The Weasley Swamp
 

Marigold!
 

Marigold was making some casual prefect rounds, which basically meant that she was looking to prevent trouble, but probably would let people off the hook pretty easily. 'specially if it was a younger kid. She turned the corner into the swamp corridor, remembering to plug her nose at the smell.

"Oi! Be careful! Don't fall in!" she called out in a nasal voice (her fingers still clamped around her nose) at the boy who she did NOT want to be all stinky and smelly and possibly hurt. She hung back instead of walking past him, just in case he didn't heed her advice.

Squishy
 

“This is just not cool!” spoke Cahira out loud while she sat on the ground, her back against the wall and her rat Nabber in her hands. She had wanted to explore the school and to find some secrets and even have some adventures but now… now she was LOST and she didn’t knew how to find her way back to the Slytherin common room! Sighing loud she covered her nose with her hand and made a ugly face, this place was smelling really bad but she didn’t cared, she JUST wanted to have some ADVENTURES and to find some secrets here! Her dad had told her that the school was full of secrets but she even didn’t had been able to find one, little, STUPID secret passageway!

It was just unfair! “I want to know where I can find some cool places here but instead of that I’m stuck here!” spoke the first year again irritated to her rat who only stared back at her, blinking with his black eyes…

Honestly by this point Lux was so used to seeing the swamp in the first floor corridor that she never really paid attention to anything about it besides the smell. Somehow she could never really get used to swamp smell though it definitely bothered her less than it used to.

Making her way around the swamp, she spotted a girl with a rat in her lap. Lux didn't care for rats because they creeped her out, but she wasn't going to be rude about it, especially to a stranger. A grumpy looking stranger at that. "Is there something wrong?" she asked the girl while wondering if she was lost. This castle could be very confusing, especially with the stairs moving around.

Looking up, just when she wanted to stand up and leave this place, not knowing where she needed to go to but... Everything was better than sitting beside a swamp! And... Why was there a swamp in a school? That could be dangerous right? Not that she was scared or something like that, she, Cahira Jones, wasn't scared about ANYTHING! or that was what she tried to let everybody believe...

Frowning because she didn't knew the girl who had talked to her she wondered if she also was lost, just like her but then she realized that the other girl probably knew everything here because she was older and had had been here before! ”I’m eh… Not lost… I only don’t know the way back to my common room” spoke Cahira slowly, refusing to confess that she didn’t knew where she was but… In a strange way she already had confessed it, she only didn’t had used the words that she actually was lost… Made that sense? No? Hmm…

Sighing she stood up and placed her rat in her pocket, not trusting her rat to *accidently attack somebody who stood too close beside them* ehm… Yeah, she trusted her rat with others, her rat was the cutes animal here! Quick she closed her pocket and pushed her rat deeper!

Walking toward the other girl she nodded to her, remembering all the sermons from her father about ‘being nice to others and showing her manners because she wasn’t raised by wolves!’ “I’m Cahira Jones, first year Slytherin” introduced she herself and then she pointed at the bump in her pocket, “and this is my rat Nabber, but… I will not show him to you right now, he doesn’t really like strangers” and with not liking strangers she actually tried to say that her rat would try to eat this girl alive if he had the change!

“I was here to look for secret passageways but instead of that I ended here… Do you know a few secrets here at the school? And do you want to share them with me?” Asked Cahira suddenly exited because she really LOVED secrets and adventures but… This adventure seemed to be more difficult than she had expected…

Not lost, just not sure how to get back to her Common Room? It sounded like the girl was lost in Lux's opinion but instead of commenting, the redhead merely nodded. First Years were likely to get confused around Hogwarts since it was so big and new to them, so there would have been nothing wrong with admitting to being lost.

Raising her brow, Lux watched as the rat was stuffed away inside the girl's pocket. Not a bad thing in her book since they gave her the creeps. Unless this was a nice rat...but WERE there nice rats? Look at Scabbers. Could you really KNOW for sure that this rat wasn't a criminal in disguise?? Eyeing the pocket warily, if the creature wanted to stay hidden that was fine by all means.

Introductions were being made, and Lux turned her gaze back to the girl, smiling back at her because she actually seemed nice unlike rats which she didn't like. "Nice to meet you, Cahira and Nabbers. I'm Lux, Fifth Year Hufflepuff." So she knew her way around the castle really well by now and was definitely able to offer assistance.

Secret passageways? "Well... there are a few, but as far as I know they are all blocked off." You know, unless that changed at some point since she started at Hogwarts. Maybe adventurous Gryffindors had blasted through them or something.

