Pranking Professors, huh? Cat wasn't too sure about that. "I don't think Headmistress Truebridge is the type to prank anyone." Well, it wasn't dignified, and Cat figured that Truebridge WAS dignified and carried herself as such. But she had also heard things from her Aunt Delilah, so it was likely a toss up.

"I think it would help her self esteem, after all, having a humpback like that just doesn't do anything good for a girl's looks. She isn't hidden away in a bell tower so obviously she needs to look her best."

Oh? Els raised her eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders. "I bet she has it in her though." Didn't everyone? And wasn't it a saying that it was always the ones you least expected? Maaaaaaybe their Headmistress was a prankster at heart. The ideas could be endless, and no doubt that Elodie would spend a while thinking about it later on.

"She needs a statue boyfriend as well, someone to keep her company when we students aren't here," to wreak havoc on the castle as usual. "She needs some proper girl clothes, and some colour."

Caterina had given all of her attention to thinking about the poor humpbacked witch and making her over, "Do you suppose that maybe she had a lot of boyfriends?" Well, Cat was assuming that this statue had been made after a real person who had been alive at some point and maybe someone loved her, humpbacked or not.

"Maybe Boris up on the fifth floor is her boyfriend. Maybe that's why he's all bewildered because he doesn't know what floor she's on. Maybe they have a date." WELL. Anything was possible here, right? Cat grinned, "If they DO have a date, she should dress up."

Boyfriends? Elodie squinted, and shrugged. "Maybe in her hey day." She didn't suppose that hump backs were all the rage in catching the interest of a male. That, and she knew of no one with a humpbacked girlfriend. Unless they wore things that definitely worked wonders for it. "If they maybe had something like...that too." Maybe her boyfriends were abnormally tall, or short or blind or something.

Boris? Oh, maybe. "Perhaps," she pondered, still squinting before her, trying to picture Boris and the witch side by side. It could work, Elodie figured. "She should dress up, and they should meet up." They couldn't possibly be considering dressing the humpbacked witch up, only to not deliver her to her potential date.

Statue matchmakers, in the making.

Since dementors were rumored to be eating kids and stuff on the grounds, Zahra was staying INDOORS. But there was only so much to do in the Common Room, and she'd already eaten and got bored with homework... SO.....

Climbing Humpback statues outside seemed like the thing to DO. Zahra scampered up the side, only dangling off ONCE before getting her footing and MOUNTING THE STATUE.

She had CHAMPION FISTS above her head, greeting the imaginary crowd that was cheering her on for CLIMBING THIS STATUE. Yeaaaaaaaah! WINNING.

Tobias was EXPLORING.

He'd already snooped around the castle a bunch with Kace and they'd found ALL KINDS of neat stuff, but there was still a bunch of places that remained undiscovered to anyone ever ever EVER and Tobias was going to discover them now. MAYBE he could even find out where the house elves were and then he'd be a HERO.

Having just peered for a few minutes at some Very Interesting Bricks which he'd suspected of harbouring clues, Toby was now skipping along down the corridor. It wasn't how explorers were SUPPOSED to travel but this was uncharted territory so he'd be fine.

As he skipped he mentally made an account of what he passed: dust, window, more dust, walls, dust, statue, girl atop statue, win- wait, what?

Tobias stopped mid-skip, looked thoughtful for a moment and then SKIPPED in reverse (which is WAY HARDER THAN IT LOOKS) and turned to peeeeeeeer at the girl.

WELL she seemed to be celebrating rather than stuck so Tobias CLAPPED his hands. He totally recognised her as That Gryffindor. "BRAVO! WOOHOO!" That looked NEAT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickMagpie

Tobias was EXPLORING.

He'd already snooped around the castle a bunch with Kace and they'd found ALL KINDS of neat stuff, but there was still a bunch of places that remained undiscovered to anyone ever ever EVER and Tobias was going to discover them now. MAYBE he could even find out where the house elves were and then he'd be a HERO.

Having just peered for a few minutes at some Very Interesting Bricks which he'd suspected of harbouring clues, Toby was now skipping along down the corridor. It wasn't how explorers were SUPPOSED to travel but this was uncharted territory so he'd be fine.

As he skipped he mentally made an account of what he passed: dust, window, more dust, walls, dust, statue, girl atop statue, win- wait, what?

Tobias stopped mid-skip, looked thoughtful for a moment and then SKIPPED in reverse (which is WAY HARDER THAN IT LOOKS) and turned to peeeeeeeer at the girl.

