From the Ashes

Who: Gabe and William
When: As the dust settles and the smoke clears, extremely early Monday morning
Where: What used to be the entrance hall, before William and Nate blew it up, the irresponsible vandals, tsk
What: Perfectly understandable reactions

The whole resurrection-of-Hogwarts business had gone a bit backwards in the past few days.

In fact, Gabe wasn't sure the entrance hall, at least, had looked this bad when he'd first arrived at the school. There were black scorchmarks on the walls and silver ones on the ceiling and house-elf ash and goo squished between the flagstones, though Gabe had to cop the mea culpa for some of that. The courtyard was going to have to be replanted - relandscaped; re-everythinged - though exterior decorating was really the last thing Gabe was thinking about as he picked his careful way across it.

One of the huge doors - which Gabe would've said were indestructible; clearly not - was simply gone, and the other just had its top corner hanging crazily from one hinge. Schechter had fixed it in place with a spell, but everyone still ducked nervously when they went under it. And really, everyone; the entrance hall might be gutted, but it was packed with people. Seemed like every surviving member of staff was there, along with half of the upper classes, which shouldn't be surprising, considering a lot of what had just transpired would've been visible from two of the commonrooms, and probably audible from the other two.

Gabe wasn't surprised, and he wasn't precisely displeased either. He was totally delighted to see them all looking so thrilled and victorious and, y'know, alive, but right now he was more interested in one person in particular.

Who: Everyone!
When: Sunday, midnight
Where: Ground floor
What: The last stand

Anyone who looked out the windows toward the Forbidden Forest at midnight would have seen, curiously, flickers of torchlight moving out of the forest in a wide arc. If this held their attention, they'd have seen the lights coming closer until they eventually resolved themselves into flaming arrows nocked onto the bows of centaurs, driving the remaining horde of House-elves out of the forest.

With the portcullis still raised, the House-elves made for the shelter of the castle courtyard, flinging themselves against the doors to the entrance hall to batter them down. Some of the centaurs' arrows thunked into the doors rather than finding their smaller moving targets, and the flames quickly spread from the arrow shafts into the old, heavy wood of the doors.

The final battle for Hogwarts was about to begin.


(OOC: Treat this like a party post; join in whenever your character is ready and move between groups and locations as needed, link between threads to let us all know where you're going and coming from. The courtyard is surrounded by stone walls and overlooked by the towers and gatehouse. If the main doors are breached and the entrance hall is flooded with House-elves, the immediate threat will be to the Great Hall, the classrooms on the ground floor which have presumably been cleared, and the two staircases that lead to the rest of the castle - primarily to Hufflepuff and Slytherin.)

Who: The Brothers Way
When: early Saturday morning
Where: The Great Hall and beyond
What: the beginnings of a list and the start of a search (and a bit of elf-whomping, to boot)

Gerard muzzily realized that there was something off about the angle of the light streaming in his window, and then he snapped awake, heart pounding. The Great Hall, he was in the Great Hall, and there had been house elves, and children being bitten, and -- he opened his eyes and felt his entire body relax. Mikey's slack sleeping face was right in front of his, brow furrowed and hair sticking in every direction, alive and healthy. Gerard dropped his wand and burrowed closer to him, breathing in his brother's familiar scent.

He had a vague memory of getting the last feverish student to sleep around 3 AM, and then staggering over to find Mikey. Mikey had been so quiet after he'd gotten back from the greenhouses. Something had happened out there, Gerard could tell, but he hadn't had time to worm whatever it was out of his brother, too busy reassuring panicked first years and trying to get their wounds to stay healed for more than two or three hours. By the time he'd gotten a few moments free, he hadn't been capable of anything more than collapsing into the space between Mikey and Spencer, pressing his face into his brother's shoulder and stealing his pillow.

Apparently Mikey hadn't held the pillow-theft against him; Gerard had fallen asleep huddled in his own robes and woken up snug in a bat-patterned sleeping bag. It was just barely dawn and Gerard was pondering falling back asleep in his supremely comfortable sleeping accoutrements when he heard a small, pained whimper from the other side of the room. Fuck. There went that plan.

