"Headmaster!" Hecate said from the staircase her teeth were clenched, but her voice was calm and soothing. "You summoned me for my cleaning potions? Were the house elves busy with curing some terminal illness? What exactly are we cleaning? Basilisk Blood?"

Kurumi, who had done nothing but STARE at everyone as they continued speaking in tongues, actually felt a sense of relief when she saw Professor Lafay make her presence known. The red paint was still dripping from her forehead where Salander had cast his spell at. Her hands, on the other hand, were covered in whatever the sticky stuff had been on the walls.

Kurumi looked sheepishly at the Potions Mistress, back at her hands, and then towards the Headmaster. Hopefully whatever was needed to remove the stain from the wall would work on her hands.

That was the only reason she had stuck around after the Headmaster had told them all to leave. Once her hands were clean, she would be out of there faster than you could say cookie.

And she was cranky. Shocker, shocker. Tate gestured for the Potions Mistress to join him before turning back to the stone wall. If she couldn't immediately see why she was required, he was paying her far too much.

"I believe I sent for one of my Heads of House with a special knowledge of Potions magics to assist me with a conundrum. If you believe the task is beyond your skill, then I will look elsewhere."

He pointed to Kurumi, who waited nearby. "You could start with the paint on Miss Hollingberry's hands, perhaps."

She raised an eyebrow. Then smiled wide but didn't say a word. She looked at the Gryffindor girl with the paint on her face. "And this isn't for the game? Red does suit you Miss Hollingberry." Why hadn't Tate tergeo'd the kid? Maybe that was the conundrum...

Upon closer inspection... Hecate tilted her head. She took a glove out of her robes and put it on her hand, then touched the girl. "This... I have never seen... this... this is... an old formula. I've only read about this."

She summonned the potions that had been floating behind her, and opened two vials, pouring a little bit out of one and adding the other to the remainder. She closed the vial and shook it by hand. Taking it into her hand she was about to apply it to the child, when she realized Tate was still there. Right... she needed to ask. "Miss Hollingberry? May I?"

"No ma'am," Kurumi said in reference to her painting her face for the Quidditch match. If she wanted to show team spirit she could try and turn her hair red, but she didn't really want the attention. She was freaked out enough as it was. "Paint on my face is from Salander's spell...my hands are from the wall..." she explained nodding her head towards the X. Yep, where she had just walked right up and got herself stuck to it.

Kurumi's stomach tied in knots a bit. Odd formula? Kurumi really didn't like the sound of that. Her eyes darted to the Headmaster nervously.

When Professor Lafay spoke again, Kurumi nodded her head. Just as long as whatever was in the vial wouldn't melt her hands off...

No ma'am? Listen to her... "Here." Hecate said handing the child the vial. "You can do it yourself, can't you?"

Hecate turned to the headmaster, along with the rest of the kids in the great hall and with a smile she said "Anyone else need my cleaning services?" Hopefully someone who would be grateful?

...cleaning services?

Sierra had been quiet until now; or, at least, ever since things had sort of calmed down she'd grown quiet. She kept a close watch on Vindictus and his little band of heroes, but at the same time, she turned a part of her attention to her head of house.

"Professor Lafay," she said, "...do you need some help cleaning up?" She'd always held a great deal of respect for Professor Lafay, and her Head of House was among the few...the very few...she didn't mind going out on a limb to help. Besides, that red X, and the trail it seemed to be leading to, was making her a little on the nervous side.

"The wall needs your cleaning services," Tate intoned flatly. "Rather desperately. If you have the situation well in hand, I'd like to head down to the Great Hall to see how Max is faring with the crazed student body."

"You can, Miss Greingoth..." She said staring at Tate. So Vindictus gets the students and she gets the cleaning? "Or not. Hollingberry has her hands dirty already, and I've given her the cleaning potion." She turned to the Gryffindor. "You'll clean the mess now won't you Hollingberry."

Kurumi took the vial from the Potions Mistress, taking extra care to use her fingers that were the least covered in red paint so as not to create an even bigger mess than there already was. Just as she was about to pour some of the solution on her hands, she heard her name said again...minus the Miss and in a tone that sent a chill down Kurumi's spin.

Merlin help her! Dragon Lady was back and was blaming Kurumi for the fire in her potions storeroom! Kurumi swallowed hard and looked at the vial in her hands before looking back at Professor Lafay.

"I-I suppose I can," she said as she nodded her head twice and chewed on her bottom lip slightly. Her violet gaze then darted towards Sierra and she felt her stomach tie in even tighter knots. "Sierra may as well if she wants to," Kurumi smiled weakly. After all, Sierra had offered to help only a moment earlier.

Sierra's eyes darted from Professor Lafay to Kurumi. She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at the Gryffindor before turning back to her Head of House. "Alright," she simply said, and then she looked back at Kurumi.

