Although he had not want to leave the comfort of his common room, he didn't think that it would be wise to practice spells in any other area than a practice room. Especially with his magical abilities. It was a miracle he had not blown something up yet....this month.

Having spend countless of hours in the dueling arena last year to practice practice and practice for his exams, Dorian knew the drill on how to enter the room already. He pulled out his acacia wand and tapped it on the open page of the book. He watched as his full name appeared and the current time before he stepped inside.

Not wasting any time, the sixteen year old moved to the back of the room and rolled one of the dummies out on the field , so to speak. There were a couple of spells he wanted to practice non-verbally which so far he had not mastered yet. Which frustrated him to no end because he had wanted to be able to use non-verbal spells ever since he found out in his second year what they were. He could do the minor spells though but he wanted to do more.

Deciding on practicing the diffindo charm first, he walked a couple of paces away from the dummy before he pointed his wand at it and concentrated. 'Diffindo!' he thought and waited....and waited but nothing happened. He knew this was going to happen , he was used to it now but that did not mean it didn't frustrate him each time. He waved his wand again, thought of the charm and failed again.

This went on for about half an hour. Him just standing there, a look of utter concentration on his face, refusing to give up when a colorful light suddenly rushed towards the dummy but instead of the charm hitting it, it flew passed and hit the wall behind it instead, leaving a big gash in the bricks. Oops.

Mweh, he would repare that later before he left. He was bound to make more mistakes anyway so why bother.

If ever there was a time for a break in the usual routine, now was it. Studying out of textbooks and from her notes could only get one so far. What Rylee truly preferred was the hands on approach. Being able to grip her wand in her hand and really work on a spell until she was able to cast it with a level of ease that pleased her.

The problem with this was... not every spell was safe enough to practice in the safety of her dorm room or the common room. Some... well some needed more space. Not that she was known for reckless spell casting or anything like that. She just didn't want to risk ruining something of her own or a friends.

Which was how she ended up in the Duelling Arena. The dummies could withstand pretty much anything she could cast at them. They made for some really efficient practices. Upon entering the room, she pulled out her wand and lightly tapped it on the open page of the book of the log book. Instantly her full name appeared. Once it did she entered the room only to be greeted with someone else already inside.

Standing off to the side until there was a break in the persons spell casting, Rylee watched silently. "Hey, Declan!" she greeted giving him a smile and not at all mentioning the damage to the bricks in the wall.

With a look of utter concentration on his face, not to be mistaken for a 'i have to go' look, Dorian managed to perform the Diffindo charm nonverbally AND he had hit the dummy. The downside was that the hit hadn't been that powerful and only a large cut in its chest. He had hoped it would have cut the dummy in half.

He was aware of Rylee entering the room and he appreciated it that she waited to talk after he was done. He raised his wand again, pointed it at the dummy in front of him. This time, he decided to try another spell. The knockback jinx to be exact. He traced his wand in the air, concentrated on making the dummy fly backwards before he thought 'Flipendo!'

Nothing happened...

He turned towards Rylee to greet her now that he was done practicing for the moment when a blue light from the knockback jinx, decided to work and raced in the direction where the Gryffindor stood. "Oh geez-- Rylee watch out!" he shouted.

Rylee didn't at all mind watching Dorian practice. The only issue with it was she had no idea what it was he was working on, being he was casting the spells nonverbally. When a large cut suddenly appeared on the dummy her friend was working on she could only guess that he was trying to prefect Diffindo maybe? That was a spell that would cause something to be cut like that.

From where she was standing it also made it a little tough to see what spell he was working. All Rylee knew was, he was moving his wand with the intent to cast something. From the looks of it though, whatever he was attempting hadn't worked.

Rylee opened her mouth to tell Dorian to try again, she wanted to cheer him on and see him succeed! The words never left her mouth, as she was hit square in the chest with the blue light that came at her without any warning sending her flying backwards into the wall behind her. Not only had she hit the wall with a fairly decent amount of force, she had slid down it to land on her bottom on the floor.

