Completely unaware of her surroundings, she stood, eyes glazed over, in the middle of the street. The number of students chanting was growing, but she might as well have been in an empty field. There was no movement around her registering, not even her own voice ringing in her ears “EXPOSE THE INEQUALITY. EXPOSE THE INEQUALITY" Over and over.

Her wand was held tightly in her left hand, ready to be used if whoever, or whatever, was controlling her mind chose to have her do so. The pressure of the wood against her hand didn’t register, the ache of her muscles in her outstretched arm never reached her mind. She was absent of feeling and thought.

"Thanks, Ms McKinley," Boyd replied, taking his cone and handing her the correct change. "Looks like you're going to have a busy day today!" It was warm, and plenty of young people about. Hopefully enough to get a good game of footie going. Spying a dribble of melting ice cream, he quickly brought it up to his lips to lick. Yum. The combination of chocolate and caramel was so good.

He turned back to his new companions, pulling the chocolate flake out of the cone and nibbling on it. "There's some swings you can sit on if you want," he replied to Jessa. Hopefully her friends wouldn't be persuaded elsewhere by her disinterest in a run around. Although Derf seemed distracted by other things, and Boyd tried to follow his gaze out of curiosity. "What is who doing he-"

He didn't get to finish, as a bus came hurtling around the corner. What the actual? Boyd looked up and down the street, clearly confused; buses weren't allowed down here...and he couldn't ever remember one of them getting anywhere fast. He didn't get to ponder on it long though, as first Jessa started to act funny, then Abey looked like he'd seen a ghost...and then Derf went and pulled out a wooden stick and started chanting too. "Er...guys? Abey? Jessa?" Boyd tilted his head, waving his hand in front of their faces for a reaction. "Derf? Helloooo?!"

...they were all just fooling around, right?

Except looking around, it wasn't just them. It was a good chunk of the kids on the street. And one of the adults, their group leader maybe, also was waving a stick around. It was all very...well, if it wasn't for the lack of zombies or fantasy-style costumes, he'd think he'd walked into some sort of odd LARPing event. He seen some stuff about those on the telly. Except he didn't think those were usually held in a town centre. Nor in somewhere like Dufftown. Which meant there was only one explanation.

Boyd stepped forward, laughing wryly and shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, very funny everyone." This was one of those TV prank shows, right? Any minute one of the presenters would be coming in to view. He could see it now: his best mate wasn't even grounded, and was sat somewhere hidden chortling to himself about having set Boyd up.

Was there a prize? Money? Tickets to the World Cup maybe?

It didn't take very long for the next phase of the process to occur. No sooner had he slunk back to his usual spot, than he saw the woman fish out a plastic bag that contained a number of items he didn't really care for. They were mundane, hardly noteworthy, but they had some use to them.

While the smile disappeared from Kaysha's face, it was only just spreading on Duncan's. A smile that, if he wasn't feeling so smug, he would've blamed entirely on the country he was currently in. "Looks like a success so far." She was going to be proud, if anything. There were mentions of wanting to educate the young and now, here they were: passing on the sacred teachings to all... these...

...

...

While the students had odd looks spreading on their faces, another odd look - a different kind of odd look - spread across Duncan's face as well. The smug expression vanished in a matter of seconds as comprehension dawned, causing a look of horror and confusion to spread, instead. He knew that this was going to happen, of course, and it had taken quite a bit of convincing to make him see the reverse argument to this, but there was something significant about this that he didn't know. Something that caused him to blink a few times and shake his head a few more times, as if he was shaking it clear. As if he was only just starting to see things clearly...

"Melanie," he hissed, switching to English as he turned to the woman who was supposed to be his twin sister, "Why the-"

*CAR HORN SOUND*

"are ALL the students getting possessed?! I thought the plan was to only use a few? To get the message across, not use the entirety of the castle," An exaggeration, yes, but an important one. "as a way of doing that!"

He wanted an explanation and he wanted one now.

Exploring was obviously out of the question. Things had got ... weirder. Something wasn't right.

