Not that Declan asked but Althea decided to enhance the reading by dressing the part of the ethereal muse. She was an elegant voudou priestess who offered nothing but good tidings and fun. "Jupiter, right, right...love her work." Which wasn't untrue, but it also wasn't entirely truthful either. In her arms she had a bottle of rosewater, some flowers, and a smooth, lavender stone. The aesthetics of it all had to be perfect.

Even though Althea had seen Declan perform countless times, she had to admit there was something inspiring about how dedicated and careful he was. She decided to tell him this sometime in the future; when they were old and their bodies were decaying beyond recognition. "I hope she doesn't back out," because seeing this first hand could be overwhelming. And then they had to have the annoying task of reassuring them that nothing terrible was going to happen, blah, blah, blah. People were just too weak for these sorts of things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ama

He wondered if this was a misuse of his gift. Declan tried to rationalize it for the past four hours. If he was using it to aid a fellow student, and not himself--at least not directly--then it should be fine. He wouldn't be a selfish twig of a man abusing the gift given to him by the Elders and the powers that be.

Right?

Declan was unsure.

He was always unsure but he wore a smile regardless. There was no point in being the older brother if he always seemed worried, tired, and unsure. It didn't matter if it was true.

"Anyway," he remarked getting up from where he had drawn a circle with the aid of a wonky piece of chalk. "I think this will be quick." Declan at least hoped so. "I checked the stars and planetary alignment. Jupiter is in our favor."

Quote:

Originally Posted by thekraken

Not that Declan asked but Althea decided to enhance the reading by dressing the part of the ethereal muse. She was an elegant voudou priestess who offered nothing but good tidings and fun. "Jupiter, right, right...love her work." Which wasn't untrue, but it also wasn't entirely truthful either. In her arms she had a bottle of rosewater, some flowers, and a smooth, lavender stone. The aesthetics of it all had to be perfect.

Even though Althea had seen Declan perform countless times, she had to admit there was something inspiring about how dedicated and careful he was. She decided to tell him this sometime in the future; when they were old and their bodies were decaying beyond recognition. "I hope she doesn't back out," because seeing this first hand could be overwhelming. And then they had to have the annoying task of reassuring them that nothing terrible was going to happen, blah, blah, blah. People were just too weak for these sorts of things.

Levi hand't brought anything other than his presence, which if Declan was to be believed, and Levi often believed his brother just about everything, then his presence was always a must. He wore white from head to toe as his brother had had requested, and stood in between his usual designated spot between Declan and Althea.

He tried remembering what was Jupiter's purpose from both Divination and Astronomy lessons, but, well--

"Marvelous." He did not sound sarcastic though his eyebrows told a different story. He folded his arms across trying to preserve some warmth. "I hope everything goes according to plan." It would be a first. "She won't back out, Thea." Levi had actually no way to know if Daisy would show up or not, actually, but. "She was actually really excited, actually." Which was a little weird, maybe. But then Declan was also about to do a bone-reading session in the middle of the courtyard past curfew and had requested everyone wore white. So maybe weird was the norm.

If it weren't for the pesky existence of OWLs, Daisy Carden would have told you her fifth year was her best year at Hogwarts. She was doing all sorts of interesting and new things. Running from magical YETIs, going on dates with boys - which was still weird, but okay, she was winging it - and now, sneaking out and attending a night time bone reading session with a guy she had only just met. Performed by his brother.

All because of his Super Secret Plan™.

!!!!!!

Good job fifth year! Exceeds Expectations.

She was probably a tiny bit late since she had tried very hard to be sneaky and escape Head Girl Natalia. What she had come to realise, however, was that the Prefects were apparently so busy with that portal thingymabob that stole students that they weren't really patrolling the dungeons. Or they were doing it really, REALLY sneakily.

She was here now, running into the courtyard, wearing the clothes she had managed to magically turn white, and coming to a halt in front of the siblings. HIII HIIII HIIIII!!!

OOOOOH. Ominous white chalky circle on the floor. That was cool.

"I've brought the chicken!" Grinning from ear to ear, the Slytherin raised her arm, revealing the roasted chicken she was holding up by its leg.

Okay, so maybe it only had that one leg. Sneaking around made her hungry.

Jupiter wasn't a her. Jupiter also wasn't a he. Jupiter just was.