Okay... It almost seemed as if the other girl seemed to dislike her rat! Not that she was wrong to not like Nabber because her rat really could be mean and even evil to others! Hmm, there were a lot girls scared for rats so maybe this one was also scared! So, putting her rat away was a good thing, for now... Nodding to the other girl when she also had introduced herself she tried to decide if she liked that girl or not... Boring people were... Boring so... She hoped that this older girl could be fun to talk to!

"Wow, a fifth year already? That's cool!" Smiled Cahira while she stared past the girl and further into the hallway, again wondering if there was more than only a swamp here...

"Blocked off? Why? That's so NOT cool!" Muttered Cahira disappointed because she had wanted to discover all those secret places here! "But... There are cool places here right? It's a magical castle after all so... There are cool places here right?" Again she wished that she could see some more than just a swamp what was smelling so badly! She wanted to know WHERE she could go to finds some cool and exiting places!

Marigold cocked her head sideways at the boy. He called her miss? Okay then… she was slightly suspicious, but he just called her MISS. She was mush right then. She couldn't punish him now could she, he was so polite and adorable.

"Don'tdieplease." She stepped forward and lightly pulled at the fabric covering his shoulder. "There are better experiments." Like the one with the swamp she had done. She had smelled it a whole bunch.

He wanted to know what she was thinking, he wanted to know HOW MUCH trouble he was in - or more to the point, WHAT she was going to pin him for. Cause last he checked, there weren't any rules that said that students were not allowed to lean against ropes and wade around in swamps. Or was there? He'd never actually SEEEEN these rules, so there might've been, but they didn't count if he didn't know, RIGHT?

Die?

Did she say die?

"Why would I die?" he asked curiously, looking between the Puffer Prefect and the swamp. It looked... harmless. It was a pool of dirty smelly water, what could possibly go wrong? Hhhhmmmm?! "I promise I won't die, I don't fancy dying just yet, I still have a lot more to explore, like there's a whole forest of wonderful things outside!" See, no dying just yet.

But what was all this about BETTTER experiments? Zeke's eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips as he tried to think of it himself... but no ideas came.
"And what experiment is that?" he asked.

Feeling more relaxed now that the rat was in Cahira's pocket, Lux took Toffy out so that she could snuggle with her little Pygmy Puff. She did not know if rats liked to bite Pygmy Puffs, but Toffy shouldn't come to any harm now. Smiling, she petted her little blue Puff.

Being a Fifth Year was cool? Lux supposed so, but a better word for it was STRESSED. Term had only just started and she was already stressing out over tests since her career depended on her getting good marks. AAAAAH. If she didn't calm down, she would end up having a panic attack right in the middle of the corridor. "I suppose so. The time really goes rather fast. I guess the weird stuff that always happens here is part of the reason why..." Honestly it amazed her that Hogwarts stayed open and parents let their kids attend with all the dangerous things that happen.

Shrug. Lux had no idea why they were blocked off. "I suppose some were blocked off going way back to Harry Potter's day and others just collapsed since. Maybe we could find out what happened." Might have been during one of said disasters that tended to strike the castle every term. She had to admit that she never finished reading Hogwarts, a History because it was so dull. Maybe one day she would, but it definitely wouldn't be happening this term when she was already reading multiple books in order to study.

Cool places at Hogarts? There were definitely loads of those! "Well, there is the kitchen which is really nice. The house elves make amazing food. The lake is also nice and has a Giant Squid. There is a tree house which is a nice place to hang out. And there is also the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor which turns into anything you want it to. Me and my friend, Dylan turned it into a skating rink once. It was loads of fun." Honestly, she wouldn't mind doing that again one day.

Seeing how the girl took a Pygmy Puffs out of her hiding place and... That same moment she felt how her rat Nabber started to move inside of her pocket, smelling the Pygmy Puffs and he even made a few mean noises! Her rat was DEFENATELY evil and now he wanted to show that he didn't wanted to share this place with another living thing beside the humans! Hmm... Now that she saw more of her rat's character she loved her little friend even more! Her rat was just perfect with his; 'I'm evil and I attack everything and everybody I can get' appearance!

Pushing her rat deeper away she eyed the Pygmy Puffs in the girls hands and decided to warn the other girl. "Eh... I don't want to make you worried or something like that, but if my rat escapes from my pocket then hide you little friend okay? Unless you want it to be eaten alive" spoke Cahira slowly. She wasn't always that friendly, noooo... But she loved animals and all the other magical things what were looking cute and fluffy so she didn't wanted the Pygmy Puffs in the girls hands to be hurt because of her monstrous rat!

