Zoryn forgot the password.

But in her defense it was like DAY TWO and ALSO there was just so much excitement during the feast and soooooooo much more excitement after the feast that she could hardly focus in on a password when her Prefects told it to her.

And to make matters worse, she had to go to the bathroom. And of course the thought of using one of the loo's in another corridor hadn't exactly occurred to her. She had a one track mind. And right now, the track was leading to the Common Room.

She'd have to try cute-ing her way inside.

"I dunno why they call you a 'fat lady'," she nodded, speaking to the portrait and making sure to bat her eyes a little bit extra. Though at this point, she had her legs crossed one over the other, rocking as she spoke. Did that take away from the cute? Hopefully not. "You're not even that fat," SHE WAS BEAMING REALLY HARD NOW. It was the best compliment she could think of and hopefully that'd be enough. "AlsoIForgotThePasswordAndIt'sMyFirstYear," DEEP BREATH "AndIReallyHaveToPee--" DEEP BREATH NUMBER 2 "SoCouldYouPleaseLetMeIn?"

She batted her eyelashes some more.

"Pretty please with a CHERRY ON TOP?"

Dora was just returning from an impromptu swim in the lake when she heard someone talking about needing to pee.

HEHEHEHEHE!

Wringing out her wet hair a bit. She moved closer and just kind of watched the kid plead with the portrait. She was DEFINITELY a Gryffindor. It was brilliant really. "She will not let you in withought the password, lovey. And there is a loo down the corridor," she said with a smile.

Should she help? She could. She was a Gryffindor also, after all. But she opted for pulling out her wand and commencing to perform a drying spell on her hair. Next would be her robes and shoes. "I'm Dora. "

"Look lady," because clearly the begging wasn't working. "If you let me in, I promise I'll get EVERY Gryffindor to start calling you the healthy-body-positive lady." How'd that sound? Brilliant, Zoryn thought, though she was most definitely making empty promises here. She was only a first year. The only people that listened to her were the house elves and that's 'cause it's their job.

The Gryffindor was busting out EVERY STOP! "Pleeaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?" she pleaded again, this time stopping and turning when she heard a voice coming from behind her. "But I don't KNOW the password!" she knew it at some point yesterday. But yesterday was SUCH a long time ago. "Oh." There was? SEE this is what she was talking about, they wanted her to remember all of these things at once. Like the password for the Gryffindor Common Room AND where all the loos were AND the homework assignments AND lots of other things that she couldn't remember off the top of her head because remembering is HARD. And she wasn't typically a forgetful person most of the time, but it was only her first week and it felt like they wanted her to know EVERYTHING.

"How am I supposed to remember so much STUFF?!" This child was frustrated. Clearly. "Can't she just remember my face and let me in without a password?" It felt like a reasonable request.

"I'm Zoryn!" She beamed, uncrossing her legs and promptly forgetting that she had to pee due to the new distraction. "Nice to meet ya!" And she already had another question, "How come you're wet?"

Dora couldn't help the snicker that left her at the girl's antics. Positive body image portrait did NOT suit the Fat Lady. Nope. But it was beyond hilarious that the girl was pleading so. And how had she forgotten the password so quickly?? This was baffling to the older Lioness. Crossing her arms over her chest she watched the young one curiously.

"How would you expect the Fat Lady to remember every single Gryffindor that has ever passed through here if you can't remember the password?" The lion had logic, you see. Besides, this was fun. "And maybe you can use a word association game to remember all of the things you need to remember. It is said to be helpful." Dora wouldn't know. She didn't often forget things. Ever. Like once she heard it or read it, it was usually locked away in her vault. Yep.

Zoryn. That was a pretty name and the girl was adorbs. They were going to be friends. Yep, indeed. "Nice to meet you. You're new. Did you transfer? Or are you just a first year?" And why was she wet? Hehe. Dora pointed her wand at her robes and performed the drying spell.

