"Let me consult the mighty orb," grinned Vindictus and he stopped walking. He lifted the orb and looked into it. Hmm. Okay. He lowered the orb and tucked it against his left side. "It might be but the orb wants to play with the leaping toadstools, first. Now let's find some!"

He began walking again and his boots crunched on the gravel. Vindictus traveled about five feet before he suddenly stopped. He lifted his cane and pointed it to a patch of what appeared to be mushrooms. "Is that a patch of leaping toadstools?" he asked Kurumi and Emrys.

Emrys' glasses began slipping down his nose and he pushed them back up while coming to a stop next to Vindictus.

"So... we're not going honking daffodil bowling?" Emrys looked at Kurumi, wondering if she was as confused as he was. When Vindictus pointed, Emrys followed the cane with his eyes, squinting.

"I.. I ... I.. c-c-couldn't say," Emrys said, swallowing hard. "I.. I... I..

He stopped mid-sentence, his mind blank. What was the question, again?

Vindictus squinted. "It is! We need to get closer," he chatted excitedly and was unaware that his grip on the orb was beginning to loosen. His limp was more pronounced as he tried to speed up. But instead of looking at where he was walking, Vindictus kept his gaze on what he thought were leaping toadstools. Hidden by the grass were a few large roots from a nearby tree.

THUNK!

It all happened so fast. One second he was walking with the aid of his cane and the next, he was face-first in the grass. The orb flew out of his left hand and was seen bouncing through the patch of leaping toadstools.

"Not again! Get it!"

It played out before Emrys' eyes in slow motion, Vindictus falling to the ground and the orb bouncing away.

"Prof-" he began, cutting himself off as he heard the man's instructions. While Emrys' first thought would have been to help his head of house, he looked at Kurumi and shrugged, before taking off after the orb.

His jog was awkward and his glasses kept slipping, but he soon skidded into the patch of toadstools, which as one might assume, were now leaping as he entered their midst.

He scanned the ground, trying to see where the orb had gone. Not seeing it, he tried to move around while also not stepping on any of the plants, making for an exaggeratedly high step.

Putting his foot down, though, proved dangerous as the sole of his shoe made contact with the orb's surface and his foot shot out from under him. He landed on his back with a thud, undoubtedly crushing some toadstools beneath him. Feeling like he'd been punched in the stomach, he patted the ground, seeing if he could find the orb by touch.

His fingers grazing against it, Emrys wrapped his hand around it and held his arm straight up in the air, showing off the retrieved orb.

"Got it," he groaned.

If orbs could laugh, this orb would be cackling. It had managed to escape from the man who seemed to be confusing it with a Muggle's Magic 8 Ball and had nearly tripped up the bright Ravenclaw boy; but now, now it was back in the bespectacled child's grasp.

Rats!

The orb suddenly went dark as Emrys held it up, almost as if it were a terrarium containing a miniature thunderstorm. It did not like being captured like this. It did not want to be locked up or taken outside or shaken about and held at a wizard's beck and call. It had to do something about this mess.

Wiggling around the boy's fingers, the orb somehow managed to slip out of his grasp, rolling down his arm and into the taller weeds surrounding the mushrooms. It was in a darkened state and was determined to not be found by any one who had already touched it.

If orbs could think, this one was thinking of seeing the world. The world beyond Hogwarts, perhaps....

The best thing about this new groundskeeper was the garden that came with him. It had FOOD that some of the creatures in the sanctuary would eat. And Arya loved picking the fresh vegetables for finding the hidden creatures, she was certain that was why they came around to her last time.

So it was while she was on her way to the vegetable patch, satchel slung around her shoulders, that she ran into the interesting trio. Interesting because of who was together and what they were doing. She squinted at them and moved closer. Hmm.

On his mission to avoid people Lewis just happened to find himself outside a lot. Which logically didn't make a lot of sense but somehow he'd figured out that he was safest at places where there were a lot of people. And no possibilities to end up all alone with somebody. Hence outside.

If possible close to really big groups of people.

Seeing as he'd just left his last group of people - a couple of random first year students - Lewis was now looking for a new group, next to which he could stand and revise things in his head. Which was why he immediately quickened his steps when he spotted some students standing together. Three to be exact.

