At Nemesis's spellcasting, Shreya instinctively drew her own wand, shrieking a shocked "Excuse me!" as she did so. But before she could even point it at the Slytherin, she thought better of it, slipping it back into her holster instead. Yes, she knew that they were in cahoots with Rosier and the Squad. That much was clear from the pin, and from their behavior, honestly. Shreya glared at them, a retort brewing at their sheer nerve and disrespect. Yet still, in the midst of her rage, she still felt a hint of sadness for Nemesis. What the Slytherin must be going through to bow to such a cult. They must be quite disturbed in the head. Or perhaps Rosier was just getting better at his brainwashing tactics.

She pursed her lips and breathed in heavily through her nose, trying to center herself. As humiliating as it was to be bossed around by a student, she knew that there was nothing she could do about it. Unless she wanted to get herself killed. So she simply nodded curtly at Nem, poised to ignore their comments once again and simply move on with the lesson. But that was before things took a turn for the worse.

"Excuse me! Mr. Trent! Mr. Stover!" she shouted, her voice louder than it had been all term. "This sort of behavior will not be tolerated. Take your seats at once." Anything to make them sit down. Did they not realize what their outburst would result in? But before she could issue a detention, or some other form of Neo-Alliance-approved torture, Ashley and Minjae were joining in as well. And the Inquisitorial Squad was surely observing them. "EXCUSE ME! We will have order in this classro-" Her second reprimand was interrupted, however, by the arrival of Rosier. Shreya's posture straightened as she clasped her hands together nervously. "Hello, Headmaster. Welcome. We were just discussing—"

It seemed her introduction was no use. The Headmaster had things to say. She stared, wordlessly, at the orders coming from the Headmaster's mouth. Joining Williamson. In the dungeons. In the prison. Her own mouth fell open in protest, but she forced herself to close it, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from tearing up. How would she ever protect the students when she was locked away?

Her expression only grew more disturbed at Rosier's next move. The students. They had.....vanished. But where? Was this a new type of torturous curse? Shreya wanted to scream. To cry. To throw all the hideous curses she could think of at the horrific man standing in front of her. Her eyes stung as she realized that it would never be of any use. "Yes, Headmaster," she said instead, her voice small and barely audible. "I appreciate your dedication to restoring....order."

Shreya needed to get through the rest of this lesson. She couldn't fall apart now. Not when the students looked as if they had just witnessed a murder. And perhaps they did.

The professor took in a hesitant breath. "Now, uh, we will be...moving on....." Shreya was rarely speechless, but she was now. She racked her brain, trying to think back to what the students were talking about before the interruption. "If anyone else would like to speak out of turn or display such disrespect, you have seen the consequences. Do not be next." She channeled all of her energy into sounding stern. Whatever had just happened to Mr. Yoon, Ms. Fox, Mr. Stover, and Mr. Trent, she did not want to happen to anyone else. Nor did she want anyone else to get a sentence in the prison.

She cleared her throat, trying her best to move on. "You all brought up some important points about the Polyjuice Potion. Taking it isn't exactly a walk in the park, which is exactly why it is so heavily regulated, both at Hogwarts and within the Wizarding World. There are ethical and physical considerations surrounding the brew." Shreya felt dizzy. Disoriented. But she pressed herself to continue. "Many things can go awry. It is not designed to be used on creatures of half-breeds. If you take too much of it or too little, the potion can last too long or wear off too quickly. It could also leave you with permanent damage." She glanced into the cauldron on her own desk, hoping that the steam would disguise the tears pricking her eyelids. "And you've all seen how tricky it is to brew. It is time-consuming and very particular. One wrong measurement will soil your entire solution."

Shreya had planned to discuss the legality and ethics of the potion next, but she honestly couldn't bring herself to continue on with her lecture. Her voice was getting shakier by the second, as she pondered her own impending sentence in The Room. And what had just happened to those students. She would have to save an ethical discussion for another time. If she was ever let out of the prison again. "Let's get some practice, shall we? If you wish to be successful with the Polyjuice Potion, it is important to be knowledgeable about who you are turning into. It's not enough to simply look like someone. You must fully inhabit their persona. And that means learning their mannerisms, inflections, and daily habits."

She took a seat at her desk, perhaps for the last time, and looked at her students tiredly. "Please pair up with someone. You will be interviewing each other about the things that make them, well, them. You should ask about their routines, habits, favorite things. You can observe their mannerisms, their voices, and their movements. Take notes on anything you observe. Remember that this is would all part of a successful Polyjuice performance." Again, not that Shreya was actually advocating for the students to start tricking people with the Polyjuice Potion. It was not allowed to be used at Hogwarts, anyway. But she wanted to show how difficult it was to pull off.

Once she had set the class off on their activity, she rested her chin on her hands. She was feeling feeble.

OOC: Phew, sorry for being a little late. Wanted to give everyone some time to catch up. Anyway, it's time for the mini activity. To get points for this part of the lesson, please RP your character asking another student about themselves. Be as creative as you want with your questions and answers! We will be moving on about 48 hours.

