"I was maligned by the press," Vivi agreed with a solemn little nod of the head. Or you know... publicly ousted as the daughter of a well-known witch so that people didn't take her seriously. Serious faces for serious peoples.

She stooped to attach the bottle to the launcher, letting the woman carry out her drama and screaming and Hufflepuff-hating on her own time. Busy here. Blowing stuff up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tegz

"Aaaaaaaaaaaspen." West gave his sister a tortured look. This wasn't about learning spells it was about launching ROCKETS! And she was barring his way to ROCKET success! "I aaaaaam focusing on WATER." He was! He really for truly was!

He noted that not far away Nigel wasn't having any trouble but then he was a Ravenclaw. It made sense.

Still, West tried again. He gave his sister a LOOKATMEFOCUSINGONWATER look, and then directed his wand. "Aguamenti!" A sliiiiiiiiight trickle. Then nothing.

And now the youngest Odessa was getting frustrated.

And then there was some familiar whining happening only a few feet away. Vivi popped back up to her feet and brushed herself off before crooking a finger at West.

"Hey, Squirt. I'll fill your bottle if you'll do my flapping for me. I'm not really in the mood to chicken dance." She was not flapping around like some crazy headless bird, not for all the rockets in the entire world.

Aspen put her fangs back in and returned a VERYSERIOUSNOJOKESODESSA face right back to little brother. "You'll practice this one later then," she compromised. "Conjuring water is important."

She wanted him to try ONE more time, but... she'd help before class moved on.

Aspen ran her tongue across her fangs, then cast a quiet, almost silent, Aguamenti!

"You better tell me when," because she was filling until he SAID when.

The twelve-years old had lost hope on finding any kind of note written by her. She was too busy watching the professor flapping…cutely. And the second-year was mesmerized by the whole rocket lunching thing and while the excitement overwhelmed her when the rocket shot up in the sky she never remembered writing down any spell or anything.


She sighed and like earlier stood and looked around her seeing if anyone was about to launch their rocket. Fortunately most of the students got to that stage so it was easy. Stepping closer to one of the students she scribbled down the spell , "Explaeris," She repeated. Though there was no need to write it down considering she'll now go and cast it right away but she didn't know what might happen again.

So returning to her launcher. She scuffed her feet around feeling that her spirit was a bit down now. Not like when she first came here to the courtyard.

Anyway, Cassia held her wand up and aimed it the bottle. Drawing a circular shape and uttering ,"Explaeris!" she started flapping. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. FLAP. Flap .flap. flap. flap. flap. flap………Cassia felt that her arm might get detached from her body which caused her to slow down and the rocket stirred then left the launcher and rose a barely a couple of feet then it fell to the ground.

*Blink*

Cassia still holding her wand looked at her beloved rocket laying on the ground . She pocketed her wand feeling a lump in her throat. She had imagined her rocket to shoot up in the sky like the Professor did marvelously. And like the other students were doing as well. She watched one of the students launching their rocket and noticed that her flapping wasn't as perfect as the other.

She sighed and picked up her rocket. Well, at least she tried and what do they say about having the honor of trying? But the second-year was feeling horrible for she wanted to see her rocket fly like the others. At least it rose up a couple of feet. She tried to convince herself in vain.

Cassia sat cross-legged on the rocky ground hugging her rocket and watching the other students trying to console herself. She shouldn't act childish like this. That was when she was a firstie. Now she was a second-year and she was going to take it like a man……um or like a woman.

Nigel was now ready to continue his countdown. He really wanted to watch his awesome rocket fly. He looked around at the other rockets and sees West having problems with the water spell. But Nigel was sure he would get it, or have his sister help him. He was a Slytherin after all. But first Nigel need to do that wand motion and flapping thing.

"Five, Four, Three". Now Nigel got back into position. "Batwing is ready for Launch. Two, ONE!!"

Nigel yelled "Explaeris!" while doing tracing a circle by her rocket. He then began to flap like a fool. He hoped nobody was looking at him because he kinda looked like a bird right now.

