Well, this was it--the second challenge. Brent tried to feel as confident as he did the first go round, but there was just so much riding on this. For one, Ilvermorny was pretty much ruling this competition so far. They outnumbered Hogwarts by a pretty good number, seeing as only one of them had gotten eliminated last time. Brent was determined not to fall victim to this round, but he couldn't help but wonder what lied ahead and if he'd even know what to do to get himself through this. Confidence was half the battle, though, so he tried to focus more on succeeding and push all the negative thoughts out of his head.

Another thing, was that he'd already asked out his girlfriend in front of the entire school during the first round, so he couldn't throw out the 'romantic hero on the battlefield' card again. It was just him and the one thing he was allowed to bring with him--his wand. As his teeth began to chatter, he drew his wand out his holster and continued along the pathway of fallen snow. As much as he hated to start this challenge off much in the same way he did the other, he really didn't have a choice. The weather was the same, so..."Caelum Saepio!" he said, with a wave of his wand.

There. The competition may have started the same, but he had a really strong feeling nothing else would be the same. As the path ended, he came to a stop by a large stone and surveyed what he could see of what lied before him.

Great. Just great.

Being a transfer from Ilvermorny, Brent didn't have as much experience with the Whomping Willow as some of the other Hogwarts kids did. He knew enough about it, though, to know that tree would whomp him right back to America if he didn't figure out a way around it. And...what was up with those icicles dangling from the tree? They seemed...out of place somehow. He hadn't remembered it being that cold out, but then again, nothing was normal in the arena. Brent squinted at the icicles as he remained in place, just out of reach of the tree's swinging branches. Thank Merlin the thing was rooted in place. He allowed his gaze to travel to the large stone for just a moment, just in case there were any clues or...anything worse waiting there for him. As far as he could tell, there was nothing, so he turned his attention back to the bad boy before him--the tree.

He had an idea, but as usual, it could either go really, really good for him, or really, really bad for him. For now..."Loricatus!" he called out, giving himself a temporary armor. He was still out of reach of the tree's whomping limbs, but who knew what else was out there. If something was flung at him at a moments notice, he was ready. The armor was only temporary, though, and he planned to end the effects of it just as soon as he'd had time to investigate a bit more.

So what did he have? He had his wand, he was protected by a temporary suit of armor, he had what appeared to be a whomping willow at rest (for now) before him, and he had the environment. Oh, and...there were those icicles that he had a funny feeling about. He squinted at them a second time, but seeing as he couldn't exactly figure out what it was about them that intrigued him so much, he decided to get a better look. "Lumos Duo!" he called out, and he pointed his wand toward the icicles.

He also knew what he had to do to get the tree immobilized once it got going (because he knew it would), but it was way too soon to attempt something like that. How did that old saying go? Never tickle a sleeping dragon? Well, he was applying that philosophy to the tree for the moment.

With wand light raised to the eerily still branches, the boy might notice they aren’t white or clear in color, but the icicles reflected in varying colors. How odd. Step closer, and you might realize they aren’t icicles. Inside the icicles are frozen vials of potions ingredients of every kind.

If the hint wasn’t enough, there is a cauldron on the ground nearby. Had it always been there? And that potions work-station over there? Where had that come from? No matter. If you were to look in the cauldron, there is a small note. The note says,

“Well, this isn’t a hat. Get on with it! Make your way to the passage beneath the tree.”

The branches continued to sway, making the icicles clinging on them make little tinkle noises. How will you tread forward? Careful, now. The Willow has begun to twist its trunk. It knows you’re here, after all.



OOC: It is up to you to decide what ingredients to collect and what potion to brew.

As the light reached the icicles hanging from the tree, Brent squinted for what must have been the hundredth time since he'd arrived here. Now he was sure there was something strange about the icicles, because they were all different colors and not the appearance of a usual icicle at all. Keeping aware of the tree and how close he was to it, Brent took a tiny step forward. Were those...vials?

"Duuuuuude," he said, his voice just above a whisper.

It was only when he took a step backward that he noticed the cauldron on the ground nearby. Had that been there before? His head turned slowly in different directions until his gaze settled on a potions workstation that had somehow mysteriously appeared (or maybe he was just now noticing it?). Choosing his steps wisely, he made his way over to the cauldron and peered inside, wondering if there was some brew inside he was meant to drink. Hmm...a note?

“Well, this isn’t a hat. Get on with it! Make your way to the passage beneath the tree.”

Brent read the note then glanced up again. There was a killer tree with vials of ingredients dangling from it like icicles, there was a cauldron, and there was a potions workstation. So he had to...defeat the tree with a potion and make his way through that secret passageway? The tinkling sound of the vials drew in his attention for a brief moment, and then he paused, drawing in a soft sigh.

He had no idea what to do. For starters, he no longer needed the temporary armor he'd cast upon himself before, so he ended the spell with a quick "Finite." Whew. It felt good to be able to move around a little more freely again. So, ...now what?

One thing was for sure...he wasn't just going to waltz up there and pluck an icicle...err vial off the tree. He needed a plan, and a really good one at that. He could just summon the vials, but then--... Just that moment, the tree twisted its branches, and with a shiver, Brent realized that if he summoned something from a violent tree with swinging branches, the summoned vial could be flung just about anywhere. That plan was out. The only way he would succeed in plucking the necessary ingredients from the tree would be to immobilize the Whomping Willow.

