Ursula was about to begin collecting samples when she heard a small squeaking sob nearby. She placed her hand on Bambi's shoulder and gently squeezed it as a sign of comfort. Now, she returned to the task at hand and pulled out a vial from her pocket and uncorked it. Ursula kept a look-out as she saw a trace of mist around a rather poorly-looking flower. She decided for some reason that it was best for the vial to contain both the flower and the mist so she grabbed a slightly bigger vial, uncorked it and used her wand to magically insert the flower and mist in the vial before placing the stopper on it.

Ursula looked at the ground surrounding her for traces of footprints. Were her eyes deceiving her? She whispered to her fellow DMAC workers, "Is it just me or are some of those footprints disappearing and reappearing?"

She gently shook her head, thinking that maybe she hadn't had enough coffee or the emotional toll of the loss of two students was getting to her more than she realised. Ursula needed to carry on with the investigation. As the mist seemed to grow in magnitude, she began to hyperventilate as her eyes registered something.

"I can't breathe!!" Ursula screamed her forehead sweating profusely and her hands clammy.

Caleb was doing well, as well as he could be. He glanced between the mist and one of his partners. She couldn't breathe? He was about to try and help her when he had thought he heard something. No...that can't be...why was he starting to cry? Caleb hurridly whiped the tears away. He needed to focus.

Jake moved out of the way so that Alexa could get a closer look at the bodies, taking those few moments to have a quick glance around at the grounds as if he might be able to spot some kind of clue about... something.

Chance would be a fine thing, and really Jake hadn't expected that it would be that easy. Still, he'd have been an idiot to write off the possibility without even trying.

They were moving on. Jake cast one final look down at the boy, and then at the girl a short distance away, before walking around the mounds, giving both a wide berth. For crime scene preservation reasons. Then he did as his boss said, and followed.

Barely inside the Entrance Hall, and... lo and behold. Here it was.

The mist.

The mere sight of it seemed to bring on a feeling of intense anxiety in Jake, or... no, was that the effects of the mist itself? It was difficult to tell it all apart, especially given that he hadn't exactly been at his most chipper before stepping inside the castle. All Jake knew was that suddenly his breathing was a little faster, his heart was beating a little harder, and he was fighting an almost overpowering urge to turn tail and run.

But he didn't.

Jake peered around the achingly familiar Entrance Hall, wand at the ready, intending to make a quick assessment of his surroundings just as he expected his colleagues would do. But he had been in the Hall for mere moments before he heard something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

No... no, that's not possible...

He heard it again, and his blood ran cold. A familiar shape became discernible in one of the shadowy corners, and Jake's breath caught in his throat.

It's not real, it isn't real, it can't be real.

A member of one of the other departments had screamed, and Jake whipped his head around to look at her, receiving a crick in his neck for his trouble. Except the terror had him in such a tight grip that, for a moment, all he could do was look at her. She couldn't... breathe?

Ursula's eyes widened as she saw the very terrifying sight, her throat restricting and her chest tightening. She fell to her knees and began to feel very faint which was a new and horrible experience for her. Ursula had never felt like this in her life. The tight grip she had on her wand began to slacken as she began to shake.

Eventually, Caleb figured out the reason he was crying. He whiped his head around when he heard his sister's screams. No no no! She can't be in danger, she's not here, she's not here! Caleb squeezed his eyes shut. Go away. Go away! He pointed his wand at nothing but didn't utter any spells.

A deep, calming breath was all the answer the others got from the young almost Auror. He'd been casting all sorts of scanning spells the whole time.....silently. The others hadn't heard him, of course. As this thought washed over him, he straightened and gave the others a nod. "Right." Besides, it was a potential crime scene, so it was best left alone as much as the thought pained him. As much as he felt that they were now abandoning them just as their professors and headmaster had.

He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and followed the rest of the department, aware that they had a job to do. As entered the entrance hall, Ronan was hit by a chill. He'd never seen Hogwarts look so....still.

