It was that Cutty Mordaunt boy again. Looking smug as ever as he approach the gargoyle guardwatches of stone. His wand was out and although this was usual, it was very apparent why. Floating in tow behind him one, Eden McGee with her ponytail swinging beneath her.

Both were fresh from an encounter with Queen Cassie Morgan. This was the result. This wouldn't have happened if we were reading Clive Cussler.

"Tell the Headmistress Cutty Mordaunt is here to see her." He said confidently.

There was a very violent brunette hanging above Cutty Mordaunt right now.

Very. Violent.

And Eden wasn't usually violent. But the amount of times she had mentally KICKED the boy in the head--well--she was kind of glad that she hadn't been able to kick him. Her cheeks were tinged red, and her piercing blue eyes GLARED down at the Slytherin. Her teeth were growing back to their normal sizes. THANK MERLIN.

"CUTTY MORDAUNT I WILL SHAVE YOUR EYEBROWS IN YOUR SLEEP, YOU LITTLE SLIMY EEL OF A BOY!" she SCREAMED. It felt so...RELIEVING to scream. "And THEN we'll see how great you look--" she aimed a kick his way, but...well..it was kind of pointless. Hanging in the air like that--UGH.

"WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE? WHY? You'll be the one in TROUBLE!" she was still red-faced, still screaming. She had all sorts of ideas..hmm..she DID have a pack of lions at her disposal...her loyal lions, the "Lion Squad," as Clara called them. AND one of them HAPPENED to be Isla. And ISLA was a prankster. SO CUTTY BETTER WATCH HIS SLIMY LITTLE BACK.

Cutty stood patiently preparing his lies for the Headmistress, one hand tucked neatly behind his back like an Eastern gentleman as his expression faded to one more neutral. It was shortly destroyed by the girlish aggression coming from his charmed...victim?

"My eyebrows?" Cutty reached a hand up to feel his bushy, black caterpillars as they furrowed and arced toward the middle. He'd never had anyone target his eyebrows before. Bless her and her creativity. The Slyth, and quite suddenly I might add, pulled the afore mentioned hand toward the lower portion of his face and held a finger to his lips. "Suuusss!", He hissed at his little pinata.

His brows furrowed and he looked the combination of displeased and cold that seemed to be innate in all Slytherin boys. This was about the time when he realized he didn't have to lie to the Headmistress at all.

Eden nodded, crossing her arms, hangin' in midair all CASUAL like. "Yes. Your bloody eyebrows. You'll look so WEIRD without them--" THEY WERE BUSHY. SO his face would look NAKED without his thick eyebrows. "And--and--AND--you'd--WELL IT WOULD JUST BE HORRIBLE." There. That was a good reason, YEP.

She was now kicking--and it just looked like she was running in place. Well then. This was not helpful at all. Her arms flailed around--and as soon as she thought of it--MERLIN WHY HAD SHE NOT GRABBED HER WAND AND HEXED HIM BY NOW?!

When she reached in her pocket to grab it, though...........it was gone..

GONE.

Her wand. Was. GONE.

The Slytherin got more glares.

"I've lost my wand now. GREAT, Mordaunt. GREAT. YOU WILL HELP ME FIND IT AFTER WE GET THIS OVER WITH, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" She was driving herself hoarse, now, and for no good reason today. What would she do when Headmistress Queen Mean showed up?! Not that she had been mean last time--it was just her FACE. It was SCARY to Eden.

Maybe she could play the cry card. MAYBE. She quickly got her face all ready---and she began to cry. She thought about her recently deceased dog--her grandparents and their POOP mindset--and she thought about how SCARED she was--and she was crying tears in no time....

Cutty had decided to ignore Miss McGee for the moment. She'd scream and holler and protest, as fragile Ravenclaw women were known to do (at least, in his experience), their prefect being the exception. Perhaps, they grew out of it at some point.

YOU WILL HELP ME FIND IT AFTER WE GET THIS OVER WITH, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

But now was not that some point.

Look at her.

Bossin' him.

Cutty's cold uneffected face began to turn upward. McGee was funny. Oooh, he'd help her find her wand alright. Except that he wouldn't. A snort escaped, being just short of a laugh.

And then Eden was crying. And Cutty looked horrified. She could do what he could do! "Pull yerself together. I'll help yer find y'wand, tottie. Joost pull yerself togetheh."

Fourth year. "That's a good age to transfer," the redhead mused, still with a soft smile. "So you know French then, oui?" she raised an eyebrow at the girl. Annie's French was rustier than her Spanish to be sure, but it was nice to hear that she was liking Hogwarts for a change.