He was so focused on getting closer to the trio that he accidentally bumped into a girl who was apparently also moving towards the group. Or into their direction anyway. "Oh, I'm so sorry." Lewis muttered, blushing a little, especially when he realized who he'd bumped into. It was their Prefect. The OTHER Prefect that is. The female one. Hello!

Hands stuffed in his pockets, Alec wandered along a path. He wasn't ready to go back to the castle but he also wanted to get away from the lake for now so... he was here. Walking really slowly along this path as if he had all the time in the world.

The twelve year old wasn't exactly paying attention to where he was going. His feet seemed to be carrying him somewhere while his mind was too busy thinking about... other things. Things he didn't expect to have to face ever in his life.

Alec suppressed a small yawn as he stopped and blinked around at his surroundings. He... hadn't expected to end up here. Among trees and paths! That was slightly odd on his part. Maybe he should keep on walking forwards until he came to a clearing that would take him back to the castle? Yes, that seemed like a good idea.

Zoned out, quiet and probably not himself, Mikey began walking back toward the castle. Not that he actually wanted to go back because he was actually quite enjoying his walk. But it was getting a little cold out now and... well... he didn't like being out in the cold. Purely because of just that. It was cold! Pure and simple. He carried on walking along the paths with his sleeves rolled up glancing around at his surroundings as he walked without a care in the world. Well, what was there to fuss about? The end of term was a few months away which meant he'd finally get a chance to see Maria. He hoped! So he had something to look forward to. And despite not knowing very many people at all, he was quite enjoying life at Hogwarts. And he'd continue to until he got bored of it. But that seemed a little unlikely.

Or was it unlikely?

Mikey jumped slightly when he accidentally bumped into a younger looking boy walking in the opposite direction to himself. He gave the small boy a slight smile. "Sorry...!" he exclaimed as he got passed the boy and turned his body so that he was facing him and waited for a response. If he was going to get one that was. But why wouldn't he get a response. He'd apologised. Surely that was enough?

Alec probably shouldn't have been lost in his own mind. Had he not been too absorbed in his own thoughts, he might have been able to pay attention to where he was going. And he may have been able to avoid bumping into people randomly in the middle of a pathway. Or have people bump into him.

So after feeling a little nudge from behind, Alec blinked and turned to face the boy standing there apologising. He seemed to be older. Much older! Or maybe that was just Alec and his firstie brain. Everyone seemed a lot older than him at his age.

But the boy had apologised to him and was now looking at him which only meant one thing. Alec should probably open his mouth and say something around about now. "That's fine," he said, giving the boy a small smile, "Erm, I'm Alec, by the way, Alec Summers."

Mikey raised an eyebrow still waiting for a response from the younger boy. This wasn't going to be yet another day at the office, was it? Ya know, one of those days where he got ignored or something? O well!

But the boy had now responded. A very politely for someone of his age. Not that Mikey new his age. That would just be... Was creepy the word? Maybe! Who knew. It was Mikey after all. He never made sense. EVER!

"Mikey Grainger..." he smiled holding his hand out for the younger boy to shake.

Kurumi sort of just watched in confusion as Professor Vindictus actually went through with the whole...bowling concept. Was he...alright? Kurumi sort of felt like he was acting like a first year instead of a professor to be entirely honest. Maybe stress was getting to him? He wasn't as young as he used to be, so the rumors were saying at least.

Oops.

Seeing Emrys going after the orb, Kurumi chose to turn her attention towards the fallen professor who was currently eating a mouthful of grass. Bending down, she offered him her hand and reached for his cane to help him up off the ground. "You alright, professor?"

Kurumi didn't see what was going on behind her, with the orb that is, seeing as her back was turned away.

Kurumi DID turn around when she heard more voices and smiled when she saw that one of them was Arya and waved at her fellow prefect when her eyes fell on Lewis and, subconsciously, her cheeks flushed. She didn't really move forward though, seeing as she was still trying to help Professor Vindictus up, but the atmosphere did become just a little awkward. "H-Hello Arya...L-Lewis..."

