An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
The corridor was beautiful, given an eerie look by what little moonlight seeped through the swirling, dark sky beyond the huge windows -- paired with velvet, purple curtains. There was a rug along the entire path of the corridor, which only had one entrance and exit at either end.
Suits of armours stood in attention, though as still as everything else. It was quiet, minus the sound of clashing spells... which soon spilled into this area.
The intruders were several dark-cloaked individuals -- some faces recognisible from Wanted Posters shown in the Daily Prophet during the mass breakout from Azkaban, and others remained a mystery. Yet their drawn wands were a clear threat.
Issandra Glockurse cackled in glee, firing off curses at her opponent. As they stepped further into the eerie light, it became clear who she was fighting: Albus Dumbledore himself. Except, he was clearly weakened by something. His hands were marred by some sort of magic. His wand hand was black on its palm, as if having burned that way from touching something he perhaps had no right to.
From the words and insults caught between spells, it seemed Dumbledore had arrived to help restore the castle in time... but was too late. Whatever he'd tried to put into place to prevent this, remained missing -- and had turned on him, in retaliation. But he hadn't caused the situation, at least. Just failed to fix it.
The corridor took most of the beating -- shredding the curtains, chipping stone bricks, and marring the rug. Bored, the others decided to join in. Issandra snarled at them for interfering, so they instead attacked anyone who dared enter the corridor or tried to assist Dumbledore.
This is a Battle
Battles are more dangerous than standard duels. Do not partake unless your character has a decent amount of spells to use -- you may cast duel-related spells (offensive, defensive, curse) or use something else you've learned to help gain an advantage.
Battles have not officially been implemented, so there's no set rules or pace right now. Your foe will have an amount of DP to be depleted, and you need not face them alone -- friends or allies can assist you. Apart from Issandra or Dumbledore, as no one has the skill or capability to engage in that.
DP are determined by group. Your foe has a set amount, but their opposition has the combined DP of each student combating them. So if you and a friend fight together, the group DP will be a combination of both your DP.
The battle is fair and turn-based, just like in duels. Your Foe goes first, then each of you get a turn, then Foe again and so forth. There is no set order, other than each person gets a turn before someone can go again.
Beware, though. Foes don't always play fair and may incapacitate you. And Issandra is unpredictable, to say the least; she may decide to fire off a spell of her own. The foes know and may use Unforgiveable Curses. Your character's life is at sake, though none will be killed without permission -- and are typically pre-planned in advance.
Get creative. Do whatever it takes to survive.
You have 22 hours to do as much damage as you can.
Kassia stalked down the castle halls alone, in the dark. She had snuffed out her lit wand and moved quietly, her flats making little sound on the stone floor. This was a very Gryffindor thing to do, she realized, going into danger alone without a second thought. But she could only assume that Gryffindors loved to martyr themselves and were doing it for the good of the school.
Kassia wanted to see what it was that could hurt her. She refused to die in her bed like her mother had. And, if possible, do damage herself. She also had a darker curiosity- what was strong enough to knock out the wards of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? If she did work in the Ministry, this might be the sort of thing she had to deal with in the future.
As Kassia drew near, she stopped. The sounds of duelling- not duelling, real fighting. She slipped behind an imposing suit of armour and watched. She had never seen a real battle before. Who were they attacking? Kassia struggled to see in the din, but she recognized that gigantic beard anywhere. Professor Dumbledore? Was this where he had been the entire year?
And he was doing badly, too. He was fighting... some dark witch that had escaped from Azkaban, Kassia recognized her face but couldn't place the name. Alexandra? And there were others, too. Luckily Alexandra seemed to be quite full of herself and evidently not very smart, as she was refusing to let the others partake in the attack on Dumbledore.
He would absolutely be dead if she just... let them help. Why not dispatch the enemy as swiftly as possible? But then, if she actually had a brain, she wouldn't be a dark witch. Kassia was giving them too much credit. However, Dumbledore was struggling and there was no help in sight. No professors or even prefects.
Kassia wasn't going to cower like a little mouse. But she wasn't about to lose her life over it, either. She waited until one of the wizards or witches had their back to her. Then Kassia emerged, wand out, and cast. "Stupefy!"
