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Term 46: May - August 2017 Term Forty-Six: Guests from Ilvermorny (Sept 2092 - June 2093)

 
 
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Old 06-27-2017, 01:55 AM
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Default IMPS Challenge #3 :: Louise Hamilton


In spite of the warmer spring weather that was becoming more present with each day at Hogwarts, your body immediately reacts to the sudden change in climate. Not even the vanishing Scottish winter could have prepared you for the frozen tundra that you are now standing in. Snow stands up to your knees, which extends to the mountains surrounding you. Perhaps the view is not a priority, however. Your body begins to shiver from the intense cold that is engulfing you, and it feels like something is biting at every exposed part of your body.

What does this challenge have in store for you? Hopefully you act fast, or you'll freeze before you even find out.

OOC: Post in this thread for your challenge to begin. You will have until July 10th @ 11:59 PM GMT to complete this challenge. Good luck!
Old 07-01-2017, 01:01 AM   #2 (permalink)

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While it was the first day of Spring, living in the Pacific Northwest as well as New York, has taught Louise to never underestimate Spring as being the start for warmer weather. While some days were indeed warmer, the moment she stepped forward she realized today was not one of them and was grateful for her winter coat and boots.

Except even her boots were barely enough, she realized quickly as she took another step forward into knee deep snow. The Thunderbird quickly cast "Caelum Saepio" on her clothing along with a warming charm. At least snow provided light, even if she could barely see the mountains around her.

The effects immediate on helping with her shivering, Louise wished she could have ingested a calming draught back at the beetle. Over the last two months she couldn't help but feel the anxiety build in her veins. While she had been ecstatic to have made it thus far in the competition, there was this sense of dread too about what the last two challenges might entail.

She'd handled a dementor, remained completely ambivalent in the face of a fake senior citizen muggle, brewed a potion under a violent tree, and worked out a riddle to find two items valued to each of the participating schools. And yet, despite it all, she felt dread and anxiety because of the feeling that this third challenge was going to be it. She had only 45 points earned, the lowest of the remaining eight competitors. So unless the seven ahead of her suffered from amnesia, had a heart attack, or otherwise became incapacitated - there was this strong likelihood she would have her last challenge today.

That sense of doom had been her stomach for two months, of course. Which only was proving her determination to at least score wonderfully this round even more. Even if it in the end, the scholarship, the end of the competition was so near. She felt the desire to prove it.

Now where was she meant to go? Visibility was awful and she doubted she knew a strong powerful enough to make a difference. Figuring it couldn't hurt anything, she cast the supersensory charm on herself as well, because at least her other senses could be enhanced. Surely that might help things?
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Old 07-02-2017, 03:27 AM   #3 (permalink)
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Quick thinking definitely saved your fingers and face from getting frostbit. The moment the heating charms were casted, your body gradually gets warmer and the shivering lessens. There is still a chill in the air and you can still feel it to a degree, but it is quite bearable so long as the spells last.

Wind from the west, if you had a good sense of direction, made itself known, suddenly forcing itself upon you out of nowhere as the super sensory charm started to take effect. It was strong enough to send you topping over. With your heightened senses, the snow will be a rather pretty sight now that you're up close and personal with it. Pity this challenge didn't require you to make snow angels.

Then the wind stops, giving you enough time to jump back on your feet. Though the wind picks up again, this time coming from the north. What was it with this wind? Was this normal? Or could you gain meaning from it?
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Old 07-02-2017, 09:37 AM   #4 (permalink)

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The warming sensation was definitely of comfort as she allowed it a moment to spread over her fingers and body. The supersensory charm was proving useful as well, as she felt the wind coming at her from the west, but it was not enough to allow her adequate time to prevent herself from being consumed by the wind.

Unable to catch her balance, Louise found herself blown backward into the snow and just laid there gazing up at the sky, the snow blowing all around her. Pity she couldn't complete the challenge from just laying here, as despite the cold wetness, it was also this warm comforting blanket at the same moment. She had forgotten what it felt like to play in the snow. Sadly New Orleans did provide much in the way of snow during the winter months, which meant the only snow she saw in the last six and half years was that which present at Ilvermorny. And once you were passed third year, who had time to be goofing off and playing around?

