"Stick closely everyone. They must be around here somewhere." They been instructed to have their wands out (a small comfort after what De Nostredame had said on his way out but a comfort all the same. The walk up to the towers had been a long and unfruitful one. With all the portraits hanging about the castle, he didn't suspect it would be this difficult to find arguably the most important ones.

"Check along the walls, inside the crates, check for hidden doors in the flooring." You never knew with that last one and the man wasn't going to go overlooking anything.

"Does anyone remember ever running into them, specifically? One a wall or otherwise?" He couldn't. Perhaps he had....but his first term, they had man eating furry things and thereafter, disruption after disruption. Remembering the location of portraits had become far from a priority for him.

How he regretted that now.

Sure, he couldn't have known it would become important but...still.

You could bet your bottom dollar that she'd be sticking close. The Headmaster didn't have to worry about this one wandering off. She wasn't exactly the type to jump headfirst into the face of danger. She'd at least be a team player, which would be the reason she was here at this very moment. Well, that and the fact that the Headmaster pretty much told everybody that they had to be here.

She hadn't said a word on the way up here, but her thoughts had gone something like this--if this had been their ultimate destination, why didn't they just call them all here in the first place? Or...were the other groups going somewhere else? She hadn't stayed around in the courtyard long enough to find out.

The first year pointed her wand, lit with the help of lumos, into a few spots along the wall. If something jumped out at her unexpectedly, she could not be held responsible if she took off running and screaming. She'd try not to, though. She moved her wand from the walls to the floor, as she looked for anything out of the ordinary. "So what made you choose the battlements?" she asked the headmaster. Was he expecting a battle or something? If he was, she highly doubted his promise of wrapping things up before dinner would come true.

She ignored her very own question and looked under a random crate. Nothing yet.

Phoebe was bopping along, poking the same spots that the Headmaster poked and stomping the same tiles that he stomped, and she was JUST as unsuccessful as he was. Not that it should be surprising, but it certainly seemed safer than poking NEW things.

She did peer into some crates and a broken umbrella stand for good measure. So helpful. "Why wouldn't their portraits be in your office? Isn't that where the former Headmasters go? Maybe we can ask some of the portraits... they all know each other."

Her eyes wandered around the site and although she was quiet like the rest she's keeping an eye on everyone else. It would be best if no one will get hurt during and after this search party. She casts a lumos spell and looked into the places where the headmaster suggested them to seek out. Her hand was on the wall and pushing it slightly- she doesn't know as to why she did what she did though. She also checked the other crates, the ones that the other students didn't get to search.

As for his question, Jillian has met with them but it was during classes. She remembered that Rowena Ravenclaw had to deduct points and told Professor Recard on what to do. But other than that meetup, Jillian haven't cross them randomly. "Headmaster..." she walked near him and spoke in a soft tone. "shouldn't we ask the other portraits for help?" was that a helpful question?

There was a reason why the had chosen to go with the Headmaster to search for the 'Founders'. A little bit because it seemed like the safest choice but also he hoped that they would be going after Gryffindor. As that Founder had basically destroyed the dueling arena once and the disruption during class AND the fact that he had attacked one of his staff members...Minjae was sure he would try to find Gryffindor. Anyway, why did he hoped to find him? Cause he had a sword. And swords were totally awesome!

Thats it.

His hopes went up when they moved to the battlements. A total Gryffindor place. Of course he didn't voice any of his thoughts because he was sure that they wouldn't like it so he kept quiet as he walked over to check the barrels. As for his run in with the Founders, he had only met Slytherin and he had seemed to be ...there... in the dungeon just like that. But the place was kind of a maze so the possibility that he had come out of one of the other passageways was very high. "At the courtyard, you said that there was a plan. Don't we need to know what that is or...?" He trailed off cause what if it was a rude question?

Cecelia held her wand at the ready, her free hand brushing along the wall in hopes of discovering some secret hidey-hole that the portraits might’ve been placed into. So far, she wasn’t having much luck. ”You know, if I was going to hide my portrait, I’d probably put it in the room of requirement.” YUP. She could be all: HEY ROOM, HOLD ON TO THIS FOR ME FOR A WHILE? COOL. THANKS!

Abandoning her wall feeling endeavors, the second year began to toe at the floor some, tapping and stomping in spots to see if there was any difference in sound or hardness. She was really working hard over here, did Trent see?