While flapping like a bird. He hears a BOOM and turns around to see his rocket start to go into the sky. He thought for a second that it exploded like Elijahs, But his was actually flying.

"This is so AWESOME!" He stopped flapping and started to watch and see if his batwings stayed on the rocket. It was looking good. His Batwing Rocket was so awesome!

Kurumi and Selina were far enough away to avoid the bulk of the water being sprayed everywhere by...Elijah? Kurumi sort of laughed. She really should have known that it was coming from him...but her mind was sort of focused on other things.

Like the fact that her rocket was NOT launching. What was going on? This time she saw that her bottle was sort of expanding...or doing whatever it was that it was supposed to do when air was being pumped into it..only it wasn't shooting off into the air like it should be.

Frowning, Kurumi looked over at Selina when she went over to inspect it. "Maybe I didn't attach it to the launcher properly..." Kurumi sighed, deciding to bend down to take a look. Which was when she saw...

"SELINA GET BACK IT'S GOING TO GO O-----"

But Kurumi's warning came too late...and her rocket was no longer on the launcher but shooting through the air all of the three foot distance or distance between the ground and Selina's face.

o_________________________O

West looked at Vivi and then back at his sister. He was pretty sure Aspen would do it. And also, he had his own flapping to do and this was not a fair trade off. Looking at Vivi again, West smiled, showing off the fangs he still wore.

"I think you have to flap." On account of West wasn't buying it. He wasn't gullible enough to call that a good deal.


"Okay. Later. You can help me. I can even ask that professor. The Transfiguration one." But for now, ROCKETS.

YESSSSS

WATERRRRR YESSSS WAAAaaater. FUEL! ROCKET FUEL!

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeen!"

His rocket now had FUEL!

Faye's nerves were getting the better of her at this point. All the kids around her were already setting off their rockets and she was worried that she wouldn't have the time to finish it. What if the Professor called the class to halt before she even had the chance actually use her rocket.

Faye sighed wishing that she didn't have to practice. Wishing that she was just good magic and knew all the spells and wand movements with out having to practice. Ugh...she sighed and focused on the wand movements to go with her spell. Faye started to trace a circle over her bottle and flapped her arm.

Actually she thought she just looked foolish, but this is what the Professor did and what all the other kids were doing, so this must be right!! She kept flapping her arms, she flapped so hard she was sure that herself was going to take flight not her bottle.

No. Foot-stomping-NO. It was totally legit to ask a little kid to do the labor in exchange for her awesome skills, and the fact that West wasn't willing to help, well...

She'd look elsewhere. Where was Lex?

All around her, the other students were happily going about their business, and it was looking (tragically, sadly, HORRIBLY) as if Vivi would have to do her own flailing flapping. With a little sigh, Vivi drew out her wand and murmured the incantation to herself as she drew a practice circle.

Stupid. Flapping. Motions.

The redhead ignored all of the commotion on the other side of the courtyard. She was too busy serving Kurumi the silent treatment about the Latin buisness and inspecting her best friend's rocket. Even though she was mad at her best friend for the way that she had acted in accordance with the spell, she did not want her friend's rocket to be busted. After all of the hard work she had put into the thing it would not have been at all fair. So she was going to help... just not talk to Kurumi in the process.

That was when she heard Kurumi laugh. Serioulsy, what was going on this lesson? Did everyone have cabin fever? They were being weirder than usual. And SELINA was saying that.

However, Kurumi's laughter stopped all of the sudden when she started to quickly say something to Selina. She was NOT talking to her. What part of the SILENT TREATMENT did she not understand-

Then... with a whoosh of Kurumi's rocket, it flew off of the launcher and straight toward the sky. Unfortunatley for Selina... her face was in the way.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her feet lifted off the ground ever so slightly as the rocket tried to complete its mission up into the air. Yet, eventually it gave up the fight to reach space and just aimed for Selina's nose instead. That was when she heard something snap... and her eyes hurt... very bad...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tegz

West looked at Vivi and then back at his sister. He was pretty sure Aspen would do it. And also, he had his own flapping to do and this was not a fair trade off. Looking at Vivi again, West smiled, showing off the fangs he still wore.