Problem was, Spencer apparently shared some traits with Venemous tentaculas when he slept -- his arm was snaked so far across Gerard's back it had almost reached Mikey's shoulder. Gerard didn't really mind, per se, but it did make it difficult to stealthly eel out of his sleeping bag without waking anyone. Luckily, both Spencer and Mikey seemed pretty zonked -- Spencer was actually snoring a bit, Gerard noticed as he wriggled carefully out of the bag and into the cold morning air. It was kind of cute. Fuck, he'd have really preferred to stayed put where it was warm for another hour or two, but he had a sneaking suspicion that some of the kids' bite-wounds had re-opened by now. He sniffed the air -- yeah, there was the slightest hint of decay beneath the fireplace smoke and whomping willow bark. 

He suppressed a sigh and padded over to the supply of coffee waiting at the head of the Ravenclaw table, brewing himself a quick cup and inhaling it gratefully before he headed to the make-shift infirmary by the Hufflepuff table.

[sent to Pete Wentz, Brendon Urie, Gabe Saporta, and William Beckett, identical contents of note + supplies]

Hoping you don't need any of this, but just in case. Sorry it took so long to get out, had trouble tracking down an owl. List of contents & uses below. SS.

-- Dreamvine -- to prevent & clean infections, apply it to open wound
-- Whomping Willow leaves, dried -- chew on them, they're a painkiller
-- Bottle of distilled dittany essence -- good for healing wounds, causes skin to stretch over & avoid scarring
-- Powdered hellebore -- sedative purposes if added to water
-- Bandages

Who: Jon and William
When: Late Saturday night, probably well into Sunday
Where: Shortly, Gabe's workroom
What: Things that go BOOM

After dispatching Andrew - he owed his past roommate a bottle of whatever it was that ghosts drank - with a message for Gerard, William made it as far as the hallway outside the drawing room before he heard the sound of low, guttural groans echoing off the walls and turned right back around. He took a handful of steps, reaching for the heavy door, and then something flickered in front of him in a weird, not-right way, and he froze barely five feet away from a dazed-looking, newly-Apparated House-elf.

The House-elf got its head on straight and its eye on food rather quickly. William turned back around and started running.

He got to a hall with heavy double doors and slammed them shut, dropping a heavy wooden bar into place just before the sound of scrabbling fingers whispered against the other side of the doors. Panting, he faced off against the door, and then remembered that the House-elf a moment ago could Apparate. Any of them could Apparate. Anywhere. He whirled in a circle, panicked, afraid to be anywhere without his back against a solid wall.

He couldn't stay here. There was another door at the other end of the hall, tucked into one corner; it was an old dueling hall, he saw, the one that led down to the dungeons. Wand at the ready, he opened the door and started down the stairs.

Who: Mikey and Spencer
When: Friday night
Where: The Great Hall.
What: Ill-advised reconnaissance missions.

"There you go," Spencer said, and Eli Torres grinned at him and climbed into the freshly conjured sleeping bag with a sleepy, "Night, Professor." Spencer turned away, tucking his wand aside and rubbing his eyes tiredly, taking stock of the room again. Most of the kids were sleeping or tucked up in bed by now, the adults scattered around the room talking in low voices or taking care of students. Outside, there was a rhythmic thump as a house elf threw themselves against the door or wall or what-the-fuck-ever, and the low, familiar sound of groaning, but it was almost background noise now, which was disturbing enough in itself.

Spencer's eyes lit upon Gerard in with a group of the injured students, wand out, and he frowned, crossing his arms a little. Gerard was doing his best, and he was a much better healer than Spencer had seen amongst other aurors -- and his parents made friends almost exclusively in their workforce -- but they were short on supplies, ridiculously so, and there was no safe way to get up to the Hospital Wing.

Spencer turned slightly, walking through the long room with his hands in his pockets and thinking. It was dark outside, which would be good and bad. There were still house elves crawling all over the ground, but it was dark now, and Spencer could move a lot more quietly without herding a bunch of students with him. "Hmmn," he said, and then he looked up and searched the room until he could catch Mikey's eyes. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him properly since they'd arrived breathlessly with a mob of students in the Great Hall, any more than a grin and a slight wave; now, he raised his eyebrows and jerked his head to the side, in the universal gesture of can I borrow you for a moment?

Who: Travie and William, with eventual Gerard
When: Saturday eveningish
Where: Library
What: Zombie bites.


