After his visit to the Hospital Wing and the Healer fixing his broken nose and jinxed fingers, Mason was on a war path to find Dora to get his wand back. His first idea was to go to the Gryffindor tower and wait there till she either got out of it or tried to get inside the common room. She had to eventually.

He rounded a corner on the sixth floor and was still in thought that he walked straight past a Professor and a few others standing in front of a hole in the wall and if the glowing, pulsating light had not caught his attention from the corner of his eyes he wouldn't have stopped.

He did stop however and turned his head to look. The hole wasn't bigger than a door and there were weird tendrils and membranes sticking out. "Is that a new short cut?" he asked as he walked closer , wanting to study it.

Shaking his head, the still wandless Ravenclaw turned to look at the opposite wall to see if a hole was there as well but there wasn't. Instead, his dark brown eyes found something else. A piece of paper.

Walking away from the portal with difficulty because he WANTED to check it out some more, Mason read the note before he turned his back to the piece of paper and walked back to the Professor, or better yet, the portal.

"Professor, it's a note from Kitty" he said as he pointed at it.

Why Hattie was up on the seventh floor was beyond her. She didn't have a lesson, but she had wanted to look at a view for a new painting. Maybe that was why she had gone up all of these steps to get there.

But her way was blocked by a lot of students, and some weird portal. She tilted her head as she watched people go into it. Were they mad? Why would you go into some thing when you didn't know where it was going to go? Had they not learnt anything from the things that had gone on at Hogwarts? She really must go to school with idiots.

She noticed Noelle, putting up a barrier, and she tilted her head a little more. "Hi Noelle...." The blonde murmured, coming up to stand by her. That made sense though she was thinking of something. "Uh.... Won't that barrier stop people getting back through?"

Just walking out into the corridor from her office, along with Natalia, Camilla could hear all the voices. With a quick glance at the Head Girl to make sure she was coming along she walked over. "Is that were the situation occurred?" she asked her steps quicken when she spotted her cousin Kay standing there.

The closer she got to the area the easier it was to tell something was very much off. Her brown eyes traveled over those still gathered around and then finally onto the wall.

WHAT IN THE WORLD?!

Cami gasped softly ushering all the students back several feet. "Just as Professor Stewart said, no one else is allowed to come any closer. Thank you Ms. Summers for keeping a lookout." She offered the young Prefect a small smile. "I'll alert the Headmistress," Cami told Kaysha pulling out her wand and casting her patronus. With whispered instructions to go straight to the Headmistress and a bit of information on what she knows the Kangaroo patronus was gone leaping through the corridors.

"Ms. Franks-Mundie, do you happen to know how many students went through that-...thing?" her gaze also shifted onto Noelle as well. Any information the two could give would be greatly helpful. "I don't know what that is Kay but from what I've been told possibly two students have went INTO it." This was directed towards her cousin all the while she herself was had set about putting up a stronger barrier to keep the students away from the area.

Hum hum huuuuum! The second year old was skipping while humming softly to herself becauuuuuse she was in a good mood AND because she just had eaten something really delicious. Food, never underestimate the power of food! Fooooood was making her day and well… The food had been delicious! Butttt, what were all those people doing here? She saw… WOOAAH! What was that? Looking at a strange hole she vaguely compared it with a alien muggle movie she once had seen and… The ending of that movie hadn’t been that good… But… Oeh, she really, really, REALLY felt curious for that portal? What was behind it? What was it doing?? Without realizing it she did a few steps closer toward the portal, her eyes wide open and… She WANTED to know what was behind it! The sorting hat had told her that she was part Gryffindor and well… She now understood why the sorting hat had said it because she absolutely felt no fear at all for the unknown! And… To be honest, she actually LOVED the thought about the adventure awaiting before her…!

Again, a step closer toward the portal… She now outstretched her fingers, reaching toward the hole but it was still too far away… Just a few more steps… Just… Two more steps…

....Here goes nothing was Skylar's last thoughts as she thought she had been going through the strange portal that was glowing. But what the third year hadn't realized was that Noelle had placed a barrier on it moments before her arrival.

So what happened next was all at once in a dreamlike state, Skylar fell backward from the portal her head meeting the cold stone castle floor and being knocked unconscious. Dazed and confused and thinking she was in some alternative reality when in actuality she had moved at all. But she was hearing voices above her so perhaps she wasn't completely out cold? Or she came to? Sky had no idea but she was just going to lay here .....