Brent stared at the knot at the base of the tree. All he needed to do was push it somehow, and the tree would become immobilized. That was the only way to prevent it from beating him to a pulp, and one of the few ways he could think of to get the ingredients he needed off the tree. After a few moments of thought, Brent raised his wand and aimed it directly at the tree's knot. "Ventus!" he called out. A blast of wind burst from his wand and began to push on the knot. Would it work? Brent kept most of his focus on the spell he was casting and the aim of his wand, but he also kept a keen eye on the Whomping Willow to see if it might stop in its tracks.

Great you have found the cauldron, watch now and don’t trip over it. The willow continued flailing its branches, icicles and vials alike falling and smashing on the cold hard ground. The boy better come up with a plan soon, otherwise he’ll be sorting through snow and broken glass for the ingredients. That would be a bummer.

Finite was right, that armour probably wasn’t going to do much good anyway. Whoa buddy, here comes a branch as if the willow knew the boy was once again unarmored.

CRASH!

Oh no that was more vials. Good bye.

Hey that tickles!! The air blew through the tree knocking off more icicles and vials. All of the willows branches wiggled as if it was trying to flee the source that was tickling it. The air must have been strong enough to hit the knob because the branched stopped and stood straight up. Now was your chance to get your ingredients. Hopefully the ones you would need were still on the branches and not shattered on the ground.

As the branches of the tree continued to flail, Brent forced himself not to flinch in the slightest. He remained focused on the blast of wind he'd cast at the knot of the tree, hoping with all his might that his plan would work. Until now, he'd only imagined a human hand pushing at that knot, but now a spell seemed just as likely to work, especially one that produced wind so hard it could push with a force. At the sound of a crash or two, he allowed his attention to be diverted for only a second. The vials were falling from the tree? Seriously?! Are you kidding me right now?!

Realizing he was now on borrowed time, Brent returned his focus to the knot of the tree. COME ON! WORK!!! There was a hint of desperation in Brent's inner thoughts. Then suddenly, the tree was still. There was almost an eery silence filling the void where the sound of the swaying branches and crashing vials had once been. Brent ended the wind spell and slowly stood up. This was it. This was his chance.

In the time it had taken Brent to get the knot of the tree properly pushed, he'd also come up with several plans. Mainly, he'd come up with the potion he was going to brew, and he mentally crossed his fingers out of hope that all the ingredients he needed still remained on the tree. With a quick glance at the remaining vials, he hurried over to the cauldron and began cleaning it. He'd always been taught to do that, because Merlin only knew what could be inside of it. Dust, dirt, grass, or Merlin forbid, glass and random ingredients all courtesy of the swaying branches of the Whomping Willow. "Scourgify!" he exclaimed. Then, remembering that Tergeo siphoned any liquid out of a container, Brent decided to cast that spell, too, for good measure. "Tergeo!" Deciding his cauldron was now clean, Brent headed to the workstation and cleaned it and the tools, as well. With a final wash of his hands, he was ready to begin.

Brent approached the Whomping Willow, and despite the fact it was now at rest, he remained out of its reach until he could at least shield himself. He had no idea how long the push of that knot worked, but he wasn't taking any chances. Brent cast a Silver Shield Spell then followed that up with "Fianto Duri!" He needed the Silver Shield Spell for protection, but he knew the second spell would allow the shield to stay in place without him having to focus on it. In other words, he could collect the ingredients he needed and brew the potion while hopefully protecting himself against the Willow. Feeling confident that he'd done everything he needed to proceed, Brent stepped forward and toward the icicles. Err...vials.

So Brent had to do all this from memory, hmm? Good thing Professor Canterbury was a really good Potions professor. The potion he was going to brew, though, was simple but effective, so he was confident he could handle it. He needed four ingredients for now--lavender, chamomile, purslane, and ginger. How in the name of Merlin was he supposed to find only four ingredients amidst a tree of vials? He would have to summon the ingredients, which could prove to be a disaster if he wasn't careful. He didn't want to summon literally every lavender plant in the wild. He only wanted the vial of lavender hopefully still on the tree. He also had the shield around him, so if something was flung dangerously toward him, he at least had protection. With a wave of his wand, he exclaimed, "Accio vial of lavender!" Bracing himself, he waited in anticipation until finally, two vials came soaring toward him, and even though he only needed one of them, he caught both. He brought them safely back to the workstation before heading back to the tree. Next, he needed chamomile. With a second wave of his wand, he called out, "Accio vial of chamomile!" To his surprise, only one vial soared toward him, which he caught and placed next to the vials of lavender. Brent continued in this manner until he had the lavender, chamomile, purslane, and ginger.

Ready to brew, he took a moment to pause and make sure the Whomping Willow was still at rest. Seeing that it was, he began.

"Aguamenti!" Brent said, pointing his wand into the cauldron. He watched carefully as the water began to fill the cauldron he'd been provided. He only needed 500mL, so when the water reached that point, Brent ended the spell with "Finite!" He double-checked his work. The tree he was dealing with was dangerous, and as usual with this competition, there was no room for error. Seeing that the water level was indeed 500mL, Brent grinned and turned on the burner under the cauldron. As the water came to a slow boil, Brent turned to his ingredients and picked up the vial of lavender. He pinched a bit of it then put the ingredient in the mortar. Using the pestle, he crushed the lavender until he was satisfied with how it looked. He added it to the cauldron then began stirring in a counter-clockwise direction. He counted his stirs until he reached exactly twenty-one, and then he withdrew the stirrer from the cauldron. Brent quickly cleaned the mortar and pestle and the stirrer then picked up the vial of chamomile. He put a handful of it into his palm then added it to the mortar. Remembering that it had to be crushed, as well, he picked up the pestle and began crushing. When he was satisfied with this ingredient, as well, he added it to the cauldron.