Violet had just opened her mouth to answer the last question: "One big danger with Polyjuice Potion is that you're assuming someone else's identity, and if you don't know enough about that person, you may be putting yourself into a tricky situation, facing the consequences of another person's actions, stuck with the problems of another person's..." But she suddenly broke off as chaos slowly erupted in the room--spells being fired, Nemesis (who apparently really had gone over to the dark side in a big way) defying the teacher, the Inquisitorial Squad making an appearance (of course), and to top it all off, the so-called Headmaster showing up. Now Professor Varma was banished to the Room with the rest of the misfits (Violet tried to feel bad for her, but was not completely successful, because she was just a bit glad that the potions teacher would be down there with them--maybe they could talk about potions to pass the time?).

But the climax was the disappearance of a number of students as the result of some sort of spell cast by Rosier. What had happened to them? Were they dead? Or just....gone?

And now apparently they were supposed to go on with a class activity? How could anyone do anything after witnessing a scene like that? Violet was too numb to even feel her usual anxiety about trying to find a partner, though she did look around to see who was left.


Boy, you miss ONE day and all kinds of craziness happens!

SPOILER!!: Hi, Vi! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Nem had been quite content to let the lesson continue as scheduled, once they'd said their piece, had been sitting at their desk and waiting for precisely that, plus whatever consequences Varma wanted to give to those muggle-borns. But they also knew exactly what the student population of this school was like, and ultimately expected nothing more or less than a show of wilful stupidity.

With each student that spoke, Nem looked around the room at those who made themselves known, giving each a stare as flat and dispassionate as the last. The only thing they weren't sure of was whether these kids were seeking out a retaliation from them, or making sorely misguided attempts to appeal to their... what? Feelings? Conscience? Evidently they really had been fooled.

Nem didn't reply. Not to Trent's absurd claim, or the accusations of 'traitor' or 'coward' - again, fooled was right - none of it. Not a word touched them, nothing moved them, no part of it angered them whatsoever. Nem had seen the other members of the Squad in the room, and made note of them leaving. No, no reason to act further. This was covered.

By the Big Man, of course. Nem turned to him when he entered, and wasted no time in replying. "Started with some shoving in the doorway by those muggle-borns, sir," they said, pointing out Yoon and Stover, easily marked by the nosebleed and head gash. "I handled it, then reminded Professor Varma she should be dealing with them properly. Identified myself as part of your Inquisitorial Squad, and several students disrespected that. Verbal outbursts, insults. A couple of repeat offenders too." Perhaps he knew some of the names already, but Nem was happy to provide all the same. "William Stover. Minjae Yoon. Kale Trent. Ashley Fox."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucien Rosier

Ah, some were truly repeat offenders. Ones who had escaped death so often they had convinced themselves it was no longer coming. Neither Fox nor Trent surprised him, evidenced by the way his expression remained passive while he listened. Stover and Yoon? Neither tugged terribly at his heart strings either. Both had seen time and time again what value they held as mudbloods and still chose to make themselves targets--presenting their necks as it were.

He did not address the named students immediately. Instead, he turned to face the entire class. "Observe. I'm about to show you what happens when you've become more a nuisance than I care to deal with any longer. Upstead is a member of the Inquisitorial Squad. Disrespect and defiance to them, is defiance to my will. Defiance has no place here." Something he did not think he would have to repeat for the millionth time.

Well.

He was done repeating.

"Varma, you will join Williamson." Not a discussion, not something he cared to discuss. "The squad will escort you at the end of your lesson. If a child is better at doing your job than you are, you're fast outliving your use."

And to the trouble makers. "You've brought this on yourselves and have no one to blame but your own stupidity and inability to know when and what to speak. No ideas self-preservation. No care for what might happen to those around you as a consequence of YOUR poor choices. Reckless idiots are not needed in the new world. You have proven you cannot think beyond whatever emotion pops into your head. Your lack self control--some of you on a near continuous basis. I have just the thing for you."

The man flicked his wand at each in rapid succession.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Narrator

A curious thing happened next. Where the students who had been cast on (Stover, Yoon, Trent, Fox) once stood, there was nothing but a cloud of black smoke. When the puffs of smoke disappeared...so had the children.

Where were they?

How badly do you want to find out?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Violet had just opened her mouth to answer the last question: "One big danger with Polyjuice Potion is that you're assuming someone else's identity, and if you don't know enough about that person, you may be putting yourself into a tricky situation, facing the consequences of another person's actions, stuck with the problems of another person's..." But she suddenly broke off as chaos slowly erupted in the room--spells being fired, Nemesis (who apparently really had gone over to the dark side in a big way) defying the teacher, the Inquisitorial Squad making an appearance (of course), and to top it all off, the so-called Headmaster showing up. Now Professor Varma was banished to the Room with the rest of the misfits (Violet tried to feel bad for her, but was not completely successful, because she was just a bit glad that the potions teacher would be down there with them--maybe they could talk about potions to pass the time?).