Declan gazed over at his sister with his hands on his hips, brows furrowed together. He was trying to find a way to correct her, and then wondered if it was even necessary. Deciding his energy was best kept within, for he would need it very soon, he allowed Althea to continue in her incorrect path at least for now.

"Everything will be fine," he assured them. He already said Jupiter was in their favor didn't he? Maybe Saturn was pulling strongly on his siblings. "I appreciate your concerns; however," Declan amended. "You guys keep me grounded. That's important." And necessary, especially after the ceremony starts.

Footsteps announced her arrival first, then the her voice, then the chicken in the air...which was cooked. Declan stared for a moment before just nodding. "That'll do," he said and walked towards Althea. "Thank you, sister," he said taking the bottle of rosewater from her hands. He placed the bottle of rosewater on a small plank of wood raised by two rocks just North outside of the circle he had drawn.

He knelt before it, and raised both hands towards Althea: "Now the others."

"I kind of know you," Declan said to the very familiar Slytherin Girl. "But I don't know your name yet."

Honestly, this was a great photo-op. It was a shame that no one thought to bring a camera. With a shrug of her shoulders—because she still didn't think the girl had it in her to withstand the reading—Althea smirked at Levi. "I sure hope so, or else, that will be incredibly embarrassing on your part." Declan was talking and Althea had only heard the words appreciate and important, and she was absolutely touched. She beamed at her older brother, feeling an odd sense of pride. It did her heart good to bond with them—even if it was in the middle of the night in an open space where anyone could see them.

It was all thrilling.

The moment was interrupted by footsteps and the subsequent voice of one Slytherin girl that Althea thought she knew but could not remember where or how she knew her. "Hello," Althea said very cautiously, trying to remember that she was an invited guest and not some random interloper (though, in her opinion, even that was debatable.) She wondered if Levi had taken more than a polite, cordial interest in her; which made the older girl all the more suspect. "I hope you're ready," she warned the girl and then handed Declan the flowers and stone.

Levi had totally expected Daisy to show up because she'd seemed like a trustworthy sort of person back in the library. But it was also true that when the girl showed he sort of exhaled a sigh of relief. It would have been embarrassing if she hadn't, but mostly it would have been annoying; he would not have been able to live down the fact that he'd have been stood up by his own guest at the bone reading session. Assuming that Althea didn't start saying he'd invented the whole thing up, Daisy herself included.

Speaking of Althea, she was being horribly civil, which was enough to make the curly hairs on the back of his neck raise. He short her a sharp look. "You would, brother. She's a Slytherin, too." He looked down at Declan, as he knelt. Levi felt the need to hold on to something, which was his usual response to these things. It was unnecessary but he could not help the way he felt. He folded his arms across his chest, instead. "Guys, this is Daisy." Whose last name escaped him. "Daisy, this is Declan. And that's Althea."

So. These three were intense. Obviously, having met Levi only that day and never having shared a word with his siblings, she had no way of knowing if they were always like this or if this intensity came only from the ceremony they were about to perform. This whole apparatus did look rather serious, after all, with its chalk circle, offerings, white clothing, and nighttimeness.

Still, she couldn't really imagine them rolling down a grass hill -- which was too bad because she was about to suggest it. Definitely not true.

"Ready?" She asked the girl -- Althea, the one who must never find out about the thing -- with a curious look. What did she need to be ready for? Declan -- older brother, Slytherin, fancies himself a Seer, direct quote -- was the one who was performing the ceremony. Did she need to offer some of her blood or something? "So I need to do something? Or do I just watch?" Not that she thought of it, she didn't remember Levi specifying that and she sent him a quick look. He had asked for a chicken, she had brought the chicken. Now she was going to sit back and watch.

Right?

.... wait, was she the not-so-proverbial sacrificial lamb??

Anyway. She cleared her throat and looked down at the Slytherin boy. If they were all going to die this year -- and they would, thanks to that portal -- she would rather do it in a more original fashion. "The chicken. Do you need it now, or should I just keep hold of it for the time being?"

It was a little awkward performing a fancier version of him just chucking the bones on the floor straight out of the bag. It was especially awkward with a virtual stranger involved but it was an opportunity to heighten his uh talent, he supposed. Also, with everything involved, the air was heavy with intensity. If there was anything at all he could do about the portals surely, tonight would be a good time to find out.

The girl was just a means to an end.

According to Levi he was supposed to know her. Declan just shrugged at that.