"I think you have to flap." On account of West wasn't buying it. He wasn't gullible enough to call that a good deal.




"Okay. Later. You can help me. I can even ask that professor. The Transfiguration one." But for now, ROCKETS.

YESSSSS

WATERRRRR YESSSS WAAAaaater. FUEL! ROCKET FUEL!

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeen!"

His rocket now had FUEL!

Aspen ruffled his hair. "Go fire it to space, Trouble." And not worry about that Transfiguration Professor. The one that made Aspen stand next to her during lessons. "Carefully, though, okay? I'm going to work on Gary."

Because, really, that was legit.

And vomit was probably a good percentage water, so... totally legit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

No. Foot-stomping-NO. It was totally legit to ask a little kid to do the labor in exchange for her awesome skills, and the fact that West wasn't willing to help, well...

She'd look elsewhere. Where was Lex?

All around her, the other students were happily going about their business, and it was looking (tragically, sadly, HORRIBLY) as if Vivi would have to do her own flailing flapping. With a little sigh, Vivi drew out her wand and murmured the incantation to herself as she drew a practice circle.

Stupid. Flapping. Motions.

O________o

That was strange. Aspen had wondered why Vivi was trying to fill West's bottle when she was standing right there, but she just wanted someone to flap for her.

Which Aspen didn't approve of, but didn't say. She let Vi go, the same as she came, glad she didn't have to intervene and tell Vi to do her own flapping. Or to get a Puff to do it for her. Shrug.


Her attention turned back to Gary.

Pumped and ready to show Elliot how to shoot a rocket she started looking over her bottle rocket and insured that it was properly situated on the rocket launcher thingy mabobber. Everything looked to be just right.

Ok good. She glanced over at Elliot to see how she was progressing. She was born ready eh? It made no difference. She was no match for Hannah. "We'll see about that." Hannah hoped that Elliot was ready to talk to Laura. It wouldn't be awkward at all to tell somebody how much you liked them after you poured tea on their head. No problem at all.

Elliot started the countdown so Hannah got her game face on and got straight to it. She made the circular motion with her wand and hollered "Explaeris!" She followed it up with some major flapping. She was flapping so hard she was sure that her arms were going to fall off. FLAP.FLAP.FLAP.FLAAAAAP!!!!

Her rocket took off at the speed of lightning!!! Not only was she proud that she had done it on the first time, but she knew she had the bet in the bag.

Bottle...em...bottle rocket with water in it...check. Now for bottle launcher to set-up said rocket on. Gideon seemed to be in slow-mo as the rest of the class fluttered on around him. Or rather flapped along as they reached the rather obsurd-looking wand-movement type gesture. Looking around in search of an available one, he finally found he was in luck, or out of luck depending on view. The prefect moved to set it up, handling the two pieces to the puzzle just as Professor Burbage had earlier when she had demonstrated.

When he was satisfied that it looked right, Gideon straightened up from being bent down to work on it to see it from another view. "Aye...looks right. " Now he needed the magic involved, the Gryffindor deciding to practice it first.

Explaeris...Explaeris...Expla---what?!

A scream was let out from somewhere within the courtyard and Gideon spun around at the eerily familiar voice. What in Merlin's Beard?!

It was starting to feel like summer showers with all the rockets shooting into the air, but that flapping around was far more distracting to him than it should be. Huffing a bit he set his wand against the surface of the upturned bottle and drew it in a circle like how the Professor demonstrated "Explaeris!" A few bubbles formed within the water part of the bottle but that was just about it... now for the it-would-be-easier-if-the-muggle-pump-was-used-part....

.... he started to flap his arm. One arm. It was plenty long enough...