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Dec 6, 2022 11:15:01 GMT 10
She didn't know what to expect when she made it to the sixth floor but this? MJ's gasp was caught in her throat and she looked around, shocked and afraid to see her school like this. "Oh Dear..."
A once beautiful corridor was now marred by the battle that was taking place here. MJ skirted to the side, pressing herself up against the wall for a moment as she observed what was happening. She instantly recognized the lady fighting the old man, her face a familiar sight from the front cover of the Daily Prophet but the man she was flinging spells at?
MJ had no idea who he was and wondered if he was supposed to be the good guy. Like, on their side or whatever.
And there was another student here too.
A Slytherin girl that MJ thought she had seen somewhere before... A vague memory from the Staff Room started to resurface but MJ didn't have time to worry about that. More people were joining in the fight on the Bad LadyTM's side. Yikes! It seemed they were intent on fighting anyone who made an appearance and MJ quickly realized that meant her.
She held her wand ready and aimed, firing off an offensive spell in the hopes of hitting her target, one of the dark robed people at the other end of the corridor. MJ didn't have a lot of experience when it came to duelling so she could only hope she was being useful and not getting in the way.
Hopefully one of the other Artefact Finders would assist her.
If nothing else, MJ just wanted to make sure the Artefacts would be safe!
Post by Luckett Langford on Dec 6, 2022 11:27:52 GMT 10
Lucky's knees trembled, and his heart raced like the wind. He didn't know what he would do if Sophia was hurt, or worse. She was his best friend, the one person he could always count on for anything, to be there for him. He couldn't imagine a life without her -- and the thought gnawed at his insides, fresh dread rearing up within him as he scaled the the staircase to the sixth floor.
He hadn't seen Sophia on the way up, nor had he seen a reason for her to be up here.. but what if someone or something had chased her to this level, or she'd gone to find the source of the sound he was actively running towards, too? The possibilities were endless, and each one hit him with intensity, choking him, leaving him barely able swallow the fear that lodged in his throat.
Nothing was going to happen to her, or any of his friends for that matter -- not if Lucky had anything to do about it. He was willing to do everything in his power to keep them safe.
He held his breath, chest rising as he emerged into the moonlit corridor, determined not to let his nerves get the best of him. With his eyes fearful but resolute, and a face paler than he'd probably realized, he held his wand at the ready in his right hand, his grip tightening with every step he took. He moved discreetly in the shadows, in the dark, as noiselessly as he possibly could.
Thankfully, Sophia was nowhere to be seen.
But he nearly froze when he spotted the cackling woman, the gumption he'd swallowed seeping out of him as he drew nearer. He needed an offensive spell, something quick and effective to use against one of the other several dark-cloaked individuals in the corridor -- but the words froze inside his chest, eyes worriedly searching stone to find some sort of way back to the basement.
Had he made a mistake? Was he in over his head? How could he find confidence again instead of giving into the anxiety that was slowly filling his chest like rising water flooding a small space?
It appeared Kassia and MJ had no such trouble, as both emerged and shot off a spell of their own. What were they doing here.. but better yet, why were they alone? Lucky's face contorted with a mix of confusion, unease and curiosity -- until a wave of bravery washed over him, and he quickly strode out into the dim light with all the trademark pomp he could possibly muster.
'Expelliarmus!' He shouted loudly, settling into the movement of his spell and casting with as much ferocity as he could. If Lucky could knock back one of the dark-cloaked individuals, or at least one of their wands, it would buy him and the others some time to fire off another spell.
Post by Grace Babineaux on Dec 6, 2022 12:33:32 GMT 10
Grace was destined for this, or at the very least it was suggested that it would be a good idea for her to help somehow. She believed in the Founders, and she knew that they believed in her. They had to! There were a few older students around, as well as MJ. Not to mention the bad guys! Were those Azkaban escapees?! Grace couldn't believe it!