A plan? Cecelia looked at the boy who’d asked and raised her eyebrows. She sort of thought the plan was quite obvious. Their dinner DEPENDED on it so he’d REALLY better start looking or else they’d NEVER get fed.

The entire way to the sixth floor Chloe was quiet. She had her wand out but her mind was going to different places of possible portrait locations. Where had she seen them before, had she seen them before? The thought of the headmaster's office was a good one, they were former heads, but they were founders, so maybe they had a special place.

Moving around the area she touched the wall, "Would there be a password or spell that could help locate a secret passage. If it is secret the revealing spell probably wouldn't cut it?" Maybe it would, but it couldn't be that simple, could it?


It wasn't until Cecelia spoke up that she stopped and looked at the Headmaster. "That isn't a bad guess actually. The first time I saw Ravenclaw she was in the seventh floor corridor. She seemed to not be sure how she got there, so maybe it was right after she exited?" Chloe wasn't really sure, but she remembered the conversation a bit.

Isla continued to shine her light around, so far coming up with nothing in particular. She paused as she listened to a few of the things the others were saying. Something that Chloe said kind of stood out to her, as she remembered the very first time she'd seen Slytherin.

"So the first time you saw Ravenclaw was on the seventh floor?" she asked. "The first time I saw Slytherin was in the dungeon corridor. Is it possible they're hiding out near their own common room?" Now if somebody could just verify the same about Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, they'd be on to something.

She walked over to a stretch of flooring and shined her light on it. Hmm...any clues?

"No particular reason." Malachi replied at the question of his motivation to take them all up here. They had searched several places on the way up, this was simply another. "I'd hate to rule anywhere out. The one place we don't check might be the one place they are." The battlements just happened to be the next stop in their search. No more, no less.

He lifted the top off a trunk by the wall that overlooked the lake, grimacing at the sight of cobwebs and little else. "I'm not sure why, James. Odd enough, I haven't seen them in there." That would've made things easier. He was in and out of that place daily...but it never struck him as odd that those portraits weren't there....until the Gryffindor's question.

Had they always not been there? Recently lifted? He couldn't say.

Moving away from the trunk, he began half stomping half stepping along the floor. "Perhaps we would have a better go of this with some portrait help, afterall." He mused, agreeing with both James and Kim. It became a more solid plan when Summers spoke. "The room, eh? The other portraits might be able to tell us if that's the case." And the more he thought about it, the better it sounded--depending on whose side the portraits were on.

And it seemed the ideas were now freely flowing. "Did Ravenclaw say anything else? Other than being confused? Did Slytherin seem confused, as well?"

Yoon's question had him momentarily drawn from the portrait conversation. "It's a rather straightforward plan, Yoon. We'll simply--" The Headmaster stopped mid-explanation, raising his wand as he did. "Did anyone else hear that?" If they listened, they could hear....footsteps?

A late comer to join the party maybe?

Curtis was following the gang lead by the Headmaster. He couldn't explain why he felt the need to follow him, he just did it. Anyways, he didn't say anything while everyone was bouncing ideas off each other on where the founders could be. He did actually see Slytherin, but didn't mention it since it was some time ago and likely wouldn't be outside in the grounds anymore. They did have some interesting ideas, though Curtis didn't know if finding the room of requirement would be possible if they made it impossible for others to find.

Curtis eventually found a reason for him to speak when Isla mentioned where Slytherin was and the Headmaster asked about how he was. "I also saw Salazar Slytherin. A few days ago when I went to the Groundskeeper's Hut." Curtis started out, "Professor Fuller-Thompson scared him off though, he was looking for some place to mull over about getting the house on track and tried to take the Hut over." Who knows, maybe he was with Ravenclaw and they decided to group up together. But Salazar didn't seem to be a team player from his last impression of him.

Curtis eventually stopped walking when the others did. Hear what? He looked around with a puzzled expression.

Chloe thought back to the conversation she had with Ravenclaw, there were others there as well, younger students, and Missa. "I was surprised to see her and questioned if a student had done a spell, which she quickly said no student had that kind of power, but she didn't seem to really know how she got out of her portrait either. I asked her if she wanted to come to see you and last I knew she was headed to your office with Missa." She had said she could help but figured it was a prefects job so she had let Missa handle it.

"I know someone asked about the portraits being in your office but weren't the founder pictures in the common room of each house?" Now that she really thought about it, she couldn't remember if she did see the portrait or not. Maybe they should look in common rooms too.

