Originally Posted by lemon

Gargoyle box out, thinking cap ON.

Alice always had her thinking cap on recently, because she so needed it. For instance, she needed it daily for class, and then just as regularly for study preparation for OWLs, and right now she needed it for Transfiguration homework. What was she supposed to do with this gargoyle again? She pulled it out of the little box Bellaire had given them and sat it upright, examining it thoughtfully. Teach it new tricks? It new how to march, that was for sure. And, um, stand on its hind legs.

So. Other than that, it needed to learn things. She was READY.

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

She hadn't lost her gargoyle, nooope. That would be completely irresponsible of her and completely what happened. The thing was simply misplaced in all the mess that was her dorm. It wasn't her fault that the room wasn't very clean...come to think of it there was no one to blame because she refused to blame Toddles. He was doing his best.

Anyway, like she said, it wasn't lost because she found it and made her way down to the study tables, only just a half an hour few minutes late for meeting Alice.

"Ready to get started?" She asked, sliding into a chair near her and pulling the stone thing from the box. "First things first, making them move again." It got a quick look and so did Alice's before she whipped out her wand. "Piertotem Locomotor." Now Alice's needed to start moving too so they could get this thing started.

Originally Posted by lemon

"You're, like, thirty two minutes late. I should have gotten you a clock for your birthday," Alice informed Lex as she slid into a chair, giving the third year a hard look before pulling out her wand and tapping it against her nose. "We've got work to do. You ready? D'you know what you're doing with yours yet?" She directed her hard look towards the gargoyle, staring the stone statuette down for a second before voicing her own ideas.

"I want to make mine fly. But I think I'll start out with something simpler first." Wand at the ready, now, TOO.

Alice was just ready in all sorts of ways.

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

"Yeah...the little guy thought it would be neat to play a game of hide and seek first, not to worry, I totally won." BEAM. She always won, just ask her Daddy. "And the clock wouldn't do much, I think I'd lose it too." A rather curious thought when she got down to it. The poor clock. Good think Alice didn't, huh?

She glanced over at the gargoyle that was hovering, her guess, waiting for some kind of instruction. "I started mine with flying during the lesson, he's good on loop de loops so I bet yours can get right into that. Maybe we could have them practice some rolls? You know, like a floor routine to go with the flying?" That could work and they'd be less likely to hurt themselves...or someone else for that matter.

"Have you tried getting yours to back flip or do a somersault?" Those could be a good place to start. "Let's have a go at it. You," She hadn't gotten around to naming him yet, OKAY?? Bad things happened once they got a name!!! "Let's see you try a back flip. Go."

Originally Posted by lemon

"We could get you a watch, one of those waterproof Muggle ones that the castle's magic won't botch up, and then you can't lose it, 'cause it'll always be on your person." Alice closed one eye and held her gargoyle at arms length, adjusting and readjusting it on the table until she was sure it was exactly at the right angle. He looked fine, didn't he, all ready to be ordered around into funny shapes and gymnastics moves? She thought so.

Wait. "But yours isn't going to work," she said decidedly, grabbing Lex's wrist and stopping her from moving the wand again. "You said it wrong, it's Piertotum, not Piertotem." Alice nodded at her seriously before saying the incantation herself, wand out. "Piertotum Locomotor." The stone seemed to shudder just a bit, like a ripple was moving through it, before it halted again and waited for further instruction.

"Um. Do a somersault." She watched it expectantly and waited for it to do one, brightening visibly when it did. "Think he can do a cartwheel, too?"

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

"I have three of those, one up in my dorm if I remember correctly." How was she supposed to remember where she kept most of her stuff? There was a reason why Aidan was keeping her cutlery for her, you know.

But that wasn't what she was occupying her mind with now, she was more focused on the fact that the gargoyle wasn't doing what she said. It was two seconds away from being called rude but just as she raised her wand again Alice had caught her wrist.

Oooooohhhhh.

"I guess that would explain it..." She lowered her wand slowly and watched Alice animate her own stone gargoyle. She tried again. "Piertotum Locomotor!" This time, it did move. It did more than move actually because it was back to that lazy stretching it had done back in the classroom. It got a look from her before she turned to Alice again. "Give it a try, just not near the edge of the table, if he falls he might break." And she didn't think Professor Bellaire would have appreciated that very much.

Lex jabbed hers in the stomach--not hard but the jab was there. "Try a cartwheel with Alice's." And this was were it waited on Alice's so they could be in sync.

