Hogwarts '06/7

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

"Girls - I really really think that you should wait behind. Lupin is mad. But you are correct - it would be dangerous to leave you here. You should stop following me and go up to your dormitories now."

They stayed following him. In the corner of his eye suddenly he saw a wand being drawn by Arven. He fingered his own.

[Q.Araignee]

Rowena stopped walking forward and backed away from Arven, her own wand in hand and pointing at her with a weary and distressed look on her face. She thought she recognised the cold fire in her eyes.
"Whatever you're thinking of doing through Arven, don't bother- I'll Stun her before she finishes the spell." She hissed, ignoring the fact that she had only ever done the spell on a few flies before.

[choki]

As everyone started backing away from her, Arven made a sinister laugh.
"Foolishness... and my dear," Arven said, referring to Rowena, "what can a first year student do?"

"Nice teaching you had there, Dinas..."

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

What is the Minister wanting me to do, thought Dinas. Does he want me to kill this girl?

Terrin fingered his wand, then flicked it around swiftly and stunned Arven silently, using a non-verbal stupefy.

Arven hit the ground softly.

"Take her to the hospital wing," Dinas told the two girls. "Most likely she's lost her head."

[Scarlet Lioness]

Misty didn't want to be left out.

"Professor, Rowena can take Arven. I'm coming with you. I'm Head Girlremember??! I need to prove myself. And you know I'm competent. So I'm coming."

She folded her arms, looking Dinas in the eyes with a stern look on her face.

[Q.Araignee]

The reminder that she was just a first year had hurt Rowena deeply, mainly because it was the truth- she had no business trying to save the school, despite the burning fire in her heart that urged her to go forth.

She bowed her head, and began to walk away- Arven floating along behind from a quick spell she had read up on. As she put her wand back in her pocket, she felt a cold nose nuzzle her hand. Rowena gasped at the sight of Nox standing beside her.

"How did you get down here?" she hissed. "I thought I'd seen you earlier, but surely someone would have seen you and taken you back up to the Common Room?" All she got was a purr in reply. As her cat stood underneath Arven, waiting, Rowena removed the charm- Arven now laying across Nox's back. Before Rowena could stop her, she had bounded off up the stairs- leaving her there, wand in hand and a choice of where to go. It only took a moment.

Rowena whispered to the air, "Thank you, Nox." before running to catch up with Misty and Professor Dinas.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

"Rowena! I told you to go and take Arv-"

"I got... someone else to take her, sir," she cut in.

"Fine!" he snapped, "if you want to be killed, that's your business."

The trio heard noises around the corner. It was Lupin, wildly destroying things around him with reducto.

Dinas drew his wand.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Misty followed suit and drew her wand.

"Get out your wand, use a shield charm everychance you get." she hissed at Rowena. "Don't blame us if you get hurt- I know you thinhk you're competent, but even I may not escape without injury..."

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Dinas felt like rolling his eyes at Misty's bravado.

Point A, he thought. Rowena is only first year, and doesn't know how to use a shield charm - a simple but fifth-year level spell.

Point B, Lupin is under the control of almost the most powerful wizard in Britain.

Point C - Dinas himself wasn't exactly sure how he was going to approach Lupin - one of the most famous and respected figures in the wizarding world - and a werewolf.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Misty felt stupid. She kicked herself inside- Rowena can't do even a simple sheild charm, this would be dangerous. What the hell are we going to do with her??? I'm going to feel really guilty if she gets hurt-she's following me.

She caught up with Dinas.

"Professor" she whispered..."What can we do about.." she cocked her head in Rowena's direction.

[Q.Araignee]

Rowena saw the nod, and had heard Dinas's tone earlier. She came up to the pair of them with her sapphire eyes glittering in the torchlight of the Dungeons.

"Misty, Professor Dinas- I know I'm just a first year, but trust me. I will be able to cast the Shield Charm. Anyway, if I'm injured at least you'll have no family to tell. But that's beside the point, I need to come- don't worry about me. I mean, what if you two are injured by Lupin? Whose going to get help if you're unconscious on the floor and he's deciding whether to kill you or not? Please..." Her voice trailed off, and the glittering wasn't just torchlight now.

[choki]

It did not take very long before Arven came around. She then realised she was no longer at the dungeons, but safe and sound on the comfort of her bed back at the Gryffindor dormitory. A large cat stood next to her bed, gently purring as it licked her outstretched hand. Arven recognised the cat - it belonged to Rowena. She had seen her around with a rather big sized cat before.

"Nox... is that your name?" Arven asked as she started to stroke the cat's head. A purr was what she got as a response and Arven took it as a yes in cat language. Arven was rather confused. She remembered she was at the dungeons together with Misty and Rowena, then she was hit by a spell presumably from Lupin. The next moment she woke up back in her dormitory.

"Are the rest back too?" She got up from her bed and started looking for signs of Misty and Rowena in the dormitory.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Misty looked down at Rowena who had tears welling up in her eyes. Maybe she's right- she can get help if we're injured.


But what if we're all injured.[/i]

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Dinas shook his head.

"It won't come to getting help. You both wait outside the door," he said, opening a creaking door to an abandoned classroom slowly. Lupin was in the corner, being destructive.

"But sir!"

"Wait here!" he roared at them. "Otherwise you will be killed."

Terrin entered the room.

[Q.Araignee]

Rowena wiped her eyes and looked up at Misty, who seemed to be stunned at Dinas' reaction.

"Misty, we can't just wait out here. I mean, Lupin's acting like a complete psychopath! We've got to help, somehow."

She was shocked at her own words: she had become so protective of this school over the past few weeks, that she was willing to defy the instructions of a Professor; risk her own life...all for students who talked about her behind her back, the bricks and mortar that were her only home, the lessons that intrigued her so much, and the freedom of flying.