Stopping as the headmaster said to listen she stayed quiet, but brought her wand closer. She didn't hear anything out of the ordinary, but maybe he had. She just assumed the footsteps were of their search party members.

The thing was, Cecelia didn't always feel like her ideas were appreciated, so having Chloe say that her comment about the room of requirement might not be a bad guess felt PRETTY great. Even the headmaster seemed to think it wasn't TOO far fetched. Look at HER helping to solve the portrait mystery over here! She smiled to herself, standing up just a BIT taller and feeling just a BIT more confident than she had moments before.

Tapping her chin, the second year tried to recall if she'd seen the portrait of Godric Gryffindor in the common room ever. Hmmmm. Was this a bad time to admit that she wasn't SUPER into taking in her surroundings, especially if she was hanging with friends or eating sweets by the fire or TRYING to do her best on her homework? Yeaaaaaah. It was a thing.

Wait, what?

Cecelia paused, looking over her shoulder and squinting some. "...Only been hearing my stomach rumbling, Headmaster," Cece admitted sheepishly. It WASN'T a complaint, but she WAS hungry, so tummy rumbling was par for the course. Was someone coming to search with them, she wondered? Maybe they'd thought to bring snacks. Snacks could only help this mission, honestly.

“No need.” Gryffindor walked out onto the battlements, both arms raised in sign he came in peace. “Lower your wands, I’m merely here to help.” The sword still in its holster should have been sign enough of that. His own reputation would no doubt aid in reassuring them. Afterall, he was the great, chivalrous Godric Gryffindor. Was there ever a more trustworthy man?

”Yes yes, here to help. I couldn’t but overhear your talk of speaking with portraits and the like but there is no need when you have me.” The man began making shooing motions, gesturing the students back to their search. “You’ve bested us. You’ve found the hiding place of our portraits. I know when to give up the ghost. The portraits are out here.”

Here to help. Very helpful. Har!

It wasn't until Cece said something about her stomach that Chloe thought about how hungry she was, honestly she hoped they could find the portraits soon and then it hit her. Had anyone tried Accio? The professors probably did that first, but maybe she should say something.

Turning towards the headmaster she got nothing out because a voice that she was becoming familiar with had spoken. Her eyes shifted and she took a step back as Gryffindor came around the corner.

"Out where?"

They hadn't seen them as they passed to come in so unless he brought them with him she wasn't sure she believed him.

Isla only looked up when she realized the Headmaster had suddenly stopped talking. She relaxed her wand by her side and turned to face him. Hear anything? Hear...what? Maybe she just didn't have enough...what did they call it? Constant vigilance? Yeah. Maybe she just didn't have enough of that, because--...

Oh, wait. She did hear something. Footsteps. It didn't exactly catch her attention the way it caught the Headmaster's, because people were always walking around the castle.

...but of course this time, it had to be different.

Of all the walking dead around this castle, it had to be this one that found them. Godric Gryffindor, or his portrait form, had to be the most annoying person that had ever walked the boundaries of this castle. Probably the most dangerous, too. She had been hoping to be part of the team working with Hufflepuff...or even Ravenclaw. Slytherin would have been a welcome change. Anybody but Godric Gryffindor, and yet here he was.

And he was apparently volunteering to just give it all up and willingly let them win? YEAH, RIGHT. "Gryffindors are known for their bravery and jumping headfirst into the face of danger," she said, as if he didn't already know that. "There's no way you're giving in this easily." It had to be a trick. She almost looked over her shoulder, waiting for some army he'd secretly summoned. The way she saw it, everybody pretty much had two options here:

1. Run for their lives, or
2. Draw their wands.

As for her, she was waiting to see what the headmaster would do.

Slytherin stopping by Piers's hut wasn't news per say, but it was the sort of reminder to add to the pot of evidence. "They seem very keen to take over and change, yes..." Trent admitted, now remembering not too long ago when they all presented themselves at his office for said takeover. "It's not something we'll accommodate."

Wait, Ravenclaw had been on her way to his office? "I'm not sure what happened there, McCarthy, but she never showed up." In hindsight, it would've been better if she had. Being presumably the most sensible of the four, he may have been able to reason with her before all this blew up.

"Let's....not focus on dinner too much, Summers." If all she'd heard was her stomach, it told him she wasn't listening to anything else. Constant vigilance. It was a....there he was.