Blue eyes widened at the scene before him and judging by the way Zita was gripping his arm it wasn't just his imagination running wild. It felt like he'd stepped directly into one of his comic books. What was that they were saying? Expose the inequality? End the struggle? The words reminded him of a strange dream he'd had just before Christmas...

He glanced across at Zita when she mentioned a shield. Good. That meant she was okay and hadn't turned into some zombie nutter like the rest had. Being socially awkward and preferring not to be amongst the crowd had probably saved them from being zombified and Max took several more steps away despite the Mr Librarian calling for them to gather around.

"Is he nuts!? I'm not going over there with all that crazy. What if it's contagious?" Um. Thanks, but no thanks. He was good here, yep.

He knew it was probably against the rules, but honestly, rules were the last thing on his mind right now. Maxton dropped his ice cream cone, drew his wand and muttered the incantation to cast a shield charm that would cover both himself and Zita.

Muggle museum? Sticking together? Yes, those things all sounded well and good to the Slytherin Captain. Except what happened next all seemed to unfold rather quickly. And Skylar did the only thing she could do, was just stand there. And watch. Horrified, as she heard the words that seemed to echo Kitty Valentine in her mind. The words she'd been seeing around the castle for the last two years EXPOSE THE INEQUALITY. EXPOSE THE INEQUALITY

And the moment she heard it, she wasn't sure it was any good, but non-verbally, the sixth year cast the strongest shield charm she knew of and hoped it was enough. It wasn't enough though, because there was the two girls she'd been with before that she had PLANS with to see the sights of Dufftown, to savor the food, to enjoy their little day, sans magic.

"Vivi. Vivian. Kye. Valkyrie." But it was useless, she knew, nicknames or full names, because she could see from their expressions they weren't themselves.

When she heard her name and turned to see the Gryffindor Prefect running (or falling) over her and she smiled, gracious she hadn't caught the bug. "Vi!!" she whirled and met her with hug. "It's ..." That was when she recalled something, from previous years, when she was in the library and the library had been ransacked. "The book. The book that Kal- Mr Kennedy had said was missing." Her train of thought got interrupted though when she heard something else.

And no, she obviously wasn't possessed, because her non-verbal shield and maybe a bit of her strong-willed self had protected her. Also, what was male Williams Twin saying??? Why the? But then that blasted car horn and she couldn't hear much else but bits and pieces and she turned at the older girl and inclined her head at the pair of Ilvermorny twins. "Them. It's their doing. I just know it."

Also, yes, she heard you, Kennedy. But sorry, distracted over here.

She hadn't meant to make the girl feel bad, and Katy was all set to apologize... until she got excited about recognizing her name. It was a weird feeling for her, to be known as Chloe's cousin rather than the other way around. Sort of hearkened back to the days when she was living in Charlotte's shadow, although, admittedly, it was hard to feel overshadowed by tiny, buoyant, cheerful Chloe.

"Yes, Chloe and I are cousins. Are you two friends..." What the actual WHAT was Faith doing? This was a MUGGLE town, and as far as Katy knew, there were no plans to perform any mass obliviations today. "What are you doing? Put that away." She swatted at the girl's hand unsuccessfully. And the words? This was crazy. "Faith! You're going to... STOP THAT."

All around them, wands were coming out and students were chanting. Chanting? With wands out? Katy was relieved at the appearance of Professor Kennedy, who was calm in the face of... whatever this is. She latched on to Faith's arm and pushed her wand down while trying to pull her toward the professor. "Just... come... with... me, Secret Ninja."

If there was one moment that she was going to remember from this Duftown trip then it was seeing how young Dorian got possessed right in front of her eyes and she couldn't do anything to stop it. But Laurel was going to try! Taking a step towards the eagle boy she called out "Dorian, come towards me! Try to pull your gaze away from Professor Stewart! Resist the possession! Keep fighting it! Your strong!"