( Ow. )

Who: Shane and Brendon
When: Friday night
Where: Hufflepuff
What: Reassurances, awkwardness, and possibly zombies


Shane called out "Be safe!" to William and Patrick, then turned to the painting of Bellamus the Bard and tapped on the bottom left corner three times with his wand. The painting swung open, and Shane climbed in, quickly casting Lumos.

The passage was short and blessedly empty, but Shane still felt like it was taking forever to get through. He knew Brendon could take care of himself--he'd fought next to him in the war, he knew Brendon was competent--but that didn't keep him from worrying or wanting to be there with Brendon, just in case.

Finally, the passage ended and he carefully peeked out from behind the tapestry that hid the passage from this side. The coast was clear, for the moment at least, and he covered the distance to the Hufflepuff entrance in a matter of seconds.

"Brendon!" he called, knocking on the door. "Brendon, it's Shane, let me in."

Who: Gabe and Brendon
When: Friday evening
Where: Hufflepuff house and environs
What: Little puffs, little puffs, let me in? (It's cold, and there are midget zombies after me)

When he'd turned a corner and unexpectedly run into a half-dozen knee-high threats, the Lash (well, that's what the crazy Russian who'd taught it to Gabe had called it, and it'd do) was the first thing that sprang to mind, an easy flick of his wrist and an ozone-blue spark. There were a couple of things he hadn't fully appreciated, though. One, just how much damage a house-elf could take without appearing to notice it; all of them went tumbling end over end down the corridor, thudding into the far wall at varying heights, but they all got up again. And two, just how much noice the Lash made; the crack of it seemed to ricochet off the stone walls and even set a nearby suit of armour to ringing faintly. As it faded away, something snarled down a side corridor. A few somethings.

Well. Shit. Gabe had been taking the long way about the long way 'round to Hufflepuff, but fuck that for a lark. He jumped over the lashed elf-zombies, paused to kick one off the ankle of his pants, and legged it. Took two corners at a dead sprint, jumped down the last half of the flight of stairs, and almost overshot the entrance to Hufflepuff. He snagged a hand against the frame, brought the other one back to thump on it and gasped, "Professor Saporta, let me in!" As he dragged himself back to upright and steady, he added, "Please!"

Who: Maja and Gerard
When: Friday night
Where: Just inside the main gates
What: Hogwarts keeps some creepy pets

The first thing Maja saw was a grotesque face. Giant, batlike ears, distended tongue, a mouth misshapen into a horrible parody of a smile – all carved into the cold stone of the Hogwarts front gates.

She glared back at the gargoyle reflected in the narrow beam of her wandlight. Arriving after dark had not been part of her original plan, but she had scrapped the original plan after the third hour of last minute Ministry paperwork – some of which, she suspected, had been created solely for the purpose of intimidating her. Apparently not everyone at the Ministry thought that Sweden deserved a presence at Hogwarts. Maja, however, was no more intimidated by paperwork than she was by gargoyles; she made a face at the hideous thing, for good measure, and gave the password that the Secretary of Foreign Affairs had reluctantly handed over when there were absolutely no more papers left to sign. Slowly, almost grudgingly, the gargoyle slid aside and the gates opened.

It wasn’t until they had creaked closed behind her that she heard the groaning. She raised her wand a little and something stepped into the light, looking remarkably like the gargoyle she had just passed, only with less grinning and more grime. The creature was about the size of a small child, but stiff and gurgling and strangely lopsided. It stepped closer, and another one appeared behind it, and another, like a curious phalanx of boggart-induced hallucinations. Maja raised her wand and then paused. It was possible that these were just some sort of exotic British grounds animals. Not what she would have chosen, but at a place called Hogwarts, who could tell?

On the other hand, one of them appeared to be gnawing on its own foot.

They could be students, she told herself, playing a prank. Or a transfiguration lesson gone awry. She spent a moment weighing the odds of being gnawed on versus causing a diplomatic incident and losing her access to Hogwarts.

The only things Maja disliked more than threateningly gruesome creatures with their limbs falling off were threateningly gruesome creatures with their limbs falling off that she wasn’t allowed to kill. The growing mass of the creatures around her made up her mind. To hell with it, she thought, and began stunning.