"I'm ever so glad to hear that," she said with a widening smile. "Although of course we do encourage thought before speaking, I'm glad you find the staff approachable. Do you have any questions for me?"


__________________________________________________ _____


Even though she wasn't in her office at the time, the Headmistress could have heard the ruckus outside the stone gargoyles from SEVERAL floors away. It sounded just like one of Peeves' antics. And in fact, as she heard it now, she picked up her pace to approach the bickering.... children?

"What in the name of Merlin's good trousers are you two DOING?" the Headmistress accosted the Slytherclaw duo. "Why is she floating?!" Bunz's wand was out and doing some pointing too, Cutty Mordaunt. Be careful how you answer that.

So Eden continued crying, yeppp. She did wipe her eyes when he promised he'd help, though, and she merely sniffled. Good. Looking down, she ran a hand through her hair. "W-well. Thanks. " He got onneeeee more sniffle----

And then.

SHE was here.

OH MERLIN. Eden had a weird feeling that she'd somehow end up on her BUM because Cutty would be too FRIGHTENED to hold her up any longer. Man, that look in the Headmistress' eyes...well, Eden wanted to hide, but in her, er, current predicament--that was a BIT impossible.

SHOULD she talk? She had been here not long ago with Puck about Flamy--so--HMPH. Plus, she hadn't addressed Eden as much as Cutty. "Um. I. He. He FLOATED me here--because he's a RUDE boy--" and she wasn't sure she wanted to rat out Professor Morgan. But she would if she had to.

Cutty held his fellow Hogwartsian up with the spell, keeping her levitated through the clacketing sounds of designer footwear hitting the stone floor. It was the Headmistress. And he was heading their way with increasing speed from the sound of it. He turned to see the pretty pink tigress looking less than pleased to see them.

He held his resolve, though he probably should've been holding on to other things as well. He'd never actually had a face-to-face dealing with Truebridge. Merlin forgive the stupid that he may commit this day. "Only half true, Headmistress." He began calmly. "I've levitated her to preempt resistance afteh I caught this little tottie givin' Professeh Morgan quite the difficult time. Callin' her names 'n all." Poooor, possessed Professor Morgan. "She asked me to loch her away in the dungeons until she gets down there." Or something like that. More accurately, what Queen!Morgan had said was Huntsman Cutty take her to the dungeons! "Booht, I haven't got the key to the dungeons." Hint-hint. Maybe you could help us out, Headmistress Lady?

Cutty turned to his captive. She wouldn't be crazy enough to run, would she? Not now? He verbally finited the spell. She had been crying. That was enough. He didn't need the aftermath of a sob session with it's wet eyes and red nose working against him as well. Truebridge might yet have uncharted sympathetic channels. Cutty wondered just how much of the polish and perfume was an act. Mostly for the fact that he was a terd.

Ohhhoho? It seemed all was NOT what it appeared here, and in fact Professor Morgan was finally taking up the Headmistress' offer to throw a student in detention. The student being Eden Whateverherlastnamewas.

She looked at the girl now crying, no longer levitating, and then back to Cutty. "Well, Mr. Mordaunt, I can certainly take things from here, if you would like to return to class..." As for Eden, "Look sharp, girl, there's no crying in Hogwarts. To the dungeons, let's go."

Whoah whoah WHOAH. Cutty was leaving out some VERY important details--"Wait--Headmistress--" and now she was on her feet. She was defenseless. her wand was somewhere SOMEWHERE on the grounds--and she looked like a deer caught in headlights right now! "Professor Morgan is NOT Professor Morgan! She was being rude--and mean--and calling me names FIRST--and you know that's not even like her!" she retorted.

She shot a very "I'll get you back" glared to the Slytherin--he was still expected to help her, yes, he totally was. And then--oh no--those DREADED words. THE DUNGEONS. Eden just looked up at Headmistress Truebridge, STARTLED, but gulped and nodded.

It was OVER. She began walking towards the dungeons...

Eden was not dumb enough to argue with her. Truebrudge...was far scarier than any evil queen.

Content to let the Headmistress do her job, Cutty stepped back from the situation in enough time to catch the VENGEFUL look from the Ravenclaw girl. It left him unaffected and he turned away with typical Slytherin drama letting the breeze from his momentum billow his robes.

Such. A. Jerk.

But he didn't feel like one.

