Gaston was hopelessly lost! He was on the library to check out a book on Charms theory and application, but he must've taken a wrong turn somewhere. Was the library even on this floor at all? He thought it was... but maybe that moving staircase had tripped him up. He scoffed, shaking his head at the situation. He'd been at Hogwarts for well over a month now and somehow still managed to get himself lost! Holy hippogriffs! You're a professor, for Merlin's sake! he inwardly scolded himself. You're supposed to be helping the students, not the other way around!

Well, there was nothing to do for it now. He leaned against the wall, hoping a student would pass by soon and be kind enough to point him in the right direction.

Now, what would one get with Vivian Fairfield + free time? That's right... ADVENTURE.

And adventure it was. Despite her being a student of Hogwarts since last term, the blonde decided she still wanted to explore the castle. Sure, she'd familiarized herself with the hallways and corridors, but one could never let go of a chance to refresh their memory, right? Which was exactly the reason why she was skipping through the fourth floor corridor today. And also because she was bored. What better thing to do when you're bored than to get lost a little?

But apparently she wasn't the only one "lost" in the corridor today. Strangely, that guy looked too old to be a student. BLINKBLINK.

Ohhhhh, right! He was one of the new proffies this term! "Hi, professor! What brings you here today?" the second year greeted him as she beamed and skipped towards the Charms professor. Not exactly her favourite subject, but she'd try to put that past her... for now.

Gaston hadn't been standing there long when a young Slytherin girl appeared and skipped over to him. Well, somebody appeared to be in a good mood today! It wasn't often that he saw students skipping down the halls. Granted, he hadn't been at Hogwarts very long, but still...

He smiled at the girl. Hopefully she'd be friendly enough to direct him to the library and not laugh at him too much for getting lost! "Hello there, Miss Fairfield," he returned the Slytherin's greeting. "How are you today?" He paused for a moment, running a hand through his hair before he continued, "I - well, this is a bit embarrassing, but I seem to be lost. Any chance you could please direct me to the library?"

Paul had a bag in hand, his wand in the other, and he was making his way down the corridor slowly. Crumbled pieces of parchment, candy wrappers, and other random and various littered trinkets seemed to be cropping up in the castle, the more Paul noticed. It was November, and people were probably getting more schoolwork piled up as they neared December and the holidays.

He didn't mind taking a sweep, picking up trash. He'd probably go through it later for recyclable items and...non-recylable. Would any of this make good compost? Probably so, and Paul smiled to himself. Composting was a very relaxing activity for the man, and he thought fondly of his first year teaching at Hogwarts. He had taught the students how to compost in great detail. Ahh. Good times. Nothing like the smell of compost in the morning, either. A real waker-upper, yeah?

He hummed to himself.

One minute he'd been sitting in a silent corridor reading over his Charms text and the next the corridor was filled with...well....humming. Blaise remained firmly fixed in his spot on the floor, slightly slouched against the wall, book in lap and waited to see what had broken his solitude.

Couldn't have been a student, this hour was Transfiguration. It being a mandatory class, everyone was expected to be there--everyone but him. He did not and would not attend, not until he'd managed to have words with the Professor and if he was being honest, he'd been putting it off.

The boy quite liked skipping Transfiguration, especially now without an Airey Flamsteed to drag him there against his will.

Speaking of Professor, it was Professor Myers. Picking up trash? Had he missed something....? "I...don't think any of those are biodegradable, Professor." He offered, unsure as to the man's reason behind garbage collection that wouldn't benefit his plants.

He didn't notice the boy at first. He kept up his trash pickup session, the incessant humming continuing as he went. Honestly, he didn't notice the Gryffindor until Blaise said something aloud.

"Oh? I know. I'm gonna' sort when I get back down to my greenhouses. Figured it would just be easier that way!" he smiled cheerfully. "What are you doing out here, Mr. Bellaire? Catching up on schoolwork? In the...corridor?" Odd place, really, unless he was waiting for a friend to get out of class.