Luckily for her and Kalen it seemed that not all of the student leaders had become possessed yet. They were as good reinforcements as any in the situation. Hearing Olivia Holden's voice over the pandemonium Laurel waved for the lioness prefect to come closer along with Hattie and Matthew and Skylar too as she ordered in bossy head of house fashion "Prefect Holden work with Captain Diggory, Mr Meriwether and Ms Paton and bring your chanting peers over to me and Mr Kennedy's circle. If you can, disarm your friends from their wands and try to make them snap out of their dark cult sounding chants. We can worry about who or what is controlling them when we've gotten everyone safely back to Hogwarts!"



Laurel had heard Kalen's question but she never got around to answering it when Kay had started to act weird. All the blond's focus had then for a few minutes been on her best friend. Watering her lips, a sign of growing anxiety she called out "Kay, Kay, snap out of it! Please Kay for me Laurel your best friend! Snap out of it! Stop pulling stuff out of that bag!"

She watched Kalen's monarch butterfly patronus dissapear off towards help before she turned her attention to Kalen as he ordered all the students in the street to gather around them and to bring along a chanting student. Leaning closer to Kalen she whispered "What is our plan?" A port key seemed good right about now before the students did something that the ministry needed to erase from the curious muggles minds later. To the students standing around she ordered "If any non-possessed students didn't hear Mr Kennedy earlier then please try and disarm your chanting peers from their wands before you bring them to over to me and Mr Kennedy."

Abra was... okay, yes, terrified. Sure, the chanting and everything itself wasn't scary, but what had accompanied students in this state before now certainly was. He wished Professor Hirsch was on this trip. His presence made alone Abra feel safe, so he was sort of the person that was good to have around in emergencies.

Not that Abra really had much time to fully think through all of this. Mostly he was just standing and staring fearfully in Jessa's direction, as he had by now realised that she was one of those affected. Whether he was afraid OF her or FOR her, he wouldn't have been able to say, though perhaps the truth was that it was a little of both. Still not knowing what he should do, Abra stood stock still as though frozen.

He half-expected the spell - whatever it was - to take over him too, to make him go all blank-eyed and staring and whatever else, but nothing happened. Abra's eyes fell on Derf next, and for a moment he felt a surge of relief that his Hufflepuff was looking directly at him... until he noticed the blankness of his stare. The relief quickly turned to dread, weighing him down like a five tonne weight that had just dropped into his stomach.

"Derf..." Abra tried, speaking quietly, pleadingly, and knowing it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference. It didn't take a genius (thankfully) to know that there was dark magic afoot, and what good were pleading words against the power of dark forces?

Abra didn't panic, and he stopped worrying too. It was the flip of a switch, something had muffled everything that was happening, turned off his access to his emotions. Abra felt as though he himself had become one of the student zombies, in a way, except he still had full control. His anxiety, his dread, his encroaching panic all halted in their tracks, and he switched completely over to autopilot, watching rather than being. For now.

He looked over Derf from head to toe, catching sight of a little warty newt that had tumbled to the floor. Scamander. Without a clue as to what else he should be doing, without consciously deciding to do it, Abra bent down and quickly rescued Scamander from the ground before she could get squashed, and slipped her into his own pocket.

The sound of Professor Kennedy's voice reached him, but Abra didn't yet look away from Derf or Jessa. Bring them over? So it was okay to touch them then, though that was already obvious from Diandra's tugging on Derf's arm. Abra stepped forward and grabbed hold of Jessa's free hand, turning back to Boyd as he did so, his face still pale.

"I... uh, sorry," was all he managed to say to the other boy, not knowing what else to say or even if he was supposed to say anything at all. It didn't matter. Hearing Professor Vance's instructions next, Abra tried to prise Jessa's wand out of her other hand and pull her towards the adults in charge at the same time. As he did so, he couldn't help but wonder, had the spell not hit him because Derf was still stood in the way, effectively blocking it?

That was one to fret over later. Like, maybe when he was able to fret over things again.

Boyd's disbelief was entirely missed on the young Ravenclaw who did nothing but continue to stare with a hollow gaze and chant the infamous words of struggle and inequality. Nothing around her gained a reaction--much like how she typically preferred to be in certain situations, only this time the limited reaction had nothing to do with her willpower and everything to do with the fact she'd entirely lost control of her own body. Were she in a mind to process this, the calm would not have lasted.