But the climax was the disappearance of a number of students as the result of some sort of spell cast by Rosier. What had happened to them? Were they dead? Or just....gone?

And now apparently they were supposed to go on with a class activity? How could anyone do anything after witnessing a scene like that? Violet was too numb to even feel her usual anxiety about trying to find a partner, though she did look around to see who was left.


Boy, you miss ONE day and all kinds of craziness happens!

Claudine’s eyes snapped to Nem, her expression changing from astonishment to disbelief and eventually to disgust as he spoke to Varma. They had turned on the students?! Claudine was too angry to say anything, which was probably a good thing given how things unfolded afterwards. She was still sitting here, angry and with her fists gripping the workstation so tightly that her knuckles were white when he showed up.

The fifth year winced as Nem called out the names which included Ashley and Minjae. And to think she had actually liked Nem! And even considered them a friend. Well, not anymore. They could drop dead this instant for all she cared. Claudine winced again, this time for Varma.

As for the vanishing classmates? Claudine’s mouth was legit left hanging open in shock. One second Minjae was beside her, but the next he was gone. This left her shaken. She eventually closed her mouth and returned her gaze to Varma, even though she wanted nothing more than a comforting hug from Heath. She also wanted to cry but naturally was not going to do that where everyone could see her.

And… and how could they just continue the lesson after what just happened? Still… Claudine knew that if the remaining students didn’t want Varma to get into any more trouble, they needed to go on.

“Vi?” she whispered to the third year. “Want to partner with me? If you do, you can ask the questions first.” Shaky. Claudine was still shaky. And anxious.

Violet was still lost in thought and Claudine's voice was so soft that she almost didn't hear her. But after a minute or so, Violet began to feel that unmistakable feeling you get when someone else is looking at you and she turned around to find the older girl talking to her. And she almost looked shakier than Violet felt herself. So--were they going ahead with this? Apparently so, and looking up at the equally shaken Varma, Violet suddenly realized that they needed to play the game for her sake as much as their own.

"Uh, yes, sure, let's partner, thanks for asking," Violet rattled on, hating herself for the way she rambled when she got nervous but unable to stop. "So, uh...questions," she went on, buying time while she tried to remember what the assignment was. Gathering info, yes, that was it--routines, habits, favorite things, right.

"Well, I think I already know one of your favorite things--as I remember, you like to draw, right?" Violet thought she remembered that from last year, although the fact that she was possessed by a ghost during the conversation made it hard to recall it clearly. "What other things do you like?"

Looking at Nem Tadhg rolled his eyes at his pin, and to think he thought he was cool and was going to look up to him. Looking at Nem he looked disgusted, seriously he joined these hooded creeps. He bit his tongue to keep himself from saying anything, boy did he want to say something so badly. Although Tadhg was guessing he probably joined to save his own snake skin, which was stupid in his opinion.

It was clear that he wasn't happy and he was beyond mad seeing his friends disappear. He was shaking in anger trying to stay calm and collected. Looking at Dahila he started to slowly calm down. "Shall we be partners?" He asked her still looking at her.

Atlas had been stewing over which answer he could provide that would be the safest but also insightful...or whether or not to simply continue to remain silent beside Bernie and with Nemesis Upstead still in their line of vision, safe in their shadow so to speak. And then...Nemesis Upstead happened and the first year could hardly process what all had unfolded. It was almost as though he had Obliviated himself from seeing four of his classmates vanish right before his eyes so soon after the arrival of Rosier. Only the visions were all their, seared into his memory, but entirely void of all feeling. The way the smoke tendrils had coiled and suffocated the bodies of his peers, creeping along like a black plague, and then dissipated like an angry storm...in some ways it was worse than seeing a Killing Curse.

Worse because...it made him think. Worse because now he was thinking about dad.

He had not thoroughly processed nor seen all of Rosier's movements...save for the flicks that then caused his classmates to vanish in black smoke...and the Gryffindor could only assume it was a hex of some kind. A very...very Dark hex... Had that it been the same sort of magic used on dad while the Neo Alliance kept him prisoner as one of their own masqueraded around as the man for ... who even knew how long? The thought provided Atlas with a small comfort in assuming that none of the four were dead. If Rosier had wanted that...everyone knew of the most efficient way to do so. A flash of green almost shot across his own blue eyes at the memory. So...not dead...but something else. Somewhere else. And that then got the Gryffindor spiraling in all kinds of directions he had not allowed himself to delve into. It may be selfish to think about himself and his dad at a time like this, right after seeing FOUR of his peers become The Poofed™, but he couldn't help himself. Had he just witnessed...what had once been the fate of his own dad?

...and where was he now?

He couldn't even bring himself to be mad at Nemesis Upstead, though he really really REALLY wanted to, because...in some grotesque way he could almost ... well... that was another spiral for another time. Why...why couldn't his peers have just...not...why had they ...