Why... Looked the other girl suddenly so stressed? Had she just asked something what was wrong? Hmm... But when she spoke she sounded normal again, so... Maybe there was nothing wrong after all! "Weird stuff? What do you mean? This is a school so what is there so weird here?" Looking surprised she wondered if there are secret organizations here or something like that!

Potters days... Bleh... That boy, she had heard so much about him but she was sure that that boy was just a normal kid who had really good luck!

Widening her eyes she stared amazed at the older girl before her. "Wow! Do you really want to find it out? Can i go with you?! That would be so cool!!" the first year needed to suppress the urge to clap in her hands and to jump back and forth like a creasy person but...! She was cool so she stayed still and only smiled REALLY happy at the other girl!

Nodding to the other girl and making a mental note to visit those places she grinned. She already had seen the lake and she REALLY wanted to catch that giant Squid sometime! Yes, she, Cahira Jones, wanted to catch that thing! Ha! “That room… Is it really able to transform into EVERYTHING? WOW!” The first year stared stunned at the other girl, already thinking about things she could do there!

Why...was Cahira's rat making those noises? Lux didn't trust him even when he was being pushed further down into the girl's pocket. Yes, she was eyeballing the bulge as it moved around. This was why she didn't care for rodents.

Not wanting to risk her Pygmy Puff being eaten, Toffy was put securely away at the warning. If that rat tried something, her wand was coming out and she would blast him with a freezing spell. See if he liked THAT. For now she relaxed again though she was still keeping her eye on that rat. "Well, like last term when this magical fairy tale book started popping all over the place and making it so that anyone who read from it was possessed by a fairy tale character." She was NOT going to mention the Chort thing because she didn't want to scare the little girl.

...Had she just signed herself up to look for blasted off passageways? Lux really should keep her mouth shut more often because she didn't really want to risk being crushed or lost in a secret passageway. "You really want to investigate this stuff?" she asked a little uncertain. The idea of doing this with a First Year didn't sound too good to her. For one thing they could get seriously hurt, and for another they could get into a lot of trouble and she didn't like breaking rules.

But salvation came to her in the form of the Room of Requirement. Eagerly, Lux jumped at the opportunity. "Yes, it's amazing! I could show it to you right now if you want. It's not exactly easy to find unless you know where it is." As in it was hidden.

It may not have been noticeable at first, but if you had looked closely,you might have noticed that the Weasley Swamp seemed a little, well, bigger than last term. A slow expansion at the start of the term, it was now growing quickly past its roped off boundaries.

Swampy water now seeps out into the corridor, and the plant life has gotten lush and overgrown. Will it continue to grow? It's beginning to rival the size it once was when it consumed the entire corridor. Better watch your step as you walk through on your way to class. There's no telling what is living in there.

Roaming around Hogwarts, Gregoire found himself on the first floor corridor.

Not doing anything in particular, nor wanting anything in particular the French Slytherin was just slithering around the marvelous, and extremely luxurious castle which he considered a 'home away from home'. Speaking of home...Gregoire meant to do something soon in the Divination area. The Snake had someone in particular he's been meaning to scry on recently since what happened at the feast. Though this person was still back in France. Hopefully he'd find at least a little room between all the classes and homework he had to do. The boy was practically flooded in-

WHAT IN MERLIN'S BEARD! SPEAKING OF FLOODED!

Gregoire just stepped into some swampy water that was seeping into the corridor! It was coming from the Weasley Swamp! What on earth was happening? Thankfully it was only about ankle deep from where the dirty blonde was standing. Otherwise, he would've been sucked right into the dirty, mucky, water. Who knows what lives down there! This would definitely have to be checked out. Though he personally didn't want to do it, as of now, he was the only one around. Pulling out his wand he stood still in the water, waiting to see if anything happened.

After a few seconds of nothing, he inched his way closer to the swamp. Not very stealthily either...especially not for someone in the house of Slytherin. The water started to slosh around as the boy started to make his way deeper. Now it was about up to his lower shin. The boy kept an eye on the swamp and very quickly rolled up his pants legs so they wouldn't get to wet as of now. Leaning back up, the boy stood there, with his wand raised as he waited a bit longer to see if someone, or something, would show itself.

Beverly was conducting her newly adopted routine of checking classroom notice boards in case anything important was put on them that the House of Slytherin didn't have. It was all about that Prefect responsibility she was working on. She HAD to try and prove that her house wasn't made of losers. If only her housemates would listen.

At this particular time she headed toward the DADA notice board--or at least had been when her feet made a sloshy sound and the feeling of her toes drowning in soggy socks made her stop. Her...shoes were wet...? She wasn't stupid enough to walk into the swamp, she knew that and reassured herself when she realized she wasn't even AT the swamp.