"End the struggle. Expose the inequality."

Diandra's tugging on Derf went entirely unnoticed, in the same way Abra's hand now taking hers did. To say she was unaware was probably the understatement of the century.

Vaguely, she felt something tugging away from her other hand but that was it, no further acknowledgement of her friend removing her wand from her. No acknowledgement of the Professors giving directions, or the magic around her. Were it not for her friend's forward movements, it was safe to say the 16 year old would've remained firmly planted in that spot but as Abra moved, eventually her feet began to move as well.

The steps were slow but they did not waver. Like a mindless sheep being led off, Jessa Cambridge felt herself being led off but there wasn't nothing she could do about it....about anything.

Her voice had gone hoarse but still, there was no sign that her dear friend became conscious and back to his old self. Diandra would not going to give up though and kept trying it, even she squeezed his arm real hard in order to see his reaction. Derf, please... Goodness, she was about to cry now because there's nothing that she could do in order to make him conscious. It's so frustrating and breaking her heart to see the Hufflepuff prefect became cursed like this.

Now she just hoped the Professors would do something to save them.

Hearing Professor Kennedy's amplified voice about gathering and bringing the chanting student, the Hufflepuff didn't think any longer to bring Derf. "Come on, Derf. Follow me." Diandra said as she held his hand and dragged him to the Professors. She also noticed Abra had stepped up to save the newt (yes, somehow she didn't notice that) and brought Jessa along to the adults. Goodness, did the muggles around watch them? Hopefully the enforcement should be here soon and wipe all their memory.

And she didn't notice that Derf's wand was dropped.

So this was supposed to be a RELAXING weekend, and given that Dufftown is know for its Duffery, naturally that was the place the Curly Top made a beeline for as soon as they got there.

By the time he got back out to the street, head slightly abuzz and in a more jovial mood than usual, there was some kind of pandemonium going on with his schoolmates-- plus a runaway red bus nearly RUNNING HIM OVER.

"HEYYYYY I'M WALKIN HERE I'M WALKIN 'ERE!!" he carelessly slapped the side of the bus with his free hand as he wobbled out of its way when it screeched to a halt. Wasnt this a pedestrian lane? No wait maybe it wasnt. Where IS this pedestrian lane then? He should ask his girlfriend where the pedestrian lane is. She's bound to have stumbled upon it by now. "Vi?" he mumbled as he swung his arm as if to rest it on an invisible shoulder, promptly losing his balance. Eh where did she go?

Then there was chanting. Oh was there some kind of march for their lives thing going on? Hey marching is patriotic. And Ace is patriotic yes he is!

He raised his fist wobbly into the air and chanted whatever it was the rest of them were chanting, something about struggles and inequality. "Yeahs expose struggles!.... Women's equality!..." that sounded about right yeah? Women were always struggling for equality. Or something.

And the Prefect was swept up into a hug by the Slytherin Captain? Oh phew! Thank goodness for Skylar being there. Vi eagerly returned her friend’s hug with a hug of her own and a smile despite the situation they were in. However, there wasn’t much time to catch up. Instead what in Merlin was happening here?

Skylar was quick with a theory. The book? From the library? And Williams 1 and Williams 2 over there? She bit her lip as she looked over to the Americans. Oh not them again.... She was about to offer an idea about either confronting them or something along those lines when Vi felt compelled to speak. “E-” Vi almost blurted out the very phrase that she heard other students uttering; however, she bit her lip and closed her eyes momentarily trying her hardest to shut the voices out of her head. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore it. Then there was a loud honk followed by a very familiar voice calling out that he was walking over there. Ace? She spun her head and scanned the crowd for him but couldn’t see the familiar curly top. She could have sworn she heard his voice.

Vi turned back to Skylar. “Sorry... Yes I think it could be them.... I seem to remember feeling uneasy around them at the tournament...” she spoke. It seemed as if some of the Illvermorny students hadn’t exactly warmed to them either. She wondered what they wanted from them. Why were they even——? Thoughts for later. Meanwhile Professor Vance had called out for her, Sky, Matt, and Hattie to work together in trying to lead the chanting students towards Mr. Kennedy and her circle. “Got it...” she called out and then turned back to Skylar once more to ask how they should team up to herd their friends. Hmm...