Somehow, class resumed, but Atlas felt his limbs turn to complete jelly and it was a true miracle he had not melted to the floor in a puddle as all the tension suddenly left his body. Dizzy and withered, his face completely pale, he wondered how it was that he had not hurled into his cauldron to contaminate what he was already certain was an inefficient brew to begin with. Instead he calmly raised his hand to draw the professor's attention and spoke in a meek whisper. "....p-p-professor? May...may I go to the hospital wing? I...am not feeling well..."

He didn't want to turn into anyone else. He didn't want anyone else turning into himself. Atlas just wanting Toby, his Pluto plushie, and to disappear beneath his duvet for the rest of the day. Or week. Or month. Or maybe a year.

There was surely not a soul in this classroom who could possibly be taken aback by what had just transpired.

Well, sure, the method itself, Nem would allow for a little surprise over that, but the actual removal of students should not have been a shock, unless they simply hadn't been taking the Big Man seriously all year; a couple of those students could have been turned into corpses at least a dozen times over by now. There was also the fact that Nem was a 'traitor'. They could allow for that too, even in spite of all the side-eyeing and attempts that some of the other students had been making to avoid their presence, which had grown steadily more frequent and less subtle as the term had crawled along. Some of these kids had still believed them, believed in them, which was whatever. It had served, until it hadn't.

Ill-fitting as the concept of betrayal actually was, hearing this situation described in such a way told them a lot.

Really, the only thing Nem hadn't expected - they had been tempted to laugh, actually - throughout the entire debacle of this lesson, was Trent the Second's claim that his father had liked them. Then again, he could easily have been trying to provoke feelings of guilt with a false claim, or was simply proving he was even worse at assessing the world around him than was already evident. Or maybe he'd just been bitter about having been so easily taken for a fool himself. Projecting, or something.

Didn't matter. Gone now. And beside his empty place, McCarthy, sending Nem a tearful glare. Really. No need to cry about it.

With the show over, Nem looked back at the Big Man - best thing that had ever happened to this place - then Varma, then back to the Headmaster again. After a pause, they turned their attention to their parchment as the professor went on with her shaky lecture - and what was even supposed to be so upsetting? Going to that room? Plenty of people there already, and they were doing just fine.

While they listened, Nem doodled idly in the top corner of their parchment, on the side same that Bernadette Grantham was sitting. She, of course, would be their partner. She, of course, would understand this activity would be pointless, but no reason they couldn't have a little fun with it, especially as Nem had no intention of being involved in any sort of actual transformation.

Mamie was not sure how she was just supposed to find a new partner and continue class like three of her friends hadn't just disappeared. Poof. Gone. Dead. That was three premature funerals Mamie would have to attend, if they were even allowed to have funerals for Muggle-borns nowadays.

But she still wasn't crying.

She was determined not to be next, because, she'd tried imagining her own funeral, and her family would not understand. She had to survive, then explain to them they needed to disown her and stay far far away from the wizarding world. So she looked around for a partner for this polyjuice practice, or whatever they were meant to be doing. Her eyes landed on that Gryffindor, Morgan, she thought, who was friends with Kale Trent...she remembered he had not been a good teammate in Muggle Studies. She did not want to be his partner.

And he was looking at...oh, Nemesis. Mamie looked solemnly at the Slytherin for a moment. No, she did not particularly want to partner with them, and have to tell things about herself, either. Though it would be fascinating to hear what they had to say after all this. And she was definitely not partnering with Bernadette. Not after the Gryffindor had almost gotten her the same fate as Moose, Ashley, and Minjae! And Kale. Twice!!

She heard one of the Flamsteed twins asking to go to the hospital wing. That...no, she did not want to leave the safety of the classroom. If he was going to stay, sure, she'd partner with him. But this Hufflepuff was not going to the Hospital Wing today.

She looked around some more. Did anybody need an almost thirteen-year-old for a partner?

Fiona really wasn't surprised at what had just occurred considering how things had been these past few months. In her mind, Nem had his new job to do and it was best to toe the line, which was Rosier and the Inquisitorial Squad's line. In her eyes was an expression of pure delight that she flashed in the direction of her fellow Slytherin. However, nobody else saw it.

Now was the task of finding a partner and in all honesty, Fiona was struggling. She then spotted Mamie and headed over. "Do you want to be partners with me?" she asked in a disguised sweet tone.

Mamie was relieved someone found her to partner up. A Slytherin...Fiona, she thought the girl's name was. Mamie nodded at the girl's request, then gestered to Moose's former seat in case she wanted to sit down. "You're Fiona, right?"

"What's your morning routine?" Mamie asked quietly. Did she brush her hair, then teeth? Teeth, then hair? It did not really matter to her, but it's what her friends would have wanted. Well, no, they'd probably want her to take down the Neo-Alliance and get revenge, but she was twelve. Playing along was the best she could do.