Offerings where they should be...except the chicken...Declan stood up and gestured towards the north of the circle. "You can just put the chicken next to rosewater. We'll make a circle outside the circle." Yes, that redundant. "By that I mean we'll stand around it and hold hands." As awkward as that may be. "I'll say some words. You guys would be awesome and say them after me. Then we'll chant a little bit together."

And he'd chuck his bones in the middle of the circle and pray for the best. Hopefully he wasn't accidentally summoning a portal tonight.

There was more than intensity in the air, there was full blown suspicion. Althea widened her eyes at Levi, appalled at the previous look he'd given her. She fixed her face, however, when she glanced back at Dorinda. "You better see this whole thing through," she warned before standing next to Declan. "So, Levi, will you be holding onto your girlfriend's hand?" Althea flashed the two presumed lovebirds a toothy grin. She was more than happy (re: surprised, shocked, and blindsided) that Levi had found someone as obnoxious as him to cherish and fawn over.

Yuck.

Before she made herself even more sick, she held onto Declan's hand and motioned for one of the two lovebirds to take her free hand. She prayed to Helga Hufflepuff that if Denise decide to hold her hand she'd use her non-greasy one. The reading was bound to give them--well, Declan specifically--more insight into the recent abductions around the school.

"Okay not to be, y'know, superstitious or anything, and not to throw any negativity out there...but what if we all get abducted during the reading?" It would be fitting considering their all white attire and the nature of the clearly unapproved extra-curricular activity in the middle of the night. It was a terrifying thought but it also had a hint of romanticism and for some reason Althea felt excited.

Levi was being a terrible host because Daisy looked sort of lost at what was her role in this reading, but it wasn't like he was the one leading this. At least she'd received instructions on what to do with the stolen chicken. The most he could offer was some kind of reassuring smile, which he did, and quickly regretted the second Althea opened her mouth.

He took a deep breath, rolled his eyes heavenwards. Levi was in the business of making friends that did not share his genetic makeup and Althea was ruining whatever chances he had at ever befriending Daisy. He felt bad for Daisy but he mostly felt embarrassed for himself. "She is not my girlfriend, Thea," He replied, struggling to keep an even tone, and possibly sounding even offended at the notion. Levi did not miss this so he quickly went on to correct it, addressing the Slytherin girl with a bashful smile, "Not that I think there's anything wrong with you, Daisy, you--" He had no idea what she was. Pretty? He supposed. He had not noticed before, and he did not want to notice it now or possibly ever, especially in front of his siblings, but he had, unfortunately. He was incredibly annoyed at Althea for making him see it. "--are fine."

She was and he had not lied at all. But it also sounded like a horrible way to end his horrible explanation which was fitting, but he did his best at amending it by saying, "Please, do not listen to Althea. I never do," and went on to stand by his brother. Levi took hold of Declan's hand and quietly fumed.

The bone reading was almost forgotten in the midst of all of this. Daisy was highly entertained already and nothing supernatural was happening yet. Instead, she was getting front row seats to what was the most interesting sibling interaction she had ever seen. Since that included her Dad's cousin and her hoard of children, that was high praise indeed.

WOW. What a trio.

When he went through the order of business, Declan hadn't really said anything about her dying or losing a hand or something like that, so Daisy relaxed. No dying, repeating words and then chanting. Righteo, she could just about do that. Probably. It'd be slightly more difficult if the chanting was in Latin or something but she would wing it. How could she even begging to think about asking what they were chanting when Althea was being -- well, let's just say that Levi's words that afternoon made perfect sense all of a sudden.

Again, wow.

She was sending all kinds of warnings and digs; it was actually quite impressive to watch. Chuckling under her breath, Daisy moved towards the siblings and set the chicken down where instructed. Next to the rosewater, then. The chicken was an offering to the guides and all of that -- whoever they were, that still wasn't clear -- but Daisy was kind of hoping that they didn't like roast chicken. It was getting quite late and she was getting the munchies. When the chicken was down, Daisy stood back up and looked at Levi. Honestly, they were all hilarious. "Don't sweat it, L." She happily said, rubbing her hand on her jeans before offering it to Althea. "Your sister is trying to psych me out. It's fun." With that, she extended her other hand to him. Hilarious, the lot of them. "Are we ready now?" As amusing as they all were, she was itching for this to start.

