Aboli watched curiously, wondering what Avalon could be thinking about. "Think of memories we soley made HERE. With people who are still around." Aboli said simply before closing her eyes to think of her own.

Noah.

Noah and her...the treehouse...the music room. There were many nice moments they had had together. She even felt herself smiling despite herself. She had to focus on NOT thinking about his blood status because then she would make herself sad. But then as she tried to avoid thinking about it, of course she was thinking about it -___-

Right.

Maybe she needed a memory alone. But when was she happy alone? This was hard. Everything made her sad in the current predicament and state of things. She sighed and opened her eyes. "I am having...zero luck. Almost wish we could give ourselves a cheering potion and then try. I wonder if that would even work."

"A cheering potion would be very useful," Avalon exclaimed, wanting to plop back down on the rug in defeat. Her Quidditch thought had quickly turned into the memory of the horrible mist completely destroying the pitch. "All of my good memories keep turning into bad ones." She wondered if a cheering potion would work. If it truly altered your emotions, maybe. Perhaps she could ask Professor Varma about it later.

"Or maybe we need some candy or something. Or someone to tell jokes. Anything to perk us up." She glanced at Aboli out of the corner of her eye. "Got anything on you?" Avalon said jokingly. Maybe Aboli was a secret comedian. Or happened to be carrying some random sweets. "Hey, it does smell like candied pineapple in here. Maybe there's some hidden somewhere!"

Curtis' hand felt warm for once in a long time. The prolonged absence of a wand didn't hit him until he was able to keep what was his again. Lead by Professor Peralta, the journey wasn't easy or fun. In an effort to prepare himself, he attempted wordless Protegos. It wasn't until they reached the sixth floor that Curtis began to feel closer to his old self in skills. Not the best, but definitely capable.

Inside the room, it appeared the journey was at a stop. What now? His blue eyes gazed at their surroundings. Adrenaline was pumping through Curtis' veins. He felt alive again. But the question remained, what was the plan? There was a battle about to unfold.

Norman sprang into action the moment he saw the army gathered outside from his office window. This wasn’t his first encounter with dark wizards like Rosier, and every one of those encounters had ended in the same way - a fight. He knew this was coming all along - it was just a matter of time - and he was ready. Finally the many months of waiting and watching were over! He’d been waiting a long time for this!

Wand in hand, he sprinted down the hall to the spare office. The students would be heading there to safety, and he knew the Neo-Alliance would only stay distracted for so long. Someone needed to guard that room, to keep watch for both the students and the Neo-Alliance, and to head off the latter if necessary. He positioned himself near the doorway, wand at the ready, and peered down the hall in one direction. Nothing yet…

As his blue-green eyes darted toward the other end of the hall, he saw students beginning to arrive. Thank Merlin! He nodded a greeting to Mr. Fuller, the first student he saw. For the others still coming, he jerked his head toward the door, as if to hurry them along, and said, “Come on, get inside now!”

It wasn't real. It was all a daydream. Obviously. She was out of the mirror and free. And that was not possible. It was clearly her brain just trying to soothe her before her untimely death. It was just another daydream that she couldn't control, the kind that came in between the moments of fear or anger. The kind that she used to remember why she was even here. Lifesavers.

Playing into the dream was alright, Ash supposed. It was good to pretend. She couldn't tell if there were other people in the office with her. But dream Rosier was definitely not in the dream headmasters office, so she decided to run in the dream. Who knew when dream Rosier would show up. Instinctively, the dream Ash ran to this room, which she knew was always empty in the real life. Nobody would look for her dream self there. It wasn't empty though. A dream professor was outside of it. That wasn't part of the script. She frowned and looked at him confusedly. Oh. This was real. That explained so much, like why she was hungry and tired and why she could feel so many sensations that didn't happen in dreams, like footsteps and being out of breath and the explosion sound that she thought she remembered hearing. It just kind of hit her. Sensory overload, huh? Too many thoughts as well. She was being rescued? "What day is it? I wanna know if I'm 13 yet. Where did my wand..." She walked into the office before she properly got an answer or even finished her question(she wasn't sure why, but it seemed like she was supposed to, in her dreams and in reality) and then promptly passed out. Her feet hurt. She was tired. She wanted to sleep and eat and cry and see her friends. She was very confused as to why she was still alive. She wanted to feel alive. She wanted- no, needed- to do living-person things like walking and feeling and experiencing stuff. But underneath all of that, she felt a different feeling of - relief? She didn't know what feeling it was. But there was a good feeling, somewhere. She'd think about it when she woke up. She'd think about a lot of other things too. When she woke up. Assuming she remembered that she was in the real world, and not just another daydream.

