.....

Mystery solved.

Zahra Kettleburn. Ugh. Even her name put a bitter taste in his mouth. Zahra. He should've suspected as much. Merlin, Zander thought he'd finally get a break from her antics considering her boy toy guy was back at Hogwarts. Thank Merlin the two of them were seventh years by the way. 'Cause next term was gonna be HEAVAN. He couldn't wait.

But in the mean time, "OI!" Dramatic, yes. But he needed to get the point across, alright? "Do you mind!?!?!" STILL SPINNING by the way. Get off!! GAAAAAH. Zahra.

-_________-

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

.....

Mystery solved.

Zahra Kettleburn. Ugh. Even her name put a bitter taste in his mouth. Zahra. He should've suspected as much. Merlin, Zander thought he'd finally get a break from her antics considering her boy toy guy was back at Hogwarts. Thank Merlin the two of them were seventh years by the way. 'Cause next term was gonna be HEAVAN. He couldn't wait.

But in the mean time, "OI!" Dramatic, yes. But he needed to get the point across, alright? "Do you mind!?!?!" STILL SPINNING by the way. Get off!! GAAAAAH. Zahra.

-_________-

Yup, getting a little dizzy now.

But that was MOSTLY fun so Zahra just held on tighter. She'd not be bucked off THIS Gryffindor. YEEEEHAAAWWWWWW RIDE 'EM ZAHRA!

...

"Do I mind what?" She didn't particularly mind anything at the moment - too busy HOLDING ON. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" she shrilled as Zander took them around one more time.

Yup, also getting a little dizzy now.

Though it was kind of his--NO, no. It was ALL HER fault. The Kettleburn one. How in Merlin's name was he supposed to handle a situation like this????? Nothing had prepared him for this. WHERE WAS THE USERMANUAL?? WHAAA?? Just kidding. As if Zander would ever even read one of those. BUT STILL. Where there instructions on how to turn her off because that'd be very nice information right about now. Zander was getting desperate.

.....

*MELLOW*

"Getting off my back??!!???" As if it wasn't OBVIOUS. Oh sweet Merlin. What was the protocol for 'wild Gryffindor girl on back'. Code red?

Still spinning, by the way. Until Zahra hopped off. Or fell off. Or until he fell. Hopefully the second option, but the third was definitely a possibility.

Getting diiiiiIIIiiiiiiizzzzyyyyYYYyyyy

Benny was continuing on with the task at hand, the posters and search for Pebbles. The sixth year Gryffindor moving on from the fourth floor, past the third floor totally, and down to the second floor. Here he looked around for more options as he made his way down one of the main corridors. He didn't just want to go and post a poster on the first place he saw. It had to be some place that might get a lot of traffic so it could be noticed.

Passing the gargoyles that marked the stairs up to the Headmistress' office and quarters he found a spot that might just work. Clear enough and at righly eye level so it should be a good place. So the boy shook free one of the posters he had made and unfurled it along the stone wall like before, letting the sticking charms do their work. Then all there left to do was stand back and admire his work before he moved onto the next leg of his journey.

Two more to go!

Some scaling the walls while others scurried across the floor, the herd made their way quickly through the corridor. In silent agreement, as if it had been the plan for some time now, they broke off into two groups heading in opposite directions.

This particular Gryffindor was minding her own business and leisurely making her way from the Common Room to the front doors via the long way, giving her legs a good workout. You know, before she wasted that workout by laying out in the grass by the lake to soak up the sun. But something made her stop dead in her tracks. Acromantulas. A whole herd of 'em. And wasn't like it could be said that her eyes were playing tricks on her either. Not with the size of them.

Now, Heather wasn't normally scared of spiders. But, as previously stated, THE SIZE OF THEM! Plus the fact that a classmate had been EATEN by the things last term, well that wasn't helping her mental state at the sight of them. Though, she wasn't stupid enough to confront or insult them. But what she did do, that probably didn't help things either.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

...............

Acromantulas in the castle!"

Hopefully, that was loud enough for everyone on this floor to hear, because her feet were not working. Not to mention that she was feeling light-headed.

It had definitely been loud enough for MAGGIE to hear her.