"Thought I saw a mermaid. Wanted to talk to it. Waded out into the lake... then decided to go swimming." Shrug. It was all shrugworthy, you see. "Want me to show you to the loo?" Or let her into the common room.

”Well,” that logic shut her up quickly in thought. How DID she expect the Fat Lady to remember every single Gryffindor that has ever passed through here? ”Well, it’s not fair!! It was the FIRST night and they told us SO MANY things, how the heck did they expect me to remember any of it!? That felt like an appropriate response to the question. ”Would’t it just be easier if they gave us all keys or something?” Just saying.

Zoryn would add that to her list of suggestions for the school. She had quite a lot of them.

”FIRST YEAR!” she beamed PROUDLY. ”Are you a Professor or something? ‘Cause she was kinda old. And had a nice face. And knew how to magic herself dry. And knew how to remember things. Basically all the requirements of being a Professor, right?

”OH!” Just like Zoryn and Derf during their first night!!! ”Did you find one? ‘Cause me and my new-friend Derf were looking loads, but we didn’t see any!” The loo? She tilted her head confused for a second before realizing that she had to go to the bathroom only moments ago. ”Actually, I don’t have to go anymore!”

Amused.

Dora was amused. This kid was a firecracker of epic proportions and it was giving her life. She just wanted to hug the kid with all she had, but she refrained for the moment.

FOR THE MOMENT!

"Where would we put the keys to open the portrait? I am quite certain the Fat Lady would not be happy about us defacing her LOVELY portrait!" And she was SURE she wouldn't. SURE. "But, you know your housemates will help you if you need help." Like herself. She would always like to help!

WAIT a moment. WAIT A HOPPING HIPPOGRIFF MOMENT! Had she just insinuated that Dora was OLD? Hell no. This caused the blonde to cross her arms over her chest and scowl. She was great at scowling, you know. "I am a fifth year, actually." Emphasis landed on actually as CLEAR disdain dripped from her voice.

Only for a moment though.

"There is a whole colony of them in the lake. If you spoke Mermish you could speak to them... but I am sure you don't." DORA DID, THOUGH! And some Gobbeldygook. But that was neither here nor there.

Again, Zoryn found herself stumped by the question. Uh. She hadn't exactly thought that far. Well, they'd need a doorknob, of course... But where'd they put it??? She stood quiet in thought for a few long moments.

"Y'know, you ask a lot of questions," that was the way she decided to answer the question. Because no, she had no idea where they would put the keys. "And nobody ever said anything about defacing, she can still keep her face," the first year nodded proudly. So diplomatic. So intellectual. So... obvious to the meaning of the word 'deface'.

A fifth year? "Oh." Zoryn was a little dumbfounded. Not being the older girl looked THAT ancient. But because it was always hard to tell. Zoryn was a very bad judge of age. Clearly. "I knew that, I was only messin' with ya," she didn't, she wasn't. But she gave her most innocent looking eyes at the girl anyways.

'Cause she could always use older friends. They were useful because they remembered passwords and could help her with her homework.

And this one knew secrets about the mermaids!!!! "Not yet," she shook her head "but Derf knows and he said he'll TEACH ME so that I can speak to the mermaids too!!!!" Wasn't that super exciting!?!? "Maybe he can teach you too!" She was trying to be helpful.

She asked a lot of questions? REALLY? "It was more a tactic to make YOU THINK. You'll learn to think before you act eventually," she said with a decided nod. SHE WOULD. It was like a fact or something. Or, at least, she had been taught to think more than before. Could be because she spent so much time with the Ravenclaws, though. who knew.

But wait, had she just... Oh man. "To deface something means to mess it up. To ruin it. Putting a keyhole in her portrait would deface it, honey." She knew what she was getting ZOryn for Christmas. WORD A DAY CALENDAR! Sam really like hers.

And for the record, those innocent eyes were not foooling her! Ha. ZORYN GOT ANOTHER STANK FACE!