What the--

Oh for Fawke's sake.

"Gregoire Bastion!" Yes, she went out of her way to learn his whole name after that little incident at the Feast. "What are you--get back here right now!" She pointed at the ground she stood on. As in right now or he'd be in big trouble. As in she would go get their Head of House AND Professor Bellaire. Then he'd have to deal with THREE hissing snake women.

No way one of HER housemates would drown on her watch.

Just as he was about to inch his way further into the murky black water to see what was causing this, quite obvious, unnatural occurrence a voice shouted from behind him! Which scared Gregoire so much that he stumbled, and fell forward, face first, into the swamp water. The worst part about this too wasn't that he had a face full of water, but how his hand was positioned with his wand...His wrist was up in the air, so when he hit the ground, it hit a pressure point in the wrist, releasing his grip on his wand. Which, then, in that moment, the object started to float deeper into the swamp. Until it was fully floating over the actual swamp and not just the leakage...well great!

Pushing up from the water, robes now drenched, blood once again dripping down his nose, the Slytherin stood up from the water. Pushing the damp, dirty blonde hair, from his cold, yet soothing and charming, icy blue eyes, Gregoire turned to look at the voice of whomever was talking...and of course...it was Beverly...

Why was it that these two could never meet on good terms? Or whenever, you know, Gregoire didn't have blood dripping everywhere. Wiping the bloody nose with his stiffened fingers the Snake said "My wand! It's now floating over the deep part of the swamp! Now I have to go over there to get it." It was obvious...this French fourth year was now practically infuriated. With him saying that, on his heels, Gregoire spun back around, keeping his balance so he didn't fall...yet again...

That would be an extremely bad thing...

Ignoring his house prefect, very upset and angry, the Slytherin trudged and waded his way into the swamp towards his wand. Water sloshing all around. Now it was about waste high. He didn't even care about his robes and pants getting wet anymore since Beverly scared him into falling into the water. Gregoire was prepared for the worst to happen here...because let's be real...

Nothing good ever happens to Gregoire.

Oh...my...Merlin!

This kid...he was sorted into the wrong house. There was no doubt. He was behaving like a bloody Gryffindor. Why not wait and strategize ways of solving a problem rather than diving right into it? Beverly decided that's what she was going to teach this kid first.

After he got his bum out of there.

In a calm voice, one she didn't know she possessed she spoke, "Gregoire, I'm a witch. I can summon your wand." She withdrew said wand. "Now, please...get over here before you get hurt." Man this kid was a fountain of blood. One smack and WHAM! "More hurt," she added.

DIDN'T HE UNDERSTAND SHE WAS TRYING TO KEEP HIM SAFE?

Ughhh. Were they seriously going to do this? Here...where their could be something dangerous in the water? Gregoire didn't have the time to argue right now, but HE was going to be the one to get his wand back. The dirty blonde didn't trust letting the Prefect getting his wand. She would probably keep it. Mostly because of what he did at the feast because she probably still had a grudge against the French boy. Also because there was the possibility Beverly could be thinking that Gregoire did this. Which he didn't...as a matter of fact...the Slytherin was going to find out who, or what, was doing this. Either with or without the help of the sixth year Snake.

Trudging closer to where his stranded wand was floating like a piece of drift wood, Gregoire didn't care what he was possibly awakening within the swamp. Now the water was about up to his chest, drenching the back of his robes now. Extending an arm, the fourth year reached out for his wand as if it were for dear life. This probably was for life or death. If he was awakening something or someone, without his wand...well...let's just not even think about that right now. With his outstretched hand he snatched the wand up from the water, making sure to keep his distance from the deepest part for now.

Backing up a bit to where the water only waded up to about his stomach, Gregoire told the older girl without turning around "Calm down." Wipe blood dripping down from his nose. Continuing "I know what I'm doing. I won't get hurt. I'm trying to figure out what did this, so that way-" Deep breath. "-So that way I can make up for what I did at the feast. Now then." Gregoire let those words settle in the air for a second. "You can either stand there like a looney, and if a Professor comes by take the blame...Or you can get in here and help me out with this." Wait...did he actually just say that? Why did the Frenchie just ask for her help! He'd rather have Agatha's help!

Raising his wand a bit above the water he said "Lumos!" Light appeared at the tip of his wand. After hearing what Beverly would have to say, Gregoire would be taking a little swim. Whatever did this couldn't be to far...

For majority of her life she's been accused as incredibly stubborn, but today she found she wasn't the MOST stubborn. Oh no. THIS guy beat her to it. He was so stubborn it was stupid and he was going to give her white hairs before the age of seventeen. He honestly went over to fetch his wand and--

He wanted to make up what he did at the Feast?

