Ah-ha! AH-HA! "Yes! YES, that's IT!" the Headmistress was the slightly shouty one now, snapping her fingers excitedly at both Leobald and Botros, then at the prefects Beverly and Alexa.

"We ALL need to say THE MAGIC WORDS." The magic words, being, "Happily Ever After," Annie amended, looking around with a bright bright nod. Whaat, she was very cheered by the singing flowers. Who DIDN'T just love singing flowers?! They were so inspiring!

But back to the book. "So, wands out, smiles on," she demonstrated, pointing her wand at the book too. "And... HAPPILY EVER AFTER on three. ONE... TWO.... THREE!"

...

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER!"

Benny was really trying to keep track of all that was being said around him. Too many throughts and ideas were being voiced and he couldn't even be sure who said what or if they had been approved or turned down. What was their next move? More spells or burning or physically locking it away or anything else they could all possibly come up with didn't matter at the moment. The book was just being eerie with its flowers and music and he was feeling majorly weirded out.

And then the headmistress was practically bouncing as the wheels seemed to be turning in her head. Magic words?! Was that really what it was going to take? Benny didn't see any really harm in giving it a try, it certainly seemed more appealing then what Botros was talking about. ANOTHER runic ward that would likely take from days up to a week to prepare and make. Nope...the Gryffindor was ready for it to go away now.

Bye bye...Mad Hatter.

One...two...three...

"Happily Ever After!!!"

Er.....what?

What a cliché. And she'd been pretty sure the Head Girl had been joking when she said it, but apparently all the professors present hadn't picked up on it. So, Heather turned to the Headmistress, who seemed to be the only sane adult in the room. Or not, since she also believed that was the way to get rid of the book. Sigh. Well, might as well try it. Couldn't hurt. She aimed her wand towards the book again and cleared her throat.

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER!"

And now she felt stupid. So, had it worked?

Cassie had her wand out, but she was more dancing to the wonderfully happy music. "How presh are these!!!" Could she put them in her office? She really needed them, so adorbs!!

Oh wait they were focusing, right, wand out, get rid of book! Though getting rid of the book would get rid of the wonderful music. There was no snapping for losing the wonderful flowers. Her focus moved to everyone talking about Happily ever after, which was ah-mazing for the end of stories!

"Happily ever after" was that right? She wasn't going to like die or something being that she had been possessed by the evil queen and the villain never got the happy ending, right?

Hearing the chorus of voices speaking the words it longed to hear, the book sighed contently and began to turn some of its pages back.

The frogs gave one last hop and vanished in puffs of golden smoke and sparkle. The book giggled and gleefully shivered as the flowers continued to serenade the crowd. After another few moments, they too vanished in a puffs of golden sparkle that showered down upon everyone.

Pleased, the book giggled encouragingly and began to glow as more pages began turning back.

The magic words were 'happily ever after'? Lux supposed she shouldn't find that surprising since they were dealing with a fairy tale book. Who knew that something said as a joke would prove to be important.

At the Headmistress' instruction she stood with her wand still at the ready. Hopefully this would work and no more spells would be needed because this happy attitude was much better than the pixies and flying carpets.

One. Two. Three.

"Happily ever after!!"

The frogs and flowers POOFed, showering them in golden sparkles and the book giggled. "It's working!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarShine

Cosgrach GLARED at the girl.

"No one's destroying it, Merlin! Calm down!"

Really, BE CALM, kid, because the book had calmed down for a change and Cosgrach didn't want anyone to disturb it. What caused it? Was it... like the end of fairy tales? How did fairy tales end, anyway? He didn't even know.

Professor Culloden was glaring at her. Not just glaring at her, but telling her to calm down. Okay, maybe no one was going to destroy it. Some of those Gryffindors looked like they still wanted to blow up the book or burn it. She didn't really trust them not to destroy the book.

SPOILER!!: Gabe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Govoni

SPOILER!!: This!

Gabriel was slowly getting himself back under control...and was having some success...but luckily his Head of House had taken notice. He looked up at the older man; eyes still a bit glassed over.

............"M'fine."

Also, the body-shakes weren't nearly as violent as they usually were...with this panic attack. Maybe...the potion he'd been taking from Professor Culloden was working. A little?.......but who wouldn't have been panicking if they'd gotten manhandled by a flying carpet...and then frogs...Even the chocolate frogs...Why couldn't it have spit out a few pumpkin pasties?!

Breathing. Gabe had to focus on breathing. In. Out. Lots of blinking.

Yes...he was going to be...fine.

Gabe said he was fine, but he was not. "You are going to be fine, Gabriel." He was going to be okay. He just needed to calm down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Turning his gaze to one of his eagle's Leo ordered. "Please calm down Penelope! Nobody is going to destroy the book I promise. If they try I will stop them." And that was a solemn vow from a librarian that worked with books everyday school was in session at Hogwarts. Enough books had been burned up and destroyed in the great fire a few terms back. He was not going to let another book meet the same fate regardless if it was evil or not.