Fiona sat down and nodded when Mamie asked her name. "And you're Mamie, correct?" Morning routine? It was an automatic thing that she really didn't think about. After a few seconds, she gave her answer. "I get dressed and then brush my teeth and hair."

She then decided to ask the Hufflepuff a question of her own. "What do you eat for breakfast?" It was a very basic question but food-related questions could be quite revealing.

Moving on? MOVING ON? Was Varma serious right now? Morgan couldn't believe what he was hearing and he tore his glaring eyes from Nemesis (who he'd no longer to refer to as Nem by the way, because nicknames were reserved for friends) and stared a moment in disbelief at their professor. Four students were just vanished into black smoke and were probably gone forever, as far as he knew. And now they were just having class as usual? Morgan could not.

But he did know better than to speak out in this moment. He wiped at his eye with the back of his hand and glowered down at his workstation, trying to process what just happened. He vaguely heard instructions that filtered in through one ear and back out the other without really listening. His own thoughts right now were filled with loss and grief and anger and revenge. No room for polyjuice questions.

In the time it had taken Dahlia to blink the situation in the room went from crazy to pure insanity. The extremely horrific things she had seen already during this term didn't prepare her for what was about to happen.

The very quick and sudden arrival of the Evil Impostor Headmaster guy was enough to strike fear into any of their hearts. Yet it was the way that Nem spoke with such ease about what had went on so far in the classroom. How they had no trouble giving up names of those they said had done wrong. She couldn't help but wonder why Nem would do this, why they had chosen to join the other side. Did they believe in all that garbage about the Greater Good or was it something else?

Dahlia couldn't focus on that however. Where students had been sitting seconds earlier, they were now gone and all that remained in their place was black smoke. Ashley, Moose, Minjae and Kale. Gone. Just like that. Ash was a housemate. Moose she didn't really know but it didn't matter he didn't deserve whatever this was. Minjae was a friend and.. he had helped her before. Kale... the one with the gorgeous hair that was trying so hard to keep spirits up in The Room and had saved her from that cockatrice. Gone. Where did they go? What happened to them?

Tears were pooling in the corner of her eyes but she forced herself not to allow any to fall. It wasn't the time nor the place for it. Sad blue eyes turned to Varma as she heard she would be joining them in The Room. And yet the women did her best to remain strong and continued on with the lesson. A lesson that Lia couldn't even remember what it was about.

Someone was speaking to her. Partners. Tadhg. Looking over at him sat beside her she could see the angry within his eyes that seemed to be ever present lately. Exhaling slowly she gave a small nod of her head. Whatever they were meant to be doing during this lesson they could figure it out together.

"You'll remain here until the lesson ends, Flamsteed."

Lucien patted his pocket just once to be sure all four mirrors were still there. Those four students could enjoy their new home. When he got back to his office, he would slip them into different drawers in his desk, seal them shut and forget about the thorn they had become in his side in the last few months.

"I don't suspect I need to tell the rest of you you can expect the same fate. I'm done being nice. It hasn't been working." And there were plenty more mirrors unoccupied. Less students around the school would never be a bad thing.

That said, he turned and exited the room. There were still ingredients he needed to collect and he wouldn't waste more time.

Well well well. Was Bernadette surprised by anything that went down once Nem stood up?

Sadly, she was not. For the record, they weren't a traitor. Nemesis was perhaps the most consistent person she'd ever encountered. And that said a lot about the people Bernie knew.

Was she disappointed in the professor, upset by her classmates, terrified of the Headmaster, and then amazed by the poofing spell?

Yes, yes she was. There were a lot of feelings sparking in Bernadette's heart, all bursting like little fireworks that sparked and then put themselves out, sparked and fizzled again.

She found herself gripping the edge of her desk the entire time the Imposter-in-Charge was in the room. She was having trouble just breathing around him these days. It felt like even having Bad Thoughts about the man might set him off, and she was desperate not to attract more attention than necessary until she could come up with a solid plan to run away from this place and to escape Room forever. But thankfully.... he left, and she was able to audibly exhale and slump back in her seat, her arms crossed and her small shoulders shivering slightly.

She caught Nem's doodling out of the corner of her eye and felt another pang, a longing for simpler times gone by when making waves didn't result in instanteous.... death. Er? No, that wasn't a killing spell he'd used on the kids with a death wish; the killing curse was green, and THAT was something else, some kind of Dark Magic she didn't even know was possible. Poor Flamsteed had probably peed his pants by now, witnessing all this. Was that why he was asking to go to the hospital wing?

Bernie had a million thoughts running through her mind but she did her best to push them aside, choosing instead to stare at Nem's face, much in the way they liked to stare back at her. Bernie adjusted her posture to imitate Nem's, though she certainly lacked the long legs and cool head they had, amongst other notable features. She then made certain her parchment and quill were just so, like her classmate's, and added the same oceanic doodle to her paper.