Spreading her arms and legs, she began moving them quickly, back and forth, making a snow angel. Which was probably not part of the challenge, but ... when in Rome ... or in this case, when fallen on the snow, why not?

Ah, she should probably get up now. Yet, the Thunderbird really didn't want to, but the challenge pitifully was not going to complete itself. Even if she had disenchanted hopes of making it to the final challenge, she still didn't want to fail this one. She wanted to enjoy it.

Once the wind died down, she stood up, glanced down at her snow angel and beamed a little. For an eighteen year old witch, she was satisfied at least that she could still make the best of having fallen in the snow. Maybe it could be like a guardian angel to help see her through this task, or well, probably not.

The supersensory charm allowed her more than just feeling the wind though, as she suddenly was taken aback with how gorgeous the setting was. Yea, sorry mum and dad, Louisiana just didn't cut it as far as this scenery went. She was prepared though this time as another gust of wind came at her from the north and was grateful she hadn't tried something foolish like a featherlight charm on herself because at least she was able to hold her place well enough.

Where was she meant to go with this wind? Find an ice castle? Get an ice queen to end this winter madness? If she had something to cast a galdr on, she might have considered one to offer her guidance in terms of which direction to head. But she had nothing. Just her wand.

Holding her wand flat in her hand, she said the only thing could think of in the moment of being lost in a snowstorm. "Point me" It wasn't as if this was a maze, but it might as well have been, as she needed to find which direction to head and wondering around aimlessly in the snow didn't really fall onto the top of her list of things to accomplish today.
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Old 07-03-2017, 05:05 AM   #5 (permalink)
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Now is not the time to be making snow angels, Miss Hamilton. Time was ticking, and the rest of the challenge yet to be unveiled was waiting for you.

But what were you meant to do? Where were you meant to go? Well, observing the wind would be a good start. With the Four-Point Spell being casted, it is very obvious to you that the wind fiercely blowing is coming from the north. If you recall that it was blowing from a different direction before stopping momentarily, you can logically deduce that the wind was formerly blowing from the west.

Could the wind's change in direction be interpreted in some way? Could you use your observations to make a subtle prediction about what is to come? Also, which direction are you going to now trek? Against the wind or with it?
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Old 07-03-2017, 02:22 PM   #6 (permalink)

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For some reason, Louise had been hoping the four-point spell might have been useful in informing her which direction she should travel. But it was obviously just about as useful as the fact that she had nothing to cast create a fire out here in the frozen tundra. The only thing she did deduce was the fact that the wind was currently blowing fiercely from the north, which made sense from the cold blasts that she couldn't bear to face.

Wind current from the north, which meant what? Earlier when it knocked her down had been blowing from the west. Unless she'd been transported to the southern hemisphere, which was unlikely from the intensity of the cold and snow, wind direction changed in a clockwise pattern. West to North to East ... so it would be sure to come from the East next.

But what did it mean for which direction to trek? These challenges were meant to test them, weren't they? And despite the fact that she felt so alone out there, she knew from the first two challenges that her peers from the two Wizarding Schools, her Professors, The Headmistresses, The Librarian, were watching her. Just standing here doing nothing while waiting for time to tick by was losing precious time for what was to be unveiled. There was also the matter of the fact that like the first two challenges, there was undoubtedly a Ministry official trailing along beside her disillusioned, which somehow made her feel both comforted and anxious.

Okay, think Louise. Which direction made the most sense for the challenge to continue? For some reason, her gut was telling her to travel north because in every movie, both mundane and magical, she ever watched, things always happened on the north mountain. Challenging things. And this was meant to be a challenge, so why would she trek south with the wind in the path that would be easy?

