Hogwarts of the Future

[Prof. Cinders]

OOC: While you're busy with that plotline, you've slipped past midnight. C'mon, the most magical time of halloween and my necromancer's stuck in the great hall!

BIC: Ed glared at his plate, his hair falling out of place. It was near midnight, and he could feel the spirits of the castle becoming restless. Nearly time... I've got to shake this kid. He glanced at the first year next to him, and finally noticed another extended vegetable. He grimaced at it, and turned it aside with a finger. 'No more. I've got better things to do. Go to bed.' He stood, ignoring the boy, and stalked to the slytherin table.

The first year watched him go, then ate the carrot grumpily. What would anyone be busy doing to refuse food? Then again, he did look rather preoccupied. Maybe he was going to do something exciting. The older years always got to do the more exciting stuff. If he followed him, maybe he could see what they were going to do... From a safe distance, of course.

'Ari...' muttered Ed, now standing a few feet behind the slytherin. 'Would you mind... accompanying me to the grounds? I have something to show you.' He clutched his wand tightly inside his sleeve, which he'd had to extend again to look at least semi-smart in that respect. He'd also added a slight golden trimming, and a small skull motif on his collar. Hopefully that would be enough to show the Dead who their master was...

 

[Arienne]

OOC: Sorry ;D
BIC:
Ari swallowed the last of her pumpkin juice and swung around, meeting Ed's gaze. Outside. At midnight. On All Hallows' Eve. She considered the possible implications - not that there were many - and made her decision.

"I'd be honoured," she replied evenly - and felt a sudden click in the back of her mind; then a wave of odd calm, flowing from her head down to the tips of her fingers and toes. The long, elegant sleeves of her charmed robes hid her trembling hands - and the outline of a snake that had appeared unbidden on one of them.

But Ari felt fine - better than in a long time, she thought with a strange rush of excitement. And maybe, just maybe, if we're going where I think we're going - if he's going to do what I think he's going to do - maybe I'll finally get my answers.

 

[Prof. Cinders]

Ed smiled softly, and held out a hand. 'Then come on. It's a beautiful night.' Taking her shaking hand in his own, he led her away from the table and out, down to the entrance hall. Seeing the doors open made him wonder for a second what was happening outside already, but he ignored the distraction, instead looking at his watch. One minute to go. I've got to time this perfectly... He led her outside, guiding her towards a place he knew had to be deserted. He smiled back at her, and tried not to flinch as he saw her aura. Grey. Completely grey. Looking back at where he was going, he tried to think of what that could possibly mean...

Not that much time left, though. Half a minute to go until it happened. He could see their destination now... He broke into a slow jog, still holding onto Arienne's hand. 'Almost there,' he muttered, glancing back again. A headache was definitely starting to set in. Twenty seconds to go. He could feel his eyes going red, his whole forehead going icy cold as the sweat condensed. Fifteen seconds. He stopped, looking out at the lake. Perfect. Turning to Ari, he felt his whole body shiver, his wand twitching erratically.

He tried a fleeting smile, just as his feet began to leave the ground. 'I had to show you this,' he said quietly, raising his wand. 'After all... It is Halloween.' Midnight struck. The clock at Hogwarts rang out its greetings to the spirits, and they answered, swirling around Ed as he rose into the calm air. He gazed at them, picking out a few relatives, but the vast numbers were starting to become overwhelming. Magical or not, these beings had done this before, and they didn't want it to happen again. They were fighting it.

THe wand twitched into action, and strange words tumbled from Ed's mouth as his eyes countered the glow of the spirits with their deep red shine. Runes glimmered into existence, surrounding the spirits, binding them. They moved all the more quickly, trying to escape the necromancer's spell, but to no avail. Within seconds, they were bound tightly within a sphere around the third year. Only a few, the strongest, remained outside. Ed knew he had to keep them away from Ari for as long as possible. The last thing he wanted was a possession... Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to bring her... He shouted out a few more words, letting them snake into the air, snapping at the spirits outside the sphere. They retaliated, thin green whisps slicing at the sphere, trying to break their fellow Dead out. If he wasn't strong enough, it would be over, and both he and Ari would be lost... He couldn't let that happen.

Unbidden, he found himself floating back down to the ground, the sphere contracting towards him. The spirits inside battered their prison walls, and those outside renewed the strength of their attack. Some of them succumbed to the words of another spell, slipping inside the sphere. But there were still too many, too close to Ari. Far too close.

 

[Rosie]

Crystal stepped forwards beside David, so the professor could see her better. "But you're…" he said, remembering the horse in the hallway. "Then, that's what you were doing in the grounds," he said, putting two and two together, "but are you really Crystal?" The horse nodded its head enthusiastically before bending so she could see David and attempting to smile at him. Thank goodness someone realised! she thought, turning back to the professor expectantly. Hopefully he'd know what to do.

At that moment the clock struck midnight. The booming chimes rung out through the whole school, louder tonight than any other. Crystal's eyes blurred over and she collapsed, her knees simply buckling underneath her. She scrunched up her face as the strange tingling melted over her again, hair covering her eyes.

After what seemed like forever, the chiming stopped, the dizziness subsided and Crystal lifted a hand to her face. A hand? That means… she thought joyfully, blinking and tucking her long hair behind one ear. She sat up, inspecting her arms and hands for any hair or hooves. She sat in shock for a few moments, taking it all in, before looking up at the professor and David.