Her eyes went back to Emrys for a moment, seeing if he had managed to catch the orb...only to see that his hands were empty. "Where...did it go?" she asked the Ravenclaw.

Emrys blinked, wondering why his empty hand was stuck up straight in the air. He stared at it dumbly, his glasses crooked on his face, before lowering it and letting out a soft groan.

The leaping toadstools hadn't provided a soft landing at all, and the fact that several of them were now leaping on him in protest of the smushing that had occured.

"Ow," he muttered, trying to sit back up unsuccessfully, letting his body fall back the few inches he'd managed to raise it.

"Where'd... what go?"

And who were those other voices?

Vindictus rolled over on the grass and stared up at the sky. "Did you lose the ball?" he asked and then sat up. Um, why are all these people standing around?

Leaping toadstools? Check that. Half smashed leaping toadstools.

"Aww man, you smushed 'em! Now where's my cane?"

Still in stealth mode, the orb remained hidden until a few new feet stepped into sight. It liked the looks of one set of toes and rolled out, bumping deliberately into one Hufflepuff Prefect's heel.

Choose me choose me! The orb seemed to scream, lighting up like a tiny fireball and pulsating gently. It was for Arya's eyes only, although the fluffy-haired boy that followed her looked appealing as well...

One at a time, though, one at a time.

Miss Puff prefect was so focused on the odd scene infront of her, that she wasn't even paying close attention to the kid coming up behind her. "Ohh." She stumbled forward a step, glancing back at the bumper. Hm. He looked familiar. Arya totally knew he was in her house, but he looked a bit more familiar than most other Puffs she'd come across at random.

... Was he on their quidditch team?

"Don't worry about it." It wasn't as if he knocked her down or anything. The prefect smiled at him, shifting the bag on her shoulder, then skipped the whole introduction thing to nod over at the group all... er... about. "What do you think is up with them?"



"Hey, Kurumi." She wiggled a finger at the girl and wondered why she was acting so strange, but then realized all of them were acting strange. Right. At least she now knew the kid's name was Lewis. That was filed away to memory and she tried to figure if the professor needed help or not.

Or the other kid who's name or face she didn't know.

Oh. More bumping?

Only not Lewis cause he was taller than her heel. By a good deal. The prefect's gaze drifted down and she squinted at the glowing.. thing at her heel. "What..." Crouching, she was careful in picking up the glowing object, turning it in her hand slowly to appraise it. Hm.

Lewis held his breath, waiting for the Prefect to reply. Arya, was it? But she didn't seem to be too annoyed with him bumping into her. Plus she was a Hufflepuff too and they were all nice, so. There. Nothing to worry about.

He still breathed a sigh of relief when she actually TOLD him not to worry. "Good. I'm sorry." Couldn't hurt to apologize again, right? "I...don't know?" How would he? He'd just got here too, after all. Smiling back at her nonetheless, he shifted his attention to the group of people she was referring to and...gasped. He hadn't noticed how the one person he was trying to avoid was actually part of that group.

And now she'd seen them too. "H-hi." Lewis stammered a reply, watching her with his head slightly cocked to the side. She was still acting weird. And yes more weird than he'd expected. Also a very much different kind of weird than he'd expected.

This was still way too confusing for him to think about so instead he focused on the rest of the group...who were acting just as strange, even more so probably. Turning his head a little to give Arya a confused look just in time he watched her crouch down to look at something lying in the grass. He waited for to finish her sentence but she never did. "What...?" Lewis tried to urge her own, a little curious himself about what she'd found.

Plus it was way more easier to focus on this than...other stuff.

Kurumi stepped to the side when Professor Vindictus had rolled over onto his back, taking a moment to retrieve his cane. "R-Right here, professor," she said, offering him his cane.

This was getting weird...really weird...weird even for Professor Vindictus.
And now that Professor Vinditcus was taken care of, hopefully, Kurumi returned her attention to Emrys who was struggling to get up off the ground. If Care of Magical Creatures had been a war zone, then this right now was a bloody circus.

"Here, let me help," she said, offering her hand to him so he could hopefully pull himself up and out of all the smushed jumping toadstools.