This was already starting with the kind of energy he did not need. He shot Althea a warning glance that clearly went unperceived as she called--what was her dang name again??--Levi's girlfriend. Declan took a deep breath and glanced up at the cloudy sky. The wind was blowing pretty quickly high in the atmosphere and the moon and stars could be seen in between grey wisps.

"Well, you already said it," Declan said with slight impatience in his voice. He looked at his sister seriously. "So now it's out there in the Universe." Magic, especially Ancient Magic, was all about intention. You couldn't get distracted with other thoughts if you didn't want to mess it up.

"Anyway!" he said loudly, after Levi spoke. "Like I said, Jupiter is in our favor and what I mean it's good luck. It's luck," he said with a roll of his eyes before anyone asked him to explain what Jupiter meant as far as Divination went. Declan then addressed the newbie. "Althea's method may be a little..." He made a face and continued. "But this isn't like looking at the bottom of your teacup and seeing a kneazle. It's a different brand of magic."

Now he sounded obnoxiously too serious. After all, they looked ridiculous standing outside a crooked circle wearing white with a roasted chicken laying next to a bottle of rosewater.

"Everyone just focus..." Declan took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "To Anubis, we present these offerings, so that you may weigh our hearts in truth and in justice." He cracked one eye open to see if anyone was following. "Repeat after me: In truth and in justice!"

Okay, she should not have put it out there in the universe; Declan had a point. Even though Althea knew that toeing the line during a reading was dangerous on her part--because Declan was very serious about this sort of thing, and really she understood why--she really couldn't help it. Levi must have known that bringing a girl that none of his siblings knew would be a trap. The twisted gears in Althea's mind continued to move quickly, though she stopped momentarily at the look Declan gave her. "Sorry!!!" she said quickly (and she'd meant it earnestly,) trying her best to behave.

It wouldn't do to have Declan mad at her. At Daisy's insistence, Althea took her not-so-greasy hand, albeit very loosely. She was almost ready to get the reading going when she'd heard a very particular, very interesting, very quaint nickname. L? Oho, Levi, Levi, Levi... A snake-like grin crept onto Althea's face and she scooted closer to Daisy so that she could look at the two lovebirds at the same time. "Yeah, L, don't sweat it."

Declan began giving his usual spiel of precaution and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, a sign of solidarity and encouragement. Closing her eyes, Althea exhaled, already feeling the pre-reading goosebumps crawl along her arms. "In truth and in justice," Althea chimed. She wanted to smile, but knew that she had to be serious (or as serious as she could be) because she didn't want to mess anything up.

Levi had spent enough time in the past bickering with Althea in front of his brother to know just when the verbal spats became an inconvenience for Declan. It was especially annoying when it was evident he was the only one who was visibly irritated and so for Declan's sake, he took a deep breath and smiled at both Daisy and Althea. Though it was true that the smile was more like a grimace when he looked at his sister.

He really wished Daisy hadn't call him L, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He'd just have to deal with Althea lording it over his head for the next decade or three. Levi tried not to be awkward about having to take Daisy's hand under Althea's gaze, but well--he did miss a couple of times when he reached for her, so that was that.

Life was rough. He almost wished a portal would show up and swallow him whole. Surely whatever lay in the other side would be better than this. Also probably sort of interesting, considering it was most likely not even in this dimension but in another one, and also he was getting sidetracked.

The boy blinked, several times, then frowned down at Declan. "Isn't Anubis in charge of the afterlife, Declan? What does that have to do with truth and justice? Is it because you can't lie if you are dead? Not that you can do a whole lot of justice if you are dead, mind you..." This was worrisome because Levi had not come prepared to visit another plane of existence. It was the sort of thing he'd really need to talk himself into for at least a couple of hours before making it happen. But too late for that now. "Anyway, I trust you." Obviously. Evidently. Blood oaths had been done in the past, after all, so what choice did he have really? Levi shut his eyes and tried to empty his head. This was no easy feat. "In truth and justice."

Daisy had known that the nickname was a mistake. Well, not the nickname itself because it was brilliant and she had gotten permission to use it; no, what had been a mistake was the time and place in which she had decided to use it. Oops. Sorry, Levi. She tried to apologise to him silently, frowning her forehead at him and biting her lip. There. Moving right along now. She would apologise verbally eventually ... probably only when his sister was not around, though. The Hufflepuff seemed to have a knack for twisting things -- who knew what she would do with an apology?

It was best not to find out, really.

