bunk up together...oh, I'm Miranda, by the way. Miranda Morgan."

"Mr. Masterson can talk to the squid? The squid talks???" This was all news to her. "Do you think the water will keep going? I mean, this floor is next, isn't it? And how are we all going to eat if the kitchen is flooded? Did the elves all get out?"

At the last comments, about professors, she nods. "It's never a bad idea to keep your eyes open, as long as you don't jump to conclusions."

She squinted at Jake. Wasn't that boy in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class last term?

Sooooo... now Jake had nothing to do, and there was nobody around him. Frowning over at Anna, Jake was a litle confused at first, with regards as to why she was being all weird with him?

Hmppfff.

Ohhhh yeaaaaah... the whole 'suits of armour thing'.

Meh.

Well, he had nothing better to do, so, hesitationg at first, Jake wandered a little closer to the group that was hanging around, but stayed a bit far back. Then he just stared at Anna... waiting.

Who knew why exactly he was staring...

Was he mad?

Hmmmm...

"Nice to meet you Miranda. I'm Abby Wright. I agree. It's always a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open. Never know what you might find out."