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Post by Ailee McDanna on Jan 19, 2019 20:21:26 GMT -8
"I should say that this is all very disturbing, Mr. Smith," Ailee nodded in agreement, finally using her wand to loosen the mask itself. When it would not budge - in spite of the three spells she knew should reverse whatever had been used - Ailee reached into her pockets, searching for the only other option left to her other than beheading the statue and lowering it for a better look that way.
"Back away, gentlemen," she warned before pulling out the stopper and with her wand, coaxed the liquid out of the container to run it along the edge of the mask. There was a soft fizz and then a popping sound as the statue was finally freed of the macabre covering. Ailee held it in the air, not daring touch in for a few seconds as the rest of the solvent dissipated to a point where it would not try to eat her flesh. When she deemed it safe at last, she plucked it out of the air to study it a little more closely.
"A strange way to make a message. You are quite certain, Mr. Fortier, that it was two people? And all you could see were their shadows? There was nothing else - a flash of something shiny? Perhaps there was a smell of some sort other than paint and the usual castle odor?"
"Mr. Smith, you said that this is a song that you have practiced in Choir?" Ailee asked, holding the mask in his direction though she held it in a way to make certain he did not try to take it from her. "Is there anything of significance behind this song? Perhaps someone complaining about performing it? Perhaps there is a member that has stated their preference for it?"
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Post by Enzo Fortier on Jan 19, 2019 20:47:22 GMT -8
"I heard them talking but wasn't close enough to understand them. I was patrolling that hall," he said, motioning. "There was a big flash of light like lightning. It must have filled the whole elective hallway. I ran down here, saw the two shadow people, they took off. I didn't see anything in their hands and didn't smell anything weird, but I didn't really think about sniffing around. I guess there was a sort of burnt smell. Like... the smell of a cap gun."
Would she know what that was? Enzo didn't know how familiar with no-maj things the potions master was. "People do a lot of pranks this time of year, but I've never seen anything like this. It's usually putting color tabs in a tap to turn the water red or putting fake bugs on pillows," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "A lot of upper classmen try to scare the kids with Masked Lord stuff. Maybe that's all it is."
He looked to Gideon to hear what he had to say in response to her questions. The more they discussed it, the less like some coincidental prank it seemed.
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Post by Gideon Smith on Jan 19, 2019 20:56:41 GMT -8
"Yes Professor," he answered before shaking his head. "It's just a generic choir song, something to get us warmed up and in sync with each other before we start solos or duets." He shrugged a shoulder, afraid he wouldn't be much help, "I haven't heard anyone speak up about not wanting to sing it, nor that they particularly did."
"Is this something we should be on guard for Professor? Should someone speak to Professor Nightingale?" he asked, wondering if she had heard any murmurings of decent in the choir. It still wouldn't account for how similar it looked to Harmonia's mask, but maybe that was just coincidence. Many masks like it featured musical themes after all. He would probably warn Eris regardless, just so she could be alert.
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Post by Ailee McDanna on Jan 19, 2019 21:23:15 GMT -8
Ailee listened to both of their explanations, nodding as she studied the mask a little closer. She had no idea what he meant by Masked Lords but then, she'd not attended school here. Was it their boogyman? Strange but then, to each their own. After all, how many people knew what Dumbledore's Army was? The memory almost brought a smile to her lips but this was neither the appropriate time nor place.
"Likely the light was caused by whatever they used to seal the mask to the statue. Something strange about it, really. Most joke products are not effective enough to withstand the counters I used..." Ailee remarked. However, there was an individual joke maker who made more than just joke products but there was no American branch for WWW. Still, couldn't hurt to write to a few old friends - see if there was anything that would react like this being sold on the shelves.
Now that she was certain that the mask was safe, she lowered her arm. "I will, of course, speak with Professor Nightingale as well as the Headmaster about this matter immediately. I am sure that someone will be addressing the prefects and Head Students about it within a day or two when we have more to go off of. In the meantime..." Ailee considered if she was doing the right thing but her own school days felt like they were looming right now. Ignoring stunts like this might seem small but eventually become strong enough to bowl everyone over. No, she would not let any students in this school go through what they had.
"If you see any more shadows this evening," Ailee's voice was firm, "you have my permission to stun them. If it just a student out of place, then there is no harm. A teacher - you may place the blame on my shoulders. But if it's someone intending no good, we need to bring this to a quick halt before it gets out of control. Is that understood?"
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Post by Enzo Fortier on Jan 19, 2019 21:37:22 GMT -8
Enzo furrowed his brow and chewed his bottom lip nervously. He thought perhaps Gideon wasn't good enough at undoing sticking charms until the professor tried and failed a few attempts at removing the mask. Charms weren't the subject she taught, but that didn't mean she wasn't skilled. Now that she had said it out loud that it was probably not a joke product, he felt on edge. "Yes, ma'am," he said, nodding firmly once.