It did not occur to the Herbologist that Blaise might be skipping class. After all, he didn't know the schedules of all the lessons that weren't his own.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Small sounds fill the air before it goes quiet again. It appears that someone or something has jammed all the doors in the fourth floor corridor.

Kimi was just wandering along the fourth floor corridor when he heard the strange clicking and wondered what was going on and he tried to enter to closest door and found it was jammed what on earth was happening

He supposed it made sense when the man put it like that. Taking it back to make compost. Now, as unlikely as it was that the man would find anything capable of rotting being thrown on the floor, who was Blaise to crush a man's dream? Maybe there was something the house elves left behind--which no one should tell them. One of 'em would probably take a rolling pin to their own head if they knew that despite all their cleaning garbage was still lying around.

He would not be the one to break that news. "Yup. Just catching up on some light reading." The boy replied, folding the book to a close. He'd found that if you acted casually enough, half the time, the Professors didn't even KNOW you were actually meant to be at a lesson so that was what he would do. "But I think I've read all I can for now. D'you need any help...with....that?"

What was that noise?

Blaise looked both up and down the corridor, confused by the clicking that seemed to come out of nowhere. Was he missing something?

More than a little puzzled, the Gryffindor turned his head back to the Professor. He swore, if this was another one of the Professor's attempts to casually slip magic by him, he would pitch a very mature fit. "Something I should know about, Sir?" He'd even give him the benefit of the doubt by ASKING.

So it was free time for Tenacius, and if he's not mucking about in the kitchens or the potions lab which to him is just the extension of the kitchens he would be found on his cruiser. Which is what he's doing now, cruise cruise cruise goes the silver surfer.....

He heard voices. Professors voices, you know the kind that says authority and rules and something about hover boarding around the corridors. But LUCKILY there are classrooms right? All he needs is to swoop in there real smooth and hide it out for a bit....

So he grabs a doorknob and swings it open like he's done hundreds of times in this school. But it DOESNT turn, the door DOESNT swing open. It stays STIFF and CLOSED.

So what happens when an immovable object resists a hastily moving force?

--Swoosh W H A M ! !

Down goes the Gryffindor Ace.

And KERPLUNK! goes his cruiser on his curly head.

Paul nodded at young Blaise. "I could use some help, yes, m'boy," he smiled. "All you have to do is pick up-----" And pick what exactly, Blaise would never know, for someone odd had happened.

It sounded like many tiny clicks at once, and Paul wondered what in the world it was? "No--Nothing at all--I'm very confused--you heard it, too, then?" he asked the Gryffindor. There was a Hufflepuff nearby looking baffled as heck as he stood outside a doorway, and then whatever Tenacius was doing, it didn't work properly, because there he went, falling on the ground dramatically, as Gryffindors did.

"M'boy, are you okay?" he asked, blinking around a lot. He looked at Blaise, then at Kimi, and then back to Tenacius. He tried the same doorknob Tenacius had just tried and found it....locked.

"Um. That's very......odd." Paul grabbed his wand. Should he try to unlock it? What if it was something dangerous? He gave the knob a few more jiggles, squinting curiously at the knob as if it had planned this itself. "KIMI--" he called out to the puffer. "Is your door locked, too?"

Kimi looked at his head of house and said "Yes Professor my door is locked too, what is going on" Kimi was very confused as to why every single door in the corridor had locked itself all of a sudden

Whatever the Professor had wanted help picking up was forgotten in favour of the loud crashing that came from the top of the corridor. Ace crashing into a door. Okay. That Hufflepuff kid trying another door on the other side of the corridor and nothing happening. Fine. The Professor asking if he'd heard the clicks too. Sure.

One thing was for certain, it was interesting to know he wasn't the only one currently skipping Transfiguration class. Funny how that worked; how he thought he and Daxton were the only ones who decided the lesson wasn't worth their time but here was this hufflpuff--Kimi the Professor called him--strolling the corridors when he had class and Ace riding around on a board instead of gaining some Transfiguration knowledge.

Well then, he wouldn't ask why they chose to skip. It was none of his business. He was more concerned with how this was turning into one of those situations he didn't wanna be in.