The boy had been suspended in darkness and silence for an eon. At first, the boy raged against the void, the last embers of revolution sparked his dimming spirit, but soon time ground into meaningless nothing. The boy became lost to the place where sound and sunlight did not reach him.

Once, in another life, with a name he barely recalled, the old boy had read fifteen days in solitary confinement was enough to cause permanent psychological damage. The new boy with no name had been locked up for longer.

But the light was bright. And his legs walked him into the half-forgotten room.

When you've floated in place in a dark and unending space for as long as Moose did you come to some very enlightened realizations. At first you hold onto that Hate that caused you to be in this situation to begin with. You hate Rosier, you hate Nemesis, you hate on yourself.

Then once hating became to boring and there was no more satisfaction in that feeling any longer you fill the void with thought. What was this place? Why did he no longer hurt in the head? What did this mean to him? And if you think to long on it you come to some pretty depressing conclusions. You are probably Dead.

So then what else do you do with this time in Limbo? Do you start to talk to yourself? No one else is listening. You can have whatever conversa....

...


AND THEN YOUR ON A STONE COLD FLOOR!
What the...Where...No...his vision...blurry the light was to strong! Agh his head...His Head it hurt. What was this pain. No there was no more pain. Pain no longer existed in the afterlife. He curled onto the floor and held his head where his hands which were once dried with blood were now wetting themselves from the wound on his forehead once more. This wasn't right. Then before he could do anything else he felt himself being lifted. There was touch. He felt the touch of someone hoisting him onto their back and they were now moving.

His vision was still blurry and Moose was coming in and out of consciousness the sharp pain from his forehead forcing him awake as well as lots of loud booming noises coming around him as his carrier moved them forward. Where was he being taken? He slipped back into this darkness though this time it wasn't very quiet.

Unconscious.

Was William even aware he was getting a piggy back ride out of the Headmaster's office? Even Minjae was not completely aware that he was holding the slytherin. It was as if his body had worked on auto-pilot the moment he had seen the second year on the floor. The Hufflepuff stumbled through the castle with his eyes half closed, everything was too bright, as he tried to find any professor to get help after having escaped the Headmaster’s office. He was in a daze, still not understanding where he was after being trapped in complete darkness for a long time and he flinched in fear every time he heard an explosion outside.

While he had been , in that place, he had not felt any pain but the moment he had came out his nose started to hurt again. He was confused as to why his nose hurt but then his memories of potions class came to the front of his mind and he remembered that he had his face slammed against the table that day ,courtesy of one Nemesis Upstead… minutes before HE had showed up and ….darkness...quiet...alone... his eyes began to sting and before he could stop them, silent tears fell down and rolled over his cheeks.

He didn’t even know where he was in the castle but as he turned a corner and he saw Professor Carton in the distance ….His brain told him to call out for help but his vocals refused. Instead, he walked closer and closer with a tear streaked dazed expression on his face while he tried his best to hold the second year up. Even when he stood in front of the Professor he still did not say a word and only stared at the man's right sleeve.

Phoebe was part of the group being transferred from the Room, holding tight to Kizzy's hand as they made their way upstairs from the dungeons. It was actually supernaturally quiet in the castle, no curses sent their way from the Goon Squad, very little sound from the crowd gathering outside. They were safe. Ish. Safe-ish in a new room, but this was not a prison and they weren't going to be stuck here forever.

Unless the crowd at the gate failed, and then who knew what was going to happen?

Oh. For one thing, there was the appearance of Kale Trent and the other lost students. That was something she hadn't predicted. Phoebe dropped Kizzy's hand and threw herself at Kale, and it was only his shell-shocked face that kept her from bear hugging him. "Kale. Hey. Kale. Look at me."

