The little larynx-like instrument dangled and bounced back and forth rapidly with every hit delivered by the fifteen year old Cutty Mordaunt. OWL years and he was working on his hand-eye coordination, stamina and form. After the morning run, for he could no longer swim the coldness of the lake (although, he was no longer as sensitive to chill as he once was, having survived the creature-brought winter that threatened to be eternal). His hands were wrapped, protecting the knuckles and stiffening the structure as he threw blow after blow into the suspended punching bag used for speed.

Wondering around the castle aimlessly, Gregoire needed something to do. He required a room to practice some of his spells...and he had a good idea where. Walking past Barnabus the Barmy statue, and the oddly hideous, tapestry, the Snake got to a stone wall...not any stone wall though, the stone wall that was said to be the famous hidden door leading to the Room of Requirement! I need a place to practice my spells. Gregoire thought to himself. Fixing his dirty blonde hair, his icy blue eyes gazed as the wall turned into a door. With a firm hand, he pushed the once cold stone doors open...

To his suprise there was someone already inside the Room of Requirement...Cutty Mordaunt. And...he was...using a punching bag?? That was odd...

Trying not to startle the other Slytherin, Gregoire slithered inside and said "Bonjour Cutty. How are you?" The fourth years voice sort of echoed through the chamber. "What brings you here?" He asked his fellow house mate, closing the doors behind him. Looking around the room, he saw there was a training dummy which he pulled out and set it up in front of the fire place.

He hadn't heard anything, but with his senses heightened from the adrenals and endorphins kicking in he could smell an unfamiliar scent. Not like like leather or cloth enough that it could be explained away a merely another tool for practice, but something else and then, metal from the practice dummy. Company. No cause for alarm so Cutty kept with his practicing.

"Gregoire. Comment-allez vous?" He greeted the slightly younger Slyth, asking how he was doing and stopping his training for a moment to answer his question. "Je m'entraîne pour les examens OWLs.", said Cutty explaining taht he was training for his up coming OWLs. He moved to the side and reached up for a raised handle to begin another set. Lifting himself up and then down again. "Et vous? Getting a bit of dueling practice in?" A ventured guess due to the practice dummy.

"Oui! I am practicing some of my spells. Also, no need to speak en Francais. It'd be better if people used English around me so I could speak more fluently in it." The younger boy told him as he grinned. It was true though. In order for Gregoire to start speaking fluently, without messing up, in English, he'd need the help of others. Well, at least for them to speak nothing but English. If the Snake heard French, his brain would then want to speak his home language, but he knew he couldn't.

Looking curiously at Cutty, Gregoire asked, scratching his dirty blonde hair quizzically "If tu-" Grrrr. He messed up already...on a simple word...thanks a lot Cutty! "-I mean, you, are practicing for the OWLs then...why...are you...using a punching bag...??" It was a reasonable question to the fourth year Slytherin. Why would you have to use a punching bag, a physical task, to practice for the Ordinary Wizarding Levels, being a mental task. Who knows...

Thinking about something he's been practicing Gregoire's eyes lit up at the boy, as he said with glee "Do you want to see a trick?!" Smiling from ear to ear. Recently, the blue eyed transfer student has been practicing something he learned during his second year at Beauxbatons! He was sure Cutty would want to see it!

Cutty gave a nod at the reasoning behind Gregoire's desire to carry out conversations in English. He believed in a similar principal as applied to Arabic. Nothing but Arabic from the day he arrived in the big city of Cairo to the day he got back to Liverpool each summer. He'd wondered, though, why this didn't seem to work for his grand-mère. Perhaps, by the time she'd tried to learn English, she was too old.

"Hand-eye coordination." Cutty answered, but shortly after realized that the short explanation may not lend itself directly to the logical conclusion. "My training officer for the Junior International Task Force said that magic is physical as well as mental. And that I should train both if I want to get into Law Enforcement." Though, he was sort of shifting his mind as to what he wanted to do. Cutty hated to be nailed down to any ONE thing for too long. Especially when his mind was prone to opportunism. "Dead handy it is, though. Physical training. Especially during the summeh when I haven't got use of me wand."


Opportunism. Like when people asked to share something out of the blue. Cutty cold stopped what he was doing. "Hell yeah I wanna see a trick.", he said letting go of the bar onto which he'd been holding and landing on his feet.

Alright!

Gregoire, smiled as the older boy said yes to the trick! Concentr-

THUD!

What was that sound? The Frenchie thought to himself. Oh well, probably just something in this room squeaking. After all, this room was pretty old. Anyways, concentrating, the younger Snake closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing. Deep breath in through the nose, and deep exhale out through the mouth. Repeating that process a few more times, the Slytherin was ready. Raising balled hands in the air, Gregoire opened his eyes rapidly as well as his hands. Avis! The dirty blonde thought. Out from his opened hands flew a flock of white birds! He did it! Finally Gregoire was able to do what he learned at Beauxbatons a few years ago! The practice finally made it's mark!