And there came the mist. It had all migrated inside, then. And suddenly, he wasn't quite so sure that the chill he had felt had come from seeing the castle like this. It actually seemed to be coming from the mist. Wait, had something hit one of the hourglasses? Why was he feeling so cold and scared all of a sudden? Why was he flashing back to those horrible things? Was that his breath he was seeing? Why were the torches by the make-out broom closet the only ones not lit? So many questions swirling around his head, along with the horrible images he had managed to leave behind all those years ago. But his brain remained just rooted enough in the real and present to form one theory; one that he dare not speak out loud. One that made him feel even worse for the poor children outside because it meant they had probably suffered a fate worse than death. Come on Carter, focus!

Derek's lack of words didn't even phase him. How much did the man even speak? Hardly. Having a conversation with him was more hard work than it was worth, and this didn't seem like the time for some light-hearted banter.

While the older man worked with the bodies and the MLE lot, Grayson tried his best to finish up with the silver vapour he was trying to collect. It didn't take long for him to notice that trying to catch this vapour, whatever this was, was like trying to catch air. The vapour didn't fill up the vial in the same way that a memory would, in the way he expected it to. Huh.

Whatever.

When he was done trying to catch as much as he could, the man corked the vial and stood up again. He gave the label a simple tap with his wand, watching as a scrawl started labelling the vial with the words 'silver vapour' and the location it had been found in, as if it was being written by an invisible hand. He placed the vial into his bag, before turning to tell Derek that he was going inside the castle with Lex and the oth-

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

No. No, it couldn’t be...

Grayson came to a sudden stop the minute his ears picked up on something. It didn't take long for a sense of dread to seep into him, causing his stomach to drop suddenly. He stared around him wildly, trying to find the source and forgetting all about Derek and the others. The logical part of his brain was dormant; the part that would've disregarded whatever it was he was picking up on and insisted that it wasn't real. That none of this was real.

But emotions were getting the better of him and, instead, he started moving. A few steps here, a few steps there. He wasn't aware of where he was going, just that his heart was beating at an alarming rate and he had to find it. He had to. The sense of dread deepened, leaving him feeling colder than he could ever pretend to be.

It only worsened, causing the man to come to a sudden stop. Sweat was starting to trickle down the back of his neck as he looked around wildly. Where? That was his only question. Where?! None of this made any sense, but he was too frantic to take any notice of it. The sound was drilling into his skull, becoming a constant reminder. A reminder that he didn't need.

And then it worsened.

And Grayson fell to his knees in defeat. He didn't know when the tears had started but they were free-falling of their own accord now. In any other situation, he would've been ashamed, possibly embarrassed, but this wasn't any other situation. Instead, he kneeled there, crying and feeling more and more helpless. He mumbled odd words under his breath but that didn't matter. None of this really mattered.

It was quiet… Too quiet.

James was so focused on surveying the area that he had completely missed Alexa’s question. Well, no. He hadn’t missed it, that was unfair. He had heard it, but was hoping for one of his employees to step up with the answer. He was busy. And they knew just as much as he did. His focus, at the moment was completely on the grounds. Trying to find traces of something. Anything, Merlin.

James tightened the grip on his wand as he made his way forward. He had reached the door alongside the DMLE department head when he heard Ronan. James had known this wouldn’t be a rescue, but it still felt like a jab in his stone-cold heart. Taking a deep breath, he made his way towards the mounds, to see if there were any signs… of potential predators… creatures who could have been responsible. But there were no signs of such a thing.

With that in mind, he turned around. There was nothing they could do now, the children were already dead. And his specialties were needed elsewhere. Law Enforcement would gather evidence and samples, they could preform further tests when they got back to the Ministry. As far as qualitative data went… inconclusive. Furthermore, his thoughts were elsewhere. On Eliora Dodderidge, who James was sure would not take this lightly.

He managed to find her, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. “Come on,” there was a certain weight in his words, one he hoped could be reassuring. Though, that was a hard thing to be when you were in the presence of two deceased children.

As far as anyone could tell, however, James Draper was the epitome of calm and collected. They had a mission to complete and he did not plan on returning to the Ministry without answers. With that he carried forward, only pausing when he heard the scream from someone ahead. Immediately, James turned to look at Eliora before running ahead to Ursula… Who… Did not look as if— And then another was down on his knees, in tears.

And when James looked forward, he saw things too. Ones that made the hairs on his arms stand up straight. Ones that made his back stiff.