Wrapping her scarf tighter around her mouth and nose, she took a deep breath and continued her trek. Against the wind. North bound.
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Old 07-03-2017, 10:16 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Contrary to your assumption about the wind likely to change from north to east, it remains blowing ever strong from the north. Deciding to move against the wind, facing north, proved to be quite difficult. In spite of the warming charm that had been casted earlier, to some degree the chill of the wind could not be avoided as it smacks you in the face and knocks you backwards. Clearly it wants you to be moving south.

Had using Divination crossed your mind, the changing direction of the wind could have been interpreted using Anemoscopy Winds blowing from the west and north were known for being bad omens, and the sudden change in direction was a sign of dire circumstances ahead. But it is too late to be making such predictions now. The wind was pushing you toward where you needed to go.

After walking quite a while in the other direction, working with the wind instead of against it, something shimmers ahead. It doesn't go unnoticed thanks to your Supersensory Charm. As you approach, the wind lessens and a series of bars layered in ice become clearer and clearer. An odd metallic lock covered in dots keeps the magically protected cage closed.

It is likely, however, that your immediate attention lies elsewhere. Trapped within the cage is your sister Bridgette Hamilton, who stands there shivering as tuffs of air leave her mouth.
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Old 07-04-2017, 12:43 AM   #8 (permalink)

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Take me up to the North Mountain. Honestly, what in the name of chocolate and peanut butter was Louise thinking!? The wind chill was more than unbearable even with her scarf protecting her nose and mouth. Despite the warming charm and the insulation charm, she had barely moved forward. What she needed to do was focus, and get her head out of the fairytale.

Her two years of Divination that she had taken in her third and fourth years proved entirely useless in terms of interpreting the wind patterns. Because she was on her bum ... again, for the second time in the challenge. Well for the love of peanut butter, REALLY? Mentally cursing herself for not taking those divining lessons more seriously, it was little matter now because it seemed heading south, with the wind, was where she needed to go.

She just wished she could have recalled something about divining wind patterns instead of heading south only because heading north was too difficult and she was being forced to head with the wind instead of against it.

As she walked along through the snow, flashbacks about the disillusioned Ministry official kept coming to the forefront of her mind. And yet she also wondered how much of this setting was real. Was this all a dream for her again? As Louise considered the possibilities, her dark eyes fell upon something shimmering ahead and the Thunderbird found herself pacing faster to get there. Only as she approached, her heart sank simultaneously because there, within the cage was her sister. Freezing to death.

"Bri!" Louise exclaimed, panic struck over her. Grateful that at least the wind had lessened, she found her hands fiddling with the lock, the cage, hoping for some sort of way inside to release her sister. Her sister, who just stood so helpless. Would it be foolish to think of using alohomora? A blasting spell would have been far too risky for Bridgette's safety.... and despite the fact that she should have realized the dots seemed to symbolize something astronomical, the seventh year's thoughts had completely glossed over that any anything else that might have been helpful to her mission. Despite the fact that alohomora was probably going to be ineffective, it was the first thing the panic-stricken Thunderbird's attention was drawn to. "Alohomora," she waved at the metallic lock, trying to convey a greater sense of confidence than she felt.
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Old 07-04-2017, 07:24 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Is this all another dream? Is it really worth having that thought run through your mind considering what is at stake? No longer are you the only one facing the frozen tundra. Your sister is here, and she doesn't look too good.

While your spell-casting efforts are in the right place, they have no power over the cage. It is protected by advanced protection spells that will keep any sort of magic from penetrating it. The Unlocking Charm, far too simple for this, simply bounces off the lock and fly off into the cold air. Magic will not work to open the cage so you can set your sister free.

Speaking of your sister, in your panicked state she tries to grasp your attention. Bridgette attempts to speak, mouthing out your name, but it is simple too cold for her voice to work. Her teeth chatter, her lips blue. She tries to move a hand forward toward the bars, but she is unable to move it far being so stiff with cold.