WELL she seemed to be celebrating rather than stuck so Tobias CLAPPED his hands. He totally recognised her as That Gryffindor. "BRAVO! WOOHOO!" That looked NEAT.

...Zahra hadn't missed the SKIPPING PUFF. Skipping. HAHAHA. SHE SAW IT. With BOTH EYES. She had been thiiiiiiiiiinking about jumping off her statue and SCARING HIM BOOOOOOOOO!

But it was pretty high and junk and she was having a pretty good time up there by herself. The Puff got to live for another day. Probably. There were all them dementors like everywhere, so maybe not?

"HAHA THANKS, MAN!" Zahra would have high fived him, but she was like UP THERE and stuff. Maybe he could high five her shoe? Hmm. HMM. "I saw you skipping." She had. haha. Skipping. What a Hufflepuff. HAHA. "By the waaaaaaaaay." Zahra DID try to offer him her foot, though to any OUTSIDER or someone not in the KNOW, it probably looked like she was trying to stomp his head -- not offer him a HIGH FIVE WITH HER FOOT OKAY.

She... she saw that, huh? C'mon, Toby, think quickly.

"Nuh-uh! You totally didn-"

Uhm... was she trying to squish him?

As the foot came cloooooooooooser towards him, Tobias leeeeeeeeeeeeeeaned backwards to avoid being squished. Was she saying he was an ant? WAS SHE CALLING HIM SHORT?

... fair enough.

When he was still leeeeeaned back, Tobias was trying to think of a rebuttal. WHAT DO.

"Well... I saw you GRYFFINDORing." GRIIIIIN.

Smooth moves, Tempus. Smooth moves.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickMagpie

She... she saw that, huh? C'mon, Toby, think quickly.

"Nuh-uh! You totally didn-"

Uhm... was she trying to squish him?

As the foot came cloooooooooooser towards him, Tobias leeeeeeeeeeeeeeaned backwards to avoid being squished. Was she saying he was an ant? WAS SHE CALLING HIM SHORT?

... fair enough.

When he was still leeeeeaned back, Tobias was trying to think of a rebuttal. WHAT DO.

"Well... I saw you GRYFFINDORing." GRIIIIIN.

Smooth moves, Tempus. Smooth moves.

OHhhhhhhhhhh yeah he did! DOES! ALL THE TIME.

Cue chant.

"GRYINNDOR! GRYFFINDOR! GRYFF IINNNNNN DOOOORRRRRR!!!"

Zahra was pumping her arms, air punching, she even got a little carried away and JUMPED A LITTLE....

And you know, immediately fell off. SPLAT.

"I'M alright."

Mostly.

"Do you see blood?"

The fallen Gryffindor laid on her stomach, sprawled, her cheek pressed to the floor. She'd probably live, but she'd hit her knees and hands pretty hard. NO TEARS THOUGH CAUSE GRYFFINDORS DON"T CRY FOR NOTHING. TOO TOUGH.

As That Gryffindor started chanting, Toby kinda took half a step or three back and blinked. He was rather impressed with her ability to stay on that thing even while basically flailing in House patriotism. But no, she was DEFINITELY still up there.

Until she wasn't.

"Oh." Well that was a bit of an anti-climax. How odd it was from a LOUD GRYFFINDOR to a splatted one. Tobias stared for a moment and leeeeeeeeeeaned right to the side so he was kind of bent sideways, looking at the girl from all upside down and stuff. He put out a hand on the floor to make sure HE didn't fall because he had TOTALLY thought it through.

"I don't SEE any blood. But it's hard to tell 'cause of all the GRYFFindor," Toby pointed out wisely. "I hope you weren't trying to crowd surf." Because that would be more like Toby surfing... which sounded painful.

Tobias squinted.

"Do you neeeeeeeed a shock blanket?"

LOOK HOW GOOD HE WAS AT HELPING.

This cat was pretty smart, noting that Gryffindors didn't BLEED in front of Hufflepuffs. Zahra rolled over, arms and legs spread wide in a giant, Gryffindor X. Her eyes followed PUFF though.

"That'd have been a good idea," Zahra gave him. Crowd surfing. "Next time." She was checking ribs now, making sure they were all in place and stuff. "How many ribs am I supposed to have?"

She counted.... "I counted five I think." Zahra turned her head to see the Puff PROPERLY in the face and gave him the BLANK LOOK OF BLANK. A shock blanket?

Was she in shock?

O______________O

Next time? Well... Tobias made a quick mental note not to be anywhere near this Gryffindor when she was scaling high structures. He didn't want to be a Hufflepancake.