Trent looked to the often boisterous man when he finally appeared. He hadn't been looking for him but wasn't all too surprised all the same.

Given the location, it just seemed....right.

But they weren't here for a battle. "Step aside, you've helped enough. Students, we'll be heading off now." No way the portrait frames were out here. Bellchant had a point. This...this surrender was uncharacteristic of Gryffindor who'd been OVERLY characteristic of Gryffindor since he first got here. If he said the frames were out here, sure as anything, they were not.

Asking the portraits for help is probably the fastest way they can finish this task and then get dinner. Although, Jillian has this not-so-good feeling on the pit of her stomach. Perhaps she is reading too much into this and that there was nothing to really worry about.... THAT or she's just hungry. That could be what she is feeling right now too.

She paused when the headmaster said he heard something. She quietly stood in her place, she was moving her hand from left to right-

And Godric Gryffindor enters...

Not that she was too surprised with this. She had that feeling earlier that the might run into Godric Gryffindor's portrait ghost or whatever he is in there scope. The portraits are out here. W H E R E ? ? ? He says help yet 'out here' can't be narrowed down to anything specific. Please, just let tell them so they can all be done and go eat dinner early. "Where to, Headmaster?" she asked. She's just hoping that Gryffindor won't be too much of a distraction.

Minjae had been waiting for the Headmaster to answer his question on what the plan was when he too heard the sound of footsteps as well. Though, he would had thought it was the footsteps from one of their search party members. But when Godric Gryffindor showed up a second later, Minjae's gaze went to the Headmaster and he gazed at him as if he was illuminating. The fact that the Headmaster could accurately differentiate footsteps and where it was coming from was amazing!

He stopped staring and looked at Gryffindor now. Noticing that he had his sword in its holster, Minjae was a bit disappointed. Yes, ok the thing was dangerous but ...it was so cool! Every fiber in his body wanted to hold the sword, just once in his life. It did not matter if it was real or not.

But although he wanted to do nothing more then to step forward and actually ask Gryffindor if he could hold the sword and maybe even swing it once, he was not brave enough. Correction. He wasn't stupid enough. He was a Hufflepuff after all and he was loyal to the Headmaster and if he said that they were leaving, he was going to follow.

Also , Isla was right. Why was Gryffindor surrendering so easily? He had a theory but it would be nonsense to say that he thought that Gryffindor was trying to distract them ...or maybe it wasn't so absurd?

Phoebe was SO proud of herself for coming up with a suggestion that the Headmaster liked, and she skipped along beside of him instead of taking the time to tap and shake things. She still remembered to occasionally poke her head into a barrel every now and then, but mostly she just saw old broken things.

And then Gryffindor showed up, and she was just grateful it wasn't dumb old Slytherin with the beard (real... she'd checked already). "Hello, Mr. Gryffindor." She knew the Headmaster was trying to shift them away, but she only shifted slowly at his shooing. "I'm a Gryffindor m'self, sir. This isn't a very good hiding place. I would expect you to know the very best ones. I like some of the spots behind tapestries, myself, 'specially for flat things like portraits."

“Slytherin scoundrel!” Godric blasted quite suddenly, sword drawn in a flash and pointing challengingly in her direction. How dare she (Isla) think to address him when she served a different colour. “Speak not as if you understand the inner workings of the noble house of Gryffindor! What do you in all your cowardice and selfishness know of bravery and chivalry?” Nothing, she knew nothing and would do well not to further anger him with her ignorance.

“It’s out here.” He stressed to the Ravenclaw (Chloe). “Look carefully. Have you checked the floors? I’ll give you a hand.” He was ignoring the Headmaster who was trying to lead the students elsewhere. In fact.

“I am Headmaster now, girl.” Another Slytherin (Jillian). Was there no end to their disrespect? “We will continue the search here. Find my portrait then head to dinner. There’s no need for a wild goose chase. I’ve told you where it is.”

His expression softened when one of his own (Phoebe) spoke. She could address him. “Ah but the hiding place is quite marvellous. Out in plain sight. It’s the last place anyone would think to look.” On his way in, he’d heard talk or offices and common rooms. “If everyone is busy looking in the usual places, everyone ignores the obvious.” He turned to the lot of them again. “So carry on searching. You’ll find them.” If anyone was paying enough attention they would notice Gryffindor hadn’t moved from the exit by even an inch.