Which was why she stopped dead in her tracks, pulled out her wand and then ran off the opposite direction. AWAY from the yelling. Obviously. She had a sense of self preservation after all. Leave the courageous things to the Gryffindors, she was out of here. Plus the other girl was probably running too so why would she go back. And even if she wasn't. That really wasn't her problem.

That was one of the things she never got in movies really.

Why would you run TOWARDS something that was likely to kill you?????

One straggling acromantula, the runt of one of the herds if there was such a thing when it came to these monstrous creatures, became distracted from its siblings when it heard the scream.

"Human flesh!" it said in a giddy, yet dark, tone. Eight horrifying legs moving in almost a blur, the hungry acromantula ran towards the girl with its pincers clicking excitedly. Mother said it was okay now.

MOVEMENT! THERE WAS MOVEMENT!

Becoming all to easily distracted by movement in the distance. Distance that it had sensed thanks to the cobwebs cluttering the castle. All of its beady black eyes locked in the direction of the fleeing girl and off it went.

Speed increasing, it raced right pass the Gryffindor (lazykitty). It's enormous abdomen struck her with such force as it changed directions suddenly that it could throw her up against the wall.

"FEAST! COME BACK, FEAST!"

She could hear them.

The legs.

Hitting the floor.

Lots of legs.

And then there was the sound of a voice too.

All of which were heading TOWARDS HER!! Didn't they get what she was trying to do?? Like. Rude. Her plan hadn't worked. Why had it not worked? Why had she been on this corridor in the first place?? Perhaps because her owner likes to be mean to her. Why hadn't she just stayed in her common room? Why was she out here????????????

Maggie didn't even scream or anything. She was just running.

Yeah, definitely hadn’t helped things. As evidenced by the 'runt' now headed towards her. Come on, feet, work!!!!!!!

But amazingly, the acromantula changed course right before it reached her, going for something behind her and knocking her into the wall and to the floor while it was at it. Knocking the wind out of her, of course. And probably breaking a rib. Ow. Heather was SO wishing death on whomever had the idea to bred those monsters right now.

Staying on the floor for now to catch her breath, she tried to remember who had an office on this floor and which was nearest. Headmistress Truebridge? Professor Tanner? The Headmistress would definitely be the best one to inform.......

.....if only she could catch her breath.

*cough heave wheeze*

Help?

Leaving the Gryffindor behind, for now, the black mass on eight legs continued its pursuit of the fleeing girl.

Closer...

Closer still...

Just a little more...

"TASTY MORSEL!" it hissed, its pincers nearly clipping her heels now.

Maggie was NOT a tasty morsel.

Although if she didn't hurry about she was going to be. She could feel the thing behind her. Hear it too. But mostly feel it. It was there. It was right there. Luckily she'd had the presence of mind to grab her wand BEFORE she'd started running so now at least she had that. Not that she could aim very well but it was definitely worth a try.

Without slowing down, she pointed her wand behind her over her shoulder. "BOMBARDA!" Blowing up a big spider was a good idea right?

Err.

"TASTY! TASTY! TASTY!"

The acromantula chanted as it scurried after the human girl. The human girl who was now pointing one of those sticks at him that Mother had told them all about.

Veering to the left as quickly as its eight legs could manage, the acromantula was not prepared for the spell that was cast.

Now there were 7 legs instead of 8.

Screeching and rearing its remaining front limbs, the arachnid recoiled slightly. Maybe it was time to hobble back to that other human (lazykitty) and turn her into a tasty morsel instead...

Her diet was 100% healthy so if you thought about it she probably WOULD be very tasty. Although, Maggie still didn't want anyone to take a bite of her.

Being spider food was NOT on her bucket list.

Unable to check if the spell had hit its target, Maggie could only assume by the sounds the creature was emitting. Not that that helped her really. There was no way she was going to stop running until she'd safely locked herself into an empty classroom or something. Or even a broom cupboard would do. ANYWHERE where the big spiders couldn't follow. Could they open doors?

She tried to send another spell at the creature behind her but was too exhausted for it to work. Maggie was in shape but that didn't mean that sprinting down corridors didn't wear her down. Where could she go??? There was a corner so she took a sharp left, not entirely sure where she was right now.