“It’s not real!” He shouted, unsure of whether he meant to convince the others… Or if he were trying to convince himself. “Keep moving!” His previous suspicions... They were holding out.

Darej could see the others heading off to enter in the Hogwarts Castle. Where did that leave him? Well, he was going to have to stick close with his own team while they entered. He turned his back towards the others moving along to watch the rear. He wanted to make sure nothing was going to surprise them, incase any lurking magical creatures would come about. Sure, DERP confirmed nothing of the sort, but time had passed. So he wasn't going to rule it all out. As he was settling in the wait, he could feel the temperature around him drop as a breeze started to form in.

Darej took a few deep breaths. Alright, he would eventually have to cast a heating charm. So he gripped his wand to conjure it right away when he heard a scream. That's when he whipped around to see.. wait.. His eyes hardened but were becoming difficult to keep open. Every hair on his body stiffened, goosebumps were forming, and his innards became to feel hot then cold as he felt his breath being taken away. He couldn't speak, instead, he could only inhale and exhale through his nostrils rapidly. This wasn't right.. He could hear James yell that this wasn't real. Darej wanted to believe that but... his breathing grew more rapid.

Move.... move.... He shut his eyes. He did not want to lose his composure. He opened his mouth in an effort to shout but nothing was coming out. How could he feel so small? No... He wasn't going to fall to the same fate as the two kids. His insides were shaking before he opened his eyes to see his vision start to blur from wetness. His eyes couldn't stay open to this but they needed to stay open. He needed something, someone. His hand reached out to the nearest person to grip.

What had once been a clear room quickly changed into something else entirely. Lex watched the mist descend the stairs, her hand tightening around her wand. Back outside, she heard a member of another department yell about not being able to breathe. Typical. This was why her unit was moving ahead on their own. They couldn't afford to be weighted down by people who had break downs and didn't know how to handle hard situations.

They had to press forward. It was important that they remained in control.

Rather than go outside to ask them to calm down or leave, Alexa focused on the mist that was creeping ever closer. A shiver ran through her, an uncomfortable and foreboding feeling accompanying it. Strange....very strange.

Her head snapped in the direction she'd heard the noise. "Stay alert. Any of you act like that woman outside and you'll be on desk duty til you retire." NO ONE on her team would put themselves in danger and risk their lives freaking out. They all had families of varying compositions to get home to and she didn't fancy having to make those home visits. She also didn't wanna lose any of them but this was not the time for sentiment. Something told her it was all only beginning. If they were losing it before the real disaster struck, it concerned her. How would they be when the inevitable hit?

"Stay in pairs. Groups. Don't allow yourself to be caught up alone. Forwa--" Huh?

....Alexa blinked a few times, uncertain of what she was seeing. That wasn't....there was no way......

Another cold chill ran through her. For a moment it was as if the very breath had been knocked out of her. Lex stood a second, immobilized before her own words from earlier swung back. Stopping to think. Assessing the situation. This was Scotland. Emmerson was back in London with her grandfather. This was literally....impossible. No sooner had she said that, than the sights began to change. In the background, she heard James. Not real? Yeah, she was beginning to deduce as much and ideas were beginning to form. "Evie, with me. We don't stop moving. Came here to clear this mist and that's what we're gonna do." The last she meant for everyone under her command. "Remain calm. Remember your training. We're prepared for this."

Before leaving the Ministry, Eliora had reiterated to herself multiple times that this was just another day of work. That she would go home after and dismiss the nanny and call both Briar and Levi into her room for a family cuddle. (You know.. if Briar even wanted to be associated with them because she was too old for cuddles and family time apparently) Now that they were her, she didn't quite believe it. That it was just another day of work. She knew that it wasn't going to be the second she knew the details of their mission. Eliora was seconds away from barking orders at her department when the discovery of the students happened and it felt like the wind was knocked out of her gut.

Those kids had probably thought that their last day was just another day of school...

Her thoughts were interrupted when James' hand appeared on her shoulder and honestly her instinct had been to insist that they went home now and he stay just for a little while until she was comfortable enough to sleep. But she couldn't do that. They both had a job to do and employees to direct no matter how much she wanted that normal life with him for just a minute. Just one. Just one. Instead... "I'm fine. We have a job to do, James." They would take the children home after if she had to carry one of them herself. She was a mother and there was no way she was leaving another parent without their child coming home.