Was she okay, yeah. Had that hurt? Most definitely. Sitting on the floor where she had landed was where she planned on staying for now. Give her a few minutes and perhaps she would mention that she was okay. Only was she? Her chest hurt something awful as did the back of her head where it had connect with the wall.

A look of panic formed on Dorian's face as Rylee was hit by the knockback jinx, sending her flying backwards and hitting the wall behind her. He cursed under his breath and ran towards her, hoping that she was okay.

He dropped his wand next to him because he did not trust it for now and crouched down in front of her. At least she wasn't unconscious which was a good thing. "Im so sorry!" he said, his voice rising in pitch which always happened when he was panicking. "Are you okay? Do you feel concussion-y? Should i bring you to the Healer? Merlin's Beard i didn't think the spell would work i'm so sorry!" did she hate him now?!

Rylee heard Dorian talking to her and she knew he was crouched down near her also but it took her a full minute or two before she actually realized that he was asking if she was alright. "I-I think so?" she mumbled quietly lifting her hand to rub at the back of her head which was throbbing and causing her vision to blur slightly, at least it wasn't bleeding though.

"Dunno? Ma-maybe?" Broken bones she had before. Sprains and strains and a twisted ankle too. Oddly enough concussions wasn't something she had experienced. She did know the signs of one though so that was something. "My head hurts." Way to state the obvious on that one.

Moving her hand from her hand she kinda waved it at him. "It's not...your fault." Accidents happened.

It took him several attempts of asking if she was alright which made him grow more and more nervous. His nerves calmed down a little when she finally seemed to be aware of his presence but then his panic came back again when she was stuttering. Oh Merlin that wasn't good right?! Or perhaps she stuttered because of the unexpected event that had just occured to her. It wasn't every day you got hit with a flipendo.

"Stay seated for now" he said after Rylee told him that her head hurt and looked around the room in the hope that something could be of use. He found nothing. Looking back at Rylee, the sixth year let out an empty laugh. "Have i told you that i want to become a Mediwizard?" he asked. "So its funny that i have no idea what i'm supposed to do now" then again, he had never had any lessons or training before. So it wasn't that weird but now he wished he had read up with some books.

Not his fault.... Even if she told him that it hadn't been his fault a hundred times he would still feel like it was. Because it was his fault. He was the one who casted the spell. He had not done it on purpose of course but still.... He felt the guilt.

"Can you stand?" he asked as he got up and extended his hand. He would pick up his wand later, she was more important.

Good thing he told her to remain seated because she had no intent on getting up at all right now. Huh? A Mediwizard? Rylee rubbed her head again shaking it very slowly. "Maybe?" Had it come up in conversation once or twice? Things were a little fuzzy right now and she truthfully couldn't remember. "Ice?" Cold things usually worked when you banged your head. So did getting some rest. She didn't think she was supposed to go to sleep though.

Resting her head in her hands for a moment, she closed her eyes. That seemed to help lessen the pounding of her head some but it did nothing for the pain in her chest and back from the wall. "Mm?" Rylee slowly opened her eyes again to look at Dorian. "I- yeah.. I think so." Reaching for his hand, gripping it with her own (not very tightly), she attempted to slowly get to her feet.

It didn't even matter if he had told her before or not. He wasn't even sure why had mentioned it. Probably to distract her ...or was he distracting himself?

Whatever it was, he had just learned that if he really wanted to become a Mediwizard he would need to become more level-headed when situations like this occured. "It's not important" he said shaking his head.

Ice. Yes! Ice! He could do that. "Wait, lean against the wall if you need to" he said after slowly getting her up on her feet and ran to the other side of the room. He grabbed his bag, opened it and pulled out a small and fresh towel which he always had with him because he liked to go out for a run.

As he ran back and wasn't even out of breath as he picked up his wand from the floor and pointed it at the towel "Its a clean one, trust me" he said in case she was wondering before he performed the aguamenti charm to drench it in water.

Once it was, he folded it and pointed his wand again. He gave it a wave and muttered "Glacius" it took him two tries but the towel froze and hardened and he handed it to her. "Here, for your head" he said. "You sure you're okay? Or is that the Gryffindor in you talking?"

