Puffing and panting, Sarah had made her way to the front of the pack, just in case they met with hostility on the next level.But that wasn't what she came face to face with, instead it was...ROSES?

WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN'S LITTLE PINKY TOE, KINDA OF OBSTRUCTION IS THAT?!

Must have been that silly little first year that tried it on with the flames.Was she really 11? 'cos these were spells an older kid would know.OH GOD! Maybe the bartender had been aging them as well as imperiousing them?! And how the hell had she got up to the third floor before they had?!

The anger was rising now, she had to get to Miranda and Oliver, had to save them.And with the help of Brody, Kay and Lori that is exactly what she was going to do. "You obviously don't know what you're dealing with!" she shouted as loudly as she could. "Roses will not stop us from getting to our friend!"

"Come on guys," she breathlessly said to the group, beckoning them to crowd around her. "Transfig, remember? Reverto and these things will be no more than bulbs before we know it."

Hearing movement from down below, Sarah quickly pointed her wand at the mass and cast the spell wordlessly.If this continued she'd need a rest.A lonnnnngggg rest.

Annnnnnd Lori was very good at this.The first lot of roses were gone in no time, but that still left some more for them to tackle.Not big ones though, and Sarah really wasn't in the mood to keep concentrating on teeny tiny little flowers. "Well done, Lori...but you know what? I really don't care if I get scratched right now, and there aren't too many left, plus we need to leave something to block their way.Just get ready to runnnnnn...." and with that she started grabbing at the roses and pulling them, making a path for them to get through.

When she'd managed to clear some out the way, Sarah pointed her wand and wearily cast another couple of "Reverto"'s at the remaining ones.Ehhh magic couldn't hurt a little, right? But her addrenalin was telling her to pullllll. "Runnnnnnnnnnnnn" she screamed, yanking the roses she'd already pulled back over the stairs once they were all through.

ooc: Ivory ran up here before the flames, then slid down then came back up AFTER you guys. You're all in front of us and the thorned roses were on the step to the stairs leading up to the fourth floor not coming up from the second lolz theres nothing stopping anyone from getting to the third floor only a glisseo on the stairs up to the fourth and the flowers that have now been reverted to seeds

Had Ivory not turned to see if Arya was following, she never would've noticed the jet of red light that characterized the Stunning Spell.

Ducking forward into a somersault, she felt it shoot past her, ruffling a few strands of hair as it went.

A twinge of fear rushed through her and for a second she had to wonder if what she was doing was right. If there was even a reason. But then her thoughts hit a brick wall and she was once again consumed by the need to make sure these nitwits didn't go any higher.

Aiming her wand behind her as she ran forward, she whispered an incantation. "Tarentellegra." Before bringing her shield back up.

Evelyn, having smiled at the success of at least one of her spells, began to stand up so she could continue running and to help out Ivory.

But she couldn't do that. Not without her wand, and her wand was now soaring through the air down the hall. Who dared to do that?

With narrowed eyes, she turned slowly around to see who was behind her. She didn't even hear anyone running behind them, but there were a few people actually. Whatever. She could fight without a wand anyways. And the victim? That weird kid that she remembered also being victim to one of her and Destiny's stunts. Unless it was Marie...or it actually was Destiny and not her.

With a sudden sprint, she pounced at the older Ravenclaw. Yes, who needs a wand...when you can have TWO! Now she just had to get his.

Taking the back of their small group, Lorelai pulled her shield up and scowled at the first year. Come ON! How did she know these spells? Ey? She certainly shouldn't have. Definately shouldn't have know all these spells they were using.

She had taken over from Sarah, in shielding their little group and concentrated REAL hard which looking behind her every so often.

WHAT THE H- "PAPILIO!" She shouted loudly, with all the concentration she could and sent a flurry of butteflies in the direction of Mr. PoopyHead miniions way. "ENGORGIO!" There, all better. BIG FAT FLUTTERBYS! HAH.

Grinning a little, Lori followed Sarah and the others THROUGH the thorned roses, pushing her way through, tramping them as she did so. Sure, she got a few scratched but who cared!

Arya had made it to the third floor, noticing the trap that she figured Ivory had made. They would need a better defense if they had to stop the other students. But where were the rest of them?!

Coming to a halt beside her friend, she realized what they were doing and pointed her wand at the other students. "Locomotor Mortis!"

Barry smilled with joy as his spell worked and the wand flew into his hand .About time too. He`d been trying it for six years with only limited success.