Ursula's scream went right through her and Eliora covered both of her ears as James hurried off in her direction. "Ursula. Shut. Up!" Could she not go a single day without irritating her? Really? Truly? Honestly? "Get up. We have a job to d-" do. They had a job to do. They all had a job to do. This was important. This was.. this was.. no. No, no and no. No. Joining the covering of her ears, Eliora closed her eyes tightly and began to repeat loudly what James was saying to anyone that was listening. "It's not real! It's not real! You have a job to do! Don't make me fire you. It's not real. It's not real. It's NOT real!" And when she opened her eyes.. the weakness in her knees was going to be gone. The need to drop to the floor and cradle the invisible baby, the fairytale dream that she wanted and kept in her brain for the tough days, the la la land as her family called it....... it would all be gone. And replaced with the complete opposite.

Not again. Not again. Not again.

She wasn't here just for herself, though. She wanted to get those kids back home. She wanted to get all the information they possibly could, to return the castle to a perfect standard that it could be an education establishment again. None of that was for herself. This was all for the job. For the love she had for her job. Hands down. Eyes open. Ignore it. Ignore it. Ignore it. Deep breath. "Wands out! We have a job to do. No falling at the first hurdle. Ignore it. Take a deep breath. Focus on the task at hand. Information, answers and a solution!"

'....desk duty 'til you retire.' If he had been inclined to act like the woman now on her knees screaming her head off, that would've snapped him right out of it. As it was though, he had been highly trained for the worst so that wasn't really going to happen. They all had to keep their heads or they'd wind up dead. And so far he was keeping his, despite the fact that his brain trying to make him relive the worst evening of his life and the terror that went with it. Why was it always Hogwarts?

Ronan grabbed the arm of the coworker nearest, not trusting himself to speak in that moment. It was the only sign of the fear building that he would allow himself, however. Not only was he an Auror in all but name, but he was also a former Gryffindor. House of the brave. "This way," he said once his voice was steady enough, nodding up the infamous staircase and leading the way. He was pretty sure that they would find the biggest gathering of the-possibly-not-just-mist up in the higher floors either by the one-eyed witch statue on the third floor or even higher. Hopefully not to his favorite alcove in the rooftop garden.

She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but the moment she saw the mist, she knew they shouldn't have come here to this place. She'd always trusted her instincts and every one of them was begging her to turn back, her body shivering, goosebumps popping up along her arms, down her legs. She felt an all encompassing chill, a dread, an uneasiness that made it hard for her to think straight and even as she moved forward, grip tightening around her wand, she did so distractedly. She heard the movement, a scream, and then she turned to help only to see-

No, it couldn't be. It wasn't possible and there would be no reason that h-no. No, this wasn't real. This was the mist. "It's the mist." It was. It had to be. And even though she knew this, even though she knew that what she was seeing was impossible, it still stole her breath, made her heart race, hot tears streaming down her face now. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. Instead she stubbornly wiped at her eyes and pushed forward, trying to get a handle on her emotions.

Feeling a hand on her arm, the brunette jumped, gasping as she reached to remove it. She found Patterson then, relief coursing through her. "They're right, this isn't real. Just keep moving. Don't stop moving." Her words were for her benefit as much as they were for his and she gave his hand a tug, needing him to cooperate here. "Please keep moving. You have to." They did. Cambridge was right, they had a job to do, each and every one of them.

Caleb took a breath and let it out several times. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. He eventually stood up again and kept going. Okay. Okay, it's not real. It's not real.

Eliora's words seemed to slightly snap Ursula out of her state but she could still see a pair of eyes that seem to not have anything behind them. She had reacted instinctively and was furious at people's reaction to her reaction. As she slowly got up, trying to take in a breath, Ursula was mentally begging but for what?

"Don't ever tell me to shut up! You think I liked how I reacted?!" her mind screamed to those in her vicinity. Ursula's grip on her wand was so tight that her light brown skin had begun to lighten. The former Slytherin now felt a pressure to prove herself and she would by any means necessary.