All she had to hear was him saying 'It's not important'. They could always talk about what they wanted to be another time. As for right now... well right now all her focus was on her getting to her feet and remaining there without falling over. Easier said than done.

Rylee barely nodded, needing no prompting for this either. There was no choice but to lean against the wall when everything beneath you swayed a little and your entire body was sore.

Having closed her eyes while she waited on him, Rylee had no clue what he was doing until he returned and was talking to her once again. Even as she opened her eyes and watched him drench a towel in water and than freeze it, it took a second for her to realize he was giving her something that was ice like she told him to.

"Thanks," she muttered managing the tiniest of smiles. Taking the frozen towel she placed it to her head for short moments of time since it was so cold. "I- maybe? A trip to the healer.. might be good.."

He’d run, for a certainty the Headmaster has high tailed it away from the stairs leading to the entrance hall and made the announcement on the way back to the second floor.

The problem was, two floors up from that mist, common sense and reason finally kicked back in. He’d left it there to keep rising and get worse. No denying at this point it was getting worse by the day and until the Ministry could get here, he had to do more than run. It was for that reason that before heading to the duelling arena, Malachi cautiously doubled back to the staircase.

His relief was palpable when he found the mist still no further than when he’d last seen it and the man cast a barrier shield in the hopes of preventing its advancement. Once he got everything in order with the students, he would take some professors and see about checking to ensure it had no other way of rising. For now, this would have to do.

Back in the extended Duelling arena, the man paced as was his practice when agitated. Why weren’t why here yet?? Every second filled him with dread.

Chloe had been all over this castle for days, she would give him the starting Seeker spot if she could just find him. Her worst fears starting to not allow themselves to be pushed away she was just headed to look in the Great Hall once more when she heard the announcement.

Turning on her heel she headed for the dueling arena instead. Eyes puffy from not being able to hide her emotions any longer she tried to give the Headmaster a reassuring nod, but it came more of a terrified look.

Moving in more she went to a corner and stood quietly waiting.

The announcement filled Cordelia with a strange kind of dread. It was a rather unusual feeling. Not even the death of Professor Dopple last year had fazed her, but she had a horrible feeling about this mist. Cordelia still wouldn’t call it a fear per se, but more of an agitation or anxiety towards the mist. Perhaps most urgently she was afraid that the mist would trap them here forever and she would eventually run out of insulin and die a painful death from diabetic ketoacidosis. It was what could happen rather than what had happened already that scared her. Nervously, she entered the duelling arena. She knew well enough from the events of last year that the headmaster would only call all the students out of class to an emergency assembly if someone had died. ”Who died?” She asked matter-of-factly as she approached the headmaster in the duelling arena. Hopefully the answer to that would be no one, but given the urgency with which the headmaster had summoned everyone she had a feeling that would not be the case. Where was Drew? Cora? Maeve? Her quidditch teammates? Cordelia needed them to still be alive.

Despite being terrified out of her mind, Nina would never skip a lesson. She did find some of her Professors to be rather incompetent, but hopefully they’d have the sense to keep everyone safe from the mist. This mist that still gave her nightmares. While the lesson helped distract her thoughts from spiraling there, it was the announcement that sent a shiver down her entire spine.

Danger.

She was right back in the water all over again. The most terrifying moment of her entire life. The fear was unreal. She had forgotten how to breathe. Her entire body went into autopilot, as she followed her classmates to the dueling arena. She couldn’t recall how she had gotten here, but her legs had carried her over.

The Gryffindor’s question echoed in her head as she moved to stand near the edge of the room, having no desire to stand in the center where there would surely be a crowd of panicked whispers. Already she felt overwhelmed, she wanted to know they were safe. Nina Castillo wanted her father. While typically the Slytherin was quite good at hiding her emotion when she needed to, but at the moment every ounce of worry and fear showed on her face.

She felt very small.

It was entirely possible that she was more on edge now than she had been during the latter half of the term when they’d all had to deal with Scrimgeour and his minions. Even Stasya was unable to hide the feeling from herself. Classes weren’t enough to distract her, not when so many of them were being influenced by the mist and the inability to be outside. She missed the sun, and above all, she was hoping beyond all hope that Professor Cornish had made certain all the creatures from the barns were safe. Not to mention her concern over the unicorns and the other denizens of the forest, since if she hadn’t been able to check on the barns she definitely hadn’t been able to find out if the mist had encroached the forest. Even the merrows had seemed worried about the mist, and that had been what had really made her worried.