ANYWAY, the girl was moving so Tobias figured she was A-OKAY. Or at least... you know, alive. Which was probably obvious when she'd spoken. He sat down where he was sitting, joining the Gryffindor!Starfish on the floor. But he still bounced because staying STILL was BORING.

And if the dementors turned up she was on her own because he was RUNNING. Maybe if he felt really nice he'd drag her to safety via the leg.

"I dunno how many ribs you're meant to have. My grandfather says if you BREATHE and it's not excruciation, they're not broken," Toby explained, nodding wisely. "He told me when I fell out of a tree." WAY COOLER THAN JUMPING OFF A STATUE.

He'd been speaking even as she'd been staring at him... and was still staring. So Tobias leaned closer again and peeeeered at her face. "I hope you don't need a shock blanket, 'cause I don't actually have one." Hmm, what did he have? "WAIT. I carry CHOCOLATE now. WANT SOME? It'll fix you if you're broken."

Wise nodding again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickMagpie

Next time? Well... Tobias made a quick mental note not to be anywhere near this Gryffindor when she was scaling high structures. He didn't want to be a Hufflepancake.

ANYWAY, the girl was moving so Tobias figured she was A-OKAY. Or at least... you know, alive. Which was probably obvious when she'd spoken. He sat down where he was sitting, joining the Gryffindor!Starfish on the floor. But he still bounced because staying STILL was BORING.

And if the dementors turned up she was on her own because he was RUNNING. Maybe if he felt really nice he'd drag her to safety via the leg.

"I dunno how many ribs you're meant to have. My grandfather says if you BREATHE and it's not excruciation, they're not broken," Toby explained, nodding wisely. "He told me when I fell out of a tree." WAY COOLER THAN JUMPING OFF A STATUE.

He'd been speaking even as she'd been staring at him... and was still staring. So Tobias leaned closer again and peeeeered at her face. "I hope you don't need a shock blanket, 'cause I don't actually have one." Hmm, what did he have? "WAIT. I carry CHOCOLATE now. WANT SOME? It'll fix you if you're broken."

Wise nodding again.

Oh okay. Yeah, Zahra knew that. She'd fallen down a few million times. She knew the breathing thing too, but she forgot 'cause she fell off a statue and stuff. Maybe she WAS in shock.

It was going to take a few minutes to get up probably. Her knees hurt and junk, and if she had been alone she might have gave them a rub or two, cause OWW and stuff, but she had a witness. She was gonna be TOUGH.

....and then this Hufflepuff..... was ....WHAT WAS HE DOING? IN HER FACE?

OH MAN. ZAHRA SPRUNG AT HIM, putting him in a HEADLOCK. "You weren't trying to give me CPR, I HOPE!" SAY YOU WERE, PUFF AND THIS NOOGIE IS FOR YOU.

*HEADLOCKING HUFFLEPUFFS LIKE A BOSS*

WELL THAT WAS UNEXPECTED.

Tobias didn't even have TIME to register his surprise, other than a weird kind of... squawk, before realising he was IN A HEADLOCK. FROM A GIRL.

From a GRYFFINDOR GIRL.

"Well at least we know you're not broken," Toby pointed out, though his voice sounded all SQUISHED AND MELTY because well he'd never tried to SPEAK from this predicament before.

Wait... CPR? Wasn't that just a fancy word for kissing.

"Oh, YOU WISH." What... exactly was her name? It was an importantish name because Tobias remembered that she had an important like... uncle or something... WHATEVER. HER NAME WAS GRYFFINDOR.

And Tobias was still headlocked. Well, there was only one thing for it. Go for the ribs.

...

*TICKLETICKLE*

He really hoped that would work or he'd end up looking like a bit of a plank.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaverickMagpie

WELL THAT WAS UNEXPECTED.

Tobias didn't even have TIME to register his surprise, other than a weird kind of... squawk, before realising he was IN A HEADLOCK. FROM A GIRL.

From a GRYFFINDOR GIRL.

"Well at least we know you're not broken," Toby pointed out, though his voice sounded all SQUISHED AND MELTY because well he'd never tried to SPEAK from this predicament before.

Wait... CPR? Wasn't that just a fancy word for kissing.

"Oh, YOU WISH." What... exactly was her name? It was an importantish name because Tobias remembered that she had an important like... uncle or something... WHATEVER. HER NAME WAS GRYFFINDOR.

And Tobias was still headlocked. Well, there was only one thing for it. Go for the ribs.

...

*TICKLETICKLE*

He really hoped that would work or he'd end up looking like a bit of a plank.