EXPOSE.... No. he wasn’t?? Her heart fell at the thought of him also being possessed but that was soon followed by another chant. WOMENS RIGHTS!!! She glanced up and towards the direction of that voice. Ace was here. And he wasn’t too far away- perhaps a couple feet. “Ace?” she called out and then stuck her hand up in the air. Maybe he’d find her... “Over here!!! Help us out with the crowd!”

Curse being so short and stuck in crowds.

Flynn had been waiting around for Felicity (because he had a big surprise planned for her) when he had witnessed the strange bus incident. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked around, trying to understand what the hot fudge was happening. Nothing made sense this term. He started walking towards a group of students, but he stopped mid-step when he felt something strange overcome him.

It was as if he wasn't himself anymore.

He couldn't control his hand movement when he began reaching inside his pocket to pull out his wand.

"Expose the inequality," he began to say. "Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle."


He did not hear Professor Vance's nor Mr Kennedy's voice.

He did not move from where he was standing.

He just kept repeating the words over and over and over again.

To be honest Harriet was feeling scared. She'd seen a lot in her six years at Hogwarts, but this was pretty bad. Students getting possessed. That was scary. She hoped everyone would be okay. But she honestly had no clue what was going on. She was glad she wasn't possessed though. That would just be scary. Though she probably wouldn't know what was going on. That was not important now though. Right now, she just needed to try and help. She was glad she was 17, because at least she could actually help. Since they were away from Hogwarts, she wasn't sure if the others could actually do magic, so it would be good to have a few of them able to legally do magic, and so that was useful.

The blonde nodded as she listened to the professors. She was sure getting everyone to one safe location would be good. She didn't know how practical it would be. But they could try! She nodded once more, before she hurried around to grab someone who was possessed. The hufflepuff made a beeline for her Friend (viv) wanting to make sure she was okay. "Viv... Vivv..." The murmured, waving in front of her face and then grabbing onto her arm. "We just need to go over here...." And then she was tugging gently on her friend to get her to come with her.

Now hopefully the slytherin would come.

What the devil was going on now?!

First there the infestation of all these kids (the one who had been screaming about the loo hadn’t been forgotten). Then some blubbering idiot thought he could drive a bus down his street. Had he not been so flabbergasted, Archie would have stormed right in and gave the driver a good whacking.

But now ... these kids ... were chanting ... and taking out sticks ... and one of the adults that was with them had one too and somehow made a whispy butterfly appear out of nothing ... there was only one thing that was coming into the old man’s mind as he took it all in. Cue the PTSD.

"HIDE YOUR KIDS! HIDE YOUR WIFE!" he bellowed to his fellow Dufftown citizens. "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"

He raised his cane high above his head, ready to strike if any of these mongrels got anywhere near him. They would not be holding him hostage or attempting to murder him today!

Before the dark spell had taken over him, Dorian had heard Rylee running behind him, trying to catch up. But he had kept running, too afraid with what was going on around him. Bravery was not his thing.

The young boy was chanting now. The same words as the other possessed students were saying, his wand held up in to the sky and he pumped his fist up with each word. His usually bright, curious blue eyes were vacant, void from any expression.

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle"

From somewhere far away, Dorian heard the Divination Professor but it did not reach him what she was saying. He saw her but he did not see her. If that made sense. "Expose the inequality. End the struggle!" he said louder now. Everyone had to hear it.

Matt wasn't too sure about bringing ALL of those kids who were obviously under some kind of Dark Magic near them. He was even LESS sure about disarming his peers. What if they NEEDED their wands to protect themselves when they snapped back to reality?? If... they snapped back to reality, that was. But if they were found in even more danger for not having their wands on them... it would be on those who had disarmed them.

HOWEVER, what if all of them suddenly started attacking?? Both Wizards AND Muggles. That would also be terrible.