Hearing the announcement as she’d gotten out of her most recent lesson had only compounded the stress, and she had gone into survival mode. The possession fears from her younger years were at the backof her mind, hidden behind the memories of the inferi, and the rebellion. The memories in which she and the others had all been tasked with protecting those who were in danger, including themselves. She couldn’t protect the creatures, but she could protect her Lions, and whoever else she’d managed to come across on her way to the dueling arena.

Although she’d nearly stopped dead as she’d arrived only to hear Cordelia’s question, only to get herself moving long enough to stop next to the smaller redhead, giving the headmaster a nod to show she was ready to do her duty. She really hoped that the answer to that question would be no one, or even that it was crazy thinking in general even if it would hurt her to see one of her ickles called crazy. But the fact remained that there had to be a reason they were all advised to avoid the mist, so the fear that the younger girl was right was definitely there.

Missa was scared. And she was making no attempt to hide it as she somehow moved with the crowd and made her way over to the duelling arena like the headmaster had asked of them.

Her first instinct had been to get Trinity by her side, the second to look for everyone else - mainly Eiji Rasting, and she hated that she was selfish that way but what even would be the point of denying it? - however despite the obvious realisation, her eyes did make the attempt to scan the crowd for everyone she cared about, from Néve to Keenan to Nettie - and whoever came to mind next, her heart only panicked some more. It was ridiculous.

And she just wanted to go home.

Moving into the room, and feeling no relief to see the headmaster's face, she found herself a spot next to Nina - and waited.

Surprisingly, Archer had been able to maintain her usual 'water off a duck's back' attitude even with the mist being literally right at their door. After all, there was, what, at least a good six inches of solid stone between it and them. But the Headmaster's announcement had put her right on edge. There had just been something in his tone that said the worst had happened and she wasn't even trying to pretend this wasn't grave. She'd been in that mist. If it had somehow managed to make it into the castle, there was no telling who would be next and if they would be lucky enough to make it out this time. Plus, Kam and the Ravenclaw were still missing, possibly in the mist.......

It was with these thoughts in mind that she was ushering any of her classmates she came across, be they Hufflepuff or not, on her way towards the dueling arena with her, all traces of her usual chuckle gone, replaced with a grim look. Which should demonstrate the seriousness of the situation to anyone.

Patricks head hadn’t been in classes for nearly a week. He had been looking for Kam. They had been hanging out more and he hadn’t seen her at all. He just wanted to know if she was okay.... he was asking whatever higher power there was for her to be okay. He had been just about to head to the common room to change into sweats and run in the room of requirement; but instead he heard the announcement and his stomach dropped.

He’d been okay there was hope that everyone was okay, that they were just missing.... but a whole school assembling in one place. This was it. Someone had been taken by the mist. And this may be the time he actually dies at Hogwarts. He was not okay with this. Why did he keep coming back? He was really tired of fearing for his life. How was mist like this so serious? Why didn’t he just talk his parents out of sending him back after Christmas?

Moving into the dueling arena he spotted Maeve, fellow prefects, and Nina his house mate. None of them looking settled in the room. He couldn’t even be a calming voice to them because he was so nervous for himself and what ever news was about to happen.

Following the Prefects in, Ayana looked around at the small gathering present before quickly making her way towards the headmaster. She had been in the middle of teaching her NEWT level students, an extremely complex class, but she feared her students did not feel any relief at being called away. This mist... Ayana had ideas about it, fears and thoughts, but she dared not go near it without the headmaster's explicit request to do so.

Magic schools. Hazardous and terrifying. Some years more than others, and from what she could make of the students' pale faces, this year was a particularly bad for Hogwarts. With a small sigh, she drew her midnight purple robes tighter around her and tried to offer calming expressions to those students who caught her eye. The headmaster's expression worried her the most, but she kept quiet and hoped Carmine would appear soon, along with the rest of the staff. The quicker everyone arrived, the sooner they'd all find out why Trent had panicked enough to call this assembly.