"So if I were to be you," she spoke barely above a whisper, as finding her voice was suddenly an arduous task, "I'd need a duplicate of that pin; that's new, isn't it? I'd need to be more proficient at nonverbals, I'd need a crocheted hat and half-gloves I suppose, maybe some.... grass-stained trainers, I think. I always see you outside in those." She didn't need to look, though; she already knew what Nem's shoes were like. "I'd have to work on controlling my temper... for the Greater Good, of course, and perhaps... what's your wand made of? What's the core? I think there's a way to check that, to check out imposters...."

Bernadette trailed off, her expression suddenly dead serious as she considered everything she'd said. "This is all hypothetical, of course. There can't be two Nemesis Upsteads in the world." Or... could there?

SPOILER!!: Vi! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Violet was still lost in thought and Claudine's voice was so soft that she almost didn't hear her. But after a minute or so, Violet began to feel that unmistakable feeling you get when someone else is looking at you and she turned around to find the older girl talking to her. And she almost looked shakier than Violet felt herself. So--were they going ahead with this? Apparently so, and looking up at the equally shaken Varma, Violet suddenly realized that they needed to play the game for her sake as much as their own.

"Uh, yes, sure, let's partner, thanks for asking," Violet rattled on, hating herself for the way she rambled when she got nervous but unable to stop. "So, uh...questions," she went on, buying time while she tried to remember what the assignment was. Gathering info, yes, that was it--routines, habits, favorite things, right.

"Well, I think I already know one of your favorite things--as I remember, you like to draw, right?" Violet thought she remembered that from last year, although the fact that she was possessed by a ghost during the conversation made it hard to recall it clearly. "What other things do you like?"

Oookay.

Perhaps Violet didn’t want to be her partner, which would totally be cool. It took her a couple of seconds to realise that the third year was actually still shaken by the recent events. Could she be blamed? No. Claudine shot a glare at Nem, only then realising that Grantham had partnered with them. Both of Claudine’s eyebrows shot up. Wow. Grantham still wanted to be their friend? To think that Claudine had actually felt sorry for the Gryffindor throughout the year and had actually considered trying to make up with her. Not anymore. For all she knew, Grantham might want to join The Hoods soon too.

Oh. Violet was going to be her partner. Great. “No problem,’’ the fifth year said without any enthusiasm, which was no fault of her partner’s. “Yes. You remembered.” She sent Vi a small smile. “I like animals. I help…helped Professor Williamson take care of the Hogwarts creatures after lessons each school day and on the weekends.’’ Um… what else? Suddenly Claudine was blanking on everything about herself. “Uh, I like spending time by myself.” That was about as much as she could manage for now; she couldn’t think straight. “What about your likes and your daily routine?’’

Violet noticed how Claudine's gaze initially strayed over to Bernadette Grantham--who was actually partnering up with Nemesis Upstead, for Merlin's sake!!! Had she been Claudine's friend or something? If so, that would explain the look of disappointment--or was it disapproval--Violet thought she saw for a minute in the other girl's eyes.

And then she was talking, thankfully--Violet had been afraid for a minute that her overtures had been rejected. Violet jotted down notes as Claudine talked, as much for the pleasure of having quill, ink, and parchment to write with as anything else. Animals, that was interesting, Violet wouldn't have thought of that. And she had helped Williamson--so she knew the professor pretty well, then. And wasn't scared of creatures, apparently. The being alone part Violet had already figured out.

And suddenly--quicker than she'd anticipated--it was Violet's turn to answer. Her routine? Did she even have one anymore? She could hardly remember what real life had been like. "Um...well, I guess I like to be alone a lot, too. Or rather, I'm used to it--I don't have brothers or sisters and I live alone with my grandfather and three uncles, and my governess--well, I don't have her anymore. I think I'd like to have more friends, but I don't really know how to be around people very well." And this was supposed to be the year Violet was going to really try to make friends and be a normal person. Didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon, though.

"Likes--well, I love to write. Just sketches and descriptions and observations now, but I want to try writing stories eventually. I keep---er, I mean, I used to keep, a journal where I wrote down what I saw and what I thought about everything. But I don't have it anymore." Because you burned it, because you were afraid of getting into trouble. And you got in trouble anyway, for nothing, so you might as well have kept it, Violet. "So I also love reading, all kinds of things. I really like brewing potions--my governess showed me how to do a lot of potions before I even came to school." Violet thought for a moment, wondering how much to reveal. "I kind of like having a routine, keeping things orderly and under control. Not rigid, you know, but it's just--the fewer minor things you have to worry about, the more you can concentrate on what's really important to you." Violet took a deep breath--she hadn't talked so much all year, and had never talked that much about herself. ".And I hate getting up early in the morning!" she finished with a bit of a laugh.

Ivy couldn't tear her eyes away from the spot where Kale had been and now...wasn't. Maybe a small part of her hope that this was just another nightmare, and she'd wake up any second and find herself back in the Room.