The Gryffindor thought they didn't have much time to lose, so he'd have to go with something. If the professors thought it'd be a good idea to gather all of the zombies kids around, then so be it. At least that way he knew he'd eventually find Ollie and Anna.

Matt went off and started to move some of the kids in the general direction of the professors, his wand still in his hand. He never stopped looking around and over his shoulder, since not having his back towards some of the possessed people was impossible now as they were everywhere. Grabbing some arms with his free hand, he gently not-so-gently pulled some younger kids to where he was standing before, still not too sure about collecting their wands. To be honest, he'd rather be alert enough to block or even counter-attack any spells sent by any of them. The eighteen year-old kept moving forward and away from the professors as he moved people, as simply gathering students wasn't his plan.

Spotting a wild Chewie pretty much in the middle of the street shouting nonsense - a different nonsense than the rest of the kids-, Matt grabbed his arm and pulled him to the pavement in case another rouge vehicle came their way. "Mate, wake up!" He shook his housemate's arm a little to try and bring him back to reality. "Watch it, I'm not sure they'll start attacking or not." He added in a hushed and serious tone. Yes, everyone, Matt Solo was being serious for once. This missing-sibling business wasn't ideal when there was some Dark Magic going around.

Matt finally spotted his brother, and he was partially relieved. Ollie seemed to be okay and not under any Dark Magic, but the boy taking another one of their fellow students to where the rest of the group was meant Anna was still missing.

He felt bad for the Muggles and tried to keep them in his sight as he continued to move away from the group that was starting to form around the professors.

In complete contrast to her lovingly-inclusive nature, Olivia had spent most of her time in Dufftown shopping by herself and enjoying being away from the mounds of last minute assignments that awaited her back at Hogwarts castle. Irresponsible, but who'd decided that being a Seventh Year was a good idea? Merlin, if she'd have only known... she might've purposely failed just to put it off a bit longer. Actually heh... Liv wouldn't have, but suffice it to say that the entire year had been torturous where the actual coursework was concerned.

... And she still had NEWTs to sit.

...... No, this girl wouldn't feel guilty about taking a break.

After a bit of stealthy purchase!shrinking (since there was no way in Hades that she was leaving any of her belongings unattended), and stashing the day's buys in the knapsack on her back, the blonde departed in search of the others..... which... didn't take long, considering that some weird..stuff seemed to be going down with her school mates three streets over. And a few of the professors. What...in the world?

Why were they chanting? Why were they pulling their wands? No... really.... WHY WERE THEY PUBLICLY PULLING THEIR WANDS?! This was feeling like a volatile situation and Olivia found herself hanging back, eyes quickly raking the crowd. The chanting students were getting looks. Probably for the wands...and general cult-like behavior. Liv was being overly cautious. It was chanting for now, but what if they tried to stop them and they started attacking innocent people?

Perhaps she could convince the muggles this was something like a flash mob? Yeah, yeah... THIS WAS A PERFORMANCE PIECE... That was all. Nothing to see here..........Then her gaze landed on Stasya, though the younger Gryffindor wasn't holding a wand (thank goodness). Slipping her sunglasses down to cover her eyes, the blonde casually moved to collect her friend. "Stasya, come along my dearest one."Professor Kennedy had taken command of the situation nearby, and that was good enough for her. And the small Ravenclaw boy, who she was familiar with (Dorian). "You, too... Let's get you fixed up."

Also, she was of age. Perhaps she could help?

If Ronan had been cognizant of what was happening, he would've at least gotten up off the ground. As it was though, Matt was pulling him along on his knees on the rough pavement. Which would, of course, be leaving scrapes as a lovely reminder of this horrible event. Blank blue eyes, normally so full of life, simply stared straight ahead. "Expose the inequality, end the struggle. Expose the inequality, end the struggle. Expose the inequality, end the struggle." If he was more aware, he would've been able to appreciate the irony with everything that had happened last term.

The sixth-almost-seventh-year Gryffindor didn't even notice when he was released in front of Professors Vance and Kennedy. He simply kept chanting, his wand now completely out of its holster.