And the worst thing she could have said. THE WORST.

SOMEONE ELSE WAS LEARNING AND SPEAKING MERMISH?! Dora felt herself deflate. She had found something that made her special. That was her thing... and now someone was taking it from her, like they took everything that meant something to her.

Great,

GRAND.

Over it.

The blonde merely shook her head sadly, though. "Sure. Have fun with that. I have to go." Turning to the portrait, she muttered the password and dashed inside.

EXCUSE WHILE WE GO WRITE A LETTER!

"Eh I'll pass," that didn't sound like a lot of fun. Zoryn liked doing the acting thing before the thinking thing. It just sounded plain wrong the other way around. So she just shrugged it off. Ehhhhh not really her thing, thanks.

.... So THAT'S what deface meant. It was a very misleading word, to be honest. "Oh." Zoryn knew that. (She didn't). (But it's not like anyone had to know). (Though the older girl certainly did). Anways.

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

What.

The girl just LEFT????????????????

"WAIT I STILL DON'T KNOW THE PASSWORD!!!"

But it was too late because the girl had already scampered off inside. And the portrait had swung back closed. And Zoryn suddenly had to pee again. And now the fat lady was laughing at her.

"Hey!!!" CUE THE STANK FACE. "That dress makes you look EXTRA fat." Hmph.

So much for trying to nice her way in.

So... the whole everyone must be escorted by a Prefect or Professor nonsense just was NOT something Dora wanted to abide by. Ever. Not gonna happen, bro. The blonde pulled the collar of her coat up tighter as she climbed out of the portrait hole and started toward the stairs. Yah. Pffft. No need to be ESCORTED by anyone ever. She was advanced at magic and didn't feel that people her own age were any better equipped at the unknown forces at play.

Nope.

Besides... her boyfriend was just over in Ravenclaw tower. Surely she could make it there without anyone bothering her, right?

With her head held high she made her way down the corridor toward the bronze knocker. Yep. Nothing to see here!

Natalia was making her rounds. She was getting tired. The corridor duties, escorting, classes, and studying for owls were starting to wear her down. She always was trying to find time to keep practicing with the band members that were at school. They would start working on their independent album this summer. With the help of her boss and his lovely recording studio, she hoped to have a good start on it before WADA started.

As she rounded the corner she noticed someone moving up near the Gryffindor portrait. At first she didn't think anything of it and really thought she'd probably see Noelle or Ace coming out, but then she didn't. She watched a little longer before walking up to the girl.

"Excuse me, Dora right?" She had seen her around. "Do you have an escort coming out with you? You know you can't be out here alone."

What the whaaaaat?! Ugh.

Dora gave a heavy sigh as Natalia called out for her. For a few beats she even kept walking... and thus ignoring the fact that anyone had addressed her at all. If she ignored the Head Girl, she would totally go away, right?

Not so much.

"Yep. I'm Dora, " the Gryffindor said as she kept walking a ways. "and clearly I am not alone. You're here. " Duuuuh!

And also, she was still walking because YOLO!

Nat narrowed her eyes at the girl as she kept walking. HELLO HEAD GIRL TALKING! What did she think she was doing?

Ugh Gryffindors!


She loved them had two best friends that were them, but goodness were they even more stubborn than she was. "Excuse me, but could you please stop for a moment." Clearly she was trying to pull a fast one. Not that ] Nat could blame her, but right now she had to keep the rules. "yes I'm here now, but I wasn't. So that means you were planning on adventuring out alone. You do know that portal has just appeared in different places to take people, right?" The damn thing could be right here at any moment and she would have been alone.

"Where are you going anyway?"

Whether it was the Head GIRL or the Headmistress... Dora would have kept walking, really. But, she had slowed down a smidge, so that counted for something, right?

Right.