There is a piece of something, off-white in colour, in her hand. Can you get it? It might be of use to you.
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Old 07-04-2017, 09:18 PM   #10 (permalink)

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Louise knew her attempts at a simple unlocking charm would be fruitless and despite the fact that her sister's life was at stake here, if by some off chance it wasn't, well, she would have been done here. But nothing happened except Bridgette just looked colder, her lips blue and if there was any chance for Louise to extend her own warming charms towards her kid sister, she would have. Except as with the unlocking charm, it no doubt would have been useless.

"Bri...No..." ugh, seriously, could the administrators have picked something else? Maybe one of the unsuspecting fake muggles again would have been better than this, which just too ... And yet Louise knew deep inside she would do anything for Bridgette and Theo. They were her siblings, same parents and even though she was only three years older than Bridgette, sometimes it felt as if she raised that girl. To see her here, so vulnerable, so cold was ... cruel.

Okay, think Louise. Think. Obviously the cage was strongly protected, but there were ways around it? That was part of the challenge, wasn't it? To break the protection charms? But what she needed was to figure out what charms were in place to know how to counter it. As she was thinking about how to break into the cage, she took note of the lock again that charmed the cage closed. How curious was it that it resembled a constellation, except which one and what would that have to do with the task at hand? In a way, she might have been reminded of the big dipper, but surely that had no bearing on what was charming the cage closed. Did it?

Although Louise wasn't completely sure about this, because she wasn't even sure if it was cursed shut, but given that her unlocking charm was fruitless ... a curse was likely. Given her aspirations to travel after graduation, it was little surprise that Louise had actually been paying attention some in her cursebreaking lectures because that might have actually been useful to her. "Arithmos Revelio" If it worked, numbers would surely appear, but then came the part about deciphering what the curse the numbers signified and how to break it.

As she waited, still panicky, felt her fingers grasp around one of the cage bars. Seeing her like this ... heartbreaking. She was not a zoo animal. But wait, what was that? In her hand? A paper? A clue? No doubt the summoning charm would be useless as well against the magic protection charms, which meant what? How was she to get to her sister's hand? But just then, her hand moved just that little bit closer to the bars... just enough that maybe ...

Using her wand as that extra almost a foot in length to aid her in reaching her sister's hand, Louise prodded it towards the piece of whatever... hopeful that just maybe it would get bumped out and she could get to it by pulling it along the ground until it was close enough for her to get to it within the bars.
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Old 07-05-2017, 07:21 PM   #11 (permalink)
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There was no curse to be broken, so your incantation to make numbers appear failed to work. No numbers appeared like you had hoped. The metal lock with all of the random dots on it was the key to opening the cage.

Your fingers grasping around the bars of the cage is proof enough that the cage isn't cursed. Had it been, you definitely wouldn't be able to touch them and odds are you would be left in an unfortunate state. The Supersensory Charm you had casted on yourself was still doing its job. You can feel the ice on the bars, granted it isn't melting upon your touch. The coldness of the ice doesn't bother you thanks to your warming charm, though you can start feeling a light chill biting at your fingers.

While you are correct in assuming that a Summoning Charm would not work, using your wand to reach for whatever it is your sister is holding is an odd choice. The bars are spread out enough for you to stick your arm through, meaning you could have reached it without aid of a wand. Nonetheless, poking at her hand is effective in getting it, a slip of parchment, to wiggle its way from her grasp. Are you really going to let it fall to the ground? What if the wind blows it way before you can get hold of it?

Hurry up, Miss Hamilton, time is passing by and Bridgette's face is getting bluer.
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Old 07-05-2017, 09:59 PM   #12 (permalink)

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When the numbers did not appear as had done so during her cursebreaking lesson,
Louise had two thoughts. One, perhaps in her panic, she found herself unable to cast any spells at all. It seemed to be a likely option, given her unlocking charm did not work as well. However, there was also the matter that the cage was magicked sealed, with no curses. No curse to broken, which meant she had to find another way in.

The supersensory charm did allow her to feel and touch the bars without it freezing her fingers off anymore than they already were, which was good.

That parchment though ... it had to be a clue, didn't it? She was wasting time though thinking about potential curses on the cage, when what she really wanted was to open that lock. But what did the random dots have to do with anything? Was it some sort of code that she had to trace?

