WHY DIDN'T PEOPLE CLEAN PROPERLY AROUND HERE?!

After sneezing in the middle of juggling three apples with his wand, Rooney had witnessed a clear apple PIE-TRAIT in progress. Ooops? Each of the apples had hit a different portrait, and down had came clumps of apple and dust together. Roo had opened his mouth expertly to catch a couple of apple clumps, because he had been intending on eating them later... but instead had been pounded in the face by apple and had CHOKED on a dust ball.

CHOKED.

He had almost DIED.

Why didn't people use magic to CLEAN?!

Rula had already explored most of the castle by now with Bast, but even so, the newness of it all hadn't worn off quite yet. It was still interesting to wander around, especially when you were procrastinating on homework.

Reaching the first floor, she happened upon a boy using his wand to juggle a few apples, and that seemed cool so she was gonna watch - but then his sneeze apparently made the apples fly up and smash into the portraits. Rula blinked and took a few steps back to make sure none of the apple clumps fell on her, but THEN the boy choked/coughed and Merlin's beard, there were a lot of problems here suddenly.

"Are you okay??" she asked, hurrying over to him.

COUGH.

C O U G H !

And then he was joined by someone else and that was a big problem. Mainly because he was coughing and spluttering and dusting everywhere into the air around him. The air that was just full of dust anyway. He was probably on his last breath and there was a -- oh. A girl. A pretty girl. A shocked inhale, another splutter and SPLAT. Another piece of apple landed straight on his head and into his hair.

And his usual response to girls fell into place. And he fell onto the floor with a wheeze, splaying out his arms and sticking his tongue out.

Was it obvious that he was dead now?

Acting was turning into a bad hobby.

So the continued coughing was probably a no, but before Rula could do much else, another clump of apple came down and splattered on his face. Her hands instinctively went up to protect her own face - and then suddenly the boy just FLOPPED on the ground.

?!?!!!!!?!?!?

Um??? He was still alive right?? Maybe just unconscious? Rula wasn't sure if people actually fell unconscious like that but she WASN'T an expert, so???

What should she do? Get a professor? Would he last that long? Did he need CPR? She wasn't an expert on that either, but how hard could it be?

"Hey!" She knelt down next to him and pounded on his chest a couple times with her fist, hopefully with enough force that would get him to cough up the apple or whatever he was choking on. "You gotta wake up! Okay? C'mon!"

With all of his being, Rooney wanted to laugh, open his eyes and grin and the girl pumping at his body and pleading for him to wake up. But he didn't. He continued to lay in his spot, tongue lulled into his face and apple in his hair. This Bronwyn...was dead. Unless she took his pulse or noticed his heart beating right out of his chest, as that was definitely a thing in the nervous situation of keeping up an act to the best of his ability when he hadn't had a rehearsal recently. He wasn't sure whether the exercise of his organs was due to the fall, the apple beating or the pretty girl, though. He hoped it wasn't the latter, because this wasn't how he felt when around Miss Charlotte.

And he was sure that she was his first age appropriate crush.

Age appropriate, for reiteration.

How long could he honestly lay here without moving or breathing or giving any hint to him being alive. This was problematic.

Why wasn't this working???

Rula was starting to panic just a little, but she paused her pounding for a moment to try to think. She should probably get a professor, right? Or should she try-

Hey, wait!

Her hand was resting on his chest, and now that she'd taken a few seconds to stop, she could sort of feel the thump-thump of his heartbeat.

Okay, that at least meant the worst possible result was out of the way, so she could relax a little.

But he was still unconscious and maybe still had an apple in his throat, so... Maybe it was still good to get a professor, or was there some other way to wake him up?

Um...oh!

Rula pulled out her wand, pointed at his forehead - 'cause she didn't wanna get anything in his nose or mouth to make him choke more - and cast, "Aguamenti!"

So after a rather interesting lesson that had to do with the portraits. Dante had decided it is time to go down and talk to them. Maybe teasing them a little or you know just wander. He had to think about the garden date he wanted to do in the future and well what he wanted to do after he asked her. Also he need to think about Plan Get Hugo a Girlfriend......well maybe he need to think of a better name first because that plan name was horrible. He had a list made and now had to look for candidates. He guessed was the word.

Maybe the Portraits could help. Who knows.

Or maybe he would get inspiration.

It a better idea than sitting in the common room listening to singing and violin music until curfew.

............

O_______O

Sitting up immediately, Rooney was the picture of a deer in headlights as he shook his head to get the water from his hair. No doubt, she got soaked in thr process, but he wasn't used to having his hair doused to the floor. "I'M ALIVE." Something like that, anyway. Alive, abused by apples and dust and water. Why had this girl done that? He hadn't been dead. He knew his heart was beating and so did she, right?

He supposed it was better that she hadn't tried a different way to revive him.

Mouth to mouth.

