EVENT: Wandering the halls

[ladyghostwidow]

Name(s): Open to anyone not in the Library log!
Location: All over-- except the Library and Great Hall
Week: 41
Time: Around midday Saturday onwards, following the posting of Cid's journal
Rating: Uhhhhhm. There is violence, all mun approved, and a crazy ghost.

Note 1:PLEASE SEE THE POST IN THE OOC COMM ABOUT INTERACTIONS IN THIS LOG. REPLYING THERE

Comments

[abovetwinsuns]

Jaina narrowed her eyes as she walked throughout the hallways, her hand wrapping tightly around her wand as she searched the school for straggling students. So far she hadn't encountered anyone, but she knew the chances of avoiding that were dwindling away. Hopefully, she'd be able to find some wayward students instead of whoever had collapsed the library.

Jaina wasn't stupid, she knew that there was something strange going around in the school and she wasn't about to let herself-or any of the younger students- get caught up in it.

Her eyes widened when she saw a child lying on the ground, quickly she rushed over and started checking the younger student for injuries. She recognized him, a second year Hufflepuff. She frowned, noticing the red marks around the boy's neck.

"Are you alright?" She asked, hoping the kid would answer.

After a few seconds the boy awoke and Jaina sighed in relief, "Get going to the Great Hall," she said, her voice stern but still full of worry, "Make sure you find a teacher and report in so no one knows you're missing."

He nodded, rubbing his throat before practically sprinting back.

Jaina scowled. Something wasn't right here at all.

[huesofhonesty]

Maes had heard the announcement and had gotten serious right away. He knew it was going to be a rough day with just the library exploding...but now they had to deal with a corporeal Belladonna. He made sure he had his wand and started working his way towards the Great Hall. His letter to his wife would have to wait until after things were settled. He hoped Roy and the others were okay...especially Havoc since the man was posing as a student at the moment.

He made a mental note to check in on them later. Surely if they weren't trapped in the library they would also be making their way to the Great Hall to secure students and act as the trained aurors they were. Maes just had to put his trust in them.

Maes weaved his way down towards the Hall, directing students in the way they should go and trying to comfort them as he went. It wasn't until he reached a particularly desolate corridor that he spied a lone female student directing a younger boy to the Great Hall. "Miss, you need to get to the Great Hall," he said, not raising his voice, but there was definite authority there.

He paused when he noticed movement down the hall...a familiar form coming up on them. It was Belladonna alright, and she wasn't floating like she was supposed to either. Maes muttered a curse under his breath and moved quickly towards the young woman who was between him and Belladonna.

[abovetwinsuns]

Jaina's head snapped up as soon as she heard the man calling to her, and she instantly recognized the journalism professor, for once with a grave expression on his face.

"Professor Hughes, I was instructed by Headmaster to find missing students," she said with a nod, not wanting to disrespect him but also making it known with her tone that she wasn't going back to the Great Hall until she was positively certain all the younger students were safe, "There's still some missing, and I'm not leaving until I find them."

Jaina froze when Professor Hughes started running towards her, and she frowned, quickly drawing out her wand and turning around.

Her heart skipped a beat for a moment as she saw her House Ghost Belladonna approaching, not looking so ghosty anymore.

"Damn it," she whispered, focusing her mind and getting prepared for a duel.

[ladyghostwidow]

"Ah, ah, ah," Belladonna murmured, heels clicking as she calmly made her way down the hallway. There was no rush, no need to hurry.She could savour each sweet moment of it, each drop rolling across her tongue like honey.

"Lets not have you scurrying off. I have so longed to make each of your proper acquaintance." Her words were a frost creeping through the air, chest rising and falling with breaths she needn't take, fingers flexing contentedly around the familiar length in her hand. It was like the wood came to life between her fingertips, bloodthirsty dogwood and writing basilisk coiling and ready to strike.

Her smile was relaxed, almost serene as she flicked it easily towards Maes and then around to Jaina, a shower of red sparks snapping towards them both, more to alarm than anything else, the violently coloured snaps of light bright enough to burn the eyes.

"Mmm. I had so missed this," she murmured lovingly to her wand, dragging it across her cheek. "We are together again, my love."

[huesofhonesty]

Somehow Maes doubted that Jaina's statement was the entire truth. Still, he couldn't exactly say NO. The Headmaster had said older students could travel in groups. Well, who better than himself?

Still, this was the exact situation Maes had feared they'd get into. He drew his wand in one hand, not daring to make the first strike. Who knew, maybe Belladonna would deem them pointless and leave. Maes doubted that, he may have been an optimist but he wasn't stupid.

He snapped to attention as soon as the sparks flew. Reflexively he managed to throw up a small shield. However, now he was really worried because she had been so fast. He hadn't really had time to read her movements. About the only good news was that she looked to be in more of a "playful" mood than necessary slaughter.

It meant there was going to be a lot of mess here in a few moments.

Maes' facial expression remained calm, scowling at the woman sauntering towards them. By this point he was beside Jaina, but also standing a few feet in front of her. "Well, why don't we just leave you and your wand to your little reunion and we'll just be on our way," Maes said, his fingers flexing. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Jaina, "Be on your guard," he said below his breath. It would be foolish to tell her to run at this point...turning your back on a woman such as Belladonna would have been a huge mistake.

[abovetwinsuns]

Jaina immediately used the back of her free hand to shield her eyes from the red sparks. It took a few moments before she realized that if it weren't for Professor Hughes casting a shield charm, she could have been killed in that moment. She paled, she was in way over her head here.