She turned to listen to Declan and made a show of nodding her head once very firmly. "Different kind of magic. Gotcha." She didn't, not really. She had never even been able to see a kneazle on her teacup, or any other animal. They all did look rather serious, though, so Daisy assumed that was what he had meant. That this was a different, serious, kind of magic. A serious magic that was performed by having teenagers hold hands, past curfew, around a circle that held a chicken

Okay, then.

It didn't look all that serious, though, what with Levi trying to question Declan's words and Daisy tried really hard to keep herself from laughing. It just made her choke slightly, however, which of course led to a coughing fit. Serious. Right. This was all veryyy serious. "Sorry, almost went to visit Anubis myself." The Slytherin deadpanned once she controlled herself. She was never coming back to one of these, was she? "In truth and in justice."

Seriously, was it just her or did it feel like they should be wearing sailor scouts outfits instead of white?

Silence fell like a heavy drape around them, quieting the insects of the night. It felt thick around Declan's shoulders, suffocating him almost as it wrapped around his neck. He remained where he stood and only betrayed himself by squeezing Althea's hand slightly.

Declan kept his eyes closed but his brows furrowed together. On his forehead he could feel little beads of sweat collecting on smooth skin. "Anubis is in charge of passing judgement. If you're so curious, you can ask him," Declan said. His voice sounded strange to his ears. His hands tingled, and he swallowed thickly as he sensed a presence behind him.

You dare? It asked. The voice was gritty against Declan's ears, like sandpaper. Who are you to summon me? A child. What is your heart worth when it's full of insecurity and doubt?

An answer was on the tip of his lips, or rather, on the forefront of his mind. Declan didn't get to bring his truth to light as his breath was stolen from his lungs. His chest heaved and he gasped for air. Cold ice pierced through him and he fell into darkness.

Declan's eyes flew open. "Children of Isis," a voice declared through Declan's mouth. "It's been too long. You have abandoned your Gods...and yet...you call?" A wolfish grin spread across Declan's face, his eyes bright like full moons. "Your arrogance has no limits."

Althea knew that once the reading was over, and Daisy left, the trio would have a lot to discuss in terms of who they could and couldn't bring to readings in the future. While she was always inclined to speak whenever she felt like it, Althea kept her lips pressed tight in order to prevent any outbursts--like Levi and Daisy demonstrated earlier. Almost immediately, she felt a sense of dread (which, if she had the time to rationally think about it, was ridiculous as she always felt safe around her brothers.)

Keeping her eyes closed, Althea swallowed hard, and wondered when Declan's hand got so cold. He had latched onto hers and even though she wanted to call out to him, she remained still. The silence scared her. Even more terrifying was how something felt off about her older brother; even though he was physically there, she felt that there was someone (or perhaps, something??) else there with them. Or...with him, rather. At the sound of the voice, Althea opened her eyes quickly and stared hard at Declan. It was all so very, very, very eerie.

Clearing her throat, she cast a glance at Daisy and then at Levi. "We had-- have--q-questions." She gulped and hoped that for all Levi and Daisy's previous jabbering, they'd open their mouths and speak.

The unnatural silence that had taken over the night along with Declan's now vise-like grip was enough for cold sweat to pool in the back of his neck. Levi had not come prepared to visit another plane of existence, but it seemed that was fine--though possibly not to him--because the plane of existence had more or less come to visit him.

He had to remind himself that this was Declan, even he didn't sound like Declan. His brother. Older brother. It shouldn't matter that when he opened his eyes, Levi saw a stranger's smile on his brother's mouth. It shouldn't matter because this had never been permanent so there was no reason for it to be permanent now. They were not novices. Well, Daisy was, and probably she'd never return now, but.

The boy took a deep, shaky breath.

Althea's voice had done the thing it did when she was well and truly scared, and that, too, was so unnatural it maybe ignited something inside of him. The wheels inside his head started spinning again and his facial muscles kicked into action.

Levi scowled at Not Declan. He was--terrified. But he was also a Gryffindor. Fear or not, he could and would make himself talk. "Spare us the theatrics. If we abandoned you, then why show up for us at all?" Or he could just pretend to be in control long enough for Declan to regain control. "Regardless, Althea is right, we do have some questions, first of them being--will my brother be present for them? Because we sort of need him back immediately. Here's hoping Horus taught you how to share."

The hints had been there and Daisy would realise just that once she had had enough time to go over the night's events. Althea's warnings, Declan's claim of how this was a different kind of magic. Even Levi's list of things needed should have been a warning sign. Somehow, though, she still had not been expecting anything like this. Not even close.