He gave a sigh of content as he watched the brew simmer. He had twenty minutes---TWENTY MINUTES---to wait, and so he decided to use his time wisely. He checked the time, so he would know when twenty minutes had passed, and then he decided to clean up the mess of crashed vials and potions ingredients that the tree had previously slung to the ground. So while he kept a close eye on his brew, he began to clean. He siphoned up the ruined liquid with "Tergeo!", and then he cleaned up the crashed vials with "Evanesco!" He may or may not have done a perfect job, but when he was done, eighteen of the twenty minutes had passed, so he decided to return to the potion that he had also been watching as he cleaned. His brew was a pale, clear purple with only a hint of green, so he was satisfied. As the last two minutes passed, he cleaned his stirrer another time just for good measure. After all, it had been sitting there for twenty solid minutes.

The next ingredient, purslane, was supposed to be used for nightmares, and even though Brent wasn't sure if the Whomping Willow was capable of having nightmares, he decided not to take his chances. The tree was already violent enough, and who knew, maybe this would help soothe it just a little more. He collected a pinch of purslane then sprinkled it into the cauldron then stirred five times in a counter-clockwise direction. On that note, he was ready for the final ingredient of his potion---ginger. This was also the ingredient that was meant to make the brew more powerful. Collecting a pinch of ginger, Brent added the final ingredient to the cauldron then stirred an additional five times in a counter-clockwise direction.

Well, this was it--he was done. What had he brewed? A Basic Sleeping Draught. Was Brent Westwood about to take a nap at the base of the Whomping Willow? Of course not! Brent Westwood was about to put the Whomping Willow to sleep. Potions did work on plants, because there was the Herbicide Potion, for example. And plants did know how to drink liquid, because as most students know, plants receive water from their root system. So it made perfect sense to Brent that if he brewed a Basic Sleeping Draught and poured it at the roots of the Whomping Willow, the tree would draw in the liquid and be put it to sleep. Then with the knowledge that the plant was asleep and couldn't whomp him across the continental United States and back to Malibu, California, he could make it to through the passageway at the base of the tree.

Brent collected an empty vial and quickly cleaned it out. Then he collected a sample of his potion and filled the vial with it. He corked the vial and placed it safety on the workstation while he very quickly cleaned up after himself. Then with a nervous sigh and determination in his heart and mind, he headed to the gnarling roots of the tree. Please work. Please work. Please don't get me killed... Now moving to the thumping rhythm of his heart, Brent uncorked the vial and began pouring the potion on the root system of the tree. "Alright, then. Drink up!" he said.

It was a wonder that the wind even worked, boy, do not get cocky. The Willow stayed still, allowing for the Slytherin to make his potion. It was an interesting concept, was it not, to give the Willow the potion. What if it didn’t work? It was certainly outside the box, sure. Is it worth the risk, though?

The roots almost stretched to soak in the draught, but as soon as it did, the branches...did they….wilt? One would think the tree were dying, but anyone who knew anything about trees would be able to tell it was a pretty healthy specimen.

But the Willow did not sleep. It had not the ability to sleep. The branches wilted for a few seconds, but soon they shook slightly as if shaking dandruff one’s shoulders. It seemed calmed. The force from the knot still seemed to be in tact.

But now, where is that entrance to the passageway? A hole in the ground, located near the roots somewhere, should have your answer if you look close enough.

Hurry, now. Before the tree wakes up!

It was only as he poured the potion as the root system of the tree, that Brent started to question his decision. I mean, come on--a tree? Asleep? This wasn't just any tree, though. This was a magical tree that could sense a human being's presence and pretty much beat them to a pulp if it wanted to. Brent's moment of uncertainty was erased and replaced with another wave of confidence. He had to have confidence in this competition. It had been one minute into the first round when he'd been assured that IMPS wasn't for the weak.

As he sensed another movement of the branches, Brent paused in the pouring out of his solution and glanced up. Was the tree...wilting? DEAR MERLIN, HE'D KILLED IT! The Headmistress was going to duel him to his death and hang him in her office along with all those other artifacts she kept in there! He stood straight and tall and upon a second inspection, he noticed that the tree still gave off the appearance of a very healthy willow. Oh, thank Merlin, it was alive!

But what was it doing? It was moving and had a slight sort of shake to it, but it was most definitely not attacking him. It almost seemed calm. Had it been the ingredient he'd added to help with nightmares? Or maybe it had been the ginger that was supposed to make the draught stronger? A better question was--why was he pausing to think this through when this was literally his chance?! Brent corked the vial and dropped it in his pocket just in case they were supposed to keep a sample of it for later on in the challenge.

...and then---HE MADE A RUN FOR IT---Silver Shield Spell and Fianto Duri still in place. He knew enough about the history of this tree to know where he needed to go. The Willow actually dated back to the 1970s, where a man by the name of Remus Lupin would use it to secretly transform himself into a werewolf. It was a really cool piece of Hogwarts' history. Brent just hoped a werewolf didn't come as a package deal during his encounter with the passageway today.

