Sending a message

Jack dropped Ari's hand and walked forward, past the barrier of the shield, staring boldly into the face of the corpse. Hos sad it was that she was saying such things to the body of an innocent girl but such things could not be helped. Jack could not be the leader of Potter's Army and allow her followers to be psychologically tormented by some unknown criminal.

"And now I'm not," she said in a challenging voice, as though daring the Death Eater to reveal themself, though she hoped they would not. If anyone else died, it would be on her... Jack shook her head. "No, I'm typically not afraid of pathetic cowards who kill children." She was going to pay for this eventually. She did not answer the question about a Gryffindor. Did she really need to?

They were trying to psyche her out, she knew it. But she had been molded for this by the best- or perhaps it is more fitting to say the worst. After Vito, very little could mess with her head. But when she started insulting the girl, Jack had enough. She pointed her wand at the corpse and yelled, "Quietus!"

Damon waded through the mass of spectators to find the little redhead who seemed to be a magnet for trouble attempting to engage with the inferi that had been created from Sage's body. If she occassionally went to classes, she might have learnt not to be so foolish.

He cast a shield and watched her spell bounce harmlessly back at her.

"While we appreciate your efforts, Miss Dyllan, inferi are notoriously dangerous creatures. Perhaps you'd best help your housemates back up to the castle?" he suggested. "Manson-Lupin, Lyons, Krum, you can do the same for your houses."

With that, Damon threw his cloak over the creature so that in death, the child had a modicum of decency and so that Miseria could have her own jacket back. Whether she'd want to wear it was another matter.

"It's all right," he told them. "Everything's going to be taken care of."

"Greyback, I will require your assistance," he added under his breath.

Louis hovered over on his broom, staring angrily down, holding his wand. He looked very angry, he got down. Louis didn't even bother landing his broom, he just jumped down next to Jack. "What's going on here?" He said angrily, he looked at the corps and held his wand up. He looked at the man.

If they could kill one person, Louis could kill one person. But that would mean he was no better than them. It angered him. Not scared him. He just had a dead tone of seriousness on his face. He looked grim, very evil. He stood next to Jack. He was angered more and more.

((Sorry for the weirdness on my post.))

Miseria almost jumped away when she saw the corpse move and then talk. It was almost like screaming sound that made her feel even more sick than she already was. Her face was getting paler with ever second, but she couldn't step back anymore. So she stood next to Jack, though, not under the shield's protection.
“What? A covard like you was So afraid to show his own face?“ she asked with a cool voice. It was only a body, and there was no wand near. The Death Eater was only using Inferni and the corpse couldn't do anything. Only strange Mis if she'd want to.

“Show me your true face and I'll make you feel the Real pain!“ She'd attack her. Oh yes she would. But what on earth she could do to a corpse who had no feelings anymore, and who was manipulated by a Death Eater, who was probably so far away by now. She knew that there was no way that she could make death eater who was that strong to manypulate with the body so far away from him/her, but it was anger that made her say this way. And if she'd see him/her, she'd strangle that Death Eater with her own two hands.
Before she could insult the body even more, Jack casted a spell and she took a deep breathe, and looked down. She didn't even notice that she made some steps closer to the body again.

Damon's appearance wasn't a surprise to her. Though, she'd been expecting headmaster Doyle to come. But it seemed that he was asleep or he had something More important to do at the moment. She looked at her Damon and then at the body. He exchanged their jackets, and she took her own back. It was all covered in blood and there was no way that she'd wear it. Atleast not now. It was her favourite clothing. “Yes sir,“ she replied. For the last time, she looked at Sage's body or the part that wasn't covered with Damon's jacket and then turned herself around to see how many hufflepufflians were around.

Elijah had grown up as a young man with a word for everything and a quip for everyone. At this, he was speechless. Death was something he was used to. He had had no choice in that matter; he’d merely had to put up with it and move on. He found himself speechless every time, this occasion was no different. This time though, he could not cling to the skirts of the woman leading him. He was here and he stood alone, acutely aware of other children clinging to his trouser legs in search of some source of comfort. He had to be the comfort he’d looked to find so many times before.

For once, he’d have to stand alone. In what would be, a dark hour among the many that would succeed this one, Elijah would stand alone.

When the Charms Professor pushed through the crowd, normality (or some form of it) resumed. With the order, people began to move but Elijah still felt lost.

He felt a hand slip into his larger one and he looked down, finding the guidance he needed in the salty eyes of a first year. He leaned down and picked the child up in a similar way that Ariel had before him. He let the child fall exhaustedly against him, seeing no need for the ridiculousness to continue. What they had seen was a horror story, one that had unfolded before their eyes and brought them up short. The rug had been taken out from underneath all of them.

War had been waged had it not? Well, now was the time to do his part; or at least some of it.

Sweeping his eyes across the crowd, Elijah found that most of his work had been done for him. Apart from the Slytherin girl that had found him, everyone else in his house had seemed to clump together in an attempt to garner reassurance from each other. Ariel should have been leading them. The prospect of that being his role scared Elijah. He knew that that was his duty though; it was what he had to do.

“Come along,” he murmured, trying to keep his voice as strong as he could manage. Afterwards he began to walk, taking short strides so that the shorter-legged students wouldn’t fall behind as much. There would be no sleep in the dungeons tonight, just a lot of nightmares.

Doyle was in his office when a Patronus came. He had heard some of the commotion outside, but he had thought it was just child's play. He took his cane and ''ran'' as fast as he could. As he saw some students walk around the halls, he yelled: ''GET WILSON, IMMEDIATELY!!!''. He limped over to the place of the crime and he saw the Dark Mark. He drew the wand from his cane. ''What the hell happened here?!'', he ejaculated.