[delivered by bobcat express]

[To Spencer Smith]
I'm fine, hoping you are too. Your cat found me just as we hit safety ie. the Great Hall. What about you? Where are you? Are you safe?

[To Pete Wentz]
Adam says you were alive when he left you. Still the case, right? I've got my sixth year Transfiguration class with me, including four Gryffindors. Bumped into Gabe, too. He said he's holed up his Potions class in the dungeons with the rest of the Slytherins who were down there. Anton Salch has been bitten though, one of ours, do you know if that means anything? He's not showing any signs of illness at the moment.

[To Brendon Urie]
Hey Professor, I'm in the Great Hall and I have the Hufflepuff contingent of my sixth year Transfiguration class. All excellent stunners. Hope this finds you safe and well.

[To William Beckett]
Adam and I have a bitten pupil in the Great Hall. Is there anything on that in the library? Are you in the library? Are you alive? I would like it if you were alive.

WHO: Adam & Mikey + Anyone Who Makes It To The Great Hall
WHERE: ... the Great Hall!
WHAT: Zombies, defenses, students, and... braids?
WHEN: Friday Evening (10/23)

One of the first things Adam had had to take care of, once he'd gotten all of his second years and the NEWT students he'd acquired into the Great Hall, was do something to drown out the scrabbling and groaning from the doors. Sure, being barricaded in was one thing, and putting up wards was another thing, but the constant sound of ravenous elves attempting to get to the students (and himself, if he was honest, but he was not in the interest of being so at the time) was driving them all a little bit insane. So Adam had devised a way to both ward the room to keep the elves out, and to deaden the sound from outside.

No, maybe it wasn't the best idea, because then they couldn't hear anyone trying to get in from the outside, and it didn't even really work that well, because they'd still get the occasional house elf bits arriving in the hall (but they'd only gotten one more-or-less whole house elf so far, so that was good) from splinching. But at the very least, there was an alarm devised to let them know if someone - an actual, human someone - was trying to get in.

Just then was the first time it had gone off. Adam made a face and got to his feet from the floor, where he'd been trying desperately to entertain five 12-year-old girls (Merlin, his life was hard), and scrambled for the door with quick instructions for the four seventh years he had to keep an eye on the kids, and keep an eye out for whole-elves. He brought down the sound-deadening barrier first, and was surprised to find that there were only human voices outside, not groaning elves. That was exciting. Another moment, and he could have the wards down enough to let people through, if they were people. But since he didn't hear groaning, and he heard voices, they had to be people.

He tugged the door open a bit, revealing blessed, beautiful humans on the other side. "Oh thank Merlin," he said brightly, hoping they'd ignore entirely the fact that his hair had been braided by a few bored 12-year-olds.

[delivered by a small grumpy platypus]

[To Auror Stumph]
How's the situation inside the castle? We've got hordes of zombie elves out here -- it started off with them moving around in groups of one or two, but they seem to be forming swarms out in the open now. It's a fucking nightmare, we're headed inside as soon as we can.

[To Professor Wentz]
Just letting you know I found nine of your first years out on the grounds. A couple have minor bites, but I cleaned them up and they seem to be doing okay. I'll deliver them to you SOON AS POSSIBLE. We're headed to the castle, so let me know where you want them. You'll definitely want to check some of the first years' pockets, by the way. These kids are insane. Holding up brilliantly, though. Gotta run, but just wondering, have you seen Mikey? I can't get a hold of him.

[To Professor Urie]
I have a whole pack of Hufflepuff first years I think belong to you. All doing well, just a bit shaken up. Are all Hufflepuffs such brilliant climbers, by the way? I had no idea. Anyway, we're headed to the castle soon, I'll find you and hand them over then.

[To Professor Sapota]
Found two of your sixth years out on the grounds -- Primrose Benson and Fletcher White. Give them a couple points to Slytherin for me, will you? They've been fucking lifesavers. On our way to the castle now, be there soon, hopefully.