Vivian found herself fumbling to retrieve her wand, though deep inside, she was struggling to stop herself from going through with it. She absolutely had no idea what was happening, but the temptation was so strong that it made things fairly difficult to be herself.

A part of her wanted to acknowledge Skylar when she tried calling out her name, but the urge to continue chanting was still overwhelming. To her (internal) dismay to cut it out, Vivian still continued chanting, first a whisper, then in a much louder conversational volume. "Expose the inequality, end the struggle... Expose the inequality, end the struggle... Expose the inequality, end the struggle...." Despite her captain full-naming her, the prefect gave no reaction whatsoever.

But then she felt someone tug on her arm. Vivian didn't need to look at whoever it was to know it was Hattie, basing from the voice she heard. However, the same way she treated Sky, the blond gave no acknowledgment to the Hufflepuff. "Expose the inequality, end the struggle," she still said, though she was successfully tugged away from her original position. It was slow walking, but at least there was movement, unintentional.

All Vivian had in her head was an unconscious battle between "what the hell is going on," "I'm going to poke someone with my wand," and "expose the inequality." She wasn't losing her mind, right?

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle..."

The Hufflepuff drone on and on, eyes abandoned and wand arm now raised high above his head. He did not see Abey, his Gryffindor, scoop up his steadfast familiar - protecting the warty newt from certain death with all the scrambling going on and desperate footsteps. A gesture that would typically warm Derf's heart and bring a smile to his now slightly chiseled features...but not today. Scamander could have been stepped on and gone for good...but he would not react. He would simply keep standing where he was while his lips continued to flap the impassioned words of another.

His grip tightened around his wand, now raised high above his head, securely when his friend came to his side and shook him. But he did not budge. If anything his feet became more firmly planted against the ground. Her pleas fell on deaf ears, though his head DID shift towards her...though as his eyes had done with Abey, they looked through her. And still his monotone voice continued.

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle..."

His strong beater build would not be easily moved by the dainty Diandra, in fact he was almost like a tree firmly planted where he was and his heavy steps were making their progress over towards the professors a slow one. And then his wand, with its turbulent fwooper core, began to react to the chaos that was swirling within the Hufflepuff's mind and heart.... beginning shooting off brilliant red sparks much like a muggle sparkler firework would and showering down upon both him and Diandra before one tug from her caused his numb fingers to loose their hold and his wand took a tumble to the ground.

.........still shooting of red sparks.

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle..."

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle. Expose the inequality. End the struggle..."

The words kept spilling out of her mouth, incessantly repeating even as the expression on the tall fourteen year old stayed entirely too blank. Even as her grey-green eyes stayed glazed over and dull, nothing revealing the inner ear going on inside Stasya. For deep down, she was trying to resist. She was trying to regain control of herself, but it was proving to be harder than she thought. So far, all she had managed was to keep her hand hovering over the concealed location of her wand, and it was taking every bit of her spirit to maintain that tiny spark of self-control. There wasn't anything left for the rest of her reactions.

The chaos around her was completely ignored. Even the old Muggle man yelling about being under attack. As far as she could acknowledge, everything was the chant she continued to repeat in a monotone.
There may as well have been nobody else there, although she had a vague sense of the others who were like her. The others who were chanting, who had taken out their wands. Waiting for something or someone. She didn't know,
but that didn't matter. She was trying to resist, but quickly failing.

Dull grey-green eyes were turned toward the newcomer as Liv had arrived and spoken to her, but Stasya wasn't there. Not entirely. But the tiny spark of Stasya left was trying to cling to the older girl. Trying to cling to her idol,
her savior. The exact title didn't matter, but Liv was there. She was safety, but Stasya couldn't get to it. The vague acknowledgement was all.

That and the fact she slowly let herself be corralled toward the librarian, along with Dorian, continuing her chant the whole way.

The young Gryffindor took notice to nothing around her. Her blank stare was fixated on nothing in particular as she continued to walk away from where the professors were. Rylee was only vaguely aware of the professors shouts and the others around her trying to get everyone together.