But she didn't.

This had...happened. And Professor Varma had to continue the lesson, but Ivy's mind only registered bits and pieces of it. She just kept staring at that one spot, her heart roiling with too many feelings to name. So many that soon her insides just grew...numb. Feeling everything and nothing all at once.

When he spoke again, it finally jolted her back to the present, and she quickly brushed her fingers under her eyes, wiping away the wetness there. No tears. Not here. Not now.

Finally her mind was processing the pieces of information it had pulled from Varma. Polyjuice Potion. Partners.

...Okay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emjay

Moving on? MOVING ON? Was Varma serious right now? Morgan couldn't believe what he was hearing and he tore his glaring eyes from Nemesis (who he'd no longer to refer to as Nem by the way, because nicknames were reserved for friends) and stared a moment in disbelief at their professor. Four students were just vanished into black smoke and were probably gone forever, as far as he knew. And now they were just having class as usual? Morgan could not.

But he did know better than to speak out in this moment. He wiped at his eye with the back of his hand and glowered down at his workstation, trying to process what just happened. He vaguely heard instructions that filtered in through one ear and back out the other without really listening. His own thoughts right now were filled with loss and grief and anger and revenge. No room for polyjuice questions.

She spotted someone who looked like they needed a partner. So...

Ivy got out of her seat and moved over to them. "...Partner?" Her voice was quieter than she intended, but she also wasn't sure she could be any louder in this moment. It didn't...feel right to talk normally, not after what had just happened.

Mamie heaved a sigh of relief when the headmaster finally left. She was still upset (obviously, three of her friends just died! (she thought)) but at least she wasn't worried about her own impending doom. "Or Margaret," she somewhat corrected Fiona. It did not feel right letting strangers, or the Neo-Alliance, call her by her family nickname. Her Muggle family nickname.

She noted down the order in which the older girl got ready for the day, pausing a moment to mentally compare it to her own routine. Mamie always brushed her hair first, before getting dressed, to minimize how much she shed on her clothes. She supposed not everyone had that problem.

"I just eat whatever they bring us in The Room," Mamie muttered, diverting her eyes to her notebook. "What do you eat?" And could Mamie pose as Fiona to sleep in a bed for once. Was that Varma's plan, to have all The Room students switch with purebloods to get a day of true freedom? A sudden thought occurred to Mamie. If she took polyjuice potion and became Fiona, would she have her own allergies, or Fiona's? Or both? "Are you allergic to anything?"

This whole term was so conceal-don't-feel, and Phoebe was a lioness queen who was always strong for the little ones around her. Always always. But it wasn't really fair to expect a 16-year-old to be forever stoic, to always make the right decision when it went against her instincts. Especially not when one of her best friends just disappeared right in front of her eyes.

She felt totally numb, bloodless to the tips of her fingertips, and even when Rosier threatened them and snarled at them, she couldn't rouse herself enough to respond. Find a partner? How? How were they supposed to do anything? Everything was dangerous, action and inaction. Caring and not caring enough. Sincerity. Insincerity. Everything felt like too much, and it took every inch of her will to keep from crying.

She managed to curl a finger around the sleeve of Atlas' robes, giving him just the slightest tug. That was all she could manage, but hopefully it was enough to settle him. They were all unsettled, so that was a lot to expect. "Sit here and talk to me. Tell me anything you can before I come totally undone. Please?"

Three tiny lines of waves drawn, Nem looked up long enough to watch the Big Man take his leave, then set their quill down and turned slightly, all the better to see Bernadette Grantham. Once again their elbow was on the desk, head propped in hand, the whole bit, as they watched her... get into character.

"It's new," they remarked simply, regarding the pin that glinted from the front of their robes when it caught the light in just the right way. Bernadette had hit the nail on the head with the rest of it too; interesting to see just how much she had already noticed. Then again, some of it was a given.

Nem remained quiet and watchful as Bernadette rambled on, and then trailed off, and matched her expression with a mirrored version of their own. "Totally hypothetical, but an interesting one. And as for my wand," For a split second, they considered claiming silver lime and unicorn hair, like both their brother and sister had, but decided against it. "It's elder." True. "And thestral tail hair." Lie. An obvious one, told with a hint of a smile.

This approach to the activity was one Nem could get on board with. "If I were to be you, I suppose I would wear a lot of cardigans, and boots, for the stomping around. I should probably know how to crochet, at least in theory, and I'd spend a fair amount of time visiting Schmoe, circumstances permitting." That part was Ezra's intel, not that he'd been there for that purpose. "Getting more creative with answers in class would be necessary, but also following my heart more often than my head. Or, rather, your heart." They drummed their fingers on the desktop, considering things a moment longer. "And I'd let my body language do all the talking, regardless of what my mouth is saying. What's your wand made of, then." That was something Nem's brother might have been better at predicting, had he been remotely skilled at actually reading a person, but the ins and outs of the topic were nothing they themselves had ever found any real interest in. "Hey, you ever think about how something as simple as a boggart could potentially ruin everything for someone who's taking this stuff."