[To William Beckett]
Spencer said you were headed towards Ravenclaw -- hope you're holding up okay. Fun fact! Zombie house elves still dislike being given socks, it turns out. Doesn't stop them for long, but it'll buy you a couple seconds. Maybe pass that along, if you can. Oh, right, I wanted to let you know we have about six Ravenclaw fourth years and two first years out here, couple with bad bites but I've got them mostly patched up for the moment. We're headed to the castle now, but -- oh, fuck me, that's a lot of elves. Fuck! Spencer, Jon, take the  -- [voice fades out]

Who: Pete & Travis
When: the wee hours of Saturday
Where: Various locations; a scenic tour of the grounds, really
What: a brief stroll, an even briefer adoption of some delightful children, and a rather unpleasant discovery

The first trip to Gryffindor from his last period class had been almost completely uneventful. The trip back down had been a bit less so, the trip to Ravenclaw downright tense; an unexpected trip up to the owlery had been harrowing, and the trip back down from there had given Pete a certain blood-splattered glow. He was pretty sure there were a few gummy chunks of brains in his hair. He could be more pleased about that, probably.

He could be more pleased about a lot of things, if he was being honest; it really sucked to have to kill the house elves. And he was still refusing to kill the ones he knew by name. Those he left petrified and bound for good measure. Someone else would come along and do the necessary finalities. It just didn't have to be him.

If he had a broom, he thought, this would be even easier. He could just fly along by the ceiling and swoop down for mass beheadings as the opportunities presented themselves. He didn't have a broom, though. Not a decent one, anyway, and he wasn't sure he wanted to accio one, just in case throngs of house elves followed its entrance and swarmed him before he could mount and evade.

Instead, he had his wand poised to stun and a sword he'd swiped from one of the suits of armor and sharpened until it passed through leathery skin and narrow spinal columns without a problem. He'd been doing it from behind whenever possible - a turn of phrase he would giggle about under other circumstances - which wasn't much, but it was probably going to help him sleep sometime in the next few months.

If they survived this, they were going to need a shit load of therapy.

There were a handful of house elves loitering loosely just above the steps down to the entrance hall; they were staring at each other, communicating their longing for flesh in some weird grunty staring language. He managed to stun four of them from around the corner, and petrify the other two once they'd stepped around their still companions, a good ten or so feet before they could get their creepy little paws on him. He swung his sword five times (one of them was named Kipki; he'd always liked that the little wrap she wore was fuchsia) and held his arm out to the side, shaking long drips of blood off his blade and onto the floor. He cast fast, careful glances both directions down the hall and bound Kipki tightly in magical rope before trotting down the stairs, wand raised and sword at the ready.

Who: Patrick and William
When: Friday night
Where: The halls
What: An auror and a gentleman in distress?


Once Patrick and Travis had made it to the library with every child that they'd found accounted for, Patrick waited around long enough to hear more zombie stories. The elves looked kind of half dead and dazed, it was true. There was also the lack of verbal capabilities. Oh, and the fact that on the way to the library, he'd caught a few of them trying to lunge at him and the children.

They got a little more determined at that point, even sniffing the air and moaning a little louder. So, yeah. Zombies. Which meant that the only way to save them and everyone else from being killed (or worse) was to, well, 'dispose' of them.

Leaving Travis in charge of the others, Patrick went back along the path that they'd traveled to the library to put the elves that they'd petrified along the way out of their misery.

Who: Brendon and Spencer
When: Saturday morning
Where: Ravenclaw Common Room
What: Evil things.

Spencer was probably going to have to buy Gerard a new broom or something as a thank you present. He hung off it awkwardly as he clambered in through the Observatory entrance (which looked like it had already been battered down at some point, to Spencer's mild astonishment). He was mostly just grateful that the Ravenclaws hadn't changed the way to get in from the outside since he had been in school.

The room was mostly deserted, and Spencer figured that any students left in here were probably in their dorms or down in the Common Room. He pushed himself up beside the sink, propping Gerard's broom beside him and tapping his fingers nervously on the counter. He'd sent an owl to Brendon a little while ago, after deciding that the bindrune really did need to be approached by the person who'd probably been under its control, giving him directions to the Observatory for help with "something", but he knew Brendon was probably rounding up Hufflepuffs and might be a while.

He felt itchy and on edge, even though he knew the bindrune couldn't be affecting him from this far away, probably wouldn't have the same effect as the one targeted towards him did. Still, the knowledge of its presence made him uncomfortable. Ravenclaw Tower, he thought, and stared at himself grimly in the mirror. What the fuck, Ryan?