The silence that surrounded them seemed ominous. An involuntary shiver went up Daisy's spine even as she tried to remember if she had ever felt the castle this silent. Sometimes it could almost pass as quiet but this was different. It was like everything had been emptied. Or had vanished. She felt colder, too, but couldn't quite decide if the temperature had dropped or if she was simply feeling the chilly air more strongly now that she realised what they were actually doing.

For the first time, the Slytherin wondered if this had been a good idea at all.

"Holy s--" When she heard a different, new voice, Daisy opened her eyes. Declan was talking but it didn't really sound like him. Or, at least, like he had sounded three minutes ago. Still, she couldn't quite convince herself that this was the older boy putting on a weird voice. Nope. There was something eerie in the air. Unconsciously, she held the Kenning siblings' hands tighter as she tried to ground herself. Nothing special. Oh no, Sir. They had apparently summoned Anubis and he was apparently angry at them. They had abandoned their Gods???

Even as she heard Levi's voice -- she couldn't really tell you about what he had actually said, though --, the girl sent him a confused look. !!!! What had they abandoned and would she get killed because of it?

Yeah, questions. She had them. Unfortunately, not any questions that would interest a God that apparently felt neglected.

It was dark where he fell. Declan kicked his legs and arms, swimming, blinded. Specks of light swirled thickly in the water. They fell as he was falling so he kicked harder.

"Your brother is where he needs to be," Anubis with a small tilt of Declan's head. "Not only are you arrogant but impudent." Suddenly, the wind whistled. It kicked up around the circle of students, picking up speed. Pieces of debris rotated around them, little bits of twigs, leaves, and old boxes of long eaten chocolate frogs.

There was darkness. Then there was light, blinding, painful light. Declan clawed at his eyes that burned and tried to scream but his voice was trapped in the air bubbles that left his mouth. His knees touched solid ground and Declan could see once more.

A scale at least five times his size stood before him. It reminded him of the height of the goal hoops on the Quidditch pitch. He saw a large black and white feather being weighed. Declan felt horrified upon the sight of a god he recognized in ancient scripts. The jackal headed figured placed a bleeding heart on the other side of the scale. He was curious and moved closer. Anubis pointed a finger at his chest. Declan glanced down instinctively. Tissue, and sinew greeted his eyes, and he pressed both hands against the gaping hole in his chest.

And darkness came again.

"Horus plays his part and so do I," Anubis said with amusement. Declan grinned, canines visible. "So do you, Children of Isis. I'll hear your questions if you're done with your disrespect."

This was not how things were supposed to go--actually, Althea didn't really know how it was supposed to go but she knew that this felt very very very wrong. Usually, she had an uncanny confidence to her; when dealing with the occult, however, she was a terrified child. Because Declan was gone, she looked to Levi as the de facto older, responsible sibling. She hoped that Declan wouldn't be gone for much longer and that they could get this whole thing over with.

"A-and where is th-that?" she said with a shaky voice. After a moment, Althea collected herself, inhaled deeply and spoke again. "Bring him back," she said firmly--a false bravado so she wouldn't faint and disrupt the reading. This was different from the beings they'd summoned at home. Much more different. But, Declan, who always knew what to do during times like these, was gone, and they had to be smart about what they said or did until he came back.

It also didn't help that wind had started blowing around them, which added to the fear she'd already been experiencing. Althea nudged Daisy with a squeeze of her hand. "Well?" she asked, her eyebrows raised high. "You're the star of the show, go on and ask something."

It was always super great when the wind decided to join their parties! Levi was possibly shaking a little (a lot) and he was more than ready for his mother to materialize out of thin air and put an end to this little adventure of theirs. But he supposed that was a bit difficult what with their parents being completely unaware of their present situation and also because it was impossible to apparate in and out of Hogwarts. He would know; he had read PLENTY on it, hoping to reverse that pesky little rule.

Also, he was getting sidetracked.

Levi tried his very best to appear unafraid, but that was becoming increasingly more difficult. It was particularly unhelpful that his companions had chosen to remain mum, because, well--he wanted to be afraid but apparently could not afford to. He SUPPOSED this was fair, given that this had been his idea, but it wasn't like he'd ASKED Declan to summon some underworld creature.

Bones. He'd expected reading BONES! Not--this.

