Fallon was very glad for the appearance of Tate. She wished he didn't have to get them all to be quiet by making that stupid whip sound. It was kind of loud...which she guessed was the point so that everyone would shut up. She watched his patronus go off to fetch someone...and she smiled when Vindictus showed up. Until he started talking in that stupid pirate talk too.

Fallon looked at the Ravenclaw boy who was hiding behind her...and using her robes as a shield. She would just leave him be. Didn't need to make a fuss in this big craziness. Fallon looked at the headmaster, waiting.

Now Vindictus is speaking pirate too? Oh my Godric what was wrong with these people?! Why were some people speaking all weird!? It didn't make any sense. Nika turned to Samira seeing that she decided to stay at the back of the crowd just in case. Hopefully they wouldn't get into any trouble... Hopefully.

Thank Merlin the Headmaster had finally arrived. Everything was getting way out-of-hand, all because of that stupid X. Now more than ever Vashti wished she knew who had put this up so she could give them a piece of her mind. Right now, however, she remained silent and breathed a small sigh of relief as everyone seemed to finally calm down...

And then Professor Vindictus showed up. Now surely this would- Wait. Matey? Oh Merlin...

There was no way in hell that Lexi was lowering her wand until the WRETCHED Salander lowered his first. Feh. She wasn't stupid. SNORT.

Then... Kurumi was falling everywhere and GETTING PAINT ON HER ROBES! o____O Lexi thought about hexing her in the face, but then her Cap'n arrived.

Lexi stood up straighter and jabbed her wand at Sal's jugular again disregarding Tatertot's wishes as she looked at Vindi and smiled crookedly. "AYE! Capn'n! This is the problem!" she said as she pointed to the red X on the wall. Mhm. She was tattling.

As a set of footsteps sounded down the corridor, growing closer and closer to the scene, Sierra turned to see who the latest intruder was. She eyed Vindictus as he walked up, straightening his hat as he did so. "Those of yer hand and the landlubbers, too," she commented under her breath. Otherwise, she said nothing. Her eyes moved from Vindictus to Tate and back again. What business did he have...with him? She waited for either man to speak, draw a cutlass, or do whatever business it was they'd come to do.

Simon had been hearing rumors of a rukus happening down somewhere along the fifth floor corridor and he had decided to go an invesitigate. At first he had thought there was more issues with the door to the spirit room that nobody had so far been able to budge but many people wanted to for some reason, but as he neared the rather loud gathering it was clear it was something else entirely.

The seventh year took in the gathering, making his way through the various students already standing there until he spotted a few choice personages as well as what they were surrounding. Headmaster Tate had apparently been called and the captain of course with other members around as well. He raised a slight eyebrow however as he spotted the troublesome Salander trying to block the red x that was clearly important. The Gryffindor narrowing his eyes at the nerve he had before shoving forward into him to cause him to fall forward while making it appear accidental.

"Well sink me...A sorry to ye for that," Simon fake appologized though looking sincere as possible. The Gryffindor exchanging glances with Vindictus as he looked away from the Slytherin.

Kurumi watched as Lexi, Salander, Sierra, and all others who were acting strangely calmed down NOT when the Headmaster had appeared, but when Professor Vindictus arrived looking...well...even more insane than usual. Although THAT was an understatement.

What WAS he doing? Had she missed the memo on it being Halloween or something? "N-N-Nice hat, Professor," Kurumi said pointing to the rather large mass on the Flying professor's head. Her hands still covered in red paint from her exploration of the X on the wall.

Kurumi's head cocked to the side when all those CLEARLY with something wrong with them began calling the man Cap'n. Whatever that really meant. And then Sierra was calling them all landlubbers again. She wasn't some strange breed of flobberworm!

And then Simon showed up...acting equally as strangely. "S-S-Simon?" she squeaked looking at him. He too seemed to be reporting in to Professor Vindictus.

Vindictus snarled at Salander and then he heard Sierra's comment.

"I'll be takin' yer tongue when this be over," he replied in a low voice.

But then there was Lexi who called his attention to what he was missing.

Gasp!

His eyes grew wide as he spotted the red X and then eyed some red paint on a few people. He approached Sal and stopped three feet away from the lad.

"ARRRRRRRR! Ye be plottin' to steal me treasure!" he bellowed and waved a threatening finger in his face.

What. The. Heck.

...

The Professor was speaking Pirate too?! What was going on with everyone? Was this some kind of joke? Samira shifted her feet. "Um, why is everyone talking Pirate?"

What!? You've got to be kidding me. Not him too. Nika saw the looks that Vindictus gave the other pirate speakers. What if they were planning to start a pirate army!? Why were they all worried about "this treasure"? What was this guy even talking about!? Does this all have to do with the ship that landed in the lake!? So. Many. Questions.

"We're not trying to steal your treasure." Nika muttered under her breath. WHAT TREASURE!? This guy has surely gone mad. Maybe they should get these people to the healer. Maybe she'll know what to do.