Who: Shane and William
When: Friday night
Where: Near the library, from thence to Hufflepuff
What: Where do they keep coming from???

William's plan of action had been very simple. He was going to leave Ravenclaw (where it was safe), follow the secret passage through the walls (where it was safe) and cross the hallway straight to the library (where it was safe).

It was an excellent plan. It had continued being an excellent plan right up until the point that he'd stepped warily out of the hidden door into the miraculously silent and empty hallway, checked in both directions to make sure the coast was clear, and shut the door to find two extremely confused and interested House-elves standing behind it trying to puzzle out what was happening with the wall.

He took two steps backward, tripped over his own feet, tried to yank open the door to the passage again only to find that it had sealed up tight, and decided that possibly running was the best option. Unfortunately, the direction he most wished to run in was right where the House-elves were standing. And starting to salivate.

He'd just done the workout from hell with Pete, though. He sent up a somewhat panicked thank-you mentally as he tore around the corner, looking ahead for empty classrooms he could duck into, and realised a second too late that he'd turned in the direction of the stairwell leading to the kitchen. Four more House-elves pricked up interested ears at his appearance, and he barely had time to duck into a new hallway as the two behind him caught up. This time when he turned the corner there was another figure in front of him, but one far too tall to be a House-elf.

"Back!" he yelled, waving his arms. "Back, back, back!"

Spencer,

We found another bindrune hidden beneath the Prefects' bath in Ravenclaw. It doesn't mean anything; that antechamber is used for parties, anyone could know about it and potentially have had access. I'll let the headmaster know to speak to the Prefects when we all have more time.

The bindrune is currently on the wall below the window outside the Prefects' bath, hidden under a concealment charm. You should be able to reach it from the outside of the castle or inside, if you happen to be in Ravenclaw Tower. All the secret passages I know of have been sealed off; you would have to either break in or use the portrait hole.

The runes are Berkanan, Ūruz, and Haglaz, with yellow and black cords.

I think possibly someone should tell Brendon.

- William B.

B,

Where are you?? I know you can handle yourself, but I'm worried. I'm coming to find you. If you get this before I get to you, send an owl or your patronus to tell me where you are.

Shane

who: Pete & William
where: Ravenclaw
what: momentary lack of zombizzles
when: friday night

Ravenclaw was Pete's first stop—well, his first stop after he ran into a group of terrified kids about halfway down the stairs in Gryffindor tower, escorted them back up, made eyes at Ryland, implored the fat lady to be extra careful, and then took off again—because he hadn't forgotten that they didn't have a Head of House, and he also hadn't forgotten that they were generally very skilled and even more aware of it. He had nightmare visions of little Ravenclaw third years with chunks of flesh missing; when he got there, however, he mostly found them huddled in their common room making wary (yet worryingly inquisitive) eyes at the door.

He'd handed over a copy of the list that his little honorary Gryffindor had made before he'd left, and let them set to making a copy and adding their names to it. He had rooms to check and provisions to evaluate. There was no way to know how long this would last, and if it would transfer from house elf to human, but he did know that what had been scattered clusters of zombies on his way to Gryffindor tower in the first place had turned into thicker throngs, and he imagined it was only a matter of time before the castle halls were crowded with them.

All of the dorms were cleared (he'd only had to take a few fortifying breaths to convince himself to get on his knees and check under the bed; zombie bites were one thing, but if someone took a chunk out of his face he would never get over it), and he had verified that all of the first and second floor bathrooms were zombie-free. He was checking the first of the bathrooms on the uppermost floor (pushing open stall doors and warily checking behind linen closet doors) when he heard a sliding sort of scuffle noise from outside. He whipped around, wand-hand at the ready, heart-racing and mouth suddenly dry; even with all that, his wrist was twitching eagerly and he pushed up on his toes, more ready to hex than was strictly dignified.

It was dark out, and he couldn't see outside details for the light flooding the bathroom, so when he saw the shape surging through the narrow window, he figured he would cast first and ask questions later. The windows were tiny, anyway. No reasonably sized human would think to use it as an entrance. "Petrificus Totalus," he shouted, jabbing his wand sharply at the totally creepy, murderous, zombified house elf coming through the window.