He pushed through the students. ''Lyons, Krum, Greyback and Dyllan, you stay. The rest, get the hell into your dormitories! NOW!'', he yelled. He then turned to his colleague. ''And what are you doing? Who gave you authority over this? Move away! WHERE'S WILSON?!'', he yelled and pushed Damon away.


Wilson was in his office examining papers when a student came, stating that Doyle had asked for his presence outside. He knew it was something important. He ran through the halls, hurrying up as much as he could only to stop, almost petrified, as he saw what happened. It has begun!

''Edgar, I am here! I apologize, the message had come in late. What happened here? Who did this?'', he asked one of the students. He then observed the Dark Mark in the sky. He drew his wand and fired a strong spell that should, in due time, erase the Dark Mark from the sky. ''Now that that's taken care of... What happened here?'', Wilson asked.

The voice that erupted from the girl’s mouth froze the blood in Ariel’s veins. His fingers that clutched Jack’s hand so carefully fell slack and barely grazed her fingertips as his hand fell away from hers. Her name passed Ariel’s lips but it went unheard even to his ears. He felt the grip of the child’s hand tighten on his t-shirt and his lip came between his teeth as his grip tightened on the child. Jack was brave in ways which Ariel was not; that was why he remained stationary in the face of true evil.

The corpse had taken on a life-like form. In magical terms she was now classed as an Inferi. Ariel favoured the Muggle opinion; not zombie but monster. He didn’t know any spell that would protect them from this if the puppet master chose to make his or her subject attack. Even Jack’s shield would fall.

Jack.

And just like that, the blood snapped back in Ariel’s veins and started moving. He set the child down onto her feet and gave her strict instructions to go and find Elijah. He watched her momentarily as she ran off into the crowd and waited until the plaits had disappeared before rising up to his full height once more. Ariel shot out of place and darted across to Jack. He wound an arm around her waist and placed his lips near her ear.

“You’re too close to it,” he all but hissed. “If she attacks you, you’ll die.”

Ariel was prepared to do what he could – do what was in his power – to get rid of the corpse. He didn’t care what it cost him in that instant. He was going to save Jack. He was going to keep her alive.

But seemingly, it wasn’t up to him to do that and he was thankful for it.

A shield bounced off of the body and Ariel watched as the charms professor parted the crowd. Relief spread through the werewolf and he let his forehead fall onto Jack’s shoulder when the corpse was covered. He let out a shaky breath and slowly released Jack before gathering himself once more.

Ariel broke away from Jack and stood up straight, shoulders back and head high. He walked over, somewhat shakily, to the professor and cleared his throat, trying in vain to remove the dam of emotions as well as the tickle in his throat.

“Y-yes, professor?” he replied, his voice betraying his fatigue.

It wasn’t long until Doyle limped as fast as his leg allowed out of the castle. Elijah was talking quietly to a few second years that seemed as shaken outwardly as he was inside. Doyle was quick to make him stay – although why was beyond him. He obliged though and squeezed the hand of the panicked child before striding (albeit slowly) down after the Headmaster. He was bemused to find that he was soon overtaken by Professor Wilson who was as...Elijah didn’t know how to describe it anymore. This was war was it not; so why they were so ill prepared?

“She was chained to the gates,” Elijah spoke up, finding his voice as he folded his arms protectively over his chest. “Miseria took her down.”

He didn’t say anymore afterwards. Elijah remained silent, waiting for the barking orders that he would soon receive. What were they supposed to do with the body? Would they bury it and never mention it again? They couldn’t do that, not really.

Elijah sighed and ran his quivering hands through his hair. No amount of death or tragedy could get one used to such a terrific loss of life. It had been mere months since his mother’s passing; since her murder. What little he remembered of those days and weeks afterwards was no brought to the surface of his mind as his eyes went back to the figure concealed from view. How could anyone do that when they wept for their own loss? Could they not see that those people who had to deal with this would weep? Could they not see that people were weeping, that the sound was filling the air, replacing the laughter of before?

Did they not see that the war would destroy everything that was ever built? That this third war would bring ruin?

No, they didn’t; and the worst part was that they didn’t care.

''FInally, Wilson'', he said as he saw his friend and colleague. ''Tomorrow, I shall have to hold a speech'', he sighed. He stood up and conjured a dark cloak that covered the girl, after removing Damon's. ''I never thought I shall be faced with this. The war has begun'', he added. ''Krum, you were the first one to talk, now inform us about everything you know? Who did this? Are there any witnesses? How the hell did the murdered enter the school?'', he asked. ''Wilson, Ambrojze... I trust you will do your tasks. Ambrojze, inform each and every House about this tragedy, people have to be aware of what is happening... we can't... keep this a secret. Also, no one is to leave their dormitories after 17:00 without a professor present. With the last class, the dormitories are to be closed. Wilson, you will arrange a proper funeral for the girl and... enforce the defenses with McCoy. I shall... inform the parents and deal with Elldir'', he said, coldly. He observed the sky once more, seeing that the Dark Mark was starting to clear up. He fired another spell, same as Wilson's, at it, hoping it would disappear faster.

It could not be said that Damon liked Hogwarts' current headmaster. However, he could put up with the man's irrational outbursts if it meant getting closer to his real goal. Several of the new blood were members of his own house, after all.

He folded his arms and stepped back intending to watch, for although he was half-sure Doyle had rescinded his order simply out of spite, Damon disliked the idea of children being involved in this.

However, when Doyle spoke, it was clear he had not witnessed the entire scene.

"She cannot simply be buried, Headmaster," he said. "Whoever killed her has made her inferi. She must be cremated, at the very least."