Patrick had some free time to kill before he had to head off to his next class. He couldn't believe that classes had already started, and the homework was coming in mass quantities. He really wanted to have a moment to settle himself, but instead he was having to get papers written and worry about who made the house team.

He sat down along the window that only allowed you to see the continuation of the other building. He whipped out his journal that he kept his notes and thoughts in regarding the school term. He looked up at the clock taking in the beauty, looking back down at his journal he began to write.

Classes have begun, Quidditch is back, and I feel as if I am so behind on my course work that it isn't even funny. There are many new professors this term and it is a bit intimidating considering I had just gotten used-- he looked up at the clock again wondering why more people didn't come sit in this area.

Shera was officially lost.

Very, very lost. But she was simultaneously alright with that, because that was when she usually found the best things around this castle! And this area was particularly nice... and there was another person right over there! Although he looked like he was busy writing...

She thought about approaching him for a moment, wondering if she should just leave. But then she figured she might as well join him because he might appreciate the company? Besides he looked roughly her age... "Hey," she greeted energetically, before sitting near him but still far enough to give him space for all the things that he had with him.

"What are you up to?" she questioned lightly, mostly out of curiosity. Then she remembered to actually introduce herself. "I'm Shera by the way!"

Patrick looked up from his journal. It was odd for him to run into people but it was nice to have someone around, “hey there.” he kind of waved after putting his pen in the journal and closing it. He journaled like his mother had done. It was a fun thing to do in order to keep the school memories fresh.

“Good to meet you Shera, I’m Patrick by the way.” he crossed his ankles and wondered what had brought her there. She looked about his age, maybe a first year because she didn’t look familiar.

Kalen was heading into the castle with a cup of tea in his hand, as per usual. He was just back from talking to Tristan about something, they both had some free time so he had joined his friend for some tea and conversation.

He paused as he saw two young students and he gave them a nod and a small smile. “Hello Mr.Dooley, Miss Ben-Ari, how are you two today? Enjoying this fine weather?” He asked them as he looked up at the clear sky and then down at them with a small smirk on his face.

He had an idea, one he wasn’t sure he should actually do, so instead he stood there waiting for an answer to his questions.

Patrick had to crane his neck a bit to look at Professor Kennedy. When you're closer to the ground its a bit of a stretch to look up. "Professor Kennedy, hello. I'm doing well, just enjoying the sunshine and writing down how things have been going thus far." he sort of shook his journal that was resting in his lap.

It really was a nice day out. Patrick was pretty sure that they wouldn't be getting many more of these. Fall didn't last long last term, he was sure that it wouldn't last that long this term either. He really hoped that it would be a nice term weather wise he hated to see snow. "How are you today?" he asked realizing that he had just answered the question and not returned the conversation.

What was that? The steady drip... drip... drip of something?

Was it water? Where was it coming from?

Your sense of hearing leads you to the Clock Tower Entrance. A trail of red drips lies in a single straight line on the stone floor. Suspicious, no? It's enough to make you investigate further, and look up at the ever swinging pendulum where a familiar yet eerie sight greets you.

The hawk seemed to glow brilliantly, its outline stark against the metal, almost as if someone had stopped the clock's movement to create it before starting the pendulum off again. Clearly they hadn't hung around for the paint to dry though, as a trail of liquid runs down from the hawks tail, along the pendulum and onto the floor beneath.

Tenacius was on his way back into the castle from doing his rounds outside when he saw the blood-trail on the floor first. Blue-green eyes grew large in alarm since he didnt know what the source of it was, but anything that looks like a blood trail usually put him on high alert. His gaze combed the surrounding area and as he made his way back round the pendulum he saw it--

-- The painted hawk yet again. This time more grisly than ever.

He winced. Was that something painted on? Was it just paint?... or something more nefarious? Should he also start looking for a carcass of some poor creature?

No this is what he should do first, which is what he has done before when these things first started popping up....

He cast the spell to secure the area, a CAUTION DO NOT CROSS ribbon surrounding the pendulum, as far as he could make it that covered the blood trail.

Zita was just coming back from placing the charms she needed to have her latest issues of gossip spread through the castle when she noticed two things.
One was the blood trail, the next was the head boy. She watched for a moment and then moved a bit closer.

"Is this some kind of prank? I mean it's not a very good one." She moved closer to the ribbon he had just put there and wasn't really paying that much attention to the warning. He was the head boy so he could protect her if they got into trouble.