"Ah. But by that same logic that means we're not safe being quarantined to our common rooms. " And THAT was the thing that made Dora feel less safe than being in a corridor alone, really. "And do YOU know how to make the portal stop? " Because of she didn't - and Dora had a feeling NO ONE did- then Dora didn't feel any bit safer with her accompanying her to the loo or anywhere else.

Nothing personal, of course, she just didn't think the school administration had thought this all through is all.

"Oh I was just walking over to the bronze knocker. I need to see my boyfriend." The Head Girl had broken plenty of rules in her time at Hogwarts, right! She totally understood. Dora was certain of it.

Nat was kind of amused, okay. This girl was clearly over the curfew and Nat couldn't blame them. Herself included was over the portal and all the crazy going on. She had NEWTs to be studying for and a band to be working with. He eyed the girl a bit as she said about the common room. "You're right, it could come in the common room. Though at least if it did there is a group of you there. You could help to keep each other safe or some of you could run for a professor to let them know you were taken. Alone out here you could be taken without anyone knowing for awhile. They say there is a monster in there. Plus the caretaker is still missing and he went in there alone most likely."

Shaking her head she knew the girl knew she didn't know how to stop it. "No one does at this point, all we can do is help keep each other safe and listen to the professors. " Nat had broken her share of rules throughout the years, but she had a badge now and a job to do.

"Okay, why don't I walk with you. That's not that far. Does he know you are coming?"

Dora was not buying this whole spiel and it likely wasn't Nat's fault... she was likely just regurgitating what the school admin had told her. "I mean literally no disrespect, but that's a load of waffle and you know it. There is nothing my housemates could do to help me that I can't do myself. And furthermore, trust me when I say someone knows I'm gone and in the event that I don't send a Patronus or some other type of communication within the next 20 minutes, someone will alert a professor. " And yes she could cast a Patronus, kudos to Hirsch, and yes she had made arrangements. She wasn't a run of the mill Gryffindor.

"I dont feel any more safe being escorted by a Prefect as I would if I were alone. No offense meant, at all. It's just that we're all learning magic. What can my Prefects do that I can't? " Answer: Nothing.

"He doesn't. It was a surprise. Besides, plausible deniability. But you can walk with me if you like... but I don't consider this a situation where you are escorting me for my own safety. " Just so they were clear on that.

Crystal.

Wow this one was just... Nat didn't even know what words to use. She just kind of eyed the girl. Really she had better things to do than babysit all the younger students, but that was what they were younger. Even a fifth year and now a fifth year could do a patronus? Well good for her, because Nat was already in her self-hate mode after hearing that. She was still struggling with that and wasn't about to admit that to some loud fifth-year lion.

"Bottom line it's the rules and I'm here so I'm not letting you just walk in the corridor alone. Hate it or not you will have to just deal with it." She just worked hard on not rolling her eyes at all the things coming from the girls mouth. How did Noelle and Ace deal with some of the lions? "Well that is a good point, but some of us with badges are older so we have been practicing longer." So yes stronger magic and abilities. She knew that the lion prefects were about the same age as her though so she was right for that.

She browed a bit, "So how is he suppose to know you are there for him to come out?" Gryffindor girl wasn't trying to sneak into the Ravenclaw common room was she? That could fully land her into detention.

Hmm this might get even more interesting the longer Nat hung around.

Dora felt about the same way about the Head Girl right now. No words. She was a bit... something. The blonde kindly shook her head and stopped so she could give the older girl her best WHAT face. "I never used the word hate. I reserve that for people not a silly thing like this. AND I already said you could walk with me, So what exactly are you on about?" Answer that. Seriously, could she? Because the Gryffindor was being perfectly nice about things and she could NOT understand what this girl's problem was.

AND at the next remark, she crossed her arms over her chest before she began walking again. "And some of us have stronger magical abilities than others... and have studied with professors and tutors to become more advanced than others, Even older students. And if you don't believe me you can ask Professor Hirsch, Newton, and former professor Dakest." Meaning if she sighed or rolled her eyes at someone SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO KNOW A LICK OF ANYTHING ABOUT... well that might not end well.