More people arrived including another Professor. You know, he always wondered if the Stewart Professors were related. This was not the time to ask though. That with the strange portal and vanishing students and all.

He still felt drawn to the hole in the wall though, he could walk away, easily, but there was something about it that made him wonder... What was on the other side? Why couldn't the people who went through not come back? Maybe it was nothing more than a new short cut that Hogwarts had made for itself and this hole wasn't even that scary.

But the faces on the Professors faces said otherwise. They looked uncertain and maybe even afraid? The Ravenclaw watched as one of the Stewart Professors take out her wand but he wasn't paying anymore attention to it. He had seen Leesha, a foolish second year walking straight towards the portal. Hadn't the Professor said to keep away?! His first instinct was to draw his wand. But his wand wasn't with him right now, Dora still had it so he took the few steps swiftly towards her just as she was only two steps away from the portal. Obviously she had not noticed the barrier that had been casted.

Without a word, Mason grabbed hold of her arm and attempted to drag her back. "What are you doing? There's a barrier, you could hurt yourself" he half whispered.

Why was Skylar lying on the floor? People were going to trample over her when they came out of the portal. Shaking her head, Hattie quickly knelt by her friend and poked his shoulder.

"Sky. Get up. People are gonna trample all over you" And she really did not need a trampled best friend. That would not be good at all. She was also pretty sure Mama Diggory would not be happy about that at all.

"And.... you shouldn't go into Portals... not when you don't know where you are going. It might be dangerous" And then she began to tug her friend up.

She had been walking with the professor when she saw another professor already there. Well then, why hadn't she come a little sooner and then Natalia wouldn't have had to waste all her steps going to find someone. She was cursing herself under her breath for not knowing a patronous yet. "Yes ma'am right here is where I saw Brent disappear."

Her brown eyes surveyed the area. More students had come since she left and it looked a bit like chaos. One of the students seriously just ran into the barrier? She walked over to her and bent down, "Are you alright?" Looking back up at the Professors she shook her head. "No, I don't know how many might have gone through before I got here. Like I said Prefect Tenacius and I were trying to figure out why the caretaker had left his mop and bucket alone." Her eyes went to the portal, "Do you think he's in there as well?" If so at least an adult was with them.

"Prefect Tenacius headed this way and I followed, but when I turned the corner he was gone and that's when I saw Brent disappear as well. I turned and came right for you when Noelle asked what to do. I asked her to stay with the others while I came for help. I can't do a patrounous so I couldn't stay and get help at the same time." Yes, she failed in that aspect.

"Professors, do you think one of you or myself should go in there to find the other students? What if they are hurt?" She made sure to say the professors first, because yeah she wasn't going in there unless she had to.

“Ms Diggory!’’ Kay called a second too late. She could have face palmed herself. If only she had been there a bit earlier she might have been able to stop Skylar from entering the portal. For yes, she had finally took the time to consciously process what it was. How and why it appeared there would have to be answered later.

She turned her attention back to her students, noting at least one more had joined them. Thankfully they all hadn’t gotten there in time to make it through the portal. “It seems to be a portal, Mr Westwood. I don’t think we have a clear indication of why it appeared and what lies beyond it.’’ Her attention turned to Mason to see him pointing at something. She went to retrieve it, reading it to herself when she had.

Kay was glad to see her cousin on the way and she acknowledged the Head Girl for her quick thinking with a nod. “Good idea. I hope that the students who went through will get back to us soon. Otherwise a few of us may have to get them.’’ And she hoped that everyone returned safely. “We’ll wait to see what the Headmistress says, Ms Franks-Mundie.’’ Kay handed Cami Kitty’s note before moving over to Skylar whom she had only just noticed hadn’t made through the portal after all. “Ms Diggory?’’ She lightly patted the girl’s cheek. “She might have hit her head when she fell,’’ she told Harriet. “Let’s move her out of the way should any of the others try to get back from the portal.’’ The woman tried to help Harriet pull the girl up.