She had to help, even if she didn't know the same type of fancy spells that the older students did. She decided that she needed to take on a dark-cloaked bad guy of her own so that they didn't surround MJ or the older students. Not to mention...DUMBLEDORE?! Grace couldn't believe it. She'd never even seen the guy before, except in newspapers, and now he was here fighting a dark witch?
It was quite the year to start Hogwarts, all in all. But now was not the time for reminiscing, or for getting excited about old wizards that weren't even headmaster anymore. Right? Or did he become headmaster again by coming back? Magical rules were confusing.
Not too confusing, though. Grace held her wand as she cast an offensive spell at a scary dark-cloaked person, hoping that it wasn't one of the Azkaban escapees who hated kids. She remembered that she had a curse in her back pocket that she could use if things went really, really wrong, but for now she just wanted to fight.
This was her castle! Well, not really hers. She had just lived here for most of the past year and felt rather attached, especially since the portrait had implied that the intruders were after the artefacts, and Grace couldn't let them find them. Especially not hers! Or the one she had found. Same thing, really.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Dec 6, 2022 12:55:57 GMT 10
The sound of their feet trampling through the halls echoed, easily telling others that more were coming. When they came to the corridor, Lindsey came to a sliding halt and she felt so many things at once. First, she noticed a few familiar faces and that cackling laughter was one that would stay with her for a long time. As her eyes scanned the area, she was shocked and slightly-overjoyed to see Dumbledor, but also felt a tug at her stomach when she saw his state.
Something was wrong with the professor, but she had little time focus on that. A spell was sent their way and Lindsey lifted her wand in response.
”Diffindo” she called out, aiming at the nearest cloaked witch or wizard while giving a graceful flick of her wrist. This was her home and the people in this place were like a family. Even if she didn’t know them all, she had no intention of giving up. Her eyes glanced around them for a moment, keeping a close eye on the girls who had come with her.
Post by Jacob Thatcher on Dec 6, 2022 16:52:05 GMT 10
Jacob had been in the Great Hall with everyone else when things got all kinds of messed up. He'd gotten his wand out and wanted to help, but how? He couldn't really fight vines, not even knowing how one would do that other than brute strength.
The Headmaster ordered them to the safety of their common rooms, which of course Jacob ignored. He kept an eye out, helping a few younger students at risk of being trampled on, and tried to locate his friends. Nothing else mattered in that moment than making sure they were okay. That they were safe.
He'd seen Amy helping her younger brother, and heading out of the hall with him. Good, that means she was probably going to the common room where he'd be safest. So used to Amy's familiar appearance, she caught sight of Martha hurrying out as well. Jacob didn't know where Jade was, but he saw Lucky going... in a vastly different direction.
What was going on? He hadn't seen Sophia either. Was he there too? Was something wrong? Jacob frowned, hearing a noise. That must be what Lucky was following. Right, well...
Of course, Jacob rushed after his friend. One of his closest friends, actually. No way was he letting anyone he cared about be in danger without some backup. He hurried after Lucky, but the damn Hufflepuff was built for Quidditch and Jacob had just spend most of his afternoon running around pranking people. He'd had the bloody nose to prove it, which Madam Pomfrey fixed right up.
Oh.
Jacob halted as he saw what was going on. Dumbledore. That scary Glockurse woman. And even some 1st years? What in Merlin's great underpants were they doing here, in a place like this? Everyone was doing their part though, and the intruders looked dangerous. What about all those other kids? What about the rest of his friends?
'I've got your back,' he said, rushing to stand beside Lucky. 'Stupefy,' Jacob aimed at one of the cloaked intruders.
The cloaks, he'll call them. What were they even doing here? He'd find out later -- now he, he just had to give it his best to help out. This was where he needed to be, and what better than to face certain danger than with a friend at his side? They'd be unstoppable, for sure.
Killed by Devin Kudosen by act of the Killing Curse. June #24, RPG year 1 -- he was a 5th year Gryffindor. Jacob died to save his best friend, Luckett Langford.
As students arrived to help, several foes raised their wands to take them out. There were seven in total. Two were stunned by Kassia and Jacob, whereas another was disarmed by Luckett.