Now Mr. Kitridge was telling her to calm down. Mr. Kitridge was not going to let anyone destroy the book. She still wasn't convinced that the Gryffindors wouldn't try to destroy it, but the book was safer with Mr. Kitridge around to try to stop anyone who attempted to harm the book.

The pages of the book were turning back! "I think the book is closing!"

Leave it to Cambridge. "The second option!" Clearly. Why would the other part help? "And be quick about it!"

Apparently at least one student leader agreed with herself and Flamsteed. And given how the book was reacting, the Headmistress was wise to agree. Tiara hitched up her face into a smile and kept her wand pointed at the book. With Anastasia, she shouted the magic words.

"Happily ever after!"

This was one of the strangest experiences she'd ever had in her life.

...but apparently it was worth it! The book reacted instantaneously. "Keep going!" she encouraged everyone. "Happily ever after! Happily ever after! HAPPILY EVER AFTER!"

This was just too much. Singing flowers, really? Jasmine was sooo over this book. It was way past time for it to be defeated. Hearing the Headmistress give the order, Jasmine raised her wand and prepared to end it.

"Happily ever after!"

Things were disappearing. Could this really be the answer? Jasmine waited and hoped.

That's all there was to it? Saying those few words? Well, alrightey then. Adi was more than happy to help make this book go bye bye.

"Happily Ever After!" he shouted with the rest. OOOH! Looky! The flowers were going...and they were being bathed in goldy stuff. How weird...and interesting. But hey... it looked like the book was finally going to go away. Hopefully it would be forever.

His gaze was on the book to watch and see what happened when they said the three words that had been decided on. Benny certainly wanted to be alert in case it was a bad reaction. The pages moving back could have been either good or bad and the fourth year watched and waited for anything more to develop.

The frogs disappeared...the book giggled once more...and the flowers continued to sing before vanishing as well.

That was good...right? He swallowed slightly at the glowing as it reminded him of the bad experiences. And the gold all around...meh. But eventually repeated for another round...

"Happily Ever After!"

*DEADPAN*

Note to self, leave all sarcastic comments out of serious discussions. They...actually thought a few little pansy words would make a book capable of possession just disappear? What's even worse, it was actually WORKING???? What in Merlin's beard??? Lex just stood blinking in disbelief at what was obviously the book coming to its end as a result of the words being yelled by those around her.

Honestly, that was pathetic! What kind of book gives up just because everyone was happy, eh? She supposed this meant no more chocolate frogs sprouting from it's pages, huh? Not likely given everything was disappearing. Wow. Just wow.

Words, the Gryffindor didn't have them. This was beyond ridiculous. She couldn't even. What a way to end it all.

Beverly grinned a bit more. Maybe the book's magic was contagious, that could have contributed 10% to her mood. What REALLY got her face to light up was that she was right and an apparent solution was set in motion.

GRINNY GRIN.

Quickly vanishing said grin, the Slytherin Prefect was back in motion and ready to get this down. She cleared her throat.

"Happily ever after!"

T'was working! ^____^

Jordan was ecstatic to see that the book was finally behaving itself, about time. He was starting to get slightly annoyed of dealing with the book's silly pranks and silly magic. "FINALLLLLY!!!!" Jordan said as the book was actually starting to act like a book and not some mysterious creature who conjured spells and had attractive pixies (How could that be a thing) and dancing jumping frogs or whatever they were doing.

..... Wait? Truebridge, you're meaning to say that all this time, the book could have been defeated with three words? THIS ENTIRE TIME? They dealt with a crazy Headgirl, an insane Divinations professor, an out of control Astronomy teacher, AND an enraged Potions Master and the whole problem could have been solved with THREE SIMPLE WORDS?

What.

This was it? THIS was the solution to the Hogwarts' mystery of the year?

Happily Ever After?

Zander couldn't even believe it. This was absolutely and utterly insane. AND how come nobody had thought of this before? Confused Gryffindor was confused. What the heck? ??? ??? ? What. ".... Happily Ever After?" Seriously. Just three words?

He wasn't quite sure if Miss Cambridge's question was a rhetorical one, one asked out of sass, or if she genuinely wanted to know. Thankfully, he did not need to answer as several others did in his place. So he instead just pointed his fingers towards the others and nodded. Yep. That one. Be observant, Miss Cambridge! You had the goal of being an Auror, yes? Needed to be fully aware of one's surroundings and any changes to them!

But that sort of pep talk would have to wait for later.

Feeling just a tiny bit pleased with himself - because for ONCE in his Hogwarts career he had made a positive contribution to a crisis - the astronomer had a bit of a goofy grin on his face as the Headmistress instructed everyone to start saying the phrase.