Yikes.

ughh she was still so sick, this flu didn't want to go away and being Echo she didn't want to take any potions for it either. she was a strong woman and could kick this with out any help. Tissues all balled up in her pockets she decided that getting a walk in would be a good idea, it might make her raise her temp and it might make this go away faster.

Walking along she spotted Dante, lerking around.. "i wonder what hes doing?" she thought while making her way to him...

oh noo im going to sneeze. "AHHHH CHOOOOO" thankfully for her she managed to grab a tissue in time and sneeze into it.... "oh sorry Dante.... " she said while reaching him. She hoped that she didn't scare him.

Dante had just asked a portrait a question. An obvious question such as what is your name? Then he heard a sneeze. He doubted it was someone sneaking up on him when they are that obvious or sick. Though it did sound like she was saying A Jew. which Dante found funny for movie reasons.

And of course it was Echo.

Dante wondered why she down here. She should be anywhere considering how sick she looked even though she was trying to hide it.

"Echo. You sound like you could kill someone just by sneezing on them. I hope you covered. I don't want to get sick"

Echo smirked at him. "of course I covered my mouth, does it look like I was born on a barn" she laughed. If her cousin only heard her say that, she would die of laughter. "im getting over my sickness, so I don't think im contagious." or atleast she hoped.

"so any ways" she smoothed her hair down to atleast look at bit more civilized. "why are you talking to the portraits?" aren't their people that are like wanting to hang out with him all the time. everyone in their house seemed to love him. "where are all your friends?" and of course now was a good time to start to cough, her hands went instantly covered her face. "ughh hes going to think that I have the plague." finally the coughing stopped and she gave Dante a horrified look.

Did she really want Dante to answer that. Well he would say no. But he would have to give it some thought. But when she started laughing he knew she was just joking. Good "As long as you are not contagious. I have OWLs and stuff to worry about this year" Wait she was really asking why talk to the Portraits. Well for one they knew more gossip than even the aparecium and that was saying something. Second is that some where cool and where fun to talk to.

"Because some are excellent sources of gossip and cool. You should talk to some. Well most are snobs. They are mostly cool. Though i figure some are on the Prefects payroll watching out for kids past curfew"

And his friends, well they were doing their own thing. He could just go back to the common room and talk to whoever is there. Hugo is probably being Hugo and sad he is no longer a red head.

"They are around. Maggie is probably with Zeke or Dima. But probably the common room. I'm on my way there next"

It was almost time to be social and stuff or go find Eureka because that sounds more fun than anything else he could think right now.

Torie was staring at one of the portraits and shaking his head. Why was it they insisted on making fun of his hair and his ganglyness? Did he have a sticker on his forehead saying 'tease me' or something? He growled at the portrait and said to stop going on about his hair. It wasn't his fault his hair wouldn't lay flat! What was he supposed to do about it? He wasn't exactly going to put stuff in his hair to make it lay flat, that just looked weird!

He frowned at the portrait and turned his back to it and sat down on the floor a little ways away. Peace and quiet, as long as he ignored the comments right? He sat down with his book and notebook to start writing in.

Azura was walking a little slower than usual as she made her way down the corridor! She was still reeling from that potions class yesterday! Whose bright idea was it for them to get mildy poisoned? She was still freight slightly light headed from the whole thing.. Not to mention..

Ugh! It was bad enough that the whole class had to hear what she said.. But for them to remember it too..

She sighed as she leaned against the wall and slumped down onto floor and then she turned her head and smiled a little as she saw whom she had slumped down next to!

"Hey Torie! How are you!" She gave him a warm smile, genuinely happy to see her friend.

Haddie held up her hands at Rachel's defensiveness over whether or not Davie Truebridge is her boyfriend, and whether or not she had chosen him over Haddie. Not that Haddie claimed she had. "I'm just saying you don't have to worry about it now, is all."

She turned around and... "Daaaang!" That was a lot of portraits. She'd never really paid attention to how many there were in passing before... but dang. Haddie scanned the walls but didn't look like there was enough space between the portraits to even stick a sheet of parchment. Okay... this was taking too long. "HEY!" she hollared to get all the portraits' attention. "Did Professor Tanner stick any sheets of parchment next to any of you?" She was pretty sure she knew what the answer was though. No.

"I don't see it, do you?" she asked, turning to Rachel.

Rachel remained silent. She wasn't about to say anything more on the subject because Haddie's fondness of saying that she chose David over her was beginning to annoy the girl. Why did Haddie have to be so stubborn? She focused instead on the portraits they had just come across.

"Wow!'' Rachel momentarily forgot her annoyance with her friend.There were quite a few portraits around but as she looked eagerly for the next clue, she saw no sign of the familiar parchment with the clue printed upon it. "Haddie! Don't disturb them. Come on. I don't see it either.'' She started off towards the Weasley Swamp but not before saying to the portraits, "I apologise if you were disturbed.''