He took the two wands and pointed it at the other girl (Ivory) and shot a double "Stupify" in her direction. But just as he turned to stun Evelyn she was running towards him. Whaaaaaaaa?????? He had no time to react and the girl was on him and a wand slipped out of his hand. It was unfortunatly his one. He tightened the grip on Evelyns.

Grrr. These people were not letting them go and rescue Miranda, and she needed rescuing! Brody frowned. They needed to get through, and they needed to get through now.
Meh. Her stunner hadn't worked. What a bummer. She glanced around, putting another shield around them, they would need it.

She watched Ivory. That girl needed some teaching, and she definitely knew how to knock some sense into Ivory. "Hey Ivory." She shouted, moving slightly infront of Sarah and Lori, just so she could do something. "Stop attacking us." Then she smacked her fist towards the girl, before running down the corridor. "Come on guys."

Ivory came to a halt happy to have a real friend who understood the cause! To protect Samuel Bossman!

Had she been paying attention to where she stopped maybe things would've gone better but as it was she came to stop right on one of her own previous Trip Jinxes...falling flat on her back, her already wounded skull hitting the stoned floor and causing black to rim the edges of her vision.

Feeling her wound from who knows when open up again, she holstered her wand as a rush of memories flooded her mind sending it into overload. Bringing her hand up to the back of her head, she felt it come away moist with blood.

Her mind a muddled mess, she propped herself up and she'd been just about to get to her feet when she was simply knocked back down by two strong stunning jinxes straight to the chest and an additional Chuck Norris style punch, sending her crashing down once more.

Hearing a clanking sound that was awfully familiar, Evelyn looked up only to spot a wand on the floor in front of her. But...that wasn't her wand. Which meant...

GASP!

He...he was touching her wand. Oh Merlin, the FINGERPRINTS! He was putting his dirty fingerprints on her precious wand! She could see it in his hand. NO! And then she did the first thing that came to mind...

With an angry growl, she raised her hand into a fist, and brought it straight down to Barry's face. Right after, she pushed his shoulders down and stood up before stumbling slightly over to the wand on the ground. It wasn't hers, but it would have to do until she got hers back. She WILL get hers back eventually. He probably wouldn't like using it anyways. He he

And he determinedly followed the Slytherin girl upstairs into another row. And what she doing with that Ravenclaw? What were the people there doing?!! Since there were spells flying around again, Josh unholstered his wand and ran towards the girl again. ''Rose! ROSE!!''

He stopped for a moment when he saw a Ravenclaw girl collapsing but there was some other students close to her. She could help her. So, the boy continued running towards Evelyn. ''Rose!'' As if his vocabulary contained only this word.

Marilyn stumbled up the stairs leading to the third floor, utterly confused. There was fighting everywhere...and worst of all...it was student on student. She'd heard some talk of brainwashing or something like that. Hadn't they said that it was the guy from The Hog's Head? She couldn't remember. As of now, she was trying to find some common ground. Cursing her peers wasn't something she wanted to partake in...Although...

Suddenly, she spotted...Evelyn? Hadn't she been missing? Josh was right behind her, screaming "Rose" like his life depended on it. Evelyn was a friend and Marilyn wanted to help her out...but if she was cunfunded or whatever, she didn't want to have to hurt her...

Sighing, she took off after Josh and her friend, not sure what she'd do when she caught up with them...

She looked back to Carter when he asked about the injured students. "Yes, it seems that all of them are trying to protect that bartender from the Hog's Head."

Finally making it to the third floor Marie was shocked when she seen Evelyn punch Barry in the face. Then she heard Josh calling for Evelyn......and Marilyn was there too.

She ran to catch up with them. "Josh, Marilyn, we need to get Evelyn away from here. The bartender from the Hog's Head is controlling all th students that went missing and came back hurt. We need to talk to her and try to get her to remember who she really is. Get her to snap out of it." She looked at Josh knowing that if anyone could do this it would be him. Marie seen the look in Evelyn's eyes earlier when she talked to her about him. "Please Josh, try to make her remember."

Carter skid to a halt next to Josh and Evelyn... and... Marilyn. And if this were any other time he'd actually have to deal with whatever was going on there. But right now that was the last thing on his mind.

"Then that means... Mina. We have to find Mina too." he said to Marie. Maybe since Josh and Marilyn were both here with Evelyn they'd be alright to keep going.