Had the Gryffindor seriously just tried to push all her work off on Sierra? Yes. Yes, she had! Sierra narrowed her eyes at Kurumi once again. She'd been willing to help Professor Lafay, but Kurumi Hollingberry? Not a chance. "Oh, ...well," she mumbled, taking a few steps back, "like Professor Lafay said--you've already got the cleaning potion, and your hands are already dirty." Sierra looked up at Professor Lafay. If her Head of House made her stay now, she would, but if she didn't say anything else about it, Sierra was taking off.

Hollingberry was on her own with this one. Besides, Sierra was curious to see what Vindictus and his gang had gotten themselves into in the Great Hall.

"Gryffindors are always first to get their hands dirty," Tate gave the girl a wink. There wasn't a need to feel ashamed about the fact that she'd been the only one brave enough to get close to the wall... even if it had been a foolish thing to do. He would have been first in line himself.

"Give it a scrub, Miss Hollingberry, and that'll be five points to Gryffindor for being a good sport."

His eyes narrowed at the little Slytherin princess. "You have hands, Greingoth. Scrub away."

He saluted Lafay and strolled down the hall toward the stairs. He needed to check on Max and Co.

Shrugging her shoulders a bit, but still with a timid smile on her face, Kurumi decided that her hands would just have to come after she had removed the red paint from the wall – IF that is really what it was. She eyed Professor Lafay suspiciously for a moment. What had the woman meant by it was a consistency that she had only read about. Where had she read about it? Kurumi highly doubt that it was something she could just walk right into the library and read about. Perhaps it was worth a try though.

In the next instant, Headmaster Tate had spoken to her and, wait, was that a wink?! Kurumi suddenly felt ten times better about the situation she had found herself in. Her and the Headmaster had had more than a few awkward moments over her first two terms – the main one being last term in relation to Mr. Ikenna, who Kurumi was still somewhat missing seeing as she wanted to discuss more things with him. She did manage to giggle at his comment about Gryffindors.

“Thank you, Headmaster,” she said with a slight bow before turning her attention to the X. She supposed she ought not just pour the solution on the wall, so she pulled out her yellow handkerchief from her pocket, placed it over the top of the vial, and turned it upside down for a moment as she began to scrub the wall. She thought she heard a low hissing noise as the solution made contact with the paint, which was rather odd, but she continued to pat the wall until the red began to fade.

She looked over her shoulder at Sierra and wasn’t really sure if the Headmaster’s comment had meant that she was supposed to help or not. Kurumi was rather hoping for the latter to be wrong. Kurumi didn’t fancy the glare that threatened to drill a hole through Kurumi’s head.

...

He saluted her?

Weirdo...

She turned to the two girls.

"The headmaster asked you to help. You'll help." She said staring at the girl.

She wasn't stuttering with the headmaster. "Hollingberry, put some elbow grease into that." She said watching over the child. She would make sure the kid would earn those 5 points.

...wait. What?!

...but Hollingberry hadn't even been the first to volunteer! How had she ended up with all the praise and points?! She felt like spitting venom at the headmaster, but she didn't dare say or do anything out of line. She'd just lost three blasted points in Arithmancy class, and now this?!

...this was why she hated Gryffindors. They were trouble, every single last one of them. Even the headmaster!

It also didn't escape her that Hollingberry had gotten a 'Miss' attached to her last name, whereas all Sierra had gotten was a 'Greingoth'. "Yes, Headmaster," she half-mumbled. Later on, she was going to get Kurumi for this. She didn't know when, she didn't know how, but Cookie Girl had it coming to her.

Sierra looked up at Professor Lafay, her jaw half-dropped and her eyes giving her Head of House this look of half-shock and half-disappointment. Blahh. Whatever happened to house loyalty?!

Oh, yeah...that was for the Hufflepuffs. The Gryffindors, too, apparently.

At least there hadn't been a 'Miss' attached to Hollingberry's last name this time. "Yes, Professor Lafay," she answered. She didn't dare look at Hollingberry. She didn't trust herself not to send a quick trip jinx her way.

...but she could feel the girl looking at her, and the fact remained that Sierra needed the cleaning solution and a cloth to go with it. She slooooowly looked the girl's way. "Hey, you," she said, giving the girl the absolute coldest glare she could, "I need the cleaning solution."

Vindictus put the hat back on and motioned to his crowd-control group to follow him. "Let's go eat while they clean up this mess!" he called out and headed down the stairs.

Simon's attention had momentarily been focused on the scene between Kurumi and Sierra but when Vindictus spoke up and motioned for them to follow, his full attention was on the captain. "Aye," he said simply with a nod before following the older man down the stairs.