Thanks, but no thanks. He was good.

As he reached the thick trunk of the usually unruly tree, Brent paused and realized he needed more light. He ended the Silver Shield Spell and Fianto Duri with a quick "Finite!", then he pointed his wand at the roots stretched out beneath his feet and cast "Lumos!" to give himself the light he needed. It was just the basic light spell, no Lumos Duo or anything that would give him an overly bright light. He had no idea what he was about to encounter, and he didn't want to call too much attention to himself. He shined the light of his wand around the roots until he was able to see it---the hole. This was the passageway the directions at the very beginning of the challenge had told him to make his way to. So this was it. This is where he needed to go to proceed with the challenge. He gave a soft sigh, a little uneasy at the fact he was about to plunge underground and into who knew what.

Pointing his wand light ahead, he slipped into the hole and moved through the passageway.

There was no way this tree was ever going to die, the tree was pretty immortal you know. It had once ever been hit with a magical flying car, it hit the car back of course and the car come out worse. So nope no potion was going to kill it. Anyway back to the IMPS competition.

The tree was fine, perhaps it was simply resting. Are you sure you didn’t take a sip of the potion too? You best get on moving, while you can.

Run boy run.

Putting a light on the subject he found the hole. Way to go! Almost with ease he took the plunge into the hole. If you take the passway all the way to the end you will be where you need to be for the part of the challenge.

Now completely inside the Whomping Willow, Brent felt a little more at ease knowing he'd at least made it past the first part of the challenge. Or maybe it was the first two parts? After all, he'd battled a deadly tree and brewed an entire potion based on his memory alone. He tried to think back to the first challenge and remember how many parts he'd had to endure, but his mind was foggy towards the first challenge at this point. All he could think about was duuuuuude, he had crawled inside of a hole in a tree and made his way under-freakin'-ground.

Speaking of which, he held his wand out before him, so the light coming from the spell he'd used could help guide his way. He had literally no clue what to expect. Was something going to pop out at a moment's notice? Was there some trap in the ground that he'd unknowingly fall into if he didn't watch his step? Brent made sure to check in front and back of him, as well as above him and at his feet. So far, so good. That thought alone made him feel a little uneasy. It was almost too easy and too silent.

Finally, Brent made his way to the end of the passage. He paused, still checking all around him and being completely aware of his surroundings. Was he supposed to just make his way out, or was there something else to this whole walk through the passageway? Brent pointed his wand forward again, searching for another clue.

Indeed he was underground safely away from the dangers of above.

You have officially made it halfway through this challenge. Congrats on that, better not get to full of yourself now. There’s more twisting and turns ahead.

A rat scurries across up head in front of you. At least you are not alone, until it disappears. As you come to the end of the passage, a door prevents you from moving farther inside. If you shine your wand light on the door instructions on what you will need to do for the next section is on the door.

*Click Me*

Text Cut: Text Only

Remember: things are not always as they seem,
And with odd trinkets this shack does teem.
In the time remaining, you must find your way
And locate two items that have gone astray;

One is held dear to our pigletted friends.
It can’t build a home, but a house it does amend
To every boy and girl cherished at the castle,
But you won’t find it without much hassle.

You’re looking for a lever that unlocks a door,
But to find the item you might need a particular score.
Try them all, and you will see. Something is off.
Dust covers this place like an infernal cough.

Now, our next item is from across the seas.
It can attach and reattach as you please.
It doesn’t write; it surely isn’t a quill,
And it’s small in size as well as beautiful.

Twist clockwise and nothing you’ll get,
But counter that, and you might regret
The noxious gas that fills your space
If you turn it too quickly, wood it would deface.

Good luck, champions. Find them both here.
Look with your eyes, hear with your ears.
Search up and down, and then high and low,
But don’t be too hasty or too slow.

OOC: Here is a floor plan provided OOC to make it easier to RP your character exploring the shack. Feel free to be as creative as possible.

Text Cut: Floor Plans

*Click Me!*


*Click Me!*

A rat scurried across the floor somewhere before him, and had Brent not been overly-focused on searching for clues and figuring out where to proceed, the creature might have scared him. As it was, he just watched it until it disappeared in the darkness. The light of his wand reached a door at the end of the passage, and he was surprised to see words before him--the clues he had been searching for. He took a confident step forward and raised his wand light, and he spent the next minute or two reading through the clues. So he was searching for two unknown items that he only had clues for, and he had to locate them in a house filled with…dust.

Magnificent.

Brent took a moment to reread the instructions. He didn’t need to take them off the door. He had a pretty solid idea what he was looking for (or what clues he was provided with to figure out what he was looking for) and what he would be expected to do. He glanced at the trap door, knowing it was the exit out of the underground tunnel and the entrance to the Shrieking Shack. Wanting to avoid being attacked by a sudden blanket of dust that had been forming since who-knew-when, Brent raised his wand and encircled it around his head. “Viseo Ebullio!” he exclaimed, and the usage of the Bubble-Head Charm suddenly provided him with a protective bubble of air around his head. He could use it until he could at least get the place cleaned up enough to be confident he wouldn’t smother to death in his search.