"Ah, sorry. Margaret, it is then," Fiona said as she jotted that nugget of info in her notebook. "I like to eat poultry especially roast chicken, roasted potatoes, raw green beans, any kind of chocolate, pancakes with syrup and red apples. Not at the same time of course." At Mamie's question about allergies, Fiona shook her head to indicate that she had no allergies.

"Now, do you have any favourite festive foods? Umm... what allergies do you have?" Fiona asked drumming her fingers on her notebook.

Before Heath could raise his hand to speak, all Hades broke loose. He wasn’t the slightest bit shocked to learn that Upstead had joined the Inquisitorial Squad; they were way too eager to embrace Rosier’s ruthless ways, even before anyone knew that was Rosier and not Headmaster Trent! Nor did he feel betrayed, In order to be betrayed, he would’ve had to have trusted the person in question at some point. Part of him wanted to laugh at the utter ridiculousness of their statement - in all his time at Hogwarts, the only thing he’d ever seen Upstead maintain was chaos - but he didn’t. Not out of fear but all-consuming hate, hate so strong that even acknowledging their existence was too good for them. As of now, That was dead to him.

That hate was joined with worry… worry for Minjae and that other injured guy (Moose) and worry in general as Rosier appeared. It was too much emotion for Heath to process all at once, so he just sort of shut down. His entire body stiffened, as if frozen in place, and all he could do was watch with blank, unblinking eyes as four of his classmates (Ashley, Minjae, Kale, and Moose) vanished in a cloud of black smoke. Although his body remained motionless, his heart and mind were going a million miles an hour. What just happened? Were they dead? Probably not… if Rosier had killed them, he probably would’ve left the bodies as a reminder. Maybe they were vanished out of existence instead?

Whatever it was, Heath had a feeling they were gone forever. That thought broke his heart, but he was too numb to react. Ashley was his friend, and he liked Minjae well enough. He didn’t know Kale and that other kid (Moose) well, but neither of them deserved that and Varma… It was only hearing how small and quiet the professor’s voice sounded that jerked him out of his near-catatonic state. Every day of his imprisonment, he wished that all of the professors who left him to his fate would know his pain, but now that it happened, he didn’t feel vindicated, just more sad.

Then just like that, they were moving on. Now on top of everything else he felt, Heath was confused. Inhabit their persona? Successful Polyjuice performance? That sounded exactly like acting! So what was the point of Varma’s earlier comments? If acting was such an inferior art form, why was this activity acceptable? Whatever, he didn’t care anymore. He supposed he didn’t have to make sense of it, just go with it.

He got up from his seat, grabbing a quill and parchment. “Does anyone need a partner?” he asked, his dark eyes scanning the room in search of a person not already paired up. So far, it looked like everyone was already taken, and panic set in. He didn’t want to get into trouble for not completing the activity! While he waited for someone to take him up on his offer, he quietly observed all of his classmates’ mannerisms, just in case he could find a partner in time.

Morgan couldn't tell you how much time had passed as he sat glaring at his parchment. All at one it felt like a mere instant and also a couple hours passed, almost like time in a dream that made no sense and too much sense at the same time. Because that's what this was - a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from.

He was unconcerned with people pairing up or not all around him, in fact he couldn't care less about that. But he eventually noticed someone sitting next to him and he thought she whispered something to him. Morgan looked up at her, his eyes slowly focusing on a familiar sort of girl. He recognized her, but didn't really know her. Had she asked him to be her partner? It took him a minute to realize this, but he found himself nodding almost imperceptibly. "Uh, yeah.. sure." But she would have to do most of the work here probably, because he seemed to have forgotten how to function.

It was clear that he was beyond angry about the situation that was set before them, all this stunk and he hated every minute of it. They didn't deserve this fate they gotten, it wasn't fair that half the school was in the room. He was trying his best to stay calm, but you can clearly see that it was hard for him. He wasn't known for keeping quiet by any means, but a promise is a promise to Lia.

He let out a small gasps seeing Kale, Ash and them gone in black smoke. Where did they go, were they going to be okay? So many questions he had running in his mind. Ash was a good friend, he hated that she was no longer here and Kale was cool doing his best to keep their spirits up in the room. He didn't know the others but he knew that they didn't deserve this at all.

Hearing Verma would join them in the room, he frowned and sighed softly to himself. More and more people were joining them on a daily basic now, it wouldn't be long until the whole school was in there besides the people like Nem was who were backstabbing traitors trying to save their own skin. Looking over at Lia he squeezed her hand to calm her down. He knew this whole situation was a bit too much, it was enough for anyone right now.

Right the lesson... what were they supposed to be doing? He clearly forgotten with Kale and them disappearing and Nem squealing on them. It was something like interview each other or so? Well... that was going to be a easy one Tad was a open book to Lia.