*cough cough wheeze*

Acromantula say what now?! Heather quickly looked to see what or who the giant spider was talking to, as it was obviously past her now, and couldn't see anyone. Which meant that it would soon be turning back to her. But with her broken rib, there was no way she could run. So that meant that she would have to fight the stupid thing. Injured. Perrrrrrfect.

She pulled herself up off the floor, wand in her right hand and her left wrapped around her front to hold her right side where the pain was. If she was going to have to fight for her life against an acromantula, she was damn sure going to get the first punch in. Taking good and careful aim, she shouted the first spell that came to mind. "BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" Take that!

And where the hell were the professors?! Well, professor and Headmistress. Surely they were making enough noise to be heard?!

Screeching and stumbling, the injured acromantula turned around and took off with impressive speed towards the human.

Studying her movements, it managed to avoid her spell while the floor now had a charming crater in it. Climbing the wall and scurrying further across the ceiling until it was positioned directly above the human...it pounced.

Seriously cursing whomever had the bright idea to breed these stupid monsters now, Heather watched as her spell MISSED. Grrrrrr. There was definitely some serious cursing from the Greek Gryffindor now, in every language she knew.

But, in between the bursts of cursing, she had the presence of mind to throw herself out of the way of the giant spider on the ceiling, the monster barely missing her foot as it pounced. She quickly pulled her foot away, aiming her wand now right in the middle of the giant spider's many eyes. "BOMBARDA MAXIMA! INCENDIO MAXIMA! ARANIA EXUMAI! INCENDIO MAXIMA!" Adrenaline running through her veins now, she didn't even wait to see if her spells hit before dashing towards the nearest stairs and using the banister to slide down to the first floor.

Bye, spider!

Unable to adjust to its missing limb, the acromantula hit the ground and rolled on to its side. Screeching and flailing its massive legs, it tried to turn itself over but all efforts were in vain.

A spell, or two, hit the creature right on the under side of its abdomen.

SPLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT

Now that severed leg was the only piece of the spider actually recognizable as smoldering bits and pieces of the arachnid clung to the ceiling and walls.

Cosgrach wasn't in the mood to talk a lot, but he did walk quickly to his doom. At least Maggie was following him. That was good. He, alone, was nothing. But she could at least help him when... if... there were acromantulas. It didn't take them a long time to walk to the second floor, and when they did...

Merlin's sweet ole beard...

His eyes first fell on the spider that was dead. Well, it was dead at least, right? But it was also real, very much so. And it couldn't have come here alone, could it? There must be more. He suddenly looked behind himself, oblivious to the Gryffindor there, because sorry but the acromantula had drawn all of his attention. No one was there. Okay. He gulped, and turned back to the acromantula.

"There must be more," he told Maggie. He wasn't whispering, but it was as if he was half dead. Well, they would be fully dead if they encountered one. He sighed and surveyed the area, then saw the other girl.

OH. OH.

"You alright!?" He rushed to her - not without looking everywhere to check if they were safe, first.

They were under the most serious attack in the Hogwarts history, even worse than Voldemort era

The smell down here was officially the worst thing that she'd ever experienced. Even worse than all the potions smells. No offense, Cossy.

But here it smelt like.....burned flesh.

Maggie was walking a little behind her professor, ready to jump behind him if they were to encounter another one of the big spiders but also close enough so it wouldn't be able to just snatch her away without Culloden noticing. So she was close enough to feel how terrified he was of what they found on the second floor.

She also noticed how that one spider leg was a little bit farther away than the rest of the...well, spider!splatter.

"We should....hide." Like. She wasn't a Gryffindor so you know. And somehow she got the feeling that the potions professor would agree.

But then again, she also had friends. Did they know? Were they safe??

This was... enough of an attack to run to the Great Hall, right? Their meeting point if... if they were attacked!?

Enough talking. Enough of being silly. Cosgrach had a new look of determination. He didn't look like he knew what he had been doing before, but it was the opposite now: he looked like he could command an army.

"We're going to the Great Hall," he said, "that's where we said we would meet in case of emergency." In case they tried to question him, it wasn't a matter of discussion. Everyone must already be there. Ugh. Hopefully they weren't already locked out.

"Let's go." He eyed them both and started to walk. If they didn't follow him, he would make them, by force.