When strange things started happening around Hogwarts, the boy didn't want to be present. He wasn't about that life and frankly didn't care to be.

The boy remained firmly planted in his spot on the floor, an impassive look settling on his face as he watched it all unfold. The doors were locked. Fancy that. "You could try 'Alohomora'." He offered simply. "If that doesn't work, we can go back to that trash pick up you were talking about earlier and pretend we had no idea this happened." He'd even rip the page from his notepad...considering the quill had already documented it.

Slamming into the door seems to be as ineffectual as jiggling the knobs of the others. It appears that you are as stuck as ever.

OOF! That packed a wallop it did mmhm.

The Gryffindor Ace pulled himself onto his elbows, just as Myers was checking up on him. Breathe in, breathe out, shake that noggin to crank that brain up again "Uh…. I'm ok Professor." Kinda.

He pulled himself up gingerly onto his feet. Oh his hoverboard! Errr….. shrink that baby down to size "Hey lucky sickle-- I'll take that." Nuninuninuninu proof gone. And more distracting wiggle wiggling of the doorknob. "Yep very locked. Uh I guess… vacation starts early for the classes on this floor yeah?" Grinny grin grin. One can dream.

But then Blaise said to try Alohamora. From behind the Herbologist's head, Tenacius gave his fellow Gryffindor a look-- seriously Blaise dont try to help make classes start if you wanna keep skipping it bro.

"Oh thats a good idea Blaise! Try it out on this door." sliiiiiide off to the side, let the truant try his theory.

Seeing as Paul wasn't really TRYING to get into the rooms, he wasn't sure unlocking them was exactly necessary. It seemed more a curiosity than anything, and Paul himself was intrigued, but not stupid. "I could just go tell the caretaker and let him deal with this...for all we know, this could be some ploy by Peeves." Or the other one. Because Merlin, those two...had been active lately, and Paul didn't much feel like falling victim to one of their "pranks."

"Erm...I say we leave it be," he eyed Tenacius in a concerned manner. "And I think everyone in those classes will be STUCK there...not leaving early," Since the doors were locked. "Does anyone wanna' help me pick up trash?" FOR POINTS?

While an early vacation from lessons sounded like a grand idea, Blaise knew it was nothing more than wishful thinking. This place was magic, the Professor's would simply magick the door open and continue their lesson. If not possible...they'd just find another room that WOULD open, so no, the boy was under no illusion that classes would end prematurely for the term, not for something this minimal.

Unfortunate, wasn't it?

"Good call, Professor." The boy said, lazily rising to his feet and scooping up his books. "For all we know, we could open the door and find otherwise permanently rearranged." No need to risk it. This corridor was empty, there were no classes currently going on around here--why ELSE would he be sitting here??

It was fine to leave empty classrooms locked. When someone needed something inside, they'd open it, but right now, he didn't think anyone standing right here needed anything.

"I'll help." Like he would have offered to before the strange clicking happened. "Did you have extra bags to put stuff in?" The locked doors had quickly become a non-factor for the Gryffindor. He simply didn't care.

Kimi nodded and said "Good idea Professor, i am willing to give a hand"

And the doors will stay locked? Apparently so. Although admittedly theres a niggling at the back of his head wondering WHY they are locked, the prospect of NO CLASSES was far stronger.

But ok, Professor Myers is asking help to pick up the trash. Truthfully, Tenacius wasnt really keen on playing garbage man right now-- he'd rather be Tony Hawk yknow?-- but Gryffindor chivalry is a thing, so with a ready smile he nodded his head "Sure thing Professor, I could help out."

..."Did somebody say TRASH?"

A mad cackle and a blur of grey

zipped

zipped

ZIPPPPPED

down towards the group until he finally came to a stop, hanging upside down with a bulging bag of rubbish. "STINKY LITTLE GRYFFINDORS! Made of FARTS and rotten APPPLLLEEEEE CORES!" He pelted Blaise Bellaire and Tenacius Salander with apple cores, banana peels, used napkins.