Skylar only vaguely heard the familiar voice of her bestie telling her to move out of the way lest she get trampled. Actually she heard many voices clouding her head and all the third year wanted to do was close her eyes and shut it all out. Her head hurt majorly and it felt like it was bleeding - it wasn't but it was just a pounding never going away headache. Dangerous? What?

"Mmmm .... go away....." Sky mumbled sleepily. Whatever was going on around her she didn't care because it was good thoughts she was having and it helped her avoid the present circumstances of lying on the stone floor, with an agonizing headache.

Yup. Laying here definitely was the better option ... sorry Hattie, she wasn't moving on her own.

Harriet hadn't even considered that Sky might have hit her head. She looked up at the Professor and she bit her lip. "She might have...." And Sky had fallen pretty hard. Her hitting her head might have been why she wasn't getting up, because Hattie was hoping that she would have gotten up by now if she was okay. "Sky..." She murmured, poked her side again. Come on. The girl needed to wake up soon. Hattie was actually worried now. What if Sky's head was damaged for real? That would be bad.

She looked from Skylar to Professor again and nodded. "Okay... that's a good idea" And so she began to try and lift at Sky's arm, so maybe they could pull her out of the way. Sky getting all trampled on would not help the situation.

A hand grabbed her and… Pulled her back!? WHAT? Why? A annoying sounding voice was talking to her and yes, that voice sounded annoying because the owner of that voice had pulled her back! The portal was almost calling her name! Every vibe in her body WANTED to step trough the portal but now she had been pulled back? Why? Turning around to face the owner of the voice what had been talking to her she saw… Mason? The boy who had screamed and almost cried during her first year because he had seen her super cool and scary clown mask? Well… They had fallen in the lake after warts, he had pushed her, and later saved her too!

Stepping away from the portal she still felt the enormous power of the strange hole, pulling her and invating her to come closer again… Turning again toward Mason she looked sour, “you saved me again but I didn’t asked you to do so… Why did you do that?” Then her eyes widened and she did a step away from him, looking cautious… “You’re… You’re not in love with me right? Because you AGAIN saved me?” Looking up and down at the boy she shivered, boys were really… stupid! Yes, they were handy if you needed somebody to do heavy work and to have fun with but anything else… Brrrrr!

Turning around again she looked at the portal and noticed for the first time the barrier what had been placed before her, hmm, she hadn’t noticed it before! Not that it mattered… She really… Wanted to step trough it…

With his face almost pale white, and his eyes as big as tennis balls (or so it seemed), a very shocked Brent Westwood climbed back through the portal and into reality once again. It took him a moment of blinking and looking back behind him to realize that he was no longer in the alternate universe. He even stared at the walls for a second or two to make sure there was no dirt, dust, or broken mops around.

...and then reality hit him.

"THERE'S A...and it's a HUGE. This THING!" he explained. "It's shadow was closing in on us, and it was snarling and smelly and about to eat us." He looked behind him toward the portal. "There's others in there! They're trying to get through now." He gulped and looked toward the portal. "There's Leon...and Carlton. Olivia's in there, and Carl, too." Let's see. Who else was there? "Ace, Kitty, Zoryn..." Please tell him she wasn't still in there skipping along without a care in the world.

He stepped out of the way, so the others could make it back.


OOC: If this isn't allowed, please just delete my post, and I will fix it after work!

She had lost her grip on Tenacius and her balance simultaneously. Olivia kept falling throughout the portal until she hit something hard. It felt like there was stone on the floor. She reached out her hands to brace her fall, meeting the cool, cool stone. She remained there for a moment before realizing that the floor was not covered in a fleshly membrane. Were they alive? It took her a few moments to process that she had actually made it back to Hogwarts.

Olivia glanced up to find several Professors, the Headmistress, and Brent. BRENT WESTWOOD. FRIEND. She was so glad to see him. "Brent!" she cried, rushing over to him and hugging him. He had made it out too! Phew. "You made it." She was so happy to see another familiar face. She turned to look back at the portal, wondering who would next be out. "Where are the others?"

Come on, Tenacius..... Come on guys... Please...

OOC: Please delete this, if this isn't okay!

Everything was happening at once. Noelle felt wayyyyy in over her head. This was not what she signed up for! Actually... this was Hogwarts. She should have known better.

Her mind wasn't one what was in the portal at the moment though. It was how to keep others from going inside of it.