Originally Posted by lemon

"Well, start using them, maybe? That's what watches are for, y'know. Or stop taking them off so you won't lose them. Or summon them, you're a witch, right? And I taught you that spell last term. Should work so long as you don't lose your wand, and if you do, someone else can summon it for you." There, problem solved. Alice watched her statue somersault across the table a couple of times, telling to to stop right before it rolled off. What next, cartwheels? She gave the statuette more pointed looks full of expectations before continuing.

"So, yeah. Do a cartwheel, little gargoyle thing." And it DID, right alongside Lex's, as gracefully as clunky things could cartwheel around. She stared as the stones twisted over each other all about the table before commanding it to do more tricks again. "Do a split." This time, Alice was reduced to a giggling mess while the statue funnily splayed it's limbs outwards in a gargoyle-ified version of the spread out position. Entertainment. That's what this was.

Now. Now could she make it fly? "Stop again."

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

That was actually some good advice right there. "When you put it like that you kill any excuse I have for being late to Arithmancy and HoM." She couldn't very well tell the Professors that she lost track of time before she knew it when there was an Alice poking holes in said excuse. "And I actually forgot I knew that spell, would have come in handy a few times." Like with her cutlery...though she didn't mind Aidan keeping them for her because it meant they had all their meals together.

All her attention was on the gargoyles as they cartwheeled across the table. Her breath caught in her throat when hers got a little too close to the edge for comfort, luckily he had some good balance. "Try to be more careful, I don't want to have to replace you." But she would have to if he went and got himself broken.

Hahahaha! Alice had hers doing a split! Naturally she was giggling too but no, she needed to stay focused.

"Do a handstand please." Those were good too.

Originally Posted by lemon

"Why would you want to he late to History of Magic this term, though? Isn't your nee favorite board member teaching that class?" Alice's voice was careful now, guarded, almost. The fishy Vinteren guy was a tough subject to speak on, especially with girls from his little fanclub, like Selina or Lex. Either way, she was positive Lec wouldn't be missing out on a single moment of his lessons, that was for sure.

But back to the gargoyles. She cast aside all thoughts of shifty professors and began ordering around her statue again. Alice could get used to this, telling things exactly what to do. "Okay. NOW fly." It stayed still for a momemt, probably thinking of how it was going to go about completing the task, when its stone wings began to flap. So hard that it lifted off the ground, only for a few seconds before it sank back down, but it had hovered nevertheless, right?

"Finite." She glanced at Lex. "I think I'm done."

RIM
Alligator-An alligator suggests that all is not as it appears. Watch out for mischievous happenings.
Chicken-A chicken tells of changes and new developments.
Crossbones-Crossed bones warn that someone means to do you harm.
Iceberg-An iceberg warns of lurking dangers and hints that a problem is more serious than you think.
Jellyfish-A jellyfish warns you to take care and be wary of a fake friend.
Ostrich-An ostrich advises that it's time to get your head out of the sand and tackle an important issue.

MIDDLE
Ear-An ear tells you to keep your ears open. Chances are you'll hear something you wouldn't expect. It can also suggest that it would be in your best interests to take heed of some advice that has been given to you.
Eye-An eye advises that a situation needs more detailed investigation.
Goat-A goat can symbolise the need to take action with bravery and judgement in order to reach your goals.
Horse-A horse suggests that worthwhile changes can be brought about if take notice of your intuition.
BASE
Dolphin-A dolphin can signify reassurance you that you'll receive help in an emergency from an unexpected source.
Daisy-A daisy suggests that a new light will soon be shed on an issue. The answer to a burning question will be revealed. 'He loves me. He loves me not...'
Fork-A fork tells you that you'll get the help you need as soon as you wish for it and suggests that you'll face a dilemma to either stick with the old or go off onto a new pathway

This rim tells me about the present, tomorrow, what is happening and what should be done. First of all the alligator tells me that it is not all as it seems, there seems to be mischievous happenings going on. Perhaps a member of the staff or BoG, both bodies that seem to have the schools best interest at heart, is working behind the backs against Hogwarts. This is further stamped by the appearance of the jellyfish and crossbones. The chicken is telling us that more is going to happen and the iceberg is telling us that is more dangerous then we thing. The ostrich advises me to take action. The middle tells me about the near future. That I must keep my ears open (Ears) and maybe do more investigating is required. Also this all may tell me that I may need to be a Gryffindor and take a stand (goat). The horse is what I found the most interesting and it told me to trust my instints. In the past I have told it off, yet maybe it has been true. Maybe there is something up with the HoM professor, that freaky dude.The base tells me about the end result. In the end I will get help from an unexpected source (dolphin) and there will be new light shed on the matter (daisy). Yet if need be I might have to change directions, yet most of all help will always come to me (fork).