A fourth got the worst of it -- Lindsey's severing charm ripped into his cloak, and slashed his chest. There was blood, screaming of agony, and then he collapsed from the pain and shock of it. This was exactly what Professor Rivera warned against when teaching that spell, and Lindsey had broken that moral standard to never use it against another.
The disarmed one grabbed him, and they fled the scene. Those stunned remained down, out of the fight. At least for now. Issandra knocked Dumbledore down with a spell, buying some time to stare in angered alarm, with a hint of intrigue, at the younger Slytherin who'd used a rather violent spell compared to the others. Then she shrieked, as Dumbledore caught her off-guard with a knockback jinx.
Three foes remained, wands readied to face off against the students who'd already launched at attack.
First Foe DP: 15 Kassia DP:6 3
Foe cast an offensive spell against Kassia. 3 DP damage.
--
Second Foe DP:30 19 MJ, Grace, & Lindsey DP:24 21
MJ cast an offensive spell. 4 DP damage. Grace cast an offensive spell. 7 DP damage. Foe cast an offensive spell against Lindsey. 3 DP damage.
--
Third Foe DP: 20 Lucky & Jacob DP:12 9
Foe cast an offensive spell against Jacob. 3 DP damage.
You can choose your own foe, cast a defensive, or help someone else if you spot them in trouble nearby. But helping someone from another group may cause outsider intervention (such as Issandra turning on your group or your character). Weight the risks, but don't let allies hit 0 DP or they'll be in serious trouble.
Post by MJ Birdwhistle on Dec 6, 2022 17:31:45 GMT 10
A lot of chaos happened and spells were exchanged.
MJ was glad to see Grace by her side, as well as Lindsey, and felt hopeful that the three of them together could defeat their cloaked opponent. There was a moment of shock to see Lindsey attack with such a vicious spell (and later, she would think to herself how it had been a life or death situation...) but MJ didn't have time to gawk or worry about the consequences of such a bold move - she had to continue duelling!
She ducked down as a spell was aimed their way and considered using a defensive spell but was there one that would help their little trio as a group? MJ wasn't entirely certain and made a mental note to improve on her duelling skills next year.
At least her last spell had landed on its mark, even if it wasn't something as impressive as what the older students were able to do. But, she was doing her best with a limited pool of spells that was hindered by her own lack of experience. Grace might know something cool but MJ was going to stick to what she knew from duelling. Still, it would be cool to learn that disarming spell some day...
It seemed very useful to have in a duel.
Despite everything going on around her, she didn't allow herself to be distracted by the others either but she had noticed a familiar Hufflepuff boy had shown up! Of course, he would be here to save the day as well, after all he had saved her life before!
What she did allow was her confidence to grow, backed up by the hope they would win, which she tried to channel into her magic.
Aiming at the man duelling them, she fired off another offensive spell.
Last Edit: Dec 6, 2022 17:39:05 GMT 10 by MJ Birdwhistle
Kassia very quickly saw that she wasn't alone. She was joined by Langford and Thatcher, which was not surprising, but also Lindsey- and two first years? Kassia looked at them in mild horror until she realized they were wisely grouping together, as were Langford and Thatcher. Excellent.
Better yet, four of the attackers were down for the count- two stunned, one disarmed, and one... horribly wounded by Lindsey Bryce. Kassia stared as the man tore open like gift wrapping on Christmas. She wouldn't have expected Lindsey of all people to cast such a spell. It was horrific, and impressive. Clearly she was put into the right House.
But there was no time to think on it, because the three remaining cloaked figures turned on them. One after the trio, one for the pair, and one... went after Kassia all on her own. Well, that wasn't fair. She was hit with an offensive blast. Kassia felt cold all over, colder than she'd ever been. It was so cold, the part of her brain that was supposed to tell her to breathe was no longer working.
Kassia stood there for what was likely only a short moment but felt like forever, her head swimming and simply not feeling the urge to breathe. Then the cold front passed, and she realized she'd been suffocating. She coughed and gasped for air, eyes bulging. Still, she raised her wand again, this time opting to be on the defensive.
"Protego!"
She could always run- but then this person would go for the others, and Kassia would be complicit. At least she could try to buy them some time by casting defensive spells. Hopefully the others were doing better than she.