"Arrr!" Sierra roared, and she drew her wand. Yet she didn't draw it in the same manner she usually would. Once out, it was raised above her head, pointing upward as it was a sword. She looked at it for a moment, let a few seconds of confusion pass, and then stuffed it back into its holster. "We'll take ye to Davy Jones locker, ye scallywag!" She paused and looking around, her eyes falling on Lexi. "Ye hand, too!"

Sierra quietened as Vindictus approached Salamander. She looked up to the older boy, waiting to see what his answer would be. She should firmly by him, not thinking he'd need the help but being there all the same.

"Just a simple case of graffiti," Tate started to suggest. If he could just have help getting the kids back from the wall, then maybe he could figure out what had really happened there. But apparently, that was a huge 'if', as Max was feeling more playful than helpful.

"Not a good time for jokes, 'matey'." The words sounded strange on his lips, and Tate cringed. "I'd like to take a look at the wall, if you please."

He trusted Max to watch his back as he waded through the crowd of students. What could possibly have ignited them about a bit of red paint on the wall?

Nika opened her eyes widely when Tate said "matey", but thank merlin he didn't continue speaking pirate. They didn't need anymore of those people around here. Not right now at least. All this pirate talk was making her confused. Nika put her hands to her forehead and rubbed her temples, but as soon as she felt a liquidy substance she stopped and brought her now red hands down. Right. Great. The red X that Salander had so kindly put on her forehead.

Between Lexi still jabbing her wand up his jugular and Simon trying to.. headbutt?... him, he sure had his hands full. Not that he didnt enjoy this, the more the merrier aint it?

"Steal yer treasure? Yer treasure?" the First Mate scoffed as he eyed the scallywag Captain straight in the eye "We found this here wall marked fer all these landlubers t's spy on. I be askin' what ye tryin' to do givin' away th' location 'o our booty" Yeah, aint much of a secret treasure if it aint secret anymore is it?

Then the Headmaster nears them, intent on trying to investigate the red X on the wall. Eying him suspiciously-- he is after all a little too friendly with the Captain-- the First Mate swatted the annoying wand off his neck and stood aside, not too far away from the X. Juuuust in case its a ruse trying to push him and his mateys off their share of the treasure.

Miss Lovegoods was on the fifth floor to use one of the perks that came with being a prefect. The wonderful lounge of course. She'd tugged at the strap of her bag slung over her shoulder, and had intended on avoiding the large crowd of students when she noticed a tall figure that could.... SHOULD never be ignored.

Capn'n Vindictus.

The fifth year quickly dropped her bag and moved over to the man's side all while assessing the situation. "Filthy landlubbers messin with the me treasure..." She muttered the whole way over, glaring at all those with the red 'X' and those near the one on the wall. The one that MATTERED MOST.

Vindictus rolled his eyes. "In yarr dreams, scallywag!"


"Arr! Move yerself away from the mark," Vindictus ordered.

More help arrived at last!

"Lads!" he barked out, "gather 'round behind me!"


As he was calling the students to get behind him, he heard Tate's reply. Vindictus scratched his chin and he erupted in laughter as Tate made his way through the crowd of students.

"'Make way for the Headmaster!" he commanded the students who were crowding the corridor. But his next reply was meant directly for Tate. "Use yer deadlights and tell me what ye sees."

He didn't like Salander's words and actions one bit and he kept both eyes clearly on the Slytherin. "Who said it twas the capt'an who marked it out, eh?" he questioned seeing as where he stood, it was Sal who had red paint on him.

Simon watched as more help loyal to the captain arrived, exchanging a glance with her and Kurumi as the younger Gryffindor called his name hesitantly. The quidditch captain not finding anything out of the ordinary with what was going on. He then looked over at Vindictus as the man ordered their movement behind him.

"Aye captain," he said before moving to do just that, clearing the way for Tate and moving away from Salander though keeping a steady eye on both all the same.

The Puff prefect exchanged knowing glances with the Quidditch captain as she obediently moved behind Vindictus. "Aye, Captain!" Her glare soon went back to the other loiters. Just what was their game? Why were they hanging around the Captain's 'X'?

She gave them all suspicious looks, and the 'others' got glares.

Kurumi stood in silence holding her paint covered hands close to her mouth, but making sure not to get even more paint on her face than there already was. She didn’t want to end up looking like a tomato or anything.

Then, Professor Vindictus spoke again. Well, the person who had Professor Vindictus’ face anyway. Kurumi wasn’t sure if the man was really in there or not. After all, she had just witnessed Lexi stick her wand against Salander’s neck and he to hers…that wasn’t something that they would do on a normal day. Something was…wrong…seriously wrong…it was almost as if…

MERLIN! THEY HAD ALL TURNED INTO PIRATE ZOMBIES!
O___________________________O

Kurumi shook her head and squeaked in fright at the thought, but then there was talk about treasure…Professor Vindictus’ treasure to be exact and him not wanting it to be stolen from…Salander? Yeah, Kurumi had caught that look.