Wand still at the ready, he opened the trap door, climbed inside, and closed the door behind him. The first thing Brent did was to check his surroundings and make sure a sudden attack wasn’t awaiting him. When he didn’t see anything of the sort, he began carefully inspecting what he assumed to be only the first floor. There was a staircase behind him, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area, and a living area. The bathroom was the closest, so he decided to start there. However, before leaving the area where the trap door had been, Brent shined his light all around the area, looking for any sign of…well, anything. “Scourgify!” he called out, pointing his wand at the layers of dust. Finding nothing at the moment, he turned the corner and headed into the bathroom.

“Duuuude, clean up your house,” he said, talking to nobody in particular. The plumbing in the bathroom was, of course, clogged. “Scourgify!” he called out again, pointing his wand at the layers of dust a second time. At least he could see a bit better. One thing was for sure—he wasn’t going to be able to properly search for anything if everything he was provided with was broken. Brent pointed his wand toward the clogged bathtub. “Reparo!” he called out. Then he turned his attention toward the clogged toilet and did the same. “Reparo!” Brent thought about siphoning up any liquid that might be causing the clogged plumbing, but since he still didn’t have a solid idea what he was looking for, he didn’t want to eliminate anything just yet. Besides, if his repairing spell had worked, he assumed the bathtub and toilet would no longer be clogged anyway.

He left the bathroom and headed to the kitchen, where he found, of course, defunct appliances. How long had it been since this place had been occupied? Brent cleaned up a bit of the dust and looked around. There was a sink, a stove, and a refrigerator---all broken. With a sigh, Brent approached the sink. He knew as much about repairing appliances as he knew about...ballet dancing—that is, to say, nothing at all. He knew how to cast spells, though, and with that in mind, he carefully opened the cabinet beneath the sink. He shined the light of his wand inside, and seeing nothing dangerous, he pointed his wand toward the plumbing. “Reparo!” he called out. Brent closed the cabinet door behind him and turned toward the stove. All the wires that were plugged up and caused the appliance to function correctly were in the back of the stove, so Brent crawled back there and pointed his wand toward the wiring. “Reparo!” he said. He stood up and thought about the time he’d been in the shack. It seemed like light years, but he knew not even an hour had passed. He walked toward the refrigerator, inspected it, and then pointed his wand toward its wiring, as well. “Reparo!”

There was nothing left for the kitchen to offer, so Brent turned behind him and came face-to-face with a dining area filled with broken plates and rotten food. “Ugh! This is disgusting!” he exclaimed. He was still armed with the protection of the Bubble-Head Charm, but since he was in the processing of repairing and addressing everything he encountered, he decided to address the spell of the rotten food. “Odoris Subsito!” he exclaimed, hopefully eliminating any unpleasant odors in the area. There. That would make what he about to do a little less…awful. Hmm…if only he had something to use instead of his hands… ”Focalia!” he said, pointing his wand toward the floor. A small pile of firewood appeared, and Brent chose a smaller, thinner piece. With it, he began to push the rotten food off the plate and into a pile on the far corner of the table. As he thought to himself before, he wasn’t going to eliminate anything right now. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, after all. Now left with nothing but a table of broken plates, he made his way around the table repairing them. ”Reparo!” he exclaimed, as he came to each one.

As far as he could tell, all that was left of the first floor was a moth-eaten couch and armchair and a fireplace full of dust. Brent cleaned up the dust in the fireplace with a quick “Scourgify!” then turned toward the couch and armchair. “Reparo!” he called out. “Reparo!” He had literally addressed and tended to every broken object on the first floor of the shack. The only thing left to do was to see if the floor hid any secrets for him to uncover. He turned in all directions and even revisited the clues in his mind, but he was still so unsure about where to go. Sighing, he turned to the firewood he’d conjured a few minutes earlier and chose a nice, sturdy stick from the pile. Time for a little Ancient Runes right here in the shack. ”Intaglio Raidho!” he said, pointing his wand toward the stick. He began tracing the symbol for the rune that would hopefully help him know which direction to turn to.

” raidho raidho raidho
r r r r r r r r r
ru ra ri re ro
rudh radh ridh redh rodh
(rut rat rit ret rot)
or er ir ar ur
r r r r r r r r r”

“Alright, Raidho, which of these rooms holds the clue I’m looking for?” he asked.


OOC: I found two different classes, each with a different incantation for the Bubble-Head Charm. I used this one.

Hmmm… the bubble-head charm, we didn’t think we'd see it in this competition today. It was a brilliant use of the charm. Merlin knew with this dusty old place if you inhaled too much of this dust you'd be coughing up dust bunnies for weeks.

And there he goes up through the trapdoor. Had one ever seen so much dust in one place before? The task of finding the two items just got a little tougher.

As he made his way through the first floor, had he forgotten that he was looking for two things? That's what the instructions had said. Did Mr. Westwood think that he was a housekeeper? Though he was doing quite fine job of cleaning the old shack.

As soon as you use the rune, though, there was a difference in the air. The piano upstairs suddenly sounded as if someone were running their hand along all the keys. The noise is loud, sudden, and very harsh to the ear. One or two of the keys sounded off. The stove, too, emitted smoke and sparks suddenly.

Brent stared at the ignited rune until he could almost feel it starting to work. It was strange the sort of power a rune had. He almost felt himself questioning why he'd always hated the subject, but after this whole IMPS competition, he was fairly sure he'd be giving it a second chance.