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle. End the struggle. Expose the inequality..." It was like a song left on repeat. Over and over again, Rylee kept repeating herself. Where she was going she wasn't sure but she wanted to keep walking, keep chanting along with the others. The grip on her wand was light but firm as she held it out in front of her, what was she supposed to be doing with it? Honestly she didn't know but there must be a reason why she had taken it out of her bag.

A touch on her shoulder would have gone completely unnoticed if the person hadn't gently stirred her in the opposite direction she had been trying to go. Unblinking blue eyes shifted onto the older boy (Matt) whom in the very back of her mind she who he was. She slowly headed towards the professors with Matt's guidance. Why she wasn't even sure.

"Expose the inequality. End the struggle..."

Cassie had been reluctant to escape the castle with her fellow students seeing as she was still very much concerned about the upcoming NEWTs. Study...study…study was all she was doing between classes that sometimes felt like they weren’t always fully aware that there were other things on her mind than normal lessons. Or at least it just appeared that way to her given the way her mind was swimming with facts and figures and worry over getting her answers on her future plans.

Finally, the seventh year had decided to make the jump and attend the trip, sitting in the back with a book and almost caught of guard that they had stopped at their destination. So she was the last one off and forced herself to stash her book in her purse as she moved away from it and towards the town. Get a grip, Cassie, she berated herself, you can enjoy some free time and enjoy the nice day. Overdoing it wouldn’t help her at all.
And maybe the castle here would be an educational visit.

As she wandered down the street she started to feel odd and wondered for a moment or two if she was inwardly regretting her decision to have fun and not to be back studying. Or maybe it was all the loud voices and noises of wizard and muggle alike and the crazy bus driver in the road it wasn’t meant to be on. The latter barely noticed by the Ravenclaw until she JUST managed to scoot out of the way.

However, as the echoing voices of other students hit her ears the effect became all the more solid. The control returning and her lips moving in a mumble. Over and over and over again, sounds gradually becoming more noticeable as actual words until she had joined in on the chant. Her gaze fixed and not blinking.

“...EXPOSE THE INEQUALITY…END THE STRUGGLE...”

It was all going well. She had seen a few of the students catch, slightly, what Duncan had been doing, but it wouldn't matter soon. She pulled out her wand, not caring if the muggles saw it. Again, soon enough it would't matter. She turned to Duncan and smiled. "All is going well - " That was, until some of the Hogwarts professors stuck their noses in. However, she thought she'd be the same kind of panic stricken if her students seemed to be put in danger. None of her favorite students back at Ilvermorny would come of harm from this. And some of these students wouldn't come to harm, either, and she wanted to tell them that. She didn't.

She aimed her wand at the back of one of the professor's back [Kalen] and was about to inflict either something illegal, or just slightly terrifying, and she was trying to decide which when -



The stupid, irritating, shriveling imp of a man sent a patronus. She saw it shoot from his wand - a butterfly, too, no less - and audibly growled. "Duncan, we've got to go - " she grabbed his wrist with her free hand and aimed her wand, openly, at Kalen. She had a fire in her dark eyes.

The spell was inaudible and silent; in her head. A red ribbon like substance slowly from the end of her wand. It took the shape of the wind as it headed straight for Kalen like a snake. The red substance wrapped itself around Kalen, covering his mouth and tying at the back of his head. The substance then dissipated, like smoke. "There. That should shut him up - " And for good measure, Melanie flicked her wand almost lazily over her shoulder at the two professors [Kalen and Laurel] and incarcerous'd them together, the roped spitting out from her wand rapidly as she suddenly ran and pulled Duncan roughly behind her.



She didn't bother to look over her shoulder at him. "Duncan, be quiet and don't worry. We've got it under control now." We...as in she and...their leader. she fixed her gaze on his as she stopped momentarily. "Everything is fine."

But they needed to leave. NOW.

...and the worst happened. A panicked no-maj knocked Melanie's wand out of her hand on accident. "NO - " but it was far across the way. "Duncan, go - GO -" she bellowed at her twin brother as she tried to channel her windless magic, but it just wasn't going to happen. She fumbled through the crowd to grab it, quickly, before Regina, or worse, the Ministry could arrive.