Hurrying among the group from the Room, Ivy cast a shield charm around herself and those around her, just in case anything should happen on their way up. But it seemed eerily quiet for the most part, aside from their footsteps, though if she strained hard enough, she thought she could hear the distant noises of shouts and spells somewhere out on the grounds.

She kept her focus on what was close at hand though, and soon they'd reached the spare office and there was Professor Carton and-

Ivy stopped in her tracks. There... There was Kale. And Ashley, and Moose, and Minjae...

Was her imagination playing tricks on her?

No, because Phoebe had gone up to Kale now and...

And the hope that had reappeared down in the Room minutes ago was blossoming within her in full force now.

And she burst into tears.

Noah had been on the outside of the 'Room' group, helping the Professors and other older students to guard the younger ones on the inside. The defensive formation had been the most practical and he was ready for spells to be thrown left, right, and centre at them... but he had been pleasantly surprised, like Phoebe, with how quiet the corridors were. It was almost a little too easy to get up here and he felt quite troubled by the fact. It was almost like they were supposed to get up here, he thought as he glanced around the area before he spotted Professor Carton ushering the students into the room. "Thanks!" he quickly said before heading into the room.

His warm honey eyes widened as he saw some faces that he thought that he would NEVER, EVER, EVER see again. Kale? Moose? Ashley? And most of all - MINJAE?!? He did a double take, thinking at first that his mind was playing a trick on him, but when he turned back they were all still there. Phoebe was with Kale... And Minjae was carrying Moose? He tilted his head to the right side. He had many questions but decided not to ask. All he wanted to do was hug his mate. Tears of relief threatening to fall, he smiled softly before rushing to Minjae and Moose. Nope. Nope. Nope.. He wasn't going to cry. They had a battle to deal with... They had to survive. Merlin. He just wanted to hug them both so tightly. His heart was going to burst and he was going to jump up and down with delight. All this energy and endorphins and relief. He blinked his eyes and took SEVERAL deep breaths in.

"You have no idea how relieved and happy I am to see you guys in one piece!! " And yes, Noah wrapped his arms around both of them. He knew his mate didn't like hugs - he just couldn't HELP it at this point in time!! He was just so relieved. Yes, there may have been a few tears that escaped. He wiped them away quickly before clearing his throat. "Are you okay?"

Taking a step back, he was about to ask them how they were but stopped when he heard crying. Huh? Was HE crying? For a moment, he thought he was but then turned to see Ivy crying. He smiled softly for he felt the exact same way. His own eyes were threatening to send tears over the edge. "You okay?" he asked, casting a concerned gaze in her direction.

Quinn, still simmering with anger, but also relieved for being rescued, walked into the spare office, only to be met with...the vanished students?? Kale, Moose, Minjae... Ashley? Quinn's anger subsided for the moment and his relief increased tenfold with the confirmation that they were alright. Had it not been for Ashley's unconscious/nearly-unconscious state, he would've run and given her a hug.

Instead, he opted to go up to Minjae, the one he knew second-best. "What... where did you guys go..? How did you get back? What happened?? Can we go beat up Nem?" That last question wasn't necessary, and he knew the answer, but he thought it was worth a shot.

Kinsay didn't dare let go of Phoebe's hand. Not until they reached safety and maybe not even then. The whole way up to the safe room, Kinsay felt on edge. Like her heart was beating out of her chest. Like someone in a big hood was going to show up from around the corner. Like safety wasn't actually a promise.

Her eyes moved frantically from one end of the corridor to the other as they neared the room. It was only then, when Phoebe had let go of her hand, that Kinsay saw what everyone else saw - and much like Ivy, she burst into a steady stream of tears too. Hopeful tears. Hysteric tears. Relieved tears. Tears that she had been holding in for a long while.

She thought he was dead.

So, still with tears streaming down her face, she moved towards Moose, Noah, and Minjae. Rubbing at her face with her droopy sleeves, she looked up helplessly at the older boys before directing her attention to her friend. "Moose?" All her other thoughts were quiet as she reached for his lifeless hand. Please don't be dead. Please. Please. Please. "Professor?!" She turned, calling out (quietly) for help. "Help!" Please.