Kay was running right behind Sarah and trying to keep up. "I still don't see Miranda or Oliver!" Pushing some of the roses out of the way, she saw the big fat butterflies. "Cool." turning and going forward again. Kay called out. "MIRANDA!" "OLIVER!" she knew that Sarah and the rest of them had to get to them. Making sure her sheild was good Kay started calling out. "EXPELLIARMUS!" "STUPEFY!" he had to make sure that their group stayed safe.

Oh no, Marie had been so worried about Destiny and Evelyn that she didn't even think about Mina. "Right, someone has to help her too." She looked at Marilyn and Josh. "Will you two please try to get Evelyn to come around? We need to go help the others too."

Marie really hated to leave Evelyn there but sheknew she would be fine with the help of Josh anfd Marilyn. Right now she needed to help Carter.......After all he helped her when she was looking for Destiny and Evelyn when they were missing.

Evelyn, finally able to pick up the unfamiliar wand without stumbling, stood up when she heard someone yelling rose. Well duh, there were flowers on the stairs leading up to the fourth floor. She wasn't an idiot! She could see them, jeez. Unless whoever was yelling it out was an idiot. Hufflepuffs have been known to fall into that group. But the voice was growing louder and when she turned out, pointing the wand at the Ravenclaw boy, she was surprised to see...Josh there.

Oh that's right, he called her Rose. But all she could do was glare at him with her black eyes. The lying Gryffindork. And why was he running after her huh? Trying to brainwash her too just like Marie and Carter? Make her put her guard down so he could attack her just like the others? Well not on her watch! She had a job to do, and she was going to do it! But she had to get to the other floors AND have her wand though...

Instead, she raised the wand and pointed it at Josh, but then, another person arrived. One she was glad to see and slightly wary of. Marilyn would help her right? She couldn't even think of the different approaches she could take to get Marilyn on her side when the two most annoying people just showed up. They never stop do they! Just keep coming back for more. She really hoped Carter enjoyed that kick she gave him earlier in the entrance hall.

"Controlling me? You two are the ones being controlled!" she said, pointing the wand at Marie and Carter, before making herself look scared and worried, even making her wand arm shake slightly, and finally gave a pleading look to Josh and Marilyn. "They're trying to brain wash me! They've been attacking me! And HE has my wand! He STOLE it from me!" She yelled out while switching off from pointing to Marie, then Carter, than finally at the older Ravenclaw boy who was so OBVIOUSLY holding HER wand while she held his, hoping that Josh and Marilyn would take her side and help her out.

Marilyn was a bit surprised by Marie's sudden appearance but listened carefully. She confirmed what had been going around word-of-mouth...The bartender from The Hog's Head had been the culprit. If this had been any other situation, Marilyn might have laughed...One would have to admit that this was getting a little crazy, even by Hogwarts standards.

She opened her mouth to respond when Carter appeared right behind her. He began talking to Marie in a rush...about Mina. Her stomach turned unpleasantly. She couldn't deal with this right now. If either one of them tried to speak to her about anything that was going down, she'd lose it. Merlin, they didn't want her to lose it right now. It'd end badly for everyone.

Without responding to anything that had been said, Marilyn turned and began following after Evelyn again. The only people she cared about in this situation were Evelyn and Destiny...who she presumed was fighting students some place else. She'd deal with the Carter/Marie situation later...in private...where she could possibly sneak a few shots of Olgen's...

Catching up with her...Evelyn began screaming. What was she saying about Carter and Marie? This was all so confusing!

She glanced back towards the two in question and glared. Ugh! She hated them with everything she had right now. "What happened Evelyn? Talk to me...Who's trying to control you?"

Hearing Marie saying something to in her direction, Marilyn sneered. "Don't you dare talk to me ever again you stupid slag. Don't you and Carter have somewhere better to be...? Perhaps not so near me...That'd be nice."

Carter shot a look at Marilyn. That girl really had some serious problems. "Good luck." he said to Josh giving him a nod.

He took Marie's hand and hurried along up the next set of stairs. They had to find Mina. Hopefully all the blocks this way had been cleared. Just as he was thinking that he jumped over another icy spot.

Seeing her friend go down Arya began to make her way over, but wasn't fast enough. She was halfway there when Ivory was knocked out by two stunners, runing to be by her side she bent down and looked at Ivory. Not knowing the incantation to make her conscious all she could do was pull her beside the wall and out of harms way, hopefully someone would help her.

Focusing her mind she stood up and looked around. Most of the students had made there way up the stairs. She had to protect the bartender, running she made her way up the stairs after the others.

"What? We're not the ones trying to control anyone." Marie said to Evelyn. "We're trying to help you remember who you are."