"Pardon me, sir." Maybe his voice shook. He tried ignoring it. "That just means I'm a Gryffindor." Levi almost sounded apologetic about it. Almost. "I understand I probably just offended you, what with the wind and all." As if to demonstrate a point, a discarded box of chocolate frog swatted him in the back of the head. "But all we wanted to KNOW was the odds of breaking into the Forbidden Section." This sounded know terribly silly, which made him want to laugh. In the end, Levi's teeth began chattering. "But, really, all I want right now is my brother back."

So, there would be no bone reading, would it?

Daisy had still been expecting it, to be quite honest, even when Declan had begun speaking and hadn't produced any bones. The boy, however, seemed to be pretty much gone. His body was still there but it was pretty clear that someone was controlling him. Which was weird. SO weird. Wasn't this about finding out if Levi could break into the Restricted Section? Now they had gone and summoned some old God who had taken Declan somewhere just to find out about some books.

Why did she even trust Gryffindors??? Clearly, they were not to be trusted even when they had brothers in Slytherin.

Honestly, had she even needed to not eat steal that chicken?

Althea's words did cause her to look away from Not So Declan, however, and she turned to the Hufflepuff with a glare. Oh, so she was getting thrown under the bus, eh? That was ... understandable, actually, since they were all siblings, but nevermind that. "How am I the star of the show? I'm assisting!" She had agreed to aid Levi with this plan, that was all. She had no interest whatsoever in breaking into any part of the library, thank you very much.

She struggled to hear Levi's question through all the wind but managed to get the essential. Wow. He had really asked about the library. That was silly, right? It sounded silly even to her ears. Also unnecessary. The dude probably had been chilling in the underworld or wherever he lived. Still, since they were all here. "Don't forget to ask about the plan to burn half of it down as a distraction." Who knew, maybe Anubis had some ideas? She tried to smile at Not So Declan but found that she couldn't really do it. It probably looked like a weird, terrified grimace. "But yes. Declan. We'd like him back, please."

Honestly. Gryffindors!

Declan's bright white eyes landed on Althea. Anubis inspected her through them. "Althea," he said calmly with his brow furrowed. "You would learn more if you showed a little patience and restraint." Anubis was all about fairness and justice. It was due to this that he tried his best not to feel completely infuriated.

"That is all?" he asked with pause. He grew quiet before speaking again. "You're seeking counsel with Thoth not I. The knowledge you seek won't be found in that library."

The wind picked up again, spinning faster around them. Then suddenly it stopped. Debris fell as silence was lifted. Declan's eyes closed as something rumbled in his chest. His body heaved, as something bubbled up his throat. A scarab flew out his mouth, wings buzzing and clinking like metal, only to land on Althea's shoulder.

Declan's hand softened, and he felt himself once more in his body. It felt strange, like an ill fit, like trousers that were a size too small. Blue sparks flew off his skin and he felt deathly nauseous.

"Hold up," he said and quickly let go of his siblings, ran to the nearest bush and upchucked his dinner.

Everyone was being stupid--where was Declan???--she couldn't handle this by herself (because clearly Levi and Daisy were just useless.) She felt Fake Declan staring at her and she took her time turning towards him. His eyes were frightening and if they hadn't all been holding hands, she would've fallen over from the intensity of his stare.

"Sorry," she said quietly, and looked down at the ground (it seemed safer that way) before she'd heard Daisy's absurd excuse and Levi's even more absurd question. It was clear that both of them wanted to tempt their fate, and Althea half-wondered if he had any intentions of hurting them. Dealing with Thoth seemed like a better (and safer, to be honest) idea. Why hadn't they contacted him instead? "Wait where are yo--" Althea was shocked into silence as the wind blew around them, her hair blew over her face (so much for remaining perfect throughout the reading!!!) and then...silence.

A shiver came over her as she watched Declan cough something up. What was it...an insect??? With widened eyes, Althea screamed once the scarab landed on her shoulder. "Gedditoff!!!!" She felt like she was dying, and she was grateful that Declan released her hand (she also had let go of Daisy's), but she was still screeching at the large insect on her shoulder. "Please," she begged, tears welled up in her large eyes, hoping that either Levi or Daisy would help her out. Was this a (well deserved) curse from Anubis?? Would the scarab stay with her? With them?? The questions kept circulating through her mind; she hadn't even noticed Declan puking nearby. Althea was too preoccupied to wonder if he was alright.