Ignoring the parchment prodding for just a moment, the seventh year fiddled with the magic lock some .... poking at a few of the dots and tracing it's path from the top left down. Definitely resembled the big dipper, but still, what did it have to do with unlocking it? Perhaps the key to unlocking it and saving her sister was that parchment?

Attention drawn back to the parchment, it was only then that Louise realized she didn't need her wand to poke it free and the wind blowing behind her was proof of that. If it fell to the ground, there was the chance that it could blow away, into mounds of snow, making her one clue an impossible feat. The bars were actually wide enough for her to reach her arm through, which was exactly what the Thunderbird did next...

Reached her hand through, to wriggle the parchment the rest of the way from her sister's grasp. And she found her fingers touch Bridgette's hand in the process, feeling the cold. Ugh, ugh... no.

The cold of her sister's hand reminded her of the importance of time ticking away, and Louise quickly withdrew her hand from the cage, parchment clutched safely in her grasp. Now what did it say... And Merlin help her that she would be able to read it?
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Old 07-06-2017, 12:47 AM   #13 (permalink)
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The moment you start tracing dots on the lock, they light up and a line connects them from one dot to the next until you stop. A brilliant bright white light glows, but then it turns red and the colour fades away. A wrong combination. More precious time wasted.

You're getting closer to figuring out how to free your sister. But an important piece of information is missing. What Bridgette holds in her cold, still living, hands is the clue you so desperately need.

Slowly but surely, the piece of parchment is removed from her hands and into yours. Your sister's eyes watch as it is gently pried from her hand into yours. Is that relief being reflected in her face? Or is it a cry for you to move faster? Or both? Either way, the rolled parchment is in your possession, making you one step closer to freeing the one trapped within the arctic prison.

Upon unrolling the parchment, you see that a series of numbers have been written on it that need to be decoded:

285 6995 19751
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Old 07-06-2017, 07:45 PM   #14 (permalink)

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Upon retrieving the parchment, Louise had noticed simultaneously that there had been a line connecting one dot to the other and it turned red before the color faded away. Well, that meant only one thing, it was indeed a combination she was meant to figure out.

The parchment curled in her fingers, the thunderbird carefully smoother it out to see numbers. Even though the cage wasn't cursed with numbers, it seemed she was still going to have to decode numbers after all. Which she had no parchment, other than the one in her hands and no quill because all she had was her wand.

Her wand. She didn't need a quill.

Kneeling down by a fresh mound of snow, she traced '285' into the snow, along with the corresponding letter combinations as she recalled from the Pythagorean Number System.

285
BHE
KQN
TZW

Obviously the first word was 'THE', wasn't it? That was easy enough, but moving on, because even though she had noticed relief in her sister's eyes when she retrieved the parchment, she was still trapped, frozen. Next word.

6995
FIIE
ORRN
X---W

Frie? Fire? Unless there was some secret fryer out here to make french fries, she doubted frie had anything to do with how to break the code. But fire, that she could do something with. Maybe she had to melt the lock off using incendio? She still had one more word though and she wasn't convinced incendio was even the trick, since other spells had been fruitless on the cage.

19751
AIGEA
JRPNJ
S-YWS

Louise stared and stared nothing seemed to click, and yet looking back over at her sister, time was ticking. Maybe she should just try the incendio thing; she had the first two words of 'the fire', so surely making fire? No, no... she mentally scolded herself. Not figuring out the final word would surely lower her score and she needed the points. Even though she had already counted herself eliminated, that didn't mean she wanted to be so for lack of trying in her final round. Not to mention her sister's life was at stake here, wasn't it?

SIGEA. SIGES SRYNS. JIGES. ARPES. SIPWA. OH oh... that second word, having a look at it again, then it hit Louise all at once.

The Fire Signs!

Which explained the Astronomy look and feel to that magical lock. Leo, Aries and Sagittarius. So then what now? Did she have to connect the dots in their pattern? Or was it just one of them? But the clue was plural... Even though Aries was probably the most similar pattern to what was on the magical lock.