Then suddenly, almost as if it had been taken straight out of a horror film and placed right here in the Shrieking Shack, the piano started playing all by itself. A chill traveled its way up Brent's spine, and he shivered despite the fact he knew the rune had been the cause. Or...had it? He grew a bit wide-eyed at the thought that somebody or something other than that rat might be in here with him. He was just about to turn on his heels and head for the stairs leading to the second floor, when a sound from the kitchen caught his attention. Was the freaking stove on fire?! "Whooooaaaa, dude!" he exclaimed, and he held up his hand in a 'slow down' kind of motion, even though he was technically communicating with a stove. Alright, Brent. Calm down, man. You've got this.

He decided to head for the stove first since a full-blown fire (if it got that far) was NOT something he wanted to happen. On the walk over, he tried to revisit the clues in his head.

One is held dear to our pigletted friends.
It can’t build a home, but a house it does amend
To every boy and girl cherished at the castle,
But you won’t find it without much hassle.

You’re looking for a lever that unlocks a door,
But to find the item you might need a particular score.
Try them all, and you will see. Something is off.
Dust covers this place like an infernal cough.

Now, our next item is from across the seas.
It can attach and reattach as you please.
It doesn’t write; it surely isn’t a quill,
And it’s small in size as well as beautiful.

Twist clockwise and nothing you’ll get,
But counter that, and you might regret
The noxious gas that fills your space
If you turn it too quickly, wood it would deface.

A lever...a particular score... "The piano keys!" he whispered to himself, not wanting his voice to be loud just in case something shifty this way comes. That had to be it, though! He had been thinking score, as in the score of a Quodpot or Quidditch game. Never in a million years had he thought about a musical score! He knew nothing about playing the piano, expect during his fourth year, he'd watched a girl play one in the music room. Pigletted friend, though? That had to be a niffler, and nifflers loved shiny objects! They weren't pigs, but they were magical creatures with snouts. "Awesome!" he exclaimed, realizing he'd figured out at least something. He had been hoping for a nice game of Quidditch in here, but he could do with playing some piano. Nevermind that for now, though! What the heck was he supposed to do with the stove...and why in the name of Merlin had he never bothered to watch his grandmother cook, even though she'd insisted he do so a million times?!

Just wonderful. He was now faced with two tasks he knew nothing about. He could either learn now or give up, and giving up just wasn't an option. Seemed to him that he was about to learn how to operate a stove and a piano really fast.

Deciding that he'd cleared the dust away just enough to not be killed by it, Brent ended the Bubble-head Charm to get a better look at the stove. There was smoke and small sparks coming from it, causing Brent to proceed with caution. In moments, he found himself back in the kitchen, staring down at the stove. "What's up, man?" Brent asked it, not sure what else to do. "You getting a little steamy over here?" Brent bent down and eyed the dials of the stove. He scratched the top of his head in slight confusion. If he lived through this, he was going to ask Skylar if she had any idea how to cook---anything. He had no idea what he was looking for here, but one thing he knew for sure was that he was not turning anything in a counter-clockwise direction. Noxious gases were first on the 'NOPE LIST' for today...and every day after that for that matter. He was also NOT going to turn anything too fast, because a full-blown fire was second on that 'NOPE LIST'. With hesitation in his steps, Brent raised a hand and slowly began to turn the dial of the stove in a clockwise direction.

Approaching the smoking oven, the sparks popped and sizzled. And no it wasn’t the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan. Maybe the smoke fogged the view as you just took a look at the stove’s dials. Maybe at a closer look. All was not the same.

Turn the knob clockwise, it won’t move or budge at all. The only thing it did was make a loud buzzing sound. Do you dare turn it in the other direction? Or wait the loud buzz had vanished, then a pop. The knob flew off, leaving you a prize. What is it? A brooch in the shape of the gordian knot, Mr. Westwood. Remember that.

You found it. You the first item. Now time to make the grab for the second item. You are almost done.

Brent flinched a bit as the smoking oven emitted yet another spark. Maybe he should have kept that Bubble-Head Charm in place just a little bit longer. He needed clear vision, though, especially since he still had little to no idea what two objects he was looking for. His eyebrows narrowed inward as he studied the knobs, and his gaze occasionally changed upward as he checked to make sure the noxious gas he was warned about hadn't decided to make a sudden appearance. He sighed, just about to give up on the knobs of the oven, when the sound of a pop caught his attention.

The knob he was turning flew off, earning a wide-eyed expression from Brent as he caught the object in mid-air. Great. He'd broken something. Not that it likely mattered anyway, since the entire shack was pretty much broken. He glanced down at the knob in his hand...wait a second. This was no knob. It was a brooch in the shape of a knot. This was it! This had to be the first of the two objects he was meant to find! All the clues, and not to mention the rune he'd ignited, had led to this. Brent clutched the brooch, and he was just about to turn and head for the stairs, when he figured he should probably do something about the smoking and sparking oven. "Reparo!" he exclaimed. It was probably useless to repair anything in this shack, but he couldn't exactly leave behind a fire, now could he? The last thing he wanted to do was be responsible for the burning down of a historical, wizarding building.