Isla had seen Gryffindor's sword in photographs. She'd seen the sword in school books. She'd even cast a glance at the actual sword as it rested peacefully in Gryffindor's holster.

But NEVER had she seen it so up close and personal, though, as she was doing right this very moment. Uhhh...this was just one big ole bag of NOPE. He could slaughter her with only one swipe of that thing, and she knew he'd done it before. Just...you know...to someone else.

She darted backward and dashed into the thick of the group. Yes, as a matter of fact, she did know a bit about Gryffindors. Her father had been a Gryffindor during his time at Hogwarts, but that was just a thought she kept to herself. Somebody else could deal with Gryffindor for a second or two. He actually seemed...serious about the whereabouts of his portrait, but Isla still didn't trust him. She'd trust Slytherin in a room full of unarmed muggleborns before she'd trust Gryffindor right now.

She thought about taking a run for it, but Gryffindor was guarding the exit like his life depended on it. She was still sticking to the thought that this was all a trick. There was no way Gryffindor really wanted to lead them to finding his portrait. The only thing she could see helping them right now would be to have someone come up with a really good plan to get that sword away from Gryffindor. She didn't know much about the REAL Gryffindor, but this portrait Gryffindor seemed powerless without that sword.

The moment Gryffindor drew his sword, Minjae let out a squeal, not in terror but excitement. "That sword is SO cool!" He blurted out before he could stop himself but when he realized that Gryffindor was pointing it at a first year, a Slytherin first year, he cleared his throat cause that was BAD. "I don't know, pointing a sword at a kid doesn't seem very brave and chivalrous to me" he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He had already told Salazar Slytherin this but times had changed over the centuries. Words that had resulted in not only Slytherin but also the Head Boy reprimanding him but ...eh whatever.

"Also, Headmaster Trent is the Headmaster now and he will always be" he said before he turned to Trent and awkwardly added "Well, until the point you cease to exist i guess..." ...maybe he shouldn't have added that? BUT the point was, Trent was his Headmaster and not Gryffindor.

The fact that the founder had not moved away from the exit was strange to him but not that strange as well. He was obviously trying to stop them from going downstairs. Maybe someone at Hogwarts was helping them right now? a student? A staff member? No, Minjae refused to believe his own thought right now. Gryffindor didn't seem like he was lying either when he said that it was 'out in plain sight' "You aren't HOLDING the frames with you in a extension charm bag are you?" he laughed cause he wasn't truly believing it himself. It would be funny though.

Without even thinking Chloe had stepped in front of Isla, her wand in her hand even if it wasn't pointed directly at Gryffindor. She didn't want to make him feel she was trying to fight or anything, but he wasn't going to hurt the first year. She let Minjae talk to him as she just stood her ground and watched what all was going on.

When he spoke directly at her she glanced at Trent first before taking a step forward towards him. "Are you saying there is a trap door?" She didn't believe him at all, but if she could distract him in thinking she was believing him maybe he would shift and the Headmaster could stun him or even get them out of there.

"Sir, with all due respect, why would you want to be the headmaster when you are a founder? The respect you get for being one of the original founders has to be greater than just a headmaster." Knowing he was speaking to the Slytherin prefect she hoped she hadn't stepped on any toes, but she was just trying to think of things to make him lower the sword.

"Could you go get it for us if you know where it is? We can wait here until you get back."

”To find a portrait who might be able to give us some answers.” He replied to the Slytherin prefect. It could be just back inside the corridor or a floor or two up, but surely not all the portraits were clueless. Some had even stepped out of their own frames. They might be a good start.

Another good start? Getting the students to stop engaging with Gryffindor. He was like a spoiled 3 year old. He fed off reactions, needed attention and would not be ignored. James trying to find common ground with him and Yoon provoking his “honour” were...worrisome.

And there he went with his Headmaster talk again before outright raising that cursed sword of his. Looking at you and that squeal, Yoon. At this point, the Headmaster positioned himself between the painting and the students, maintaining space away from Gryffindor to supplement McCarthy drawing her own wand. Although, from what he’d heard, direct spells weren’t very effective.

”You’re in the way and we have portraits to find.” He wasn’t buying his helpful act, not for a second. “You aren’t Headmaster. You aren’t real. You aren’t helpful.”

“Everyone, wands up.” He would move, one way or another