Would the order of connecting the dots matter? No time to think, because time was of essence here. Although she was almost positive she knew the shape of the constellations, and would do it from memory if her summoning charm of her Zodiac constellation cheat sheet failed, nonetheless, "Accio Astronomy notes," she cast, hopeful that it would work.

While waiting, the seventh year worked to tap the constellations from memory onto the magical lock using her wand tip. Connecting the dots for Leo first. Then Aries, followed last by Sagittarius. Because if her memory served her correct, she wouldn't have needed to wait for her notes to travel from the beetle, wherever that even was.... And that meant the closer she came to saving Bridgette.

OR did she just have to spell out 'the fire signs' into the lock? And she'd been thinking too much into it by having to actually trace out the constellations. Eh, now she waited. There was always the incendio option in the back of her mind, but surrounding her sister in a flaming cage didn't really seem ideal.
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Old 07-06-2017, 08:25 PM   #15 (permalink)
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Using the Pythagorean Number System proved to be working out well in your favour; however, the wind wasn't making writing in the snow easy. Though not as strong as before, the wind was still blowing snow around. After you write your first set of numbers and letters, snow gradually begins to fill in your work, acting almost like an eraser.

The first two words prove to be easy to solve. As you ponder over how fire would be used, your second set of numbers and letters fill up with snow. What was that third word now?

With a little thinking and an epiphany, you crack the code! The Fire Signs, and it seems like you know exactly what to do now. Having had played around with the lock before, you know that tapping and connecting dots with your wand lights it up. Whereas before your random tapping resulted in red lights, this time the dots turn a different colour.

Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius light up white on the lock and then, after a few fleeting seconds, turn green. The door of the cage unlocks and the protective spells on it breaks. Bridgette is free to go, if you can get that poor stiff and shivering girl to move.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:31 PM   #16 (permalink)

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The numbers and letters she'd written out in the snow seemed to get brushed away quickly after she had written them and well, it was good she had been able to work quickly in figuring out the puzzle. Now if only the riddle had been like this in the second challenge, she wouldn't have felt like a complete nincompoop for taking forever to figure it out. But that was all in the past now, because she had survived that challenge and figured it out after all.

Her fiddling with the lock before in seeing the red lights had helped because she knew it was a strange magical lock, not at all like those no-maj combination locks requiring you to remember a series of numbers. This was advanced. Button pushing lock, except no buttons. Half expecting the lock to light up red again, Louise blinked in surprise when the dots changed a different color.

Wait, green. Unlocked. Blink, blink. Had it really being that simple? Apparently paying attention in Arithmancy and Astronomy lessons over the years had worked wonders for the Thunderbird.

"Bri!"

But wait, just as she was about to enter the cage, Louise hesitated. What if it was a trap to lock her in there with her sister? And then the two Hamilton sisters would freeze to death? That wasn't likely, was it? Time was ticking though and if she didn't warm Bridgette up soon, then ... ugh, Louise shuttered, not wanting to think about that.

Before entering the cage, Louise quickly cast, "Incarcerous" conjuring thick ropes to bind the door open to the bars. There, now the door couldn't accidentally swing close, locking them both in. Rushing to her sister's side, she wrapped her arms around her to warm her up, before stepping back to cast a warming spell on Bridgette. "C'mon," she urged, biting her lip. She'd carry her out of here if she had to, but ... well, where was she meant to go now anyway?
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Old 07-07-2017, 07:44 PM   #17 (permalink)
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Ropes magically eject from your wand and keep the door open. Perhaps that action was a little too cautious. Nevertheless, your sister was free to leave the cage whenever she had the ability to move again.

The warming spell brings a source of heat to your sister. Icicles that were clinging onto her dark brown hair gradually begin to melt because of the heat. However, you sister's teeth are still chattering and her body still shivering. It is still too cold her her to be facing the arctic weather with just a single charm to keep her warm up to a certain point. "L - L - Lou - Louise," she manages to speak.