"PLEASE STAY BACK FROM THE PORTAL!" She said loudly, almost a plea. Because there was another student or two (Alex) and Olivia that was headed right for the portal!

Oh thank Merlin. Professor Stewart was here. And yay! Another Professor Stewart. Noelle let out a deep breath as the professors took charge and they let the Headmistress know about the ..... thing coming out of the wall. "I saw a little curly haired kid go in earlier. And I think there have been other kids that have gone in too. I put a one way barrier up." Hopefully that had been the right thing to do.

Noelle still had her wand raised when Harriet came up beside her. "Hopefully not. Its a one way barrier. Im just trying to keep students from going in." Of course, Noelle was a little rusty on her second year spells, so she might not have done it right. Who knew. She saw Professor Stewart, the Transfiguration professor create a barrier to keep students back from the portal. It seemed stronger and Noelle's barrier didn't seem to be needed anymore. Besides, she didn't want to keep anyone in.

Shudder
Noelle would have hated if she had kept someone in when they were trying to get out.

Sky!
Noelle's barrier seemed to have knocked Sky backward and it looked like she had hit her head. "Here, let me help." Noelle said going over to Sky's other side to help pull her out of the way. It seemed just in the nick of time too. "Im sorry Sky... I didn't mean to..." Noelle said with a remorseful frown. Poor girl and her head. "We should probably get the Heal---"

She stopped talking though once Brent come back through the portal. Oh thank merlin!! They weren't trapped in!! He was screaming about something.

blink.

Blink....

BLINK

There was another thing at Hogwarts??? Oh Merlin!
Noelle instantly looked at Nat. She had overheard the girl asking to go into the portal to help retrieve some that had gone in. "I'll go! I'll help!" Noelle was pretty good with defensive spells and Hirsch had taught her quite a bit. Maybe she would be of some help. Either way, she wanted to get those kids out. Especially if something was coming after then.... And did they say Ace and Zoryn??? Oh yeah.... Noelle was definitely in.

She just needed to make sure Sky was okay first.

"BEEPBOOPBEEPBOOPBEEPBOOP!"

Carlton loved his siren sounds, and he kept making them as he waddled through the portal. There was a bunch of people there, both students and professors. A GATHERING!

He beamed at them all. "There's a CREATURE in there! It was huge and had eyes!" Carlton tried to demonstrate with his arms just how big it was. "AND- AND- AND I tried to give it a bone to make it feel better but I got hauled off the other way... TWICE! And basically forced back here again." OK, no one had forced him really, he had waddled through sounding like a fire truck but STILL.

All he had wanted to do was talk to the thing. Maybe it was hurt or in pain or just wanted to play for a while. Carlton was affirmative they should all head back and help the poor creature. Yes, he wanted back in. And for that, he needed an adult. He'd go with the closest one which just so happened to be professor Stewart.

Carlton got a hold of her robe and tried, but failed to drag her to the portal with him. "Let's-save-the-CREATURE!" He struggled and put all his weight and force to drag the professor with him, unfortunately for him he didn't weigh much and wasn't strong at all so the pull didn't really phase professor Stewart. Typical. "Come onnnn, professor!"

He didn't understand why everyone was so freaked out. Didn't they know that this was a school?! There was nothing dangerous at Hogwarts. Just magic spells, a bakery, a fun room filled with arcade games plus lots of greenhouses. There was nothing to freak out about.

Now, let's all go save this thing.

Kitty stumbled at the entrance, but it was okay because Leon pushed her through, and before she knew it she was falling back through the portal and back into the real Hogwarts.

She just barely managed to throw up her arms to stop her face from slamming into the floor. "Oof!" Her elbows hurt like crazy, but she was too relieved to notice.

"Come on Leon!" she shouted in a panicky voice, worried that the portal might close before he could come out.

Thank goodness Skylar was coming to. This was a good sign, right? “Ms Paton, kindly keep an eye on her,’’ Kay said as she helped move the Slytherin safely away from the portal. “Just in case she needs the Healer Reed.’’ When it came to the safety of her students, she was never too careful. She looked toward Mason and Leesha when she heard the girl’s question about Mason being in love with her. Teenage drama… Kay shook her head. “Ms Griffel, He is right. Kindly stay away from the portal.’’ They didn’t know what way beyond that barrier. What if it came at them? The thought startled her and she moved towards Cami. “We should get them out of here. If something’s in there, it could get out just as the students can.’’ This was said in a whisper so that the students could not overhear. She didn't want to frighten them any more than they were.