Wasn't that fun though, a pretty girl needing saved and it would be the head boy to do it. Maybe she'd like the danger to come. [b] "Have you been up to check it out? Maybe someone needs help. "We should go look."

Patrick roused from the nap he had accidentally taken. He was always in the... Oh god, not again. Looking at Tenacius and the other slytherin he had met before... what was her name... ah Zita. He really didn't want to be around this time, but it seemed like no one noticed him perched further back in a nook journal in hand. He really hoped that he wouldn't get linked with this. Pocketing his journal he stood walking closer to the tape, "sh-should we be nervous about this Tenacius?"

Phew. Vi took a deep breath, feeling more relieved. That had almost been a very awkward situation but she had fortunately been able to avoid it. Erik had been chatting to a fellow housemate in the middle of the floor so Vi had to do some sneaky maneuvering to ensure that she wouldn’t HAVE to run in to him today. She liked him and all but sometimes he just drove her up the wall with all his antics. Perfectly Prefect Erik and his....

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Her internal venting was interrupted by an odd sound.

Drip. Drip.

Huh? What was that? A leak?

Pursuing her lips, she headed outside and followed the weird noise. Soon enough Vi found herself near the entrance to the clock tower and she saw a gathering of students, noting Patrick, Zita, and her boyfriend. Her blue eyes caught sight of the hawk and... her mouth fell wide open. She gasped and her eyes widened in terror. Vi slipped underneath the tape and took a few steps towards the image of the hawk. Was that blood or paint or...? She wanted to touch it and see what it was exactly but that would require getting closer to whatever that thing was. The Lioness’ curiosity was piqued but Vi managed to stop herself.

“Ace.... Merlin’s...” she spoke as she halted in place. “Again?” Vi had wondered what had happened last term with Kitty but after seeing Cassie paint the bird of prey in Honeydukes and all with Flynn and Noble... “What is it?” She knew it was a hawk and all but what was it made out of...? And who did it? “Has.... Cassie been near here?” she asked, wondering if the Ravenclaw girl had taken a paint brush and gone wild.

Patrick looked over at Olivia. Gracious that she had also arrived. He had remembered that a girl named kitty had done it last year. But Cassie. He looked at Olivia, ”I didn’t see Cassie do one, at least not the one at Madame Puddifoots.” he trailed off looking at the older student for some sort of direction in how he should handle the situation.

Ace had just finished setting the perimeter with the ribbon when he heard a new voice. He turned around and found Zita being all curious. She may not be thrilled with heights but he'd give her credit that she didnt shirk away from things that look bloody. "Yeah... if it is a prank somebody needs a tutorial on humor because this is hardly amusing." he replied as he looked up the blood soaked pendulum. "I just got here, havent had the chance to do any investigating, just securing the pl--"

Hobbling Hinkypunks where did Patrick come from?? He caught his breath for a moment as he tried to get his pulse back to normal. "No need to be nervous Patrick. We're here, and Faculty should be able to handle something like this. Be vigilant, just like they taught you at Defense class." he gave the young Slytherin a reassuring smile.

Then a familiar voice that calmed his nerves "Vi!" he smiled at his girlfriend with great relief. Now he's got backup good. "Yeah again. These things are just popping up everywhere now its weird." Cassie? The Head Boy looked puzzled when the name of the Ravenclaw girl came up, then shifted his attention quickly at Patrick when he mentioned something that happened at Madame Puddifoot's "Cassie... did something like this at Puddifoot's? Never took her as Banksy wannabe." Pause. Something about the mention of Hogsmeade made him remember some things too "You guys didnt happen to have seen Rylee on your way here did you?" Because he was pretty sure he didnt see the bouncy Gryffindor firstie on his way in.

Patrick felt everything settle. He wasn’t exactly nervous nervous. He was nervous about the fact that his friends were doing this. His eyes got big at the assumption it was Cassie who did it at Puddifoots, “oh no, it wasn’t Cassie who did it at Puddifoots.” he wasn’t sure if he should say it was Rylee. Oh no, Ace mentioned Rylee by name. She was such a sweet girl, always bouncing around the school. Shaking his head vigorously, “haven’t seen Rylee come this way, oh boy.” he stopped talking, afraid that if he said anything more he’d get Rylee in trouble but if he didn’t say anything wouldn’t he be in trouble?