.... besides he can pass it off as if he was dribbling a basketball. Except there wasnt a ball....

Awar restarted slowly. She filled her bottle back up with no problems from her wand. She practiced the gesture and chant until her arm sucked up the pain. She was ready....for real this time.

It's just you and me, bottle. She circled the bottle with her wand, "Explaeris!" She flapped her arm. She kept a steady pace, if she goes any faster, she'll tire out. Finally,
"POP! SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H" Up, up, her rocket went and she had a gigantic smile on her face. "YESSSS!!!"

So it was taking a biiiiiit longer than it should trying to build pressure into the bottle, and he started to look to his things whilst doing the... basketball-dribbling-practice-thing....

Hmm... he still had quite a bit of that soda in the bottle. He hasnt finished it off after all. Be simpler if he plugged that thing in the launcher, give it a good shake courtesy of some elbow grease, the spell and a couple of arm flaps and watch it shoot off right?

... anybody like a lime soda shower?

Jory now began to practice the incantation. It sounded a bit complicated to him. He decided to try it without the wand movement first.

"Explaeris...,'' he said. "Explaeris, expi... no, no,'' he said. "That's not it.'' he took a breath before trying again. "Explaeris...Explaeris...Explaeris.'' The word was still sort of giving him a bit of a problem to pronounce.

"One last time,'' he thought. "Explaeris,'' Jory began again. "Explaeris, Explaeris.'' This time he felt he had gotten it right. Now, to take on the wand movement.

The problem with going for the lime soda bottle rocket option is that it would mean he has to stop the flapping on the one thats filled with water. And its kinda sorta almost halfway there with the pressure building. That would be like a lot of wasted effort on his part. Plus he wont get to use his totally awesome bottle rocket.

Wrinkling his lips he looked around-- well most people in class were doing one form of the chicken dance or another...

Guh suck it up Eagle boy....

He flapped both arms now, wide and fast, not really watching if his long arms would take someone's eye out. The pressure within the bottle intensified greatly, tiny bubbles started to fill where the water touched the interior until..

PSSHHHHFFFFWWOOOOOMMM!!

Aaand he has lift off!

Cora heard Elliot start her "battle" right before Cora tried to launch the rocket herself. She hoped Elliot won, but had her own worries for the moment. Her eyes were still shut, afraid to see what had happened to the spell she had just performed seconds earlier.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes to see that to her surprise... THE ROCKET SOARED THROUGH THE AIR!!!! It might not have gone as high as some of the others, but the shock of this was still so great that Cora fell backwards off her feet. She landed with a small yelp.

Her eyes sparkled as she watched the rocket. Her rocket. It soared quite a bit before heading back towards the ground. Cora's giant smile would NOT be able to be broken no matter what, even over the fact that her clumsiness and ability to be easily startled had actually knocked her off her feet. Cora did not care one bit. Cora looked over to see if the other's had worked, and watched Eliza and her rocket.

West waited for Vivi to say something else, but apparently she was done talking to him so he returned his attention to his sister and his ROCKET.

"Spaaace!" Yeah! He just nodded toothily about Gary. Seemed legit. More importantly, he was READY to launch.

West held his bottle up and decided there was a BIT much water in there, so he tipped a little out and held it up again to eyeball it. That was better. West attached his bottle to the launcher and checked it was secure. Wouldn't do to lose the fuel right?

This flapping business though.... West was skeptical. His desire to launch his bottle was far and away more important though, and he'd already practised saying the incantation, so the next step was deffo the flapping.

He was ready.

"A circle over the bottle, that isn't a complicated wand movement,'' Jory thought as he unconsciously made the circular motion with his wand in front of him. He was a little more worried about the flapping. He thought he would look rather foolish doing it.

And to top it off, it would have to be done until the rocket was launched. Why couldn't they have to do it only for a second or two?
"Ah well,'' the Puff said to himself as he walked over the launcher and his rocket. "Time to give this thing some altitude!''