The mist continued to thicken (seemingly coming from the the top of the grand staircase) and while the entirety of the entrance hall was shrouded in darkness, not a single torch lit, one could still make out shifting figures in the gloomy haze. Encroaching. Encircling. From the inky corners, the nooks and crannies around the hourglasses, slipping out of the broomstick cupboard, descending down the staircase and from the corridors branching off from its top. Their numbers began to increase and only thickened the feeling of fear in the air.

Not real? They certainly were very real. And they were creeping closer and closer..

Suddenly, as with every other encounter, indistinguishable forms suddenly lurched out from the mist and grabbed hold of those (Felixir, lazykitty & TakemetotheBurrow) closest to them. Holding tightly. Refusing to let go.

Still not feel real?

Though something unexpected happened. The forms latching on bleed into another shape, that which would terrorize the mind of their victim, but then it faded into another. Another form that could strike fear into the heart of the human closest to their captive audience. And then a blend of the two. A blend of three. Then a form resembling none of them at all. A muddled amalgam of frights.

Oh no, it was most definitely real. He'd known that even before the most-definitely-not-just-mist pounced. As it was though, the boney hand of one long dead creature now had his wrist in hand. Though, he didn't remember there being mist the last time. Just the smoke from the fires they had been using to fight the things off. At that memory, the burn scar on his back gave a twinge as if begging him not put it through that again.

Obviously, they hadn't gotten them all the last time. Meaning, this was a disaster he had a part in making. A thought that made him feel even worse. He and all those on the grounds that night had had a hand in this by not making sure they were totally gone.

As his mind seemed to succumb to these thoughts, mentally beating him up for the mistake, something interesting happened. The shape shifted. Something the creatures he thought had a hold on him most definitely didn't do. The shape that the thing finally settled on seemingly confirmed his earlier theory. Quickly, he thought of the happiest thing he could think of. "Expecto Patronum!" The silvery, translucent form of a meerkat left his wand, hitting the creature in front of him.

Although Derek was busy and focused on helping the Forensics team to collect samples, he could still hear people starting to freak out.

He looked up and around him, and those inside the Castle seemed to be taking the hardest toll at the moment. Derek did notice, however, some of his own teammates lose it as well, including the one who was technically helping him, Grayson. As he saw his colleague seemingly walking aimlessly, Derek was about to roll his eyes when it also hit him.

He whipped his head back towards the Castle and heard people shouting it wasn't real. He could deal with that. Derek exhaled sharply, looking back at Grayson and getting up as he corked the vial he had just filled and putting it in his bag. The other man had stopped before getting lost, which was a relief.

When Derek reached him, he notice he was crying. Dear Merlin, he was not paid enough for this. He couldn't technically blame the guy, though, because the whole thing did feel real. "Get up." He said, grabbing his colleague's robes by the shoulder and pulling him up. "It's fine, it's not real." He added, looking back to the Castle and doing his best to push away all of the thoughts that were trying to flood his mind. "We need to go." Towards those losing it to help, he meant. Not go home. No one could go home until they had sorted it - unless they were likely to get them all killed with their freaking out.

Matt tried to follow the clinking sounds with his gaze, but it was unfortunate whatever it was they were dealing with was lurking in a mist. An abnormal mist, no less. It wasn't like they could just blow it all away to be able t--

What he saw next made him inhale a ridiculous amount of air as he silently gasped, gripping his wand tighter and nearly letting out a curse. He needed to keep quiet, though, and he managed to do just that, letting out a once again staggered breath as he stared at... the... holy crap. He could feel his hand shaking and the goosebumps all over, but he was still trying to control his breath and not stare directly at whatever that really was. He could not freak out. He would not freak out. He had gone through much worse during his training, thank you, and he had not endured all of that for nothing.

A hand grabbing his arm was helpful as it made him look the other way from whatever-that-was and he saw Ronan, who was now telling them to go 'that way'.

Matt knew better than to follow a fellow YATI. If anyone, he would only take orders from his superior and all Alexa had told them was to be in pairs. Well, fine. He'd pair up with Ron--

"Holy--" Matt automatically took a step back as his eyes widened when his partner was grabbed by... were those shape-shifting figures??