Kurumi became even more confused when Sierra spat at…Professor Vindictus? And he didn’t take away a million points for that? HIM? The man who had taken away some 50 points for merely hugging someone during Flying lesson? Something was SERIOUSLY wrong with this picture. Not to mention that he was wearing a hat…a really nice hat…Kurumi wanted to touch it and she began reaching out for it…

She stopped her reach when she heard the Headmaster speak again and then Professor Vindictus calling Salander a merfolk…or something to that extent…followed by instructions to have him move away from the mark. Then Professor Vindictus was telling them to use their deadlights. What were those?

Last, but not least, Kurumi heard Simon call the Flying professor captain. Where as she hadn’t been sure before, she was now. These students were looking at this man as the captain of a ship…perhaps the very ship that was sitting on the Black Lake right now.

Kurumi moved a little closer to Simon and peered around Headmaster Tate as he examined the X on he wall.

“I-I touched the X earlier,” Kurumi said, more towards Headmaster Tate than anyone else, bashfully showing her red hands. “I-I got stuck for a bit, that is, until Salander pulled me from the wall…Right after I touched it, everyone showed up acting like…like how you see them now.” She then turned her attention to Professor Vindictus and his really neat hat. “Professor Vind---Captain Vindictus,” she said correcting herself. Might as well try to speak like them right? Talking normal hadn’t gotten her anywhere. “Why…why do you think someone is after your treasure? Did you hide something in the school?” More like lose something…his mind perhaps…

Kurumi continued to eye the hat. Maybe he would let her try it on?

Aurora sighed in relief. "Oh thank Merlin." she whispered abs put her wand back in it's holster. She suddenly felt much safer now that Tate was here but she could still feel the tension in the air and kept herself backed against the wall. She put her hand to her forehead. Had Tate done anything about the- no. She still had a red X on her head... Oh no. "Damn." she looked down at her wand hand, now covered in what look like red paint, and scowled, holding it up to her eyes to see if she could tell what it was.

Presley was glad that the headmaster had followed her, but she hadn't expected him to shout at them. She supposed that the situation was crazy, but didn't they have a right to be freaking out? There could be a student lying dead somewhere, and randomly everyone was now speaking like freaking PIRATES! It was all Presley could do to remain put together and not break down. As Tate pushed through the students, Presley backed up against the opposite wall. "What's going on here?" she whispered softly. This was possibly the most terrifying thing she had seen at Hogwarts so far.

Aurora saw a girl back against the wall next to her and looked over to her. "I don't think anybody really knows." she said, use her non-painty hand to pop a Jelly Baby into her mouth, very relaxing. "I think the piratey people think there is treasure under the X and te others are just angry for some reason... and the pirates are answering to Professor Vindictus and Professor Tate by the looks of it which is a relief... But I'm not sure what's happening really..." Biting the head of another squealing Jelly Baby.

Oakey got up from the floor facing the mystery door that wouldn't open. and began to head back to leave the 5th floor when he came across a large crowd of students.

There was no way Oakey was going to get through this crowd...especially since about more than half the crowd was at each others throats and talking like pirates and covered in something red . He touched one of the other students on the back. Hey what's all the fuss about? Oakey asked her. Why is everyone talking like pirates and covered in red?

He took a quick look at the wall where Headmaster Tate was and saw something written on the wall in red. It wasn't very visible for Oakey to see but this didn't seem good if Tate and Vindictus came to investigate.

Iris looked up from her spot on the floor as Tate finally showed up. Brilliant! Oh. And he was giving out the exact same advice as Iris just did, not five minutes ago. Ah well. He's the Headmaster. They HAD to listen to him, even if they ignored her.

As Professor Vindictus turned up, too, Iris sighed with a little relief. These were the best two staff members in the school. They could sort out anything together.




... Why was he talking like a pirate, too? that was slightly unnerving. And what was all this nonsense about treasure theft!? There wasn't any bloody treasure in Hogwarts!

"That's a very good question, Samira." Iris said, glancing at Tate. Surely he knew what was going on. This WAS just a prank, right? It had to be...



Iris had noticed Simon, but she'd not really noticed that he was talking in pirate. But then Ayra came along. Nooo. No, no, no!! She was siding with the Nutcases talking in Pirate! This wasn't good! Iris NEEDED the help of her prefects. They should be helping keep all the students calm! Not being ridiculous and hunting for treasure! Ahh.... Looking for Fallon, Iris walked over to her best friend with her arms folded. She looked confused and worried and somewhat lost. It wasn't good for the Head Girl to be looking and feeling like that, was it?

Just happened to pass by, Aiden is curious why there is a crowd at the corridor. She walks closer to them and briefly surprised when she sees the headmaster. Then, she sees the "X" mark on the wall.

She recalls asking her Gryffindor friend regarding pirates coming to Hogwarts in the last History of Magic lesson. Could it be real? She slowly approaches some other students. "Umm... What's going on here?" asks Aiden politely.