Mamie had definitely kept a little shield charm up for the whole trek to the sixth floor. Not that it was absolutely necessary, given their professor and older student companions in the group, but the second year was not about to give up a chance to do magic outside of class for the first time in months. She was rusty!!

She was, however, not nearly as chipper as she may have been. Sure, they'd been freed from the room, and they were trying to take back Hogwarts, but Aboli, her favorite (and only) pretend big sister, was going to fight and she might get hurt. Mamie didn't think she could lose another friend, after Moose and Ashley and Minjae. Thirteen was a hard enough year without people dying left and right.

But then they finally got to the office and people were crowding and she looked around to see--Minjae?? What, she thought Minjae was dead?! And he was holding...was that a Moose!? Mamie squeaked with joy and looked around to see where Ashley was. Was Ashley alive too?

She spotted a...body?? laying on the ground and ran over, dropping to her knees and shaking her friend's shoulder. She had to make sure her fellow second year was okay! Sleeping? Dead? How could a girl tell the difference? She shook Ashley's shoulder, starting to cry. "Ashley!? Ashley, wake up! Wake up, Ashley!"

with one hand wrapped tightly around her wand and the other wrapped tightly around Flynn's, Yoyo had wordlessly followed after the group. The castle was alive with the sounds of war, but it was her own heartbeat that was loudest in the young woman's ears. She was constantly counting heads, constantly making sure her friends were intact. She didn't trust the Professor's to do their job of keeping them safe- and why should she? they'd failed at that all term.

She squeezed Flynn's hand, tugging him after her into the spare room. She had not spoken a word to him since the break out except to make sure he was okay even if she knew he wasn't, for Flynn had hardly spoken a word since they'd been brought into the room.

It worried Yoyo something awful, but there was very little she could do- for now- but when they were properly out of here, if they got properly out of here, she'd make sure he was okay. no matter what.

Lost in her head, it took a moment before Yoyo noticed what was happening.

It was kale. he wasn't dead. she hadn't lied to Cecelia after all.

But the boy's face was empty. there was none of his brashness, none of his fire behind those empty eyes. Yoyo turned about, pressing her face hard into Flynn's shoulder and for the first since they'd been locked away, she cried.

Part of Flynn wondered who had decided this random little office was the safest place in the school, and part of him didn't have the energy to concern himself with it. It was sort of easier not to, you know? To just retreat into a dreamlike state, one that wasn't by any means pleasant but was also fuzzy enough to keep out The Rest of It All. Nowhere was particularly safe anymore anyway, so what was yet another room? There was one caveat that holding hands with Tavie sometimes helped a little with that safety feeling, but he wasn't holding hands with Tavie right now. Yoyo. He was holding hands with Yoyo. Flynn had carelessly pocketed his wand instead of doing anything with it, so his other hand was free to trail along walls as they made their way up to the room in question.

He still had a blanket around his shoulders. It had just sorry of stayed there. It helped with the fuzzy feeling.

When had Yoyo started crying? Flynn blinked down at her face buried into his shoulder with vague astonishment. Absently, he stroked Yoyo's hair. He didn't like it when she cried.

Flynn didn't notice the energy in the room, or suddenly feel the collective presence of the lost ones, but maybe that was because they hadn't actually completely returned at all.

Holding he wand tightly in her hand, Aibhi stayed close to the younger students going into full "protect mode" as she followed the group heading to the room keeping her eyes keen on their surroundings just in case anything seemed off, but with the amount that was in the group together, they may have a shot just in case if anything. With everything that had gone on this year, all she was waiting for was for it to be all over. For the school to go back to the way it once was, and back to being safe...as safe as it can be. You never know what to expect when at Hogwarts.

Following the others into the spare office, Aibhi froze. What- no...it- it can't be....Kale...? He- he's alive?? Not only did she see Kale, but there was Ashley, Moose, and Minjae. She wasn't close with the others, but she did develop a somewhat friendly acquaintance with Kale, but then again...who doesn't get along with Kale? She looks around the room not knowing for sure if this was a trap or anything but right now...with everything going on...this sixth year was just happy to see a familiar face.