Leading Culloden to the second floor, Soph tried to stay mostly silent, only speaking up here and there to reassure the Beast that they were almost there and they would be meeting with a Beauty soon. She tried to keep her tone light and pleasant, and not say anything that would make him mad or see any reason not to trust her - so, when they approached the stone gargoyles, she hoped the Beast would be in high spirits and open-minded enough to talk to Truebridge, even if she wasn't his Beauty.

Maybe. Just maybe.

"We'll have to wait a minute. Don't mind me using this other name, it'll just get us up there faster," she told Culloden lightly with a soft smile before turning to the stone gargoyles and sizing them up. "Professor Culloden and Sophie Brown here to see the headmistress, please. It's an emergency."

The Beast was suspicious by nature. He didn't trust this child, but she seemed honest enough. He hoped she was honest. Or else...

He narrowed his eyes when she used this other man's name who she claimed was him, but he would -

"Is this Beauty's room?" He didn't think so! "She wouldn't know this Cully! Is this a TRAP?" He stepped dangerously closer to her. WELL?

Emmylou nodded. "You think so? I really do like it here more than Beauxbatons though. All of you are way more welcoming." She had already said that like five hundred times. Hadn't she? She was just so happy to be here for her second year and being at a school you know you'll love is an amazing feeling. Emmy put some of her hair behind her right ear. "Oui." the blonde beamed up at the woman.

Did she have any questions for her? Emmylou took a few moments to think about it. She knew that she had questions but none were popping into her head now. Could she mental poke her brain so she didn't have to poke her head? What was she going to ask. "I did have something to ask you but I can't remember what it is." The fourth year frowned. Maybe she had already answered it without her even asking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by feeheeheeny

Leading Culloden to the second floor, Soph tried to stay mostly silent, only speaking up here and there to reassure the Beast that they were almost there and they would be meeting with a Beauty soon. She tried to keep her tone light and pleasant, and not say anything that would make him mad or see any reason not to trust her - so, when they approached the stone gargoyles, she hoped the Beast would be in high spirits and open-minded enough to talk to Truebridge, even if she wasn't his Beauty.

Maybe. Just maybe.

"We'll have to wait a minute. Don't mind me using this other name, it'll just get us up there faster," she told Culloden lightly with a soft smile before turning to the stone gargoyles and sizing them up. "Professor Culloden and Sophie Brown here to see the headmistress, please. It's an emergency."

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarShine

The Beast was suspicious by nature. He didn't trust this child, but she seemed honest enough. He hoped she was honest. Or else...

He narrowed his eyes when she used this other man's name who she claimed was him, but he would -

"Is this Beauty's room?" He didn't think so! "She wouldn't know this Cully! Is this a TRAP?" He stepped dangerously closer to her. WELL?

Is this a trap? Anastasia emerged from her stone gargoyles just in time to hear Culloden say that. Interesting... her eyebrows went up a smidgen as she looked from Sophie Brown to her longtime friend and back to Sophie. No one appeared to be on fire, so... "What's the emergency, Miss Brown?" Another case of a lunatic professor?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DinosaursOnASpaceship

Emmylou nodded. "You think so? I really do like it here more than Beauxbatons though. All of you are way more welcoming." She had already said that like five hundred times. Hadn't she? She was just so happy to be here for her second year and being at a school you know you'll love is an amazing feeling. Emmy put some of her hair behind her right ear. "Oui." the blonde beamed up at the woman.

Did she have any questions for her? Emmylou took a few moments to think about it. She knew that she had questions but none were popping into her head now. Could she mental poke her brain so she didn't have to poke her head? What was she going to ask. "I did have something to ask you but I can't remember what it is." The fourth year frowned. Maybe she had already answered it without her even asking.

"Well I am always glad to hear that, though of course I knew it already in my heart," Annie said sweetly, touching her own collarbones to demonstrate the point. Wasn't Hogwarts just the best? Yes, yes it was.

But back to the girl... if she had no questions, then the redhead had really better get going. "Well, good to meet you again, dear, and if you think of what you wanted to ask, feel free to drop by for tea." She touched her lightly on the shoulder and then swept off toward her stone gargoyles. She always did have work on her desk.

Well, that hadn't gone as smoothly as she had planned - after she informed the gargoyles of the urgency of their visit, Beast!Culloden was getting angry with her. Merlin.

Soph caaaasually took a step back as the man drew closer to her, showing no fear. NOT A TRACE. But she might have slid her wand from its holster on her arm, now gripping the wand tightly in her hand, fully prepared to use it if necessary as she responded calmly, "It's a beauty's room, yes." She said the a part SUPER quietly and smiled angelically up at the man. Totally innocent and she needed to KEEP him here long enough for the headmistress to see him -

Thank Merlin they hadn't had to wait too long.