No sooner than the words were out of her mouth when the first student came bursting through the portal.

“Thank heavens,’’ Kay muttered. “Mr Westwood, are the others behind you?’’ Good grief! He was pale and rather out of it. She listened to him, her eyes snapping to Cami. So there was something there. “We need to get them away,’’ she repeated. “Job well done, Ms Summers. Thank you for your quick thinking.’’

What was that siren- like sound? Blue eyes once more toward the portal, Kay was relieved to see yet another student out. Unlike Brent, this one was smiling. Then he was clinging to her. “Are you sure it was a friendly creature, Mr Lewis? Was it the very same creature that hauled you off?’’ She was quite aware of him trying to make her move towards the portal but she didn’t budge. All the while, she was just trying to piece together what was on the other side based on the descriptions. “I think you’re in shock, Mr Lewis. Do you need to see the Healer?’’ Did he need a hug? Would that help? The woman didn't give a second thought as she bent to put her arms around Carlton. "It'll be alright. You'll get over seeing that scary creature.''

“Ms Valentine, are you alright?’’ The Ravenclaw had made it back! What a relief!

First he was beating his fists against this shield that suddenly came up and now.... it was gone?

Pssh he's not gonna question that not when they got something on their tails!

He felt Leon grab hold of him as the older Ravenclaw brought him through. Probably the only time he was so relieved to be small enough to be handled by a bigger person with ease. He toppled onto the other side of the portal in a heap. Good grief he has never been so happy seeing a clean floor of Hogwarts in his life.

"tHank YOu!!!!!" he mumbled at Leon.... at everybody as he continued hugging the floor.

Camilla was silent until her barrier was set in place and she was sure that no other students would be getting through that thing in the wall. Her brown eyes moved towards Noelle. "That was very quick thinking with the barrier good job."

"Right now, I think it's in everyone's best interest to wait on the Headmistress. If she feels we should go inside then we will decide who goes," she replied with Natalia. Other then no one was going anywhere near that thing. It was bad enough there were students inside and now one was laying on the floor partly unconscious.

Her gaze moved back onto the hole in the wall. "Going inside could cause a bigger danger for us. We should get them all away from here...into a classroom or back to their dorms if we can." The dorms would be best since those were further from this corridor. Further meant safer in her mind.

She was just about to suggest that her cousin start herding the students to their dorms when someone came bursting through the hole. Oh, Merlin! There really were students inside! Camilla let out a breath. "Mr. Westwood, are you alright? Are you blend to tell us who else might be inside?" A headcount would be helpful.

Out come a first year which clung to her cousin. Did he just ask if they could save the monster? Wait...monster? "Mr. Lewis did you see what was inside there?" The monster? Oh! Ms. Valentine was safe too! "Are there any others still inside?"

Had her patronus made it to the Headmistress??

Leon tumbled out of the portal and landed on the hard stone ground in front of everyone! The seventh year instantly sprung to his feet to make sure everyone has gotten out.

Brent, Carlton, Kitty, Olivia, Zoryn, Tenacius and Carl..

Phew they were all here.

The 7th year slumped back onto the ground in relief and looked around. "Everyone's out.. but we gotta block that portal.. we can't let that shadow thing out! " He said as he looked around..

His heart was racing as he closed his eyes for a moment..

Merlin.. everyone was out and okay..

Zoryn had no idea where she came from. But she had a collection of little air-spores. And she was LIVIN' it up!

Making it out on the other side, after being dragged out by Leon, Zoryn looked around at the scene before her. Throwing her fist (containing her collection ehehehehe) into the air, she let out a battle cry.

"That was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Could they go again?

PLEASE? PLEASE? PLEASE?

Also.

"Does anyone have a jar I can borrow?" Just wondering.

Carlton was about to answer professor Stewart's inquires but before he had the chance to, she had swept him up in her arms. Why was everyone picking him up and carrying him around? He was now hanging in her arms, squished into a hug.

Carlton liked hugs.