She looked back over at Josh, "Please, just do what you can to make her remember."

She looked over at Marilyn but didn't have a chnce to respond to her because Carter had grabbed her hand and was leading her towads the stairs. Following along she jumped over the icy area too then continued up the stairs with him.

"Yes you are!" she argued back with feigned terror, but lowering her wand so it pointed towards the older Ravenclaw boy instead. He was the one that had her wand after all. And she really wanted it back. Really, really wanted it back.

Make her remember? Make her remember what?! What was she supposed to remember?!!! About the Three Broomsticks? About Josh? About them? Well yes, she finally remembered a little earlier on the previous floor they were on...

But she didn't care. She had to get to the upper floors. Making a mental note of her surroundings, someone running up to the next floor, another person knocked out, and the people she was surrounded with, she took a few steps to her left so she had a good view of the stairs that led up to the fourth floor. Without craning her neck that is...

Her terror filled expression though turned into a smirk when she heard what Marilyn had said, making her snicker slightly. She hadn't seen Marilyn in such a long time, and it was really nice to be hanging around the Slytherin again. Of course, it could have been in better circumstances, but, it was still something.

Once Marie and Carter left suddenly, Evelyn kept her, or should she say the older Ravenclaw boy's, wand at the boy and slightly turned her attention to Marilyn. "It doesn't matter now." she mumbled, watching the two others disappear.

Glancing at Josh for a split moment, she made note that her wand was still in the Ravenclaw's hand. "Just...don't trust Marie and Carter. They're bad news." And really annoying too. They seriously needed to be knocked out cold. Two less people to have to deal with if that happened. "Can you two help me get my wand back?"

Lina bounded up the stairs then thought she could hear talking. She fell to all fours, kitty ears forward and attentive as she crept up. She peered over the edges of the steps as she crawled, seeing what was happening.

Barry tried to reach out with his wandless hand to get his wand, almost there. Just a bit further....BAM. Something solid came colliding with his face and a crunching noise could be heard. Was Evelyn really that strong? Blood had started to pour out from his nose.

Then as she got off him he heard lots of differen`t people approach. Wasn`t the school supposed to be in lockdown? He recognised them. They`d all been playing quidditch together. While Evelyn was distracted Barry got onto his knees and muttured "Protago" That do for now. They were only second years

As Josh approached where Evelyn was, far a split moment, he thought she was pointing her wand at him. She was really pointing her wand at him with weird looking eyes...full of hatred perhaps or he imagined that. For what she could be she doing that anyway? The boy was holding his wand as well but he did not do any move concerning the wand and someone else arrived there: Marilyn then another Slytherin girl he knew Marie plus Carter.

The next minute, before the boy could open his mouth, they started to spill out the confusing news. Evelyn being controlled by the Hog's bartender, he was supposed to make her remember herself who she really was. What were all those? He glanced back at Evelyn. Surely there was something different with her but being controlled? ''Are you sure of that?'' he asked which sounded pretty stupid regarding the circumstances they were in nevertheless he was having difficulty with believing that Evelyn was under control. How could not he?

Then Marie and Carter left murmuring something about Mina and leaving Josh and Marily there to deal with Evelyn, as they said. He snapped out of the momentary confusing when his Rose spoke. Now who was being controlled? The boy had her wand? Another wave of confusion hit him, this time more complicated. Don't trust Marie and Carter. He thought they were okay. However he nodded when she asked for help to get her wand back. Looking at the Ravenclaw boy with a bleeding nose as he casted a shield charm, shield charm was not something bad. Right?, the Gryffindor boy spoke ''Where's your wand?''

Where was her wand? Umm...heeellllooooo! It was right there! In the Ravenclaw's hand! Could he not see it?!

And, the boy was casting a shield charm with it. He USED her wand. STOLE it, put his FINGERPRINTS on it, and then USED it. Narrowing her eyes, her mouth slightly open in shock and amazement at the older boy's bravery, she took a step forward, keeping HIS wand trained on him. His face looked better with a messed up nose anyway...

"It's...right...there." Evelyn muttered, pointing the wand to her own darker wand. "The one he's holding." Obviously!! Josh's ability to be a good actor probably made him all confused in the mind at times. Pfft, being half Gryffindork and Ravenclaw probably would do that to someone too.

"You're...bigger than me. Get it." she ordered more than said before hastily continuing. "Don't cast at my wand either! Don't hurt it." It was one of the main reasons she was holding back any spells that may be running through her mind at the moment. The possibility of hurting her wand was just too high!