Kurumi watched as the crowd walked off. Although, perhaps walked off wasn't the most appropriate word since there was a bit of a swagger in everyone's step. Merlin Hogwarts was getting stranger and stranger with each passing term. Her first term had been the Triwizard Tournament, her second year had been all the talk of non-magical people, and now people were acting almost like possessed zombie pirates.

Kurumi's eyes widened for a moment. INFERI!? Had everyone turned into INFERI PIRATES?! But wait...that would suggest that everyone had no free will and couldn't think for themselves....which didn't seem THAT far off since Lexi had hit her and Salander had practically thrown her across the corridor to keep her away from the bloody red X on the wall.

Kurumi had been so engrossed in her thoughts about Zombie Papa Snake that she almost didn't hear Sierra speak to her - especially since she was being addressed as 'you.'

Kurumi turned her head to the side and saw Sierra glaring at her. If looks could kill, Kurumi was pretty sure she would be lying face first into the stone floor right now. "Oh, um, s-s-s-sorry," Kurumi said as she passed Sierra the vial. It was a little sticky with red paint since Kurumi had been using a combination of her cloth and hands to clean the wall.

Since when had the girl developed a stutter? Must be all that Dictionary Eating she was doing. Knowing so many words had finally gotten to her head, and now when she spoke, she had no idea which words to say. Sierra regarded Kurumi's apologies with an eyeroll and then accepted the cleaning agents. She said nothing as she started to scrub. The stuff wasn't easy to get off.

A part of her was angry about doing it and the other part was just glad that there would no longer be a red X at this particular point in the castle. Her eyes flickered down the corridor, and noticing no other landlubbers down that way, she turned back to the wall. Some time later, she was done. She left the cleaning agents with Kurumi but said nothing to the slightly older Gryffindor.

She did turn to Professor Lafay, though. "Bye, Professor. Have a good day," she said then she turned and headed for the staircases, disappearing down them a few moments later.

Presley stood outside the Prefects bathroom for the second time that year. Is it worth it or not?" she asked herself. On the one hand, she reallllllllllly needed a nice quiet private bath, and if you talked to the portrait enough, she'd heard it was possible to confuse them enough to let you in without a password. On the other hand, when she'd tried this before, she'd gotten in trouble. Getting caught a second time, and she wouldn't get off as easily. Weighing the benefits and challenges, Presley finally turned to the portrait, and began scientific babbling.

The time of year had come where the Common Room was becoming unbearable. Ellie didn't understand how so many people were so fascinated with this idea of 'studying'. Granted, it wasn't yet as crazy as it could get, but there were still far too many books stacked, opened, and idly lying about for her liking.

She just needed to get out of there and walk. Where? She could care less. As long as it was far away from where she was coming from.

Toothless Bill had gotten no where with the wench on the 6th floor so he moved down one floor searching for his captin's beloved treavsure. He came acrossed yet another lassie. What was with this place?? Filled with women.

"ARRR THERE LASSIE." He shouted at her raising his sword again brandishing it to she wouuldn't run. "Where be the capt'in treasure!" He demanded of her!!!! Circling around her so there was no escape untill he got what he wanted.

Ellie froze.

That had to be Jacob....in a high pitched voice...which wasn't exactly surprising. But it had to be him, he was convinced he was a pirate. And UGH. Just UGH.

She wanted to get AWAY from the Ravenclaws.

She turned around to tell him that he was unwanted in her presence at this time, but instead saw...Well, not Blunt. "Hi?" Why was Ronnie talking like a pirate? Seriously?

WOAHSWORD!

Ellie took a few steps back and eyed the death weapon. "You haven't been talking to Jacob Blunt, have you?" If he became contagious....

Toothless Bill looked at the girl. "ARRR THERE LASSIE WHO BE THIS BLUNT SCALYWAG." He shouted at her advancing just a little getting closer...maybe this wench would be able to help anyway, she was kind of pretty, Bill thought to himself.

"I be Toothless Bill McKenzie fear me." Bill told the wench again looking around. "Now open yer bag and let me see me treasure." He demanded of her ready to strike if necessary.

There was no way he was going to wear those high heels back. He was unable to walk properly with them anyway. It was feeling like he could break his ankles any moment. So, he just glared at the girly shoes right after escaping the Prefects' Bathroom and just lazily dropped them into Iris' very girly bag. He preferred to walk around barefeet. Yeah, at least it did not have the risk of breaking bones.

But...what was the problem of this bag?????? Hah? Why was its zipper thing refusing to obey him? Grrrrr...while dealing with it, Josh felt like tearing the whole bag apart yet, it appeared Iris' physical strenght was not really enough for it as he had attempted to so very shortly.

Ugh!!!

Now he was unable to hide the heels in the bag...which was annoying.

Letting out an angry breath, Josh leaned against the wall and closed his or Iris' eyes.

Calm down! Calm down boy!!!

You don't want to do anything wrong out of anger!!! This is not your body!!!