The entire walk from all the way deep down below the dungeons in The Room, to all the way to this spare 'Safe' Room on the sixth floor, had been a long one. Long, silent and immensely scary. Lia could hear the sounds of a battle commencing outside and it only made her grip the wand in her tighter. Not to mention her hold on Tadhg's hand and the grasp she also hand on her brothers robes, who was walking right in front of her.

Once inside the room, only then did she allow herself to let go of her hold on Elias' robes. Without question she moved to a spot in one of the corners and sat down with her family and Tad. It was then that she gave herself a minute to look at everyone around her. Four faces standing out instantly among all the rest. Ashley who was laying on the floor. Kale who looked like he was in another world that was all his own. Minjae who carried in Moose. They were alive. As much as she wanted to rush over to them all, she made herself resist. There would be time for that later.

Right now, all she wanted to do was cry.

Aboli had decided to run up to the spare room for now, but she knew she'd be fighting soon. Fighting for her school, for her classmates. All of those who weren't pureblood? Yes. Aboli KNEW this would happen! They weren't left here to die or wither away - there was a bATTLE AT HAND!

She panted slightly as she got into the office, sticking close to Noah as she did so. "I hope you know I...will joining the battle. As I assume you will, too," she met his gaze as soon they both got into the room. "I'll give you my 'if we die...' speech in a moment, I just need to find - "

But there was almost TOO MUCH HAPPENING at once for Aboli to think further about anything.

The students she had forced herself to believe were NOT dead were suddenly here, and Aboli could have cried in gratitude to the gods of fate! MINJAE! And poor Moose, Ashley, and Kale! Moose was out, though, and Aboli saw Ivy start to cry. "Ivy...hey..." her voice was soft, soothing. "It's going to be okay, all right?" she touched the girl's elbow gently. It made her heart feel all fiuehfiehrhiugh when she heard Noah doing the same. *SIGH*

"Does anyone have water? Anything?" she asked, since Moose was...you know, out of it. And Ashley, too. "Mamie, she's not dead! She's just passed out - " she was stern, but not harsh or sharp. She just didn't need Mamie upsetting everyone else and everyone to get in a panic about anyone being dead. NO ONE WAS DEAD yet!

Morgan was kind of in a daze as he followed the others, not to class this time, but to freedom (?) and some room up on the sixth floor of the castle, his hand tightly grasping his reacquired spruce wand. He had lost all of his hope, bit by bit, during his many days locked up in the single room, so it was hard to process what some of his professors were claiming, even as he heard what could only be described as battle sounds outside.

"Kale!" he blurted out suddenly as his eyes locked onto his best bro. He wasn't just imagining... he wasn't really dead or gone forever! Morgan was vaguely aware of the other formerly poofed kids there as well, but he rushed over to his fellow Gryffindor, just behind Phoebe, about to tackle him in a hug - he was so relieved, so happy, he thought he'd never see him again! - but he stopped as he looked not completely there and heard Phoebe's whispered words.

His expression immediately grew confused and concerned. "Are you okay? What happened??" He looked at Phoebe, much smarter than him. "Is he okay?"

By the time they'd reached the spare office, Neva's heart was racing and her adrenaline kicking in, her ears filled with the sounds of battle going on below. "Inside, keep moving, towards the back!" She ushered the kids inside, thankful Norman had arrived safely before her. "We have to get them in and get this door sealed." It was only a matter of time before Rosier's fan club came looking for the students, for leverage. She just hoped her colleagues would be here with the other kids soon.

The kids. The kids he'd taken. Neva felt her eyes well up with tears as they arrived, relief that they were alive and fear at what they must've gone through. These weren't the same kids. How could they be?

"They're in shock. Please, give them space. Miss Song, magic. The reviving spell will do nicely for Miss Fox. The water-making spell for anyone needing water. Mr. Yoon, here, I've got him." Neva gently, placed a hand on the seventh year's shoulder and then used magic to get Mr. Stover inside, setting him down on the old rug. She knelt down beside him and looked around at all the children, their expressions breaking her heart. "Listen, they're here now. They're back with us and we're going to keep them safe now, okay? We all need to work together." Merlin knew they were going to need all the wand power they could get.