Brooch still in hand and wand at the ready, Brent headed for the stairs leading upward. The rune had also directed him to what sounded clearly like a piano, and even though Brent had no idea what he was doing when it came to music, he was about to learn. Reaching the stairs, Brent was careful to be aware of his surroundings as he traveled upward. Soon, he found himself on another dust-covered floor of the shack. He decided not to cast the Bubble-head Charm unless he felt like he really needed it, and right now, he was pretty sure he wouldn't die of any dust-related illnesses. He paused and took a moment to look around, because who knew what could be lurking up here.

There were several different areas of the second floor, but all thanks to the rune he still carried with him, Brent bee-lined straight for the piano. He peered at it carefully, his wand still at the ready just in case he needed it. The piano, just like everything else in the shack, was broken. Even with his poor musical background, Brent could tell there were a number of missing keys. He bent down toward the keys still present and with hesitation, he began pressing all the ones still in place. A few of the keys sounded really bad, so Brent pointed his wand toward them and cast a bit of light on them. He pushed them a second time and felt all around them. What was causing them to sound so...off? As he explored the broken keys, Brent thought back to the clues he'd pretty much memorized by now. He'd been occasionally saying them over and over in his mind as he tried to figure them out.

One is held dear to our pigletted friends.
It can’t build a home, but a house it does amend
To every boy and girl cherished at the castle,
But you won’t find it without much hassle.

You’re looking for a lever that unlocks a door,
But to find the item you might need a particular score.
Try them all, and you will see. Something is off.
Dust covers this place like an infernal cough.

These were the clues that would lead him to the missing link--the other object he was searching for. Brent figured it was a key, but he couldn't be a hundred percent sure. He ran his hands along the parts of the piano with missing keys, still trying to explore all the areas he could think of. He alternated back and forth between the broken keys and the places where keys were missing. There was clearly something here. The rune had given him that much. Just...what was it? And where was it?

The oven and stove repair as well as they can, given the circumstances, and you head upstairs, right where you should be.

The ruggedy piano was very out of tone to say the least. As you hit the key. Ding. cling. BONG. Some of them do sound off, but others, a specific three in a row, don’t make any noise at all. A muffled OOFFFFTTTTT sound comes from under the piano’s lid. That is curious, isn’t it? Perhaps you need to explore the entire piano, then, young Slytherin.

Brent gave the piano a disapproving glare as it ding-cling-bong'ed in response to him pressing the keys. What exactly had happened to this thing? It looked like somebody had left it outside in the middle of the last Wizarding War then brought it in the shack to live out the remainder of its days. He especially eyed the three keys that didn't make any noise at all. Seemed like parts of the instrument had already lived out the remainder of its days.

...and then an entirely new sound came out the lid of the piano, causing Brent to take a quick step backward and draw his wand. Nothing other than a sound alone had come out of the piano, but there was clearly someone or something was inside of it. Great. Just what he wanted to do--lift up the lid of the piano and get a random surprise. He decided to not be so hasty but to instead explore the rest of the piano first. Maybe he could see a little of whatever it was that had made that sound.

With a wave of his wand, Brent produced a Sliver Shield Spell for added protection, and then he followed that up with "Fianto Duri!" It occurred to him that this was the second time he'd used that exact combination of spells in this challenge alone. It was a very useful combination, though, he thought. The first part gave him a shield, while the second part would allow him to still explore the piano without having to give his undivided attention to keeping the shield in place. So with the confidence that whatever was inside the piano would have at least a hard time getting to him, he circled around to the side of the piano and glanced underneath it. Still walking around it, he explored the back and then the other side. His fingers poked around in various places while still trying to figure out what had made that sound.

Finally, he was left with no other idea than to life up the lid. First, he wanted to try a few spells; after all, he wasn't in too big of a hurry for random surprises. "Homenum Revelio!" he said, and then it occurred to him that he just might be a tad freaked out if a random human presence was revealed to him. Although, it eventually wouldn't surprise him at all if that was the case, seeing as the first challenge had ended much in the same way. He hadn't forgotten Gerald, the poor, elderly, unsuspecting Muggle that had turned out to be nothing more than a dummy. He followed the first incantation with "SpeRevelio!" The spell hadn't been too successful from what he'd always been taught, but just on the off-chance this was his lucky day, he wanted to see if anything secretive would be revealed to him.

So with a Silver-Shield Spell, Fianto Duri, and two revealing spells in place, he leaned over and quickly pulled up the lid of the piano.

Alright, hit me with your best shot.

...

On second thought, don't actually hit me...

He did, however, press the keys once again, particularly the three that had made no noise at all. Something was the cause of that silence, after all.

The noise continues inside the piano. The human revealing spell reveals….dramatic drumroll please… no humans. Thankfully for you. The second spell you use doesn’t reveal anything, either, but not because magic isn’t present; things are just made more difficult for you champions. This would be way too easy if that spell worked. But magic always leaves a trace, even when hidden the most carefully.

A few things happen at once. The lid to the piano is opened, you press the keys, and the sound continues even with the lid open. There is something black, a material of some sort, making the noise whenever the keys are pressed.

It flutters slightly at being discovered.

Brent braced himself for whatever might come. A human? Something else entirely? A silence marching to the beat of his thumping heart filled the air. One second passed...two seconds passed...three seconds passed... Nothing. No human, at least. Something had made a human-like sound, though. Maybe it was just his ears playing tricks on him. Or maybe it was just the old piano, worn and torn from years of sitting up. Either way, the lid was up now, and nothing had jumped out at him in an attempt to attack him.