Post by Jacob Thatcher on Dec 6, 2022 19:10:50 GMT 10
There was so much going on. Jacob didn't have the attention span to keep track of everything, so mainly focused on himself and Lucky -- and the dishrag they were fighting. Yet, against his best interest, he couldn't help noticing the others in trouble.
The Slytherins he couldn't care less about, and no way was he putting himself in harm's way for them. They chose to come here and make fools of themselves. But there was a fellow Gryffindor, and another 1st year as well. It was hard to ignore. They were just little kids.
Lucky was amazing, though. He was a duel champ, for Merlin's sake. Jacob remained to back him up, but he could not ignore the 1st years. Besides, one less foe meant more wands against the others, right? Look at him, being all strategic. Amy and Sophia would be so proud.
'Protego,' Jacob shouted, aiming his spell at the two 1st years, who were small enough to easily fit behind it. Good thing he actually practised that spell in his free time, just in case some snakey snots tried to gang up on him again.
Gripping his wand tight, as to not break the connection, Jacob fumbled blindly for a suit of armour nearby. Yanking off one of the gloves, he glared at his own foe.
'Hey. Toerag,' he said, than threw the heavier-than-it-looks glove thingy of pure metal at the cloak, aiming for the face. 'Eat this.'
Killed by Devin Kudosen by act of the Killing Curse. June #24, RPG year 1 -- he was a 5th year Gryffindor. Jacob died to save his best friend, Luckett Langford.
Post by Luckett Langford on Dec 6, 2022 21:16:13 GMT 10
Langford's spell hit, knocking the wand clean from his target's hand. Incongruous tones of triumph filled his grateful voice, as he looked at the others battling with middle-distant eyes.
Dueling was like a dance and Lucky knew the movements well. But in a battle like this, he needed a partner. The emptiness beside him felt miles wide, as he jumped to the side to avoid a falling stone. He had half a mind to tackle one of the bad guys; clench a tight fist, ram their face, tie an arm around them, disarm, and twist. But he couldn't, not with how many of them there were.
He halted his next attack, ducking behind a suit of armor when he saw Jacob -- and then that familiar fear crept in, as it had when searching for Sophia, and it blew through the chasms of his mind. He was happy to have a friend, but hated the idea of him or any of them being in danger.
'Jake! What the bloody hell are you doing here?' He forced the fear on his face to dissolve, a hesitant smile at the edge of his lips. 'Hit that plug-ugly knobhead where it hurts, mate!'
Lucky jumped back into the action, covering his friend where he could. There was no better way to combat the dark cloaks than side by side -- and the Hufflepuff quickly came to realize this, as he and Jake came together like a battalion against a maelstrom of enemies, with one of spell ending where another began. They were a team, a strong duo. They were best friends.
'Incendio!' His wand snapped forward with a shallow lunge, determined to set the bottom of his foe's cloak ablaze. It was the first spell that came to mind, and one that gave them a chance to strike again while their opposition was preoccupied with burning fabric. Lucky had Jake's back, just as he'd had his since arriving. It's what was allowing them to work together so well.
They were going to make fools out of these shrouded twats, and live to tell the tale.
Kassia cast the Shield Charm, which rebounded against Foe. 5 DP damage. Foe's cast is ineffective; Kassia is protected this round.
--
Second Foe DP:3019 14 MJ, Grace, & Lindsey DP:24 21
MJ cast an offensive spell. 5 DP damage. Jacob's Shield Charm protected MJ & Grace this round.
--
Third Foe DP:20 12 Lucky & Jacob DP:12 9
Foe was stunned by Jacob's creative use of the environment, and cannot attack this round. Luckett's Fire-Making Charm burned his robes so badly he took 8 damage while fighting to free himself. Foe would be stunned for another round after this.
Lindsey and Grace still need to have their turn; no one else may attack or defend against a Foe until they have done so. I was going to wait to mod this, but time is running out so let's keep the progress flowing.
Devin Kudosen arrived in the corridor, from the direction the students had came -- which was the completely opposite of the other Foes. He finished pocketing something, and took in the sight of what was going on.