After giving the woman a salute, the professor joined in and even added a bit of riverdance-esque movements as he did. "HAPPILY EVER AFTER!" he said in a rather sing-song fashion. "Happily ever after!"

He, for a very brief moment, felt a bit sad about all this. Would making the book close its pages mean it was closed forever? No more enchantments? No more giddy feelings? No more Hook?

Well, except in the imaginations of others and on the pages of books.

Hmm....he supposed he could live with that thought until proper research on the book could be done. He ought to actually read the fairy tale belonging to the character that had enchanted him. It was on his summer to-do list.

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER!"

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER!" Okay, this was just... Botros just... felt... he had to fight the urge to wipe his wet eyes. This was so touching for him, okay? Don't bully him. 'Sides, the book was turning its pages rapidly and glowing with no more bizarre things popping out of it. It wasn't so bad after all...? Hopefully...? The old professor decided to wait for a moment longer to see what was going to happen next.

Zander. He was such a good guy and Kevin was secretly, very secretly , glad that he was his friend. And quite surprisingly he calmed down after his words and nodded his head. Yeah, blowing stuff up after this was a good idea.

............................Wait..........That was it?

A few simple words? THAT WAS IT?! They went through carpets and pixies attacking them, through all the people that were possessed throughout the year and the way to destroy the book was ...to say THREE SIMPLE WORDS?! wow.

He was dumbfounded though and only stared at the book as it turned its pages but nothing was happening and like Lex, he couldn't even say the words out loud because all of this was just too weird and he was too busy staring. But he didn't think it would really matter if he said it or not because others were already shouting happily ever after and it seemed to be working.

.....Can he blow that book up now? please? like, it was the book or Lex. And since he didn't want to go to azkaban he didn't have much choice...

Magic words?

'Happily ever after'?

Cosgrach was GAPING, but soon he recovered: the pages were turning BACK and stuff was disappearing.

"Happily ever after!" he chanted like everyone else. Soooo happy!

Now, could they be over with it?

Oh gosh, how exciting! One minute it's absolute chaos with magic carpets flapping around everywhere, the next minute tiny fairies are braiding her hair. And she was in the middle of all the action. Nessa had originally thought this was some sort of dark magic and was prepared with her wand at the ready, but how could she think that now with the singing flowers all around?

She hoped that once all was said and done that she could get her hands on the book to study it.. as long as she could do it safely of course. It was just so fascinating and she somehow felt that she was in the middle of some dynamic show. Were those really the magic words? Nessa looked at the Headmistress curiously as she instructed them all to say it, then beamed brightly at the book. How perf!

"Happily Ever After!!" *giggle*

Angel was totally enjoying herself. "Happily Ever After!!" she giggled as she chanted like everyone else... this was totally fun and she hoped that Adi and Benny were having loads of fun.

Pointing his wand at the book as the headmistress instructed Leo beamed warmly at the book as he joined in the chant "Happily Ever After! You'll live Happily Ever After!" Hopefully if everyone said it enough times it'd lull the book back into a deep sleep. Satisfied that it had accomplished what ever mission it thought it had had this term.

Leo's eyes gave Penelope and Gabriel another worried glance before they refocused on the book again. It was best to be vigilant.

Glowing more and more brightly each time the words were spoken, the book continued to turn back its pages until stopping briefly on the title page. The book began to shake, its leather binding rattling against the table in a pleasant bell-like tone, and giggling airily.

Its job here finally done, the book did one last giddy wiggle and sigh of content.

Then, in a brilliant flash of golden light and sparkle, the book closed. Light spilled out from the pages and basked the entire Restricted Section in its warmth. Gold sparkles seemingly erupted out of the filigree on the cover and showered down upon one and all

And then.....there was nothing but silence and stillness.

It...had.....worked?!!!

Anastasia was almost as shocked as everyone else. ALMOST as shocked, but not quite as dumbfounded as some who hadn't even PARTICIPATED in the spell. It was just like... such a real happy ending. A HAPPY ENDING FOR ALL. This kind of thing NEVER happened at Hogwarts...

So naturally, she was on her guard. "Leobald," the Headmistress whispered, slowly lowering her wand and tearing her eyes away from the beautiful book, "I think you should tie it up. Abraham, is there some kind of binding runic...spell thing we can do to it?" She wanted to be SURE SURE this was the end.

Angel was chanting away when suddenly the room when bright... did all the books in this library do this because if they did then she wanted one and she wanted one now, the book was letting out this warmth glowing feeling and Angel was totally enjoying it.

Angel would ask the Professor later if there was more books like this but she didn't want one that would possess her or anything like that she just wanted one that would light the room at the end.

Angel then realised that the book wasn't doing anything else was it over and what did the Professor want her to do next... she decided to wait and see if the head or a professor had any instructions for her.