Time was running out before Beast would probably blow up and leave in a hurry, she figured, so Soph talked all too quickly, "Headmistress, Professor Culloden's gushed about you and told me you two are really great friends so you know more than maybe anyone that he's a piece of work, but he's not one to play games." Soph's expression was stern but calm, even though she was CERTAIN that Culloden would start shouting again at any moment. "He's like the others - he thinks he's the Beast, y'know from Beauty and the Beast?" Surely she wasn't surprised by this by now, right?

"...What can we do to help him?" Besides hope he wouldn't lash out at them right then?

Emmylou nodded and beamed. The next person to tell her that the headmistress was a mean lady would get yelled at by her personally because she wasn't mean at all. How could they say that she was mean? Unless people aren't nice to her at all? That could be but why wouldn't they be nice? Being nice to people is a way to make friends. "It was really nice meeting you, Headmistress." Emmylou said and waved to the lady as she walked away.

The Beast didn't hear 'a', but he took a step forward towards her nevertheless. "Her room isn't here," he said even more angrily. She WAS playing with him while the real Beauty was running away. He opened his mouth to threaten her, but someone else came.

Who was NOT Beauty!

"I AM Beast!" he pointed out furiously and stomped his foot for the effect. "I've had ENOUGH! Either you'll tell me where Beauty is, or..."

......his eyes lost their focus......he looked like he might collapse......

......

...

......and he was back.

In a very confused state, mind ya.

He looked at them as if he was seeing them for the first time.

"How did I get here?" WHAT had they done to him?

Quote:

Originally Posted by feeheeheeny

Well, that hadn't gone as smoothly as she had planned - after she informed the gargoyles of the urgency of their visit, Beast!Culloden was getting angry with her. Merlin.

Soph caaaasually took a step back as the man drew closer to her, showing no fear. NOT A TRACE. But she might have slid her wand from its holster on her arm, now gripping the wand tightly in her hand, fully prepared to use it if necessary as she responded calmly, "It's a beauty's room, yes." She said the a part SUPER quietly and smiled angelically up at the man. Totally innocent and she needed to KEEP him here long enough for the headmistress to see him -

Thank Merlin they hadn't had to wait too long.

Time was running out before Beast would probably blow up and leave in a hurry, she figured, so Soph talked all too quickly, "Headmistress, Professor Culloden's gushed about you and told me you two are really great friends so you know more than maybe anyone that he's a piece of work, but he's not one to play games." Soph's expression was stern but calm, even though she was CERTAIN that Culloden would start shouting again at any moment. "He's like the others - he thinks he's the Beast, y'know from Beauty and the Beast?" Surely she wasn't surprised by this by now, right?

"...What can we do to help him?" Besides hope he wouldn't lash out at them right then?

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarShine

Text Cut: You two!

The Beast didn't hear 'a', but he took a step forward towards her nevertheless. "Her room isn't here," he said even more angrily. She WAS playing with him while the real Beauty was running away. He opened his mouth to threaten her, but someone else came.

Who was NOT Beauty!

"I AM Beast!" he pointed out furiously and stomped his foot for the effect. "I've had ENOUGH! Either you'll tell me where Beauty is, or..."

......his eyes lost their focus......he looked like he might collapse......

......

...

......and he was back.

In a very confused state, mind ya.

He looked at them as if he was seeing them for the first time.

"How did I get here?" WHAT had they done to him?

Well yes, they were good friends, that was true. The Headmistress also knew how weirdly close Culloden was to Sophie. But still, where was the emergency? She opened her mouth to reply to Sophie when Cosgrach spoke up for himself.

Ohhhhhh. He was BEAST, was he? An amused smirk crossed her face for a very brief moment as the redhead glanced at the potions professor. It was very difficult not to laugh when he stomped his foot as well....

But then just like that, he changed. He snapped out of it, whatever 'it' had been (temporary insanity?). "I see the dilemma, Miss Brown," Truebridge turned back toward the Ravenclaw because she had no answer for Cossy. "He's not going to remember that, is he? How long was he like that? Did he do anything dangerous or harmful to anyone? Please tell me the potions storeroom is still safe." There were some dangerous chemicals in there, ones which shouldn't be around a Beast in a rage.

Ugh, there he went, INSISTING that he was the Beast and stomping his foot like a petulant child. Sophie was a little embarrassed for him, really - certainly he'd feel incredibly foolish if he knew how he was acting, wouldn't he? It was painful to watch, so Soph didn't look at him - she kept her gaze on Truebridge instead. Nope, nope, no eye contact with him -

...Until he trailed off into silence, and Soph dared to peek at him - Merlin, was he going to fall over? She moved as if she was going to try to steady him, but thought better of it, but luckily the man didn't fall at all - he was BACK TO NORMAL.