The fact students, even young and ridiculously inexperienced ones, were even holding their own against them was frustrating enough. But the team work, and the sheer determination of them to meddle in their plants... Devin would not stand for it.
One group in particular were stronger and far more of a threat, even going as far as to assist the others. Older students, too. Well then, it was time to teach them a lesson. And besides, there wasn't time to waste on a bunch of kids trying to play hero.
'Avada kedavra,' Devin shouted, with a sharp aim of his wand.
The incantation, despite only the 5th years having any idea what it was or what horrors it meant, sliced the air. It was accompanied by a deadly flash of green light. No one in its path would survive it -- and he'd fired it directly at Luckett Langford .
Post by Jacob Thatcher on Dec 6, 2022 21:25:17 GMT 10
'What am I doing here?' he asked, scoffing at Lucky's question. 'What are you doing here? I couldn't let you go having all the fun, could I? Good thing our friends aren't here though... are they safe. I'm glad Sophia's not here, but she's okay right?'
Jacob smirked as the metal hand thing worked, buying them some time. His shield charm had kept the 1st years safe, which he was glad to see. Maybe he should keep doing that? He'd never had any younger siblings, and most of his cousins were insufferable, so he wasn't sure why he was so protective of them now but perhaps it was kids like Tobias Twiggs who inspired him to care more.
They had so much life to live, and were so unprepared for something like this. So was he, honestly, but at least he knew a fair few decent spells. Mind you, they seemed to be holding their own.
'Lucky ol' pal, we should...' Jacob turned to his Hufflepuff buddy, and in doing so spotted movement out of the corner of his eye -- back from where they'd come in. 'LOOK OUT,' he bellowed.
There was no time to think. He'd heard the spell. Heard it far too many times for someone his age, but this cut differently. The flash of green spurred him forward, out of pure instinct and overwhelming fear for his friend's safety. Jacob shoved Lucky, hard, with everything he possibly had.
With his friend out of the way, Jacob turned in that split second to the attacker. Devin Kudosen.
And it was the last thing he ever saw. The killing curse him in the chest, and Jacob Thatcher was no more. He fell back, like a sack of potatoes -- eyes wide with disbelief and forming shock, with barely a millisecond to finish his final thought and realise what this meant.
The fifteen year old prankster, who loved his friends to death in a more literal sense than they'd ever realised... would never again laugh at their jokes, or pull faces at Slytherins, or a hundred thousand other things now robbed of him. He lay there, motionless. Gone forever.
Jacob Thatcher's story is over.
Killed by Devin Kudosen by act of the Killing Curse. June #24, RPG year 1 -- he was a 5th year Gryffindor. Jacob died to save his best friend, Luckett Langford.
Post by Lindsey Bryce on Dec 6, 2022 21:39:56 GMT 10
Lindsey's spell had hit, doing exactly what she knew it could do. In normal day life to life, the idea of using this spell on another human being, it was one she couldn't fathom. But this was not one of those times at all. She knew that this was far more dangerous than that and she would have no problem dealing that same type of spell again.
Dumbledor went down, but he wasn't completely out for the count. He sent a knockback jinx at the woman who shrieked.
Another fifth year joined them, Lindsey stayed focused on their own foe and felt herself get hit by a spell. Lindsey stumbled backwards, hitting the wall behind where she was. One hand rested on the wall, the plain wall which felt so odd without the magic of the castle. She looked up, aimed her wand, when she saw something and heard a spell from behind them and a flash of green caught her eyes.
She watched in horror as the newest fifth year was hit and went down.
Death was staring at her right in the face.
She turned and looked at the person who cast it. How had he gotten behind them? Why had he come from behind them? She didn't know the boy who he had killed, she knew he was an older Gryffindor, that was all she knew. She turned her attention on the one who had hit her with a spell. They were here to not just hurt, they were here to kill...
"Diffindo!" Lindsey yelled with a flick of her wand again at the one who had hit here. She was here to protect those she loved and this castle. She didn't care of the damage that involved on those trying to hurt them. She would deal with life later, right now, she was dealing with not dying.
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