As for where you need to go, well, following the wind worked last time, didn't it? Though not as strong as before, it was still blowing south.
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Old 07-07-2017, 09:23 PM   #18 (permalink)

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Perhaps she'd been overly protective about the cage door closing and trapping them in, but Louise had seen enough and read enough to not underestimate. Nevertheless, the rope worked to keep the door open and Louise breathed a sigh of relief when the icicles on her sister began to melt.

But it wasn't enough. At least she was able to say her name, which something, but the chattering and shivers were present and the seventh year had to do something more, it seemed. Casting an insulation charm on her sister, as well, she then figured she needed even more. Recalling the blue bell flames she had used previously for light and warmth, Louise conjured some up to hover close to her sister, as they continued the trek.

"C'mon," she urged again, pulling her arm around the fourth year to use her own body heat to warm her up some more.

Slowly trudging forward at Bridgette's pace now, Louise continued on her path, south, wondering what more there was to come with this challenge. Was there going to be some yeti encounter now?
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Old 07-08-2017, 08:08 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Indeed the initial warming spell wasn't enough to allow your sister to remove herself from the cage. While the icicles on her hair were melting, she was still quite stiff. She needs to be thawed out more before you can even think of moving. Her saying your name was her way of saying she couldn't move yet. Patience, young Thunderbird.

The insulation charm kept whatever source of heat the warming spell had given her in tact, steadily warming her up. With the bluebell flames added onto it, they floated around her. In good time Bridgette would be ready to move.

But it seems like you have other plans. Pulling at her arm, she is removed from the cage, though her steps are small for she can only move her legs forward so far. More time to let the warmth settle in was needed. But there the two of you were, slowly but surely moving south, allowing that northern wind to guide you.

What was in store for you? Would going south bring more dire circumstances? Knowing and understanding Anemoscopy would have helped in deciphering that. Though, as you walk, the direction of the wind gradually begins to change, no longer coming from the north but the east. The wind was gently prodding you to the west now. If only your sister wasn't slowing you down.

Should you follow the wind's change in direction, with a few minutes of walking you notice that you are heading for snowy mountains. Is that a cave up ahead?
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Old 07-08-2017, 11:37 PM   #20 (permalink)

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She was rushing this, Louise was convinced. Why was she so restless and impatient? Her sister had been kidnapped and frozen inside a cage in the middle of ... Scotland, were they still? Regardless, she should have cast another warming spell, or maybe five more before insulating her. But at least the flames surrounding Bridgette seemed to help somewhat and after what seemed like ages the two of them were finally out of the cage and headed south being guided along by the northern wind.

Only ... the wind was, as she predicted it would before she found Bridgette, now coming from the East? Which meant what? Goodness, if only she had taken more two years of Divination, but honestly her brain could barely comprehend that much of the subject. It was so ... subjective. If only apparition were an option and she could apparate them out of here, but that would be forfeiting the competition and even though she had given up winning, she wasn't a quitter. Not like that.

Just keep walking and maybe understand the wind patterns didn't have to mean anything. Except the fact that if she took long enough it would change to push her back north... she was fairly sure of that. Maybe.

Or .... not. Wait, was that a cave? Maybe she should just carry Bridgette on her back, but that might be just as slow moving. The cave was where she was meant to go though, right? It wasn't as if she was getting any other clues and understanding wind patterns was not exactly her forte.

So towards the cave was where Louise headed, keeping close to her sister to keep them both warm.
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Old 07-09-2017, 06:36 PM   #21 (permalink)
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While the wind is being gently prodding you forward, your sister is still slowing you down. Bridgette's steps are small, and you need to move at a much faster pace if you want to finish the challenge within the time limit. If carrying her on your back will be just as slow, then there are other methods you can use. You are a witch, are you not?

"Louise?" her voice sounds beside you, blue flames trailing next to her. She seems to have warmed up a little more. Her dark brown eyes were focused on the cave ahead. She then looks at you, a look that nonverbally asks 'Are we really going in there?'