"No, no, no , no, no professor." He shook his head vigorously. "The creature didn't haul me off, the STUDENTS did! I wanted to talk to the creature." His legs dangled in the air as he looked around him. "And I'm not in shock, I am EXCITED." There was a difference. And he really didn't want to go to the hospital wing. He would miss all the fun!

The other kids were falling out through the portal, one by one. And he watched them curiously. They were all so relieved. Was he the only one that thought they should go back at it again?

Then the other professor Stewart was talking to him. Their names confused him but as he hung from the arms of one Stewart, he answered the other one. "I didn't see! That's why I should go back there to find out!" He squirmed a little in the professor's arms but she didn't let him go. "Now it's all alone in there! It was dark and scary, someone should HELP IT!"

Carlton looked over at Zoryn, and beamed at her from the position he was hanging. "We should go BACK!" He called to her.

Kane was still...entranced by the portal, and he REALLY wanted to go through, but the smart part of his brain knew that that was not a good idea. He blinked at nodded at Professor Stewart, who confirmed what he had already thought - it was a portal of some kind.

And then...PEOPLE were suddenly toppling out of it. A LOT of people, including....BRENT?!

AND THERE WAS A MONSTER?!

Kane just blinked, staring at his brother and the rest of the other people who walked through the portal before running up and giving his brother a GREAT BIG BEAR HUG.

Because if there was a MONSTER in there, he did NOT want his brother to get eaten by it!

Olivia was still staring stupidly at the portal's swirling mass of color, when the older Ravenclaw boy (Leon) decided to "take a leap of faith", apparently, and enter it. Blinking, she took a few more smaller steps, closing in on this enigma. So... It WAS a portal, then.... of some kind. What she meant was, it could take a person somewhere else... But where exactly? How could anyone know? And furthermore, why would anyone want to? Considering the animalistic growling noises that could be heard far off... Like they were being muffled, but not really. Perhaps a year ago, Liv would've been the first person to jump blindly into something like this, but now.....? Now, she was much more jaded and cautious. There was most definitely no fear of her exploring.... Whatever this was. That was better left to the more scientific, curious minds. Like Ravenclaws...and stupidly brave Gryffindors.

... But then again, this Gryffindor had to admit that there was something mysteriously attractive about the colors... It was a feeling she got from it, as well. Like she should be cautious, but also that it was a danger that needed to be fully explored.

Huh.

"I'm not sure.... but it's giving me this awful feeling of unease." This was said to the older Slytherin girl (Rula), who'd also approached. Whether that was from the strange pull or blind curiosity, Liv couldn't be sure. "It feels dangerous.".... Mysterious and full of danger. Just what they needed at Hogwarts; a school full of chronically curious kids. A point properly made as one by one... several peers from all houses jumped (and gracefully strutted) into the the strange mass. Save for Ace, who'd...been pulled in? The force of this vortex was stronger than she knew, causing Olivia to back-peddle away from it, putting more distance between herself and....

CARLTON!!!!

Had.... Carlt-... He just went through... Olivia felt herself immediately awashed with grief, trying to snatch him away from the glowing mass of color and sound... but he was gone... and she felt her own heart rate spiking in real time. Oh. My. Gosh. He was going to die. They were all going to die. HAD THEY NOT HEARD THAT GROWLING? Someone, or something, was going to attack them. What if it was too dark there to properly defend themselves? What if their magic didn't work?!

Fully prepared to jump in to protect Carlton Lewis, the Gryffindor was met with a strong wall of magic, barring her from any further exploration or rescue attempts. Omg. BUT CARTLON. He was her friend... The rest of them, Liv didn't really know, and their safety wasn't of paramount importance to her, BUT CARLTON... "Professor, please... more than two went through. So many went through.... Including my friend." She was just about to have a proper, theatre-brat fit, when.......

BLINK.

BLINK.

Oh, gosh. They were coming back through! A Slytherin boy (Brent), Liv remembered from Herbology... and all the others, actually. Everyone had just poured back through the vortex. Sending a look towards Noelle that wasn't entirely kind, Liv shuffled back from the growing crowd, feeling anxiety building at so many people gathered in one space. This wasn't lessons. Focusing on a few present, namely Leon, the blonde frowned.

"Repello Inimicum?" She looked between him and the many professors that had gathered. "It would keep whatever's in there..... Um, in there."