Laughing the Slytherin remarked "I love doing that!" He felt accomplished being able to cast the Avis spell without using words or a wand! That was an achievement to just do it without words! Without using a wand made it an even bigger accomplishment he has completed! Still laughing with joy and glee, Gregoire glanced down at the floor for a second...there was a bar on Cutty's foot!! Did he not notice that!? That must've been what made the thud! Quickly cutting off his laughter, the fourth year screamed in panic "Cutty are you alright!? That bar just fell on your feet!! Didn't you feel that!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" Was he just so pumped up that he didn't feel it? Or couldn't he feel pain in general!?

Gregoire was starting to panic...just a tad bit...ok. He was starting to panic a lot!

Once the History of Magic professor opened the door to walk inside the room and allow the girl to follow in behind her if she would so choose, an impressive sight appeared before them.

A large, raised stage such as one that might be used for theater performances was located at the far end of the room flanked by dramatic lighting. Rows and rows of theater seating lay before the stage, including those found in the balconies on either side.

Did the performance-inclined professor wish up the contents of this room without intending to? Or has the room seemed to develop a mind of its own, no longer wanting to rearrange itself to appease the whims of others, instead wanting others to entertain it now?

Nessa could almost feel the excitement radiating off of Evangeline as the girl walked in behind her. But who could blame her? Nessa was so excited too! Who knew what could be just past the door and it felt so adventurous. And though she had no idea what to expect, she hadn't quite expected this.

An audible gasp left the woman's lips as she stood and stared wide-eyed at the sight in front of her. Even when she was a student and had wished for a place to perform, never had she been presented with anything so grandiose. She looked around a moment, taking in all the sights, before rushing towards the stage.

"This is AMAZING!" she exclaimed to Evangeline, herself, or the room - who really knew - as she leapt up onto the stage and spun around. The possibilities she could have here.. Did the room read some unacknowledged thought she might have fleetingly had? She didn't know and really didn't care.

Anddddd in they went!

.... A theater? A legitimate theater. Raised stage, big lights, theaters seats, balconies. Evie stopped just inside the door and pursed lips. This wasn't nearly as exciting as she hoped it would be. It was cool, yeah, but not like DRAMATIC and DANGEROUS and potentially HARMFUL. Where were the man-eating plants her brother had told her about, huh?

Still, she followed the professor inside, letting the door shut behind them. She didn't follow her onto the stage, though, and let her do her little spinny thing. Evie tilted her head at the professor, who seemed absolutely delighted at the wonderful surprise. "You like theater?" she inquired, almost positive answer would be a resounding Yes! Hmmmmm. How suspicious... No man-eating plants, but definitely suspicious.

This was just the most amazing thing ever, even better than she could have dreamed would be found at Hogwarts, and Nessa grew lost in thought as she looked around the stage. But a voice soon brought her out of her reverie, at least somewhat. Brown eyes found Evangeline and she beamed brightly. Did she like theater? Was this girl ever in her class? Yes, yes, of course she was.. "Oh, of course!" she exclaimed. "I LOVE theater!"

She bounced downstage, then took a seat at the edge of the stage, her eyes focused on the girl as she let her legs dangle. "I actually went to WADA and studied all about the performing arts. I even acted in some shows before I started teaching here." Oh the memories. And she had that far away look in her eyes as she started reminiscing. "Have you ever been to the theater to watch a show?" It was one of the most magical experiences one could have, with or without magic.

Evie laughed a little because the professor's answer was pretty expected. Of course she loved theater! Which only made the situation more interesting. As Evie walked through the rows and down the aisles, she couldn't find anyone else there. Meaning someone else hadn't created the room... Unless they did and then ran away before the History professor got there, but that didn't seem likely.

To be honest, Evie was only half-listening to what the woman was saying. She was distracted by the room. Theater wasn't her thing, but she still wanted to look around. Almost as if she was looking for something, but she wasn't finding anything. It took a moment of silence to realize that the professor had asked Evie a question.

"Oh, no. Sorry. No, I haven't." Her mum had been too busy to take her to the theater. And it really didn't interest her that much anyway. "Do you think this room was made for you?" She asked, walking closer to the stage. Did anyone in this castle love theater as much as her?

Nessa lifted her brown eyes from Evangeline to llok around the room. She just couldn't help it, the room and theater within was simply amazing! She couldn't have hoped for anything better. Besides, the girl was obviously as taken with their surroundings as she was, seeing as she seemed a bit distracted herself.

Gasp. What? She had never been to the theater? Oh that was a shame. Everyone should have the opportunity to see a theatrical show. Nessa frowned slightly, then smiled brightly again. "Well, now you've been to the theater." She gestured around a bit. "Maybe we'll have to have a show in here." wouldn't that just be glorious? And that was a good question, one that had briefly crossed her mind. "I.. don't know. I mean, this is something that I might think of.. but I hadn't at that is the way the room usually works." Or at least it had in her experience. Which made things that much more curious.