Are you? You don't know what could be inside that cave. It is the unknown that your sister is worried about. But the wind is prodding you in that direction, bringing you closer and closer to the entrance of the cave that is bound to protect you from the harsh arctic elements.
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Old 07-09-2017, 07:38 PM   #22 (permalink)

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The slow steps was making Louise nervous and questioning of where she was meant to go. And suddenly the seventh year really wished that she was able to better interpret the wind patterns as opposed to just going with whatever direction the wind was prodding her and her sister.

It just ... she felt like she failed. Well she had quite skillfully figured out how to unlock the cage and free her sister, but none of that really seemed to make any difference now. Now that arctic elements seemed to be threatening to bury them alive and just the tone in Bridgette's voice, the terror, made the seventh year glance over at her sister and she swallowed, unsure for what was to come or where they were to go next.

"Bri, I ..." her dark eyes gazed around, as she was so close to the cave entrance. Was there much a choice? The cave could save them from the elements. Or it could be worse, but she did have a wand and while perhaps casting something additional in terms of protection might have been beneficial, Louise felt no harm right now. It was just snow, a blizzard, nothing life threatening except possible risk of frostbite. Right?

"It will be okay," Louise reassured, holding out her hand to lead the way into the cave, her wand out for whatever fate awaited them.
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Old 07-09-2017, 08:00 PM   #23 (permalink)
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Using a bit of magic on your sister would have been helpful at this stage int he challenge. She could have been made lighter or another warming charm could have been casted on her or the shoes she was wearing could have been transfigured into skiis. The possibilities were limitless.

Your efforts of walking slowly up to the entrance beside you sister, though time-consuming, do not go to waste. The moment you step into the mouth of the cave, the wind no longer blows at you. There is no more snow to trudge through. It is just a dark cave. It is quiet. Perhaps too quiet.

It gets warmer and warmer as you and Bridgette get deeper and deeper inside the cave. You see a light ahead. Could that be fire? Was someone else in the cave with you? Or was it something?

Continuing forward, the walls of the cave begin to change. They gradually shift from the stone of the mountain into a room with two people waiting for you. The male is a Ministry employee from the Department of Environmental Regulation and Protection, who has quietly been watching over you, and the female is a healer from St. Mungo's.

The healer approaches, looking over you first to make sure the elements hadn't done any serious damage. She gives the man a thumbs up and progresses to look over your sister. The man moves, gently placing a hand on your back.

"The healer has a few things to check before she sends your sister out," he states, in case you were wondering or having any doubts about what the woman was doing. "You are free to go." He then makes a gesture with his other hand toward a door that will take you to the stands.

OOC: You may now look at the viewing area and/or other competitors' threads.
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Old 07-09-2017, 10:13 PM   #24 (permalink)

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Louise really should have used an additional warming charm or something to make the walk easier on the pair of them. And yet, in her panic-stricken mode of just wanting to get her and her sister out of there, nothing came to her. Her near seven years of magical education had been a complete waste of effort and she just tugged her along as if neither of them had any inkling of magical blood. As if they were no-majs, and really, who could have told the difference?

Yet though it seemed to take forever, her efforts were not fruitless as she entered the cave and immediately noticed the lack of snow and wind. Only, it was eerily quiet, to which Louise finally remembered her wand and muttered "homenum revelio," just for her own sense of well-being. The spell didn't have any bearing on what happened next, because slowly the walls of the cave changed and Louise felt her hand gripping Bridgette's tighter. If this was all a dream, well, the Thunderbird didn't want to lose Bridgette and clinging to her hand seemed like her best shot.

Only they weren't in a cave now, but in a room with a male Ministry employee and female healer. Had one of them been with her the whole time, she didn't know? But even as the healer looked over herself, she kept her hand holding her sister's and it wasn't until the male spoke that she bitterly let it go.

"I ... I'll wait for you out there," her dark eyes threatening to leak tears, but she held them back. "Take care of her."

With a deep breath, because despite her desires to stay by Bridgette's side, Louise knew she didn't have a choice, the seventh year stepped through the door.
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