Holding back, and hoping that someone else might go ahead and say something about what happened at hogsmade. “Wait, how many of these were drawn at hogsmade?” Pointing to the drawing he wasn’t sure what this one made, four or five. It was starting to look more and more sucpicious. “I, uh, well... I was in Puddifoots when it happened.”

There was one at Madame Pudifoots too? Merlin. The Honeydukes one didn't seem to be an exception to it. Vi's eyebrows raised. A pattern was certainly forming but was the arbitrator the same person?

"Cassie did the one in Honeydukes. Flynn and I found her. Noble can vouch too," she explained with a smile, keeping that explanation very brief. She left out the part of where Flynn physically restrained the Ravenclaw and the Ravenclaw began screaming her head off in the middle of Honeydukes. Fortunately Noble wasn't too too mad when he came over. Should have just stunned her. Would have made it all a lot less messy. "Though Cassie wasn't aware when she painted that. She didn't believe she did it. It was almost as if she was in a trance or something like Kitty had been in.."

Speaking of Kitty... What had been the words that she had written last year? Something about inequality and exposing it? Vi pursed her lips as she tried to wrack her brains.

Rylee? Vi's heart plummeted. No the young Gryffindor couldn't have been involved with something like this surely. She was too happy and too lovely. Vi had taken quite a liking to the younger year so the mention of this upset her. Hold on. If she was involved somehow then she would have been in a trance as well. Hmm... "Rylee?" repeated Vi as she listened to Ace's question and Patrick's response. She shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her today." Maybe she saw her at breakfast but Vi was half asleep at the beginning of it for she hadn't had her daily dose of caffeine. "Did Rylee do one in Hogsmeade? Did she seem herself?"

He was relieved, for however brief that was, when Patrick clarified that the Ravenclaw girl didnt deface the cherished tea shop. But indeed that feeling was short lived since Vi mentioned which shop she did deface-- the sweets shop. "But it isnt like Cassie to go all graffiti activist...." he muttered then listened to his girlfriend's recounting of the event. That was weird, and the bewilderment was clear on his face. "In a trance.... what like she was Imperius'd or something?"

So none of them saw Riley around here just before this appeared. Again some relief on the part of the Head Boy, although he knew this was a shallow victory, as he knew what he saw of her deeds at Hogsmeade "I saw Rylee at the Salon. I was inside talking to Mister Monte when I thought she was pulling some kind of Halloween prank outside the shop. I thought she was just really concentrating on what she was doing but yeah.... come to think of it, she didnt seem herself. It was almost like she was sleep-walking while she painted. Sleep-painting."

Then something about what Patrick said in passing caught his attention. "So you were at Puddifoot's? Did you see who it was that graffitti'd the place?"

Sleep painting? Was someone putting a curse on people to force them to do something like this? There were about a million things running through his head, a third person at least who had done something. Looking up at Ace his eyes grew bigger, “yes, I was at Puddifoot’s, was having some pie.” looking up at the hawk again, he really wanted not have to see another hawk show up at the school.

Deep down he knew that he needed to tell them it was Rylee, on the other hand he didn’t want to tell them at all. Figuring there was nothing else to do he decided now was the only time to tell Ace that Rylee was the one who did it. “It was Rylee at Puddifoot’s. But just like you said she looked like she was in a trance, not even aware she was doing something.”

What was going on? Night had been trying to study in the common room, but a dripping distracted her. Somehow, she followed it out to the clock tower entrance outside. And another hawk, that was weird. There were other students, from every house except Hufflepuff. A few, she recognized from her classes, including Vi, the girl who had helped her out at the flying lesson.

She hung back a little bit, trying to get a feel for the conversation. So these things were showing up in the village as well? And people thought the painters were...in a trance? What could it all mean? Something nagged at her brain, something about the first time a hawk had appeared, with the words EXPOSE THE INEQUALITY painted beneath it.

She stepped into the foreground and gave a little wave, making her presence known. "Do you guys remember the first one, in the basement corridor?" There was something very familiar about the handwriting from that one, something she recognized that hadn't been there in others. Suddenly, she felt stupid.

"I've been trying to figure that one out forever! But there's only one person I've really talked to, who I sit near in all my classes, and whose writing I would recognize. It's Emmalyn Walsh!" She wondered if her friend had been in a trancelike state when she had written those words. If the others her classmates gathered here were talking about were any indication, her guess was most likely so.

But it couldn't be the imperius curse, could it? That was illegal; if someone was casting it at Hogwarts, people would know...right?