Torie was sitting there staring at the same page in his book for the last five minutes, trying to figure out what he had just read when someone slumped to the floor beside him and looked up curiously. "Hi!" he said surprise showing, he was grateful for something to draw his mind from trying to figure out what he'd just read.

Merlin his head was swimming. "I'm okay, how about you?" he asked with a warm smile, "Any more dolls?" he asked. Please say no!

Wait, she looked off... "Are you feeling okay?" he asked blinking at her.

Azura smiled warmly at Torie as he turned to look at her and she nodded. "I'm all.. right I think?" Did blurting out that you liked someone while mildly poisoned and them have them remember said confession.. count as all right?

Ugh her head was such a mess right now.. Not to mention! She had been MILDLY POISONED! She still felt slightly dizzy!!

"No more dolls! Thankfully! It seemed to disappear when the hag did, so that's good at least?" She said with a warm smile as she leaned her head back against a wall.. Were there spells to help you get over someone? Cause she needed that right now!

She shrugged a little as he spoke. "Potions was a bit of a mess actually. We all got mildly poisoned and then the antidote didn't work.. and finally we got some antidote that did.. and I'm still feeling a bit off." Not to mention her heart hurt..

Best leave that out.

Upon entering the first floor corridor, Tia had been expecting to find another parchment mixed in with the portraits since that was similar enough to the tapestries where she'd found Myers and Newtons names. Except she found no such parchment floating around amongst the portraits here.

For a moment, she wondered if she'd got Newton's family name number wrong, but upon checking her calculations, she noted it was correct all along. Okay, so her numbers were correct. Where was her next clue then?

Biting her lower lip in contemplation, it finally came to the seventh year as she stared down the corridor...

"Good" he said but looked at her curiously as she said she thought she was anyway. What had happened to make her not sure if she was alright or not? He nodded at her response about the dolls "Well that's good at least. I mean it would be interesting to find out what in merlin's name that doll was about but at least it's gone now." That was the main thing, right? No more of this weird appearing and disappearing?

His eyes widened at her words "Poisoned?" WHAT? "That.....and the professor had you do this?" Merlin what was going on? First a doll then a hag and now poisoning in potions class? Maybe he should sent an owl to mum and dad? "How do you mean....off?" he asked.

Azura nodded as Torie spoke, "Yeah, I hope it's gone for good. Though it was super weird how it just..left and never came back." She pointed out, really it could come back at any time right? And was it related to the hag? Would they ever find out?

She slowly nodded her head at him. "Mmmm poisoned. And the professor had us do it, we were supposed to brew antidotes for each other, but they didn't work cause something was off with an ingredient." She explained to him and then sighed softly.

"Well my head hurts, and I feel slightly dizzy but then again I sort of cried myself to sleep last night."

Those words were slowly dragged from her lips. After Her conversation with Jace she had just went up to her from room and cried..

She really didn't feel any better today.

"I really hope so too" he said slightly wide eyed shaking his head "That thing was just creepy and I didn't even see it myself!" He really hoped it was gone for good. First the spiders and now this? Just....nope he didn't want to think what might come next. Nothing was coming. Nope.

Merlin....he was going to message his mum and dad, they would be able to do something he hoped. That was dangerous! "That's just....how could the ingredient be off? Why would....doesn't the ingredients come from Diagon Alley? Or something? Shouldn't they be tested first before being sent out?"

"You...." he looked at her concerned "You cried yourself to sleep?" he asked softly "Why?" Dizzy...headache "Maybe you should see the nurse..."

Azura smiled at Torie as he spoke and she shook her head, "Believe me, you didn't want to see it." She said as she gave another shiver and sighed softly, the doll was the least of her worries at the moment.

She shrugged at his next words.. "I don't know how they could be off, but somehow.. they were. They were tampered apparently." It was all so very strange, something odd was going on with the school and she wasn't sure that she liked it! What else was going to happen? And all during her first year too! If this was her first year, what was her next 6 going to be like?

Azura bit her lip as she turned her purple eyes up towards Torie, despite him being like her knight in shining armor. He would probably think she was nuts with all of her uh.. boy trouble? "Yesterday was just a bad day, I said some stuff in potions while being mildly poisoned.. and well.. let's just say people remembered it.." And then rejected her.. and then wouldn't talk to her this morning..

She sighed softly.."Maybe I should?"

He shook his head and made a face "No, it probably would have freaked me out as well. I'm grateful I hadn't." He wasn't afraid of admitting it might scare the heck out of him! He had already been nervous about the hag!

He shook his head but bit his lip "That shouldn't ever be. I mean how could they be tampered with without anyone noticing? That should be obvious I'd think." If they came right from the apothecary, how could they be tampered with? "Oh no!" he said with surprise. "I'm guessing what you said wasn't good things?" he asked curiously. "Is it that bad?"

He nodded though "I would if you still feel off. She might be able to help you." Well he hadn't been there yet so he couldn't be positive.