Trying to pull his partner out with his bare hands didn't seem like the best idea, and as Ronan himself cast a Patronus, Matt exclaimed other incantations. "Relashio!" He moved his wand again. "Revelio!"

Those who were close enough to see Darej were able to see him with his hardened expression. It was as if he was concentrating on something that others couldn't see. He was almost as still as a statue until he reached out for something or someone to grab onto. His hands felt an arm before his eyes met, Espinosa, the owner of the arm. Seeing another person and having contact reminded Darej that he wasn't alone in this. He would never admit this of course if you asked. To him, this thought was none of anyone's business. His eyes still didn't want to be open, but the blur was starting to disappear the more he blinked.

At last, Darej gave nod before pressing on. Words were said to him, though he was unable to listen with the other sounds blaring through, he imagined it was some encouraging word or a reminder on where they were. He could feel the blood returning back to his heart allowing his grip to lessen as he was being led. He supposed he could let go now. Or not. His expression hardened once again in confusion. Something was stopping them. "What?" His voice came out in a low volume. It was as if she was stuck no matter how much he tugged. "C'mon..." That's when he was able to see a shape. It was forming.. "No..." Not again. Beforehand, Darej was unprepared but staring at the face of danger made something inside him kick at last.

"No!" Darej roared out as his adrenaline surged through his veins. Anger began to fill him. How dare this shape try to take them as it did the younger kids. Making him see and feel certain ways was sickening. Strengthening his grip to keep a hold of Espinosa he reached for his wand that was tucked away to aim at the target. "Depulso!" Feeling the familiar surge that came through him.

Yes... yes, Jake had supposed as much, that what he was seeing and hearing wasn't real, couldn't be real. Still, that didn't make it much easier to experience. Didn't make it any easier to keep walking forwards instead of retreating. But you didn't spend as long as he had working for Magical Law Enforcement only to give into fear that quickly or that easily.

He also hated the idea of desk duty, so.

It's not real, it's not real, was his continued mantra. It's not real.

He was trying to keep his mind on Alexa's instructions and the job at hand, because it made it a lot easier to try and ignore those shadowy figures, and those far-off sounds. Easier said than done; Jake's heart was pounding in his throat and every part of him was screaming that he needed to get out of there. When he raised his wand to point at a shifting something in a shadowy corner, his hand shook more than was really necessary.

He was just looking towards the others, ready to split off into a pair or a group with someone when it happened. Something had grabbed him in a vice-like grip, and the fear, if it was even possible, redoubled. Years of work in the field kept him from yelling in fright, but he did manage to get out the words, "I'm grabbed!" for the benefit of anyone who hadn't already seen. So they would stay back or cast a spell or do whatever they saw fit.

The words were barely out of his mouth before the form that had hold of him suddenly shifted into... that. Jake stared in wide-eyed horror into the face of someone he had hoped he would never, ever see again. Someone who still frightened him just as he had done thirty years ago. But then... it changed again. And again. And it kept changing, until eventually it didn't really look like anything specifically.

It's confused, said a small, logical voice in the back of Jake's head, wrestling its way through the residual fear. You're confusing it.

Confused. Fear. 'Shape-shifting in nature'. Certain theories were only being strengthened. Someone had cast a patronus, others had gone for a variety of different spells, but one spell in particular was springing to Jake's mind. Can't hurt to try.

Well. Maybe it could actually hurt, if it was the wrong spell to cast and Jake wasted his best opportunity, but... details.

His arm was still held in a way that he could not raise his wand, but he simply drew his secondary wand, aimed it at the Something™ that still had hold of him and cast his spell of choice, imagining as he did the figure swelling up like a balloon and then rapidly deflating as it flew around the room. "Riddikulus!"

The fact that Darej seemed more focused was a relief and Emilia took that as her cue to keep moving forward, pushing them on despite the overwhelming feeling of terror bubbling up inside her with each passing moment. She tried to numb herself to it, but it--

A sudden jerk stole her attention and for a split second, she feared that Darej had stopped again, distracted once more by the shadowy horrors all around them. It was worse than that, though. So much worse and the yati's eyes filled with tears, a scream begging to be torn from her throat, though it did not come. She was trying not to panic and though she knew it couldn't be real, the vision in front of her seemed so life-like, so familiar, that it paralyzed her.