"My best friend gave me her rat so I can summon her out of the common room and then she will send Casper down." What did this girl think Dora was? An idiot? Well she was sorely misinformed if she thought that was the case.

Oh this was exhausting and the seventh year just wasn't up to trying to play nice with a fifth year. "Well I hate it and I'm pretty sure many other's do. Like you said we don't know when or if it will appear again. So you always have to be on alert and the extra corridor duties on top of homework and studying for NEWTs is stressful." If there was thing Nat was it was honest and she would be honest about her feelings. She loved being head girl and would do everything she had to help the professors and keep the students safe, but some students it was just wearing thin.

When the girl stopped so did Nat. It took everything in her not to roll her eyes. She just stood there looking at the girl, though. Obviously, she was a bit full of herself and thought she was better than pretty much everyone by the sounds of it. "Many have been tutored by professors." Herself included, so yeah this argument was mute i Nat's eyes. She had the badge this one didn't, so end of story.

Her rat??

O_o


Nat wasn't all that into rats and she looked around for the squeaky thing. "Well that's good." Seemed she had everything thought of, but still once the boyfriend came down where did they think they were going without a badge or a professor around.

This girl was... not nice. Dora had decided. Yep. "I get it." She didn't particularly CARE, but she understood. She was trapped in her loud common room while trying to study for OWLs... and that was not going well. If this girl wasn't taking things SO SERIOUSLY she would have looked the other way, let Dora go on about her business and then gone and done the studying she was DESPERATE to do.

Alas, here they were.

And this girl knew nothing about Dora... because if she did, she wouldn't even fathom that she was full of herself. Quite the opposite really. She was harder on herself than anyone else could ever be. She was merely dealing with facts and making a point here. Not peacocking or show boating. If that had been the case she would have whipped out her wand and started showing off. But nope. No need for all that. None at all. And like... Dora seemed confident and all that, but really she wasn't. Not even a little bit.

At the mention of RAT, Olly poked his head out of the robe pocket he was residing in. He was always a curious little rat. The blonde grinned as she looked down at him. What had the HG expected? That Dora would be holding him out in front of her like this was the Lion King or something? She was starting to think the older girl wasn't the brightest bulb in the room...

"I know that. I was merely trying to make a point. Not that it matters." The point was MOOT because the Head Girl was getting on her nerves. NERVES. But Dora was a LADY so she kept it to herself. She even smiled at the girl as she walked. There. Kill people with kindness and all that. She was unsure if the Slytherin even KNEW HOW TO SMILE. Ugh.

An anxious looking Sam appeared by the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common Room, wand in her hand. A quick glance to her watch confirmed that Dora was at least five minutes later than she should have been, and since Olly hadn't arrived either, she was worried.

Had the Gryffindor just been held up? Or had something worse happened?

She didn't want to think about it, and instead ventured further into the corridor. She hadn't actually thought she might need to raise the alarm, and now the possibility had arisen, she was wondering who best to go to. The Headmistress was way too far to be ideal, especially with the moving staircases, and if the much nearer Divination Professor had any incense burning, she'd end up sneezing rather than explaining the situation. Astronomy perhaps then?

She'd go past the Fat Lady first though. Best check she wasn't going to be raising a false alarm, and that Dora hadn't been caught up in the Common Room by a firstie needing help with their homework or similar.

She kept her eyes on the rat that was now poking its head out of the girl's robes. She wasn't going to get too close to it that was for sure. She figured storm would have been trying to bat it around if he was here with her right now. "What's his name? " It was small talk, but since she was up here and not leaving until the girl found another..


Oh wait..


Was that? No, it was just another student. " "Hello" She watched the new girl and looked at her clothes to see at least the house. "Can we help you?" Hopefully she wasn't lost or someone put her out here on purpose. Those older students could be brutal with their pranks.