He would take the matter seriously until told otherwise. Whether it was brought to the attention of the choir or not, he would warn Shelby, at least. She was often in the choir room. Alone sometimes. If something happened to her, he'd show no mercy to the ones responsible. Just thinking about it made his blood boil. She didn't really respond on the subject of the Masked Lords. Having been teaching at the school for at least as long as he'd been there, he thought she'd have heard of them, so it didn't occur to him that she didn't say anything because she didn't know what he was talking about. So, he was oddly relieved, thinking it had absolutely nothing to do with them. The weird mask was just a coincidence.
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Post by Gideon Smith on Jan 19, 2019 21:51:38 GMT -8
"Yes Professor," Gideon said with a firm nod. It was his duty as a Prefect to help maintain order and this act of vandalism was definitely not ok. He pulled his wand back out from his pocket, a little disappointed that he hadn't been allowed a thoroughly good look at the mask, but he supposed Professor McDanna had a reason for it. It didn't sit well with him that someone would prank a statue so close to the choir room. Especially with it being so close to Harmonia's mask.
He looked over at Enzo, noticing the determined look on his face. He remembered that Enzo had been seen around with Shelby, so perhaps they were dating. He would do whatever it took to protect Jaina as well as giving Eris a warning, if only because he was the only one who knew her alter ego. He looked back at the Professor, wondering if she had any other orders to give them for the rest of the night.
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Post by Ailee McDanna on Jan 19, 2019 22:07:53 GMT -8
Ailee looked them both in the eye, judging for herself that they understood her orders fully. She didn't know if any of the other teachers would have given them that same order but that was the difference between her past and theirs. A school was supposed to be the place that children were safe to grow up and learn without threat. Damned if she was going to let history repeat itself here. Maybe she hadn't been aware of much until her 3rd year, it was hard to ignore everything that had come after.
Cedric...
"Good," she said, pushing away the fear, the haunting sight of seeing the Head Boy - a fellow housemate lying dead outside the maze. "You will relay this order to any other prefects you come in contact with this evening. By tomorrow, we'll know more." Come hell or high water. "If one of you would, please send a message to Professor Nightingale that I have requested that she meet me in the Headmaster's office? Otherwise, you are dismissed." She hesitated a moment, looking at them both. So very young...too young. "Keep them safe," she said softly before turning away, heading straight for Headmaster Fontaine's office.
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Post by Enzo Fortier on Jan 19, 2019 22:27:29 GMT -8
"Of course, Professor," he said, extracting his pad and quill again. Enzo almost told her to be careful, but had second thoughts. What a dumb thing that would be to say to a teacher. Of course she would be careful. And she could handle anything that she might encounter, probably. A hell of a lot better than he could, anyway. He wrote as legibly as possible on his pad of paper then ripped the top sheet off. As before, he folding it like an airplane and sent it off in pursuit of Ms. Nightingale. He wished he could listen in on the conversation they would have with the headmaster. Would he see it as a threat or a harmless prank?
Enzo turned to Gideon, stuffing his pad of paper and quill in his pocket. "Thanks for your help," he said sincerely.
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Post by Gideon Smith on Jan 19, 2019 22:35:34 GMT -8
"Yes, Ma'am," Gideon said out loud as the teacher began to walk away. He wasn't positive if she was talking to them or herself, but he felt he should respond to her anyway. He looked back at Enzo and nodded, "Of course," he said with a grim smile. "We Serpents have to stick together," he said. "If only to solve this mystery and protect those we care about."
He was more determined than ever to make sure that his girlfriend was safe, as well as the bitch who had him by the balls, whether he liked it or not. "Which way did they go before you lost them?" he asked before he raised his wand. "Lumos. I'll go see if I can pick up a trail." He directed his wand's light toward the ground in front of them, where he saw a drop of paint.
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Post by Enzo Fortier on Jan 19, 2019 22:56:15 GMT -8
"They went that way," he pointed. "Then turned right. I don't know where they went from there. When I got there, they were totally gone. I don't know if maybe they ducked into a room or what. They definitely didn't have time to reach the other end of that hall."
Maybe they knew a secret passage or ducked into the dungeons. Aside from the occasional student that randomly discovered either of those things, only certain groups of students were aware of them. Prefects, of course, were one of the groups that had knowledge of the dungeons and a number of secret passages. Mostly those that led outdoors, in the event they needed to evacuate students or whatever.
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Post by Gideon Smith on Jan 19, 2019 23:20:37 GMT -8
"Alright, I'll go check the classrooms that might be open," Gideon said, keeping his wand out in front of him. "If we're lucky, one of them might have dropped a clue on the way." He started off in the direction Enzo indicated keeping his wand tip down to see if he found more drops of red paint. So far nothing but he turned around the corner and entered the dark hallway. He tried a few of the doors along the way but found nothing open. Where had they gone? He was sure this wasn't an elaborate prank by the Masked Lords, otherwise, he would have known about it already.
"Where are you?" he whispered into the darkness as he walked toward some of the abandoned classrooms.
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