Slowly and cautiously, Brent peered down into the lid, and a slight fluttering of black material caught his eye. He compared the position of the black material to the keys of the piano, and it occurred to him that this was the source of the sound he'd heard. But...what was the material? Brent took a step back and mentally reviewed the clues in his head. He couldn't very just make a grab for something if he had no idea what it was.

One is held dear to our pigletted friends.
It can’t build a home, but a house it does amend
To every boy and girl cherished at the castle,
But you won’t find it without much hassle.

"It can't build a home...but it can amend a house. Every boy and girl at the castle cherishes it...," he repeated, trying to make sense of about the only part of the clues he hadn't figured out. "So what does a house have to do with every boy and girl at the castle?" And THAT was the sentence that got every wheel in Brent Westwood's head turning in the right direction. This black material wasn't just ANY black material! "Wait a second. Are you THE SORTING HAT?!" he exclaimed, and he peered back into the lid of the piano.

It would make sense! A house---A HOGWARTS HOUSE! Of course everyone would cherish the hat, because not only did the hat give each student their house, it was also an important part of Hogwarts history, dating back to the very beginning of the school's existence. He hadn't had much experience with the hat, what with once being a fourth year transfer, but he'd seen and heard enough of it to piece things together. Brent pointed his wand at the black material fluttering inside the lid of the piano.

"Accio HOGWARTS SORTING HAT!" he exclaimed.

You are right there, why are you summoning it? Plus, that won’t even work. You think the designers of this challenge would let accio work, just like that? Of course not. That would be far too easy. Go and grab the hat yourself, let’s go! Don’t be lazy!

It is the Sorting Hat, though, so you have now found the second item! Congratulations, Hogwartian! The dusty shack will soon be behind you. There’s dust in your hair, most likely, from loitering around the shack. Even with all that cleaning you did, dust is just...coming out the cracks, here.

Just pick it up and you’ll be done. Go ahead.

...and just like that, nothing happened. The Summoning Charm had produced nothing.

At this point, Brent figured he was just being overly-cautious. If a surprise attack was going to happen, it'd have happened by now. He'd had the piano lid open for quite a few minutes now, and he could clearly see inside of it. The clue, which he now knew to be the Sorting Hat, was just fluttering about practically begging him to free it from it's piano prison.

Feeling much safer than he did minutes ago, Brent ended his protective shields and spells with "Finite!" then stowed his wand back into its holster. On that note, the only object he now held in his hands was the brooch, leaving one hand free to simply pick up the Sorting Hat...

...which he did.

Brent reached into the lid of the piano, grasped his fingers around the black material of the hat, and then he gently pulled it out. Success. There were both clues, right there in his hands.

Gordian Knot? Check.

Sorting Hat? Check.

The moment your fingers grasp onto the Sorting Hat, you suddenly feel yourself being hooked and tugged away from where you are standing. What in Merlin's beard is going on? Before you can even consider waving your wand and muttering an incantation, a bright white light flashes. Instinctively, you shield your face with your arms and close your eyes, gripping tighter onto the brooch and hat.

When you open your eyes, you see that you are no longer inside the Shrieking Shack. Instead you are sitting upright in a bed within a white room. There are a number of empty beds, though a couple still have your fellow competitors seemingly sleeping in them. Had you been here this whole time?

An employee from the Department of Mysteries then greets you with a smile and continues to explain that you had just awoken from a magically modified daydream. After giving your a quick looking over, the employee then gestures toward a door that will take you out to the stands. There you can watch the remaining IMPS competitors complete the challenge and then be told your scores.

OOC: You may now look at the viewing area and/or other competitors' threads.

A tiny, little, split-second had passed in between the time when Brent picked up the Sorting Hat and when he suddenly felt a really strange hooking and tugging feeling. His eyes widened, and his first instinct was to reach for his wand. That very well might have been the next thing he did; however, the sudden appearance of a bright light began to blind him, and his hands flew to his eyes in an attempt to shield them. He had to keep holding on to the brooch and the hat, though. He'd worked way too hard to get them to lose them now.

He increased his grip on both his findings as he continued to shield his face from the light. What in the name of Merlin was going on?! He was almost sure the challenge was over, but was he being portkey-ed somewhere else entirely?!

Sensing he really was somewhere else entirely, Brent removed his hands from over his eyes and peered around. "Duuuuude! Where am I?" he asked no one in particular. It looked like a cross between a hospital and a really, really white dorm room. There were others in here, too---sleeping for some really odd reason. How and when did they even get here? These thoughts and more were running through his mind, when a man approached, and Brent might have been afraid, except the man greeted him with a smile.

"A daydream?!" he asked. Duuuuude. Hold up. WHAAAAAA?! Had any of this really happened?! AT ALL?! He had so many questions, but the one thing that bummed him out was that he had been super excited to say that he had once traveled beneath the Whomping Willow and into the REAL Shrieking Shack! And now that victory was really no longer his.

Still somewhat confused and still having tons of questions, Brent stood up and ran a hand through his hair. Apparently, the viewing area was on the other side of the door, and that seemed to be the best place for him right now. "Thanks," he said, giving a quick wave to the Ministry employee.

...and so he opened the door, left the room, and ventured out into the viewing area to meet his friends and hear the standings.