Instead of a noogie, Zahra ended up petting his pretty hair like he was a big bunny with soft ears. ANd she was THINKING about turning the headlock to a HUG, 'cause this Puff was alright and all. He said funny things and knew things.

'Til he started TICKLING HER.


"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKFFFFFFFFFFFFFOooooooOOOOOOOO OOO!" Squealing. Yelling. FLAILING.

She ended up back on the floor with her FEET UP AND ON THE PUFF, to keep him awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! AWAY WITH YOUR DEVILISH FINGERS.

"Man, Puffy. You know how to get a Gryffindor DOWN." So far, he'd put her ON HER BACK twice and without even TRYING. "You mentioned chocolate." He needed to give her some now, 'cause she was all depleted of energy. JUST LOOK AT HER, ALL SPRAWLED AND WORN OUT. WHEW.

SUCCESS.

Tobias' head was FREE and he could STAND SHORT TALL and VICTORYYYY.

But boy that girl SURE WAS CLUMSY. It was probably a Gryffindor thing; Toby knew for sure that the Gryffindors lived somewhere above the ground floor of the castle because they always came DOWNstairs to breakfast. Maybe being up high altered their perception or susceptibility to gravity. WELL whatever it was... she was on the floor.

And her feet were on the Toby.

"I know, I've been practicing!" Tobias responded cheerfully. Just let her think on THAT.

Okay so he hadn't ACTUALLY been practicing but he still had skills.

Chocolate? Oh. "I DID." Well it was for in case she was broken... but he supposed it also worked as tickling compensation. Tobias searched his robes pockets and found the relatively large bar on only the second attempt. He broke it up a bit while it was still in the packet and waaaaved it vaguely in front of him. Well he couldn't REACH 'cause her legs were all in the way.

"Why? Did you waaaant some?"

... Hopefully because now HE wanted some AND SHARING WAS NICE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

SUCCESS.

Tobias' head was FREE and he could STAND SHORT TALL and VICTORYYYY.

But boy that girl SURE WAS CLUMSY. It was probably a Gryffindor thing; Toby knew for sure that the Gryffindors lived somewhere above the ground floor of the castle because they always came DOWNstairs to breakfast. Maybe being up high altered their perception or susceptibility to gravity. WELL whatever it was... she was on the floor.

And her feet were on the Toby.

"I know, I've been practicing!" Tobias responded cheerfully. Just let her think on THAT.

Okay so he hadn't ACTUALLY been practicing but he still had skills.

Chocolate? Oh. "I DID." Well it was for in case she was broken... but he supposed it also worked as tickling compensation. Tobias searched his robes pockets and found the relatively large bar on only the second attempt. He broke it up a bit while it was still in the packet and waaaaved it vaguely in front of him. Well he couldn't REACH 'cause her legs were all in the way.

"Why? Did you waaaant some?"

... Hopefully because now HE wanted some AND SHARING WAS NICE.

"You've been PRACTICING your tickling skills on LIONS? You are one brave or dumb, Hufflepuff," Zahra shook her head. Like the sort of head shaking of DOOM, like man you're gonna GET IT ONE DAY head shaking. Poor Puff.

Zahra kept her feet on him and she was THINKING SERIOUSLY about offering her hands, and THEN like offering to play SUPERMAN with him. WHere he leaned on her feet and she LIFTED HIM UP HIGH and he could fly and junk. She did it with her brother all time, but SHE was the flier cuz he was big and stuff. But THIS KID wasn't all that big. Zahra could probably lift him.

She nudged him with her feet and offered her hands. Yeah. Yeah. THey should play that game. In the corridor. Right now. WHY NOT, right?

"Well yeah. Yeah. Put some in my MOUTH." AHHHHH OPEN WIDE.

"I'll take brave." Obviously. Because A. who WANTED to be called dumb and 2. he wasn't was super super super smart kinda so NOPE NOT DUMB.

She... why was she holding out her hands? Tobias was confused/curious/whatever about what she was up to. BUT CHOCOLATE FIRST. He opened a bit of the wrapper and ate a bit himself since it DID belong to him, and then got out another chunk for the Gryffindorrrrr and put the rest of the wrapped up chocolate back into his pocket.

In... in her mouth?

... WELL OKAY THEN.

Toby grinned and leeeeaned forwards against the girl's feet, closed one eye to make sure he was aiming right, and DROPPED the chocolate when it looked like it was right over the girls mouth. AS she WISHED.

Then he grabbed her hands because curiosity go the better of him.

Was she gonna do a MAGIC?

"Why are we doing this?"