She was vaguely aware of Darej calling out, of him casting a spell that she saw move towards the target, a target that had morphed into something different, something new and strange and equally frightening. The change brought her back, though. She was present again, her trembling hand training her own wand at the figure trying to take her away. "Flipendo Tria!"

She heard more spells, knew others were fighting now. The spell Upstead had used stuck in her mind, too. Boggarts....it made sense. Maybe he was on to something here. Maybe he'd figured it out...

"Riddikulus!" If he was right, they'd know what they had to do. Please be right.

Lex allowed herself a small breath of relief. Her team, regardless of any internal panic, were acting as expected. They were staying on task and not allowing themselves to panic and be of no use to the greater efforts.

To be sure, on any day of the week, her department looked into the face of danger. Knowing how to act under these circumstances was what determined whether they could be sent out into the field—so yes, she did mean that desk duty comment. When she sent them on missions, she needed to know they’d get it done with steely determination.

Hazel eyes ran to Jake immediately. Grabbed? He’d been grabbed? Lex’s gaze fell to the hand that gripped him she shot a cutting spell to remove it but stopped short of casting another when she heard what he cast.

Yes. It made sense and ran along the lines she’d been considering. The constant shifts in imagery, the mist as no one knew the true form of such creatures...the terror that plagued the castle’s occupants until they evacuated. There were certainly....far more than she thought ever lived together but there were only so many creatures that fit this bill and at the moment, it was the only lead they had to go by.

“Riddikulus!”

This grey haze continued to thicken as more and more shapes entered the space, encroaching and encircling the humans gathered in their domain.

The Patronus Charm had little effect on the disfigured inferius form that had latched itself on to its victim [lazykitty], perhaps only loosening its grip a little and perhaps enough to allow for an escape. Perhaps. Though whatever the patronus has started, Relashio [cast by Hey Ju] finished it and the fingers on the creature snapped back from the arm in a grotesque manner. Though the fingers soon melted together to take on their next form.

Tightening it's hold around her [TakemetotheBurrow], ravenous brown eyes wrapped in flames narrowed on her and roared her name just as a series of spells were sent its direction by another [Charely Potter] and was enough to push it back just a bit but not enough to keep it from charging forward again. This time more enraged than before, only this time its form engulfed in flames seemed disoriented and jumbled between its last form and another.

And then it happened.

The spell struck the form gripping the Auror [Felixir] and stunned it briefly before spinning right round like a top before taking on a more benevolent form. The same went for the young YATI [TakemetotheBurrow], whose first spell did nothing more but ricochet off the broad shoulder of her attacker, as her spell struck true. As did that for the department head [DaniDiNardo] who soon followed suit.

Stunned, the three 'stooges' knocked into one another before fleeing and finding sanctuary within the confines of a nearby suit of armor.

Ursula's mind clicked into gear. Why hadn't she realised this before? She thought about the creepy eyes in a new light as she pointed her wand at the mist that was surrounding her and was the cause of her nightmarish visions and said, "Riddikulus!" Hopefully, she was on the right track and she turned to her group and whispered, "Think about it. What would cause us to be frightened? We need to try."

It's not real.

It's not real.

The words, mixed with the grab on his shoulder, were a welcomed interruption in all of this. Like waking up after a nightmare. It was enough to cause Grayson to stop and turn his head and look in the direction of the person who'd grabbed him. Derek. It was Derek. Derek was here. Derek, of all people, was helping him.

It's not real.

He let himself be pulled up, hardly thinking about resisting or scoffing or doing anything else that Grayson Whitlocks would do. The sounds from before were still playing in his head but these new words, these three words, were growing louder and louder. He stood there, hastily wiping his eyes, not caring who saw or what they saw. Didn't matter. None of this mattered.

Grayson forced himself to concentrate on Derek and whatever it was the older man was saying. They needed to go. There was a small pause as he took one, and then two deep breaths. It was only after he found his voice that he asked, "To the castle?" He didn't need any orders. They were going there whether the man liked it or not. There were sounds, screams, whatever. He didn't know. But he wanted to know what this entity was.

"C'mon, let's go." And wands out because he wasn't dying out here.

And yes, he was still trying his hardest to ignore the sounds from before.