____

Deep down Cecelia felt something like relief at Phoebe's decision to stay with the littles. It meant staying with Sammy and she knew it's what her parents would've wanted. She was vaguely aware of the sounds of battle from outside, the flashes of light that meant spells being cast. She let herself be pushed along by the wave of students moving up to the sixth floor, kept her wand drawn, kept sight of her friends. And then somehow she found herself stepping inside of the spare room. People around her were crying and she didn't immediately understand why. It was really only when Morgan called out his name that her blue-green eyes settled on Kale. She blinked. Rubbed her eyes and blinked again. Looked around as others came into view. She looked to Phoebe, to Yoyo, owing them an apology because they'd been right. Because they were alive. Kale was alive and all this time she'd assumed that they-that he was--how could she have thought that? How could she have not believed. It was too much. This was too much.

Suddenly the room was starting to spin and Cece sagged against the wall, eyes filled with tears. "K-Kale?" She sunk down to the floor. "I'm so sorry." That she couldn't stop what happened to him. That she couldn't look after Mavis like she'd promised. That she didn't have hope that he'd make it back. She was so, so sorry. She'd never stop being sorry.

The boy heard the voices that crowded him as they spilled into the room. The weepy, concerned and surprised voices of people whose faces were like a scratched echo of a memory. The boy knew he ought to know them or had the distinct feeling that perhaps he already did, but he could not recall a name or connection to any of them.

There had been no light and no sound where he had been banished.

And now there was too much of it.

It was hurting the boy's head and making his eyes ache. Too much. He pulled his knees into his chest and buried his pink-tinted blonde head there for safety. The boy wanted less. Less sound and light and stimulation and the world felt full of it.

"No." Phoebe rocked back on her heels and took Morgan's hand, since she was afraid to touch Kale. Her eyes roved the room until she found Cece. And Yoyo. And Flynn. Teddy. Kizzy. Emm. She counted heads mentally, just like always. Where was Tavie? "No, he's not okay, but I don't think there's much we can do now."

She stood and gave Morgan's hand a squeeze before dropping it. "Maybe give him your cloak? Make him a little tent because it's going to get crazy in here." She would leave Kale to Morgan's care, because Cece needed her right now. She slid down the wall and wrapped an arm around Cece's shoulders. "C'mon, Cece. It's okay. It's all okay now."

Quinn moved inside of the room with the rest of the kids... but he didn't want to. He should've just gone like he originally wanted to, but he psyched himself out of it. Now the professors would be able to clearly see if he tried to leave. Before she could seal the room, Quinn went up to Professor Peralta.

"Professor, wait. I want to help. I was thinking I could get Puffapod seeds from the greenhouses and get somewhere high and throw them down at the Alliance members. That's safe enough, right? I wouldn't be in harm's way, and I would be able to fight! If you're still worried th-then... then... s-someone can come with me! Even you, Professor! Please, I... I need to fight!" His voice was shaky by the end of his speech—he couldn't just sit here and wait. The Alliance had tried so hard to tear him down... he had been torn down so much before... The Alliance... old classmates... Nick... his parents... he needed to stand up for himself. He was done lying down and taking it. Screw what the Alliance thought of him, screw what the Professors thought of him, screw what his parents thought of him. Were they even thinking of him now? He was going to fight.

The dark was familiar... The unnecessary coming in and out of it. He wanted back in. The nothingness felt better.

Still though in his state he couldn't much argue with what was being done with him. He could hear voices and someone squeezes him. Don't touch...or do. Touch he missed touch. That was one thing Moose was glad to have back. Touch. Who touched his hand? Were they crying? His hand was warm to the touch might have been a little bloody so you may want to wash it soon.

He attempted to open his eyes to see who it was who had reached out to him. Also who had carried him? Who squeezed him? Too little too late. The sensation of being carried turned into more floating and he knew how that felt all too well. He closed his eyes to feel at peace again before it was lost as he was laid down on something soft.