Aspen would be proud of his focus. West was DETERMINED TO LAUNCH HIS ROCKET! He pointed his wand, then traced a circle over the bottle. "Explaeris!"

For the flapping ,West decided that POWER FLAPS were the way to go. FLAPS OF INTENT. He flapped his arm like a pump. UPDOWNUPDOWNUPDOWN. A POWER pump.

UPDOWNUPDOWNUPDOWNUPDOWN...

He didn't pay attention too much to the weird Ravenclaw girl since he was too busy with the rocket. After the water had been filled to the bottle rocket then Gary put it to the launcher and time to launch it with those silly spell.

But.. wait.

Suddenly the blonde guy paid attention to the girl. His blue eyes widened as she said that.. she wanted him to vomit? REALLY?

"I don't want to puke." said him cool. Weird girl. Then turned back to his rocket.

Elliot crossed her arms as she watched the two rockets take off...she watched Hannah's soar...it as flying riiight next to Elliot's...

And it came pretty close. She even felt her heart stop because just FOR A SECOND she thought she lost....but her rocket flew WAAAY ABOVE Hannah's!

SHE HAD WON!

She turned to Hannah, and cackled..."Well, well, Lockwood...look who WON!" she cried, absolutely DELIGHTED! Heehee. Poor Hannah...NOT!!

She whipped around to Cora..."Cora I won! Yay! Ravenclaws all the way, right?" she asked with a small chuckle...and she then saw Cora's rocket take off...how cool.

"HEy! Yours went high, too, Cora! Good job!" she proclaimed, patting the girl on the back...yay for Cora!

She was always nicer to Cora for some reason...

Hannah held her breath as she watched the two rockets soar side by side. She had to win. There wasn't a puffer alive that she liked and knowing Elliot she wouldn't pick some random one, no...it would be one that she had fought with. She was just sure of it.

Then she saw something that made her stomach drop. Elliot's rocket was freaking beating hers!!! There was still time...no need to panic just yet.

Time to panic!

Elliot's rocket picked up more speed and beat Hannah's! Ugggh! That was sooo unfair. She did everything better than her and totally flapped harder. She had no words. "Hmpf!" was all she could muster. She crossed her arms and had a herself a moment.

Why was Elliot being all super nice to that other Ravenclaw? Cheering her on and stuff. Made no sense.

Eliza changed from circling to flapping, muttering “Explaeris!” over and over again. Flap, flap, flap. She dropped her arms to her sides. “Is this ever going to work?” she thought.

She was pleased to hear that Cora was a fourth year. Maybe she could help her with spells from time to time. “You were home schooled? Do you mind me asking why?” Eliza wondered why anyone would want to be away from a great place like Hogwarts, but she saw Cora was getting uncomfortable. “I mean, I’m sure your parents must be fantastic wizards if they could teach you at home!” she said cheerfully. “And yep, this is my first year!”

She turned her focus back to her rocket. “Okay, give it another good shot,” she said to herself. She circled, said “Explaeris!” and began flapping with consistent, strong motions. She started to see something change in the rocket. “Is that…is it fizzing?” she looked closer. “Woah, yep something is definitely starting to change in there.”

Her rocket was now to the brim with air pressure – and it began to shake. “Oh my gosh!” Eliza exclaimed. “I hope it doesn’t blow up like that boy’s did.” She watched her rocket warily, still flapping all the while. Just then it shot straight up into the sky like a firework. Up, up and up it went, until she thought it might just sprout wings and fly south for winter.

“It worked!” she beamed aloud. Holding her hand over her eyes to block the sun, she squinted to see where it had gone. “I guess the professor never said we had to turn it back in, did she?” Eliza gave a grin and a darted her eyes around to see how many other students had lost their rockets during take off.

"Oh, wow Cora!!" she cried "Are you okay?" During her own excitement she had failed to notice when Cora fell to the ground. "I should've tried to catch her!" she scolded herself. "Your rocket flew pretty high!" she was feeling chatty and happy from their success.