'Cause they MUST have looked pretty ridiculous.

Because she was a good owner of the beloved Gandr, Kat took it around her to be familiar with the different places in Hogwarts. Right now she had brought it over to the Humpbacked Witch Status at the Third Floor. "Yep... you're lucky that I took time to bring you here, you know? But this is the third floor."

...

"And you still lack runes. Hold still." Kat took her wand out from her pocket. "Sowilo sowilo sowilo s s s s s s s s s s s s o o o l l l su sa si se so (sul sal sil sel sol) us as is es os si se su sa su s s s s s s s s s... Intaglio Sowilo Sowilo Sowilo..." The rune then was carved on the Gandr.

"Tiwaz tiwaz tiwaz t i i i i i r r r r r tu ta ti te ter tor tur tar tir ter tor ot et it at ut (Tyr Tyr) T i i i i i r r r r r..." Focus. Yes. "Intaglio Tiwaz Tiwaz Tiwaz..." Boom. Carved. Moving on.

"Berkano berkano berkano bu ba bi be bo b e e e e e r r r r r (burk bark birk berk bork) ob eb ib ab ub b e e e e e r r r r r..." Concentration. Giving it all. "Intaglio Berkano Berkano Berkano..." And it was carved too.

"Ehwo ehwo ehwo e e e e h w o o o ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu e e e e h w o o o...." Ehwaz, yeah. "Intaglio Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz..." Carved as well. Yep yep.

"Mannaz mannaz mannaz m m m a a a a a a n n n mu ma mi me mo mun man min men mon um am im em om mon men min man mun m m m a a a a a a n n n m m m m m m m m m..." Sheesh, that was long. Focus though. "Intaglio Mannaz Mannaz Mannaz..." BOOM. There you go.

Wasn't that nice? More runes for you, Gandr!

Elise was tired, but she had Ancient Runes homework to do. Not very bothered with where she was going, she stepped off the moving staircases at the wrong landing, made a few turns and what was this? A humpbacked witch statue? She'd certainly never bee here before, which was sad. She had another year, and she was going to explore the whole castle... if there was time.

Pulling out her wand and the Gandr, Elise tried to prepare herself mentally for the daunting task ahead of her. Carving more runes. Ugh.


"Kenaz kenaz kenaz ku ka ki ke ko kun kan kin ken kon ok ek ik ak uk kaunnnnnnnnn..." Intense concentration, Elise. YOU CAN DO THIS. "Intaglio Kenaz Kenaz Kenaz Kenaz..." Seeing the rune on the Gandr, she grinned and decided to move on while she was still in her mojo.

"Gebo gebo gebo gu ga gi ge go gub gab gib geb gob og eg ig au ur g a a a ... Intaglio Gebo Gebo Gebo Gebo Gebo Gebo..." Done. She did it. Now Wunjo. "Wunjo wunjo wunjo wu wa wi we wo wun wan win wen won wo we wi wa wu w w w u u u n n n... Intaglio Wunjo Wunjo Wunjo Wunjo Wunjo..." Now that Wunjo was in, Elise took a deep deep breath before going on to Hagalaz.

"Hagalaz hagalaz hagalaz h h h h h h h h h hu ha hi he ho hug hag hig heg hog (hul hal hil hel hol) oh eh ih ah uh h h h h h h h h h..." Now carve it, Elise. CARVE IT. "Intaglio Hagalaz Hagalaz Hagalaz Hagalaz..." That's how it's done.

"Naudhiz naudhiz naudhiz n n n n n n n n n nu na nu ne no nudh nadh hudh nedh niodh (nut nat nit net not) un an in en on n n n n n n n n n..." Here we go. "Intaglio Nauthiz Nauthiz Nauthiz Nauthiz..."

Now wasn't that a mouthful? Putting the Gandr carefully back into her bag, Elise tried to find her way to somewhere as secluded but maybe a little less dusty.

Theo couldn't wait to get out of this school right now. As much as he was beyond pleased about Slytherin's Quidditch win, he seemed to be having frequent nightmares about dementors, which wasn't getting ANY better since the dementors were still around. They were EVERYWHERE. In fact, he hadn't left the common room until they found their way in there, too! So, yeah, Theo did not want to be here.

He missed his mummy terribly.

With his wand in his hand, Theo was taking a detour to look for places that had big space and people around. People who could perform a patronus, because he sure as heck couldn't do magic like that. But his wand was out just in case.

Once he got to the third floor, he leaned against the Humpbacked Witch statue and surveyed his surroundings suspiciously.

Where was Cassia when he needed her? Spy!Moments!