The kitchens had a plentiful amount of ammunition for ole' Peevies!

"I don't know what's sadder, a lone Hufflepuff or a Hufflepuff AT ALL-" he cackled as he rounded on the new PUFFERPUFFHEAD. FACEFUL OF TRASH FOR YOU!

Peeves twirled, howled, and shook the bag of rubbish above Professor Paul PLANT MAN. "Oh looooooony craaaaaaaazy PONCHO PLANT MAN." Peeves smashed a half eaten pie atop his head.

HOOT HOOT HOOT. CACKLE.

Lots of cackling as Peeves floated above the group in spirals and twirls, throwing trash around them with obviously glee before he proceeded to DUMP THE CONTENTS OF HIS TRASH BAG on the heads of those below.

"You all smell just AWWWWWFUL!"

And he disappeared through the ceiling, looking for more victims.

.....

...............

This wasn't happening. Nope. He'd fallen asleep while studying and had eaten too many sweets before sitting down to study. That would explain people like Kimi and Ace skipping a core class like Transfiguration, it explained why the Professor was picking up trash when the elves were already tasked with and doing a bang up job of cleaning the castle and it explained the doors clicking shut suddenly without provocation.

Of course, it all mad sense now. Peeves showing up was surely a dream too. Just keep calm Bellaire. No need to slip into a temper; he'd only enjoy it.

Blaise remained perfectly still, having tucked away his quill and notepad to save them from the sludge. Wiggling about would inevitably have him running into the garbage the Poltergeist was hurling and that, of course, would only make him smell worse.

"So garbage clean up." He said, facing the Professor again. "I take it we start here?" Not even gonna get mad. Nope. Just not. Not angry. Perfectly calm. Yep. Breathe Bellaire.

Its raining trash! Its raining trash!

With near lightning reflexes Tenacius enlarged his silvery cruiser again and used it to cover his head. Because curls! No this is not vanity, this is gonna be a real ecological disaster worthy of a Minister's decree. Anybody with curls knows this as a fact.

"PEEVES COME ON!!" the leonine lad whined as the Poltergeist does what Poltergeists do best. And he pied the Professor whuuut??

Ok admittedly that was funny but pieing a Professor that scoundrel!

And finally he was gone and Tenacius finally flipped off the garbage that piled up on his cruiser. His hair survived it thank goodness, but the rest of him was dripping with sludge and leftover lunch. Yuck.

He looked at the Herbologist. Really he shouldnt laugh-- no matter how HILARIOUS Myers looks like right now. Instead the Gryffindor Ace reached out and tried to brush off the left over pie "There you go Prof... better yeah?" Chuckle chuckle. Yes he needs some giggle release ok?

He looked at Blaise-- who sounds like he's just gonna carry on but looks closer to popping his lid. "You know.... on the bright side, now is a really good time to practice some cleaning charms eh? Some Tergeo, a bit of Evanesco, and a whole lot of Scourgify...." he said as he began Tergeo-ing the foul stench off of Blaise, hopefully siphoning off a bit of that foul mood too....

Um.

UM?

UMMMMM????

Did this LOOK funny, Tenacius? Don't you DARE laugh, child.

There was pie dripping down...into his shirt...on his back...a half eaten...pie.......HOW UTTERLY GROSS WAS THIS PAUL WANTED TO MURDER PEEVES BUT PEEVES WAS NOT AN ENTITY ONE COULD MURDER SO HE WAS SEETHING SILENTLY HERE. He glared at Blaise and then at Tenacius. "Oh forget it--FORGET IT--just go back to class or whatever--Merlin--" he snapped, VERY irritated with the poltergeist.

The pie fell to the ground with a plop when Mr. Salander tried to wipe it off head. Paul rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ridiculous...RIDICULOUS...and we have TWO poltergeists now...Merlin KNOWS what she's up to--" he was more fuming aloud than anything.

"Take two points, each of you, for not being terrible." Yep. That was it. Not being terrible. Giving points out usually helped him cheer up, yeah?