Well. As normal as Cosgrach Culloden got.

Ignoring the man's question, Soph looked to the Headmistress solemnly and shook her head along with the woman's words. "Not that I know of... but I can't be sure. I just saw him YESTERDAY and he was totally fine, and when I went to his office tonight... he was like that." She gave a helpless shrug. "I can't account for any of his time from yesterday afternoon till just a little bit ago." So... no, she had no idea if he had hurt anyone or destroyed anything. She HOPED not, though.

But then she DID peek at Culloden and address him. "Do you remember anything that happened since we saw each other yesterday in the sculpture exhibit?" Certainly the man had been just fine - well, mostly - when they parted ways? What had gone wrong?

What? Remember WHAT? Done anything dangerous or harmful? WHAT?

"Was I imperiused?!?" Was it another Dark Lord? Someone to steal something?

He was PANICKING. "I - no, I just went to this prefect party." Someone HAD been in the crowd and imperiused him, he was sure!

What was Annie waiting for to owl the Ministry!?

Annie's expression had softened to one resembling a bit of... pity, as it might be described, for her friend. Certainly not sympathy, that was not one of her five or so emotions; but pity, yes, she looked at Cosgrach with pity for his confusion.

"I think he'll be alright," she continued speaking to Sophie as though she were his babysitter. Cossy got a gentle pat/arm rub on the shoulder though. "You weren't imperius'd, Cosgrach, that would be silly. Who here even knows how to do that spell, besides the adults?"

Wait, take that back. Cambridge was into looking up those kinds of spells, wasn't she? And Cambridge HAD been doing this same fairy-tale performing earlier in the term... Annie just now remembered that she had taken the girl's bag at that occasion. Oops. The redhead continued to speak to the Potions Professor cautiously, "I think you need to retrace your steps. Do you remember eating or seeing anything odd at the Prefect's Event?" She wished she had been there, but alas, out of town commitments kept her away.

Sophie definitely felt terrible for Culloden, which was why she could hardly look at him and she couldn't keep the sympathetic frown off her face. The poor guy was so confused, so panicked - she probably would have been, too, in his situation, honestly, and she didn't even know how to help beside offering up a soft encouragement of, "It'll be okay, sir." They had no answers for him - it all seemed to come down to him remembering what had happened, and Soph wasn't sure he would remember at all.

She nodded solemnly at the Headmistress' reassurance that Culloden was going to be okay and looked between the two professors as they discussed the matter. She knew better than to speak unless she was spoken to, so Soph folded her hands in front of her and briefly considered excusing herself, but it didn't feel right just leaving Culloden in his panicked state. So, instead of leaving, she started brainstorming ideas of things that might cheer him up - like food. And food. And... yeah, probably food. That always stabilized him, didn't it? A happy stomach meant a happy man or something of the sort? Maybe she could go fetch him something from the kitchens.

But, in her silence, she DID recall lots of shouting at the event the night prior, but not by Culloden - the Herbology professor had been one shouting stuff about beanstalks and shouting nonsensical things, she had been close by and saw THAT charade from her spot on the blankets during the fireworks show. But... if anything had happened with Culloden at that time, she hadn't seen a thing - but something MUST have happened there, if that was the last thing he remembered, right?

So much guilt. So much regret. What if she could have prevented this somehow?

Cosgrach was too confused and panicked to even be offended when Annie talked to him in pity and as if he was five years old. He needed all the care they could offer him, he had been brutally attacked and his memory was erased! No, he didn't think he would be alright at all. What if he did hurt someone and wouldn't remember it? Worse yet, what if his memory was forever damaged? He took deep breaths.

"What if these adults were imperius'd too?" he blurted out, he was probably exaggerating this conspiracy, but he didn't notice, "I mean, all I remember is these fireworks and something glowing in the ground. Then, I found myself here."

.........what if that glowing thing had been a dark object!?

"Can we just call the Aurors now?" His head hurt. He wanted to leave this castle ASAP.

A loud flap of wings procceded th silvery shaped bald eagle patronus that stopped to float in front of Headmistress Truebridge. It opened it's silvery beak as it delivered it's message from Mr Kitridge, the school librarian to her. "Headmistress Truebridge please come to the library's book club meeting. It's urgent we might have a dangerous mysteriously glowing book on the loose in the castle."

Message delivered the bald eagle thined out and dissapeared.