The announcement meant one thing to Vita and that was danger. She was doing her best not to show the fear she was feeling, ushering the Slytherins along to the dueling arena. It was there though, stomach filled with dread, eyes wide, especially when she heard Cordelia ask who had died. Died

....Her experience in the mist came flooding back when that word was spoken out loud and she looked around for Maverick, for Indigo. Were the younger Stemps here? Were the other Stemp house residents okay? Silently, the seventh year made her way around the room, mentally taking attendance in her head. Was anyone missing?

Please Merlin let no one be missing...

Honestly this final year at Hogwarts was just going from bad to worse. It reminded her of events that had happened in her fourth year, which had resulted in her being home schooled for a year. She was glad though, that this time around, once this year had finished, that she wouldn't have to come back to Hogwarts. She only hoped that it wouldn't have a negative impact upon her NEWTs. She had worked hard over the last two years to get her grades up, and at a level where she would get into university. She would be mad if some stupid, but dangerous, mist ruined her future.

She was nervous though as she made her way to the duelling arena with her fellow peers and professors. Something really must have been wrong if the headmaster was interrupting lessons. Though her brain was glad for a littler rest. She was though, concerned about what was going to be said in the duelling arena. The blonde sighed, finding herself a space, and wrapping her arms around herself.

Hopefully everything would be okay.

Daisy felt sick to the stomach with dread as she quickly made her way to the duelling arena. She had seen the ominous mist make its' perilous journey and it terrified her more than those Inferi did.

She found a space and stood there, trying not to bite her nails.

Holly hadn’t had the best year. Oh sure, it had started out great, and was even going fine up until Christmas… but with all of the creatures running away before Christmas and the mist encroaching every day since then… Well, she was starting to wonder why she’d come back to Hogwarts when she had been home and safe. But it was mist. They had mist all the time in the Highlands with the weather changes and the lake… It was normal. Only, this wasn’t normal mist.

… and that thought terrified her. Especially when she hadn’t seen Taddy again.

…. She wanted to be at home, safe. She wanted Cameron. She wanted Alis and Jorgie to be safe. She needed them to be….

Looking around the room for them, she gravitated in their direction, eyes keeping a look out for her boyfriend - she’d be needing him with her right now. She didn’t care if they were in different houses… She didn’t want to leave his side. His hugs made her feel better.

Kind of. She wasn’t sure anything could settle the feeling that she was going to be sick. But she was willing to try just so she wasn’t sick or burst into tears surrounded by the whole school… That wasn’t going to happen.

She hoped, but the look on Professor Trent’s face didn’t give her much confidence.

Crossing her arms, to hug herself, she waited. Blood pounding in her ears, wand within easy reach. Though her mind wasn’t coming up with any spells, hexes, curses or charms that would even help against the mist.

Tessa didn't know what to think when she heard the announcement. More than anything, she wanted to pretend that everything was okay - or was going to be okay - but her gut told her that wasn't the case. She was heading back from class when she heard it and dread was all she felt. There was the possibility that the announcement was to let everyone know that the Ministry was here and everything would be sorted by the end of the day, but yeah, no..... That was unlikely.

She could only hope that things weren't getting worse.

The blonde reached the Duelling Arena in no time after having rushed there. She immediately began looking for Levi, Ellie, Alfie and Soraya, but she couldn't see them... They would be here soon, she told herself. It was because she had rushed that they weren't... Only a small number of students and staff had arrived. They were fine.

She noticed that both Stas and Lili had arrived. Good. Tessa made her way over to Lili, all the while looking out for her siblings, best friend, and boyfriend, and stood beside her. Stas would likely be focused on protecting younger kids and being there to assist Headmaster Trent if needed, so she didn't go over to her. She hoped Stas wouldn't need to do anything. Tess whispered, uncharacteristically quietly, to Lili. "Do you think something has happened?" It was a dumb question because meetings obviously weren't called for no reason, but she had to ask. What the question really meant was 'Do you think something really, really bad has happened?' and 'Do you think things are getting worse?'