Professor Bentley wasn't around to see this, right?

Kurumi really couldn't answer Emrys' question, until her attention was turned to Arya again and she saw that her fellow prefect was holding the orb. "It's right over there," she said to the two Ravenclaws. "The...orb." Not ball, professor. They weren't going to play Quidditch or anything with it.

Besides...wasn't he supposed to lock it up in his display cabinet in his office? How had then come to be in the pathways instead of in there?

Her eyes were back looking at Arya now, well, more like looking past her...
For whatever reason, Kurumi felt a strong tug in her chest when her eyes fell on Lewis, but something was blocking her understanding as to why. She studied him for a moment, noticing the look of confusion that had come over his face and she took several steps forward...towards the orb, of course.

The orb was the reason they were out here in the first place.

"Is it, alright?" she asked Arya as the Hufflepuff studied it in her hands. Kurumi came to a stop beside Lewis, glanced at him just for a brief moment where there was a flicker of something in her eyes, and then all attention was back on the orb as it continued to glow.

The sky was an awful pretty shade of blue, Emrys thought, staring at it as Vindictus asked him about some ball. He was not an athlete, so why would he have a ball.

He sorta half-leaned up on his elbow, getting his breath back. He couldn't see, but he just knew that the back of his robe was covered in mashed up mushroom. He hoped the house elves would be able to get the stain - and the smell - out.



Emrys squinted at the two people he didn't know, feeling rather mortified that he was lying in the remains of a toadstool patch. When he saw the orb glow in the girl's hand, however, his eyes lit up. Yes. That's what he'd been looking for! He hadn't lost it!

But he kept his mouth shut.



Emrys looked up, cheeks blazing red as he took her extended hand and allowed her to help him up. He refused to meet her eyes, embarrassed by the spectacular fail he had demonstrated. "Is it... bad?" he whispered, turning his back to her to see if he had toadstool-carnage stuck to him still.

But he was drawn back to the sight of the orb, wondering if he should ask for it back. He stepped forward, wondering what he could say. The orb looked so.. pretty.

"Um.. um, uh.." he stammered, trying to address the girl. "Th-th-that is pr-pr-pr-professor Vindictus' orb." He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the smudge on the tip of his shoe, curly hair falling in his eyes.

"H-he dr-dropped it." He stuck out his hand, but didn't look, hoping she'd just hand it over.

Glowing brightly and warmly in the Hufflepuff's grasp, the orb seemed rather content. It appeared to blink on-and-off, however, when the others gathered around Arya and the orb.

Noooo, it did not want to go back to the boy with his hand out. Noooo, it did not want to be examined by the Gryffindor girl that was eyeing the Hufflepuff boy. Nooo, it actually did not belong to the professor with a fake limp. Noooo, indeed. The only person the orb seemed mildly interested in was the one who hadn't touched it yet.

The boy with the fluffy hair.

Wiggling ever so slightly, the orb managed to pop out of Arya's grasp, almost as if she had just squeezed it too hard with buttery fingers. Not that the girl had buttery fingers, necessarily (or did she???) but the orb was bound and determined to not stay with any one owner for too long a time.

Thus bounced the orb, out of Arya's finger's and onto the over-styled head of the fluffy-haired Lewisboy, rolling around in his fluffy hair and shining brightly once again.

A lot of stuttering, and awkwardness was going on, around her and directed towards her. And hands were being held out at her. But she didn't pay half as much attention to all of that as she was to the warm orb in her hand.

Thank you, Kurumi for clearing up what it was.

The prefect stared at it in awe for as long as she could before rising to her feet and glancing over to the Ravenclaw boy, hand with orb resting at her side. "It's Professor Vindictus'?" Her eyes moved over to him in a squint of skepticism. What would he need an orb for? Actually, what did he need that cane for? "It's fine, it's..." Her voice fell silent as she lifted up her hand to show the other prefect, and everyone surrounding them, that the orb was fine, when her hand came up empty.

Oh.

"Well it WAS fine." Until she dropped it? Sigh. Arya didn't remember dropping it, but she looked around the area anyway, cause the glowing orb couldn't have just vanished.