Well.............

Beverly hadn't expected to hear that. She was feeling things again. The type of things you feel toward a cuddly little puppy who can't climb the stairs because it's legs are too short. That was quickly diminished at his next words.

"For the record," she said, lifting a dainty finger, "I am not a loony and I will certainly NOT take the blame for anything." Nose in air. She hadn't done anything wrong. Not yet, anyway.

"Gregoire, you don't have to prove yourself and if you feel you do then earn us our house points back, that's how you will truly prove anything." It was so obvious. This right now was simply making him seem like a wanna-be Lion. "I also bet whatever is happening isn't happening from within the swamp, and whoever did it is long gone." Think, boy, think! "If you don't come back here at the count of three I WILL go look for a professor. I have responsibilities and one of them is to insure your safety." She'd treat him like a child if he behaved like one.

"One...two...three..." Last call.

She was dead serious.

Well...that was a lost cause...

The part about Beverly joining him, at least. There was no way Gregoire was letting this opportunity just fly by. Nuh uhh! This was probably the only chance he'd get this year to play hero. Yes, she was right on the fact how he should just earn the points back, but still...this could stop an oncoming threat! Which would obviously have to be neutralized at it's source. So, it should be under the black and murky swamp water. Tilting his head slightly the Slytherin said "Your loss."

With that he raised the illuminated wand to his head, and casted the Bubble-head charm on himself. Gregoire then plunged his wand into the water, and followed it shortly after. Swimming into the semi-deep muck marsh. The sorting hat was so wrong about Gregoire...he was definitely a Gryffindor. Using his wand as a light source, the boy swam closer and closer to the center.

Sigh. It was a shame Beverly didn't join him though. This would've been done faster in half the amount of time. She'd also be able to get half of the credit for possibly saving Hogwarts.

Oh well...

Several things were circulating her mind as Gregoire plunged into the swamp. Welp. Nice knowing you, buddy. Not really. He costed her her reputation at the beginning of the term and now he was doing this stupidity. Beverly half felt like leaving him here to his doing since there was no one else around. She could just pretend to not have seen anything.

But..........her conscience wasn't allowing her to just walk away and turn a blind eye.

With resigned and frustrated sigh she turned on her heels. The next time Gregoire popped out from the water it'd be with a professor at her side, because there was no way she was getting in trouble for him if he didn't even try and listen to her.

Now...which professor would she go and fetch?

Ughhhhh!

Gregoire tried to guilt her into helping, but that didn't work either...sigh. Beverly was probably going to go get a Professor now. Oh well. Either way, Gregoire was going to get to the bottom of this...literally...he was now at the bottom of the Weasley Swamp. Searching around the bottom, Gregoire frisked quickly and swiftly through the mud and grime. Eugh, this was nasty! Although it was utterly disgusting, and the feeling of his fingers in the mud made him want to vomit, the Slytherin kept searching. Each time he didn't find anything he moved around a little bit.

Dig and frisk. Move. Repeat.

Dig and frisk. Move. Repeat.

Pretty soon, he started to stop digging so that way he could cover up the slight holes he dug so that way, it was as if he was never here...sort of...Not really, but, it's worth the shot of doing it anyways! This would take forever though! Sooner or later his bubble-head charm would run out too. Gregoire considered resurfacing for a second to redo that. But, since he didn't want to face the wrath of the Prefect, possibly with a Professor...hopefully not Bellaire or Murdoch...the Frenchie just recast it down there.

Now he'd have a bit more time searching.

Different timeline ^^
 

Doubling back had been a welcomed relief. No swamp, no muck, no splushing about, no ruined shoes and the world was a happy place--at least a little. It was better than the other corridor that was for sure...but then the smell came back, getting stronger and stronger. It was possibly far worse than the corridor they'd left behind.

"Whoa..." Maddox stopped at a far distance from where the original swamp was meant to be because just like the last, this was was FLOODED. Actually...come to think of it...this one might have been worse. How deep was this thing?? It was a regular Marsh by now!! Definitely time for the bubble head charm he'd been meaning to cast. This scent was not agreeing with his newly acquired headache.

"Has anyone been making note of how out of the way the swamp is?" He trusted they'd taken to mapping once they moved off. "By now it's obvious it's going to eventually consume the entire first floor," at the rate it was going, "so important question; does anything live in this swamp?" Frogs surely but he wasn't sure he trusted something this big. Safety first and all that stuff they preach.

Inevitably they would have to go into the swamp to get closer....but for now the man was mentally preparing himself for...er...swamp waddling and all that. Ugh.