Kurumi had obviously chosen to just ignore everything that had happened. There was just no other explanation for it. This was probably even worse than...well, everything really. Was it really that horrible that she wanted to forget it all, pretend it never happened? When she took a couple of steps forward, he took one back - seriously considering to just leave and go on trying to avoid her.

And then all of a sudden she was standing right next to him.

Lewis stared at her for a moment, already trying to read something positive into her actions when she...asked how the orb was. SERIOUSLY?! He took another step away from her, to the side and hence a little closer to Arya, a look of hurt flashing across his face. Refusing to look at her any longer, he returned his gaze to the thing Arya had picked up. The orb, was it?

And why was everybody so interested in this little ball thing?!



But somehow he was curious too. Especially because it provided a good enough distraction. Only when Arya held up her hand to show them again, it was empty. Where did it go?! Lewis at first glanced down at the ground again, this being the most logical place for the orb to have disappeared to. Only it wasn't there either.

And why did his hair feel a little bit heavier than before? Did he have like a leave in them or something?

Reaching up without actually paying much attention, Lewis ran a hand through his hair to get rid of whatever made them feel weird. He had been about to turn around to see if the orb was behind him when he froze as his hand closed around...a round object. Was that...? He blinked a couple of times before slowly lowering his hand again, taking the object with him. It WAS the orb.

"A-are you looking for this?" Lewis asked quietly, putting the orb on his palm and showing it to the others. Could somebody please take it? He really didn't like being the center of attention and he also really wanted to leave...curl up in a ball somewhere - no pun intended.

The orb lit up Lewis Rastig's hair until he removed it from its touchable nest, and then it proceeded to light up his hand. As if knowing how uncomfortable the orb made the boy, the bright ball rocked gently in his palm and then rolled off his hand and down his sleeve.

It enjoyed making the students behave strangely and feel uncomfortable. Not that orbs could feel, but if this one could, then it would feel like playing hide-and-seek right now.

"Thank you, Kurumi," Vindictus replied as he graciously accepted his walking cane that the Gryffindor prefect had retrieved for him. "Tree roots are dangerous - I'm going to have a word with the groundskeeper before someone gets seriously injured."

He was finally back on his feet and leaned on his cane. It was then he heard Emrys say his name and point at something. His blue eyes followed the direction in which the Ravenclaw's finger was pointing, and they rested upon Lewis. Who was holding his orb. And he gasped as it rolled up the Hufflepuff's sleeve.

Oh, noes!

"Hey, Lewis. Fancy taking the, um, glowing ball Honking Daffodil bowling? I've heard that Professor Bentley has a few in Greenhouse number three."

Lewis' eyes had been on the others - silently pleading with them to take the orb from him - when all of a sudden he felt it moving in hand. Yes, maybe he could go back to his room now to do...something. He'd actually had some kind of plan of what to do today but right now he just couldn't quite think of it. But yes, maybe the orb would finally bounce off it and let him be.

Only it didn't. Because when he focused his gaze on his palm again, the orb was gone. Though not - as he'd secretly hoped - because it had bounced off and had gone back to hiding in the grass but because it had...rolled down his sleeve. Not really knowing what else to do he started shaking his arm vigorously, bouncing on the spot a little. "Get it off me!" Maybe it was dangerous. Maybe it was something that would bite him. It certainly had a mind of its own somehow.

He'd stopped his little freaking-out-show to chew on his lip nervously and raise his arm a little so he could peek down his sleeve. Maybe he could see the orb and get it out that way. Glancing up sharply when Professor Vindictus said his name, Lewis gulped and blushed a little. "H-honking Daffodil bowling?" He echoed with a confused glance back into his sleeve again. He'd never ever heard of that. Nor did he really want to go back into the Greenhouses...

But then again, this was a PROFESSOR talking to him so he should probably do what he'd suggested. "Okay." He finally said with a small nod, wiggling his arm once more in a last attempt to get the orb off of him. Was he supposed to go...alone? Slowly, very slowly he took a couple of small steps into the general direction of the greenhouses after another glance at the group of people.