Ghost Widow wasn't particularly fond of Jaina to begin with, what with her being a halfblood in Slytherin, and Jaina had spent most of her school career hating the transparent witch. It just...never occured to her that the undead muggle hater that she spent hating and ignoring could very well kill her.

Jaina swallowed. Now was not the time for this. She had to fight passed her fear and stop her. Jaina couldn't allow her to get to the younger students or her friends.

She pointed her wand at Belladona, her face drawing into a mask of determination, "I'm ready," she said to Professor Hughes, and she meant it.

[ladyghostwidow]

"On your guard? How risque. In my day a professor never advised a student to mount anything or anyone." Disbelieving laughter pealed from her throat. "On your guard! Oh, you card."

Those eyes, cold and white as polished marble shone with a sick delight. "Can we not all revel in the reunion? I am sure your sweet daughter would love a party of the like I shall be throwing." Her lips, dark and sinister, stretched back to bare gleaming teeth. "Perhaps she'd enjoy a merry romp with your little brothers, Solo? A little brood of mudbloods, dancing fitfully down the stairs."

The air around her hands crackled with a purple electricity. "I had better prepare an invitation," came her sweet, venomous voice, as the hallway began to shudder, the ground cracking and warping. With an exhaltant cry she raised her wand and aim it at the ceiling, chunks of it starting to crack and rain down on the pathetic little duo. "A fitful dance!"

[huesofhonesty]

Maes scowled at the former ghost. This was going to get bad, very bad, and Maes didn't see another Professor coming. He'd been in bad situations before though and the key was not to panic. Jaina seemed to be handling that part well at least.

"Leave my daughter out of this," Maes growled under his breath. If it was one weakness of his, it was his daughter and wife. His family meant more to him than his own life and to hear this sinister witch bring her up so casually was almost like a knife in his gut. Elysia and Gracia are safe...she can't touch them he thought to himself, knowing Gracia was an excellent witch in her own right.

Maes felt the ground start to shake under his feet. Shit! What was she doing? Maes shoved Jaina hard with his free hand, "MOVE!" Just as the rocks started to fall from the ceiling, Maes fell back in the other direction, directing his wand upwards at the same time, "Wingardium Leviosa!" He caught most of the chunks of ceiling in midair but a few hadn't been caught by the spell and fell around the two.

He flicked his wand at Belladonna, sending the rocks and ceiling bits her way.

[abovetwinsuns]

Jaina's face fell at the mention of her brothers, and she could feel the raw anger boiling up inside of her. That ghost bitch could mess with her all she wanted, but to bring up Jacen...

To bring up Anakin!

She hissed, drawing out her wand, "DON'T talk about my brothers!" She growled, thinking of every offensive spell she knew and trying to decide which one would hurt the most. She noticed that Professor Hughes had also been visibly affected by the Widow's comment, but unlike herself he seemed to be keeping it under control.

Now wasn't the time for control. Ghost Widow had hurt students, had harrassed the kids in Jaina's house for centuries, it was time to try and turn the tables.

Just as Jaina was about to unleash a hex at her, she felt Professor Hughes push her. She flew forward, unable to catch her momentum as she hit the wall. Jaina swore, about to stand up when a piece of the ceiling hit her in the back. She fell, harshly against the floor, losing her breath and her wand as another piece smashed on top of her arm. She cried out at the pain, forcing herself to focus away from it and to look over and make sure Professor Hughes was alright. She watched as he hurled the rocks towards Belladonna, and her eyes widened when she realized that if she had stayed where she was, she would have been crushed.

Professor Hughes had saved her life.

"You bitch," Jaina mumbled to Belladonna, forcing herself to stand again.

[ladyghostwidow]

He was certainly resourceful, she'd give him that, taking advantage of the very blocks she had sent to crush them. The witch's expression remained lightly pleased as she countered with a blasting curse to destroy the pieces of stone and create a heavy atmosphere in the hallway, thick with dust.

"Hush," Belladonna ordered easily, flicking a silencing spell at Jaina as she drew closer, a dark outline appearing through the cloud, the regular sound of her steps still sounding. "Needless nattering does little good."

In another breath she moved, quickly, murmuring a happy "Petrificalus totalus" at darling Maes, taking advantage of her speed and the cover provided by the blasts aftermath to inflict the painfully simply spell on him.

"Now, Professor. We shall conduct a lesson. It may take some time; I am well aware that your sort need patient teaching." Without turning, her wand was pointed at Jaina. "Are you familiar with the Forbidden Curses? Most are, although few rarely get to see them in practice. It might be a fine option for one of your classes, hm? Or perhaps a featured article." Belladonna's smiled, a cold, sharp expression, dangerous as a knife's edge. "Cruciatus," she called out, voice tolling clear as the bell from a church steeple. The spell caught Jaina in it's web, impossible to escape, wrought by her will. "As you can see, the effects have a fascinating physical manifestation. Note the violence of the writing, Professor - now, listen closely, the effects such pain can have on the voice as equally interesting." She flicked her wand to release the Silencing spell on Jaina, awaiting the song of pain to pour out.

"Another interesting note; the intensity of the spell can be varied with the intensity of one's will, as well as the talents of the spellcaster. Wand variety is also something to consider. For example, unicorn hair rather objects to this spell, on some level. It goes against the grain, as it were." Her voice remained very calm, explaining the situation. She look down at Maes. "Are you listening, Professor? You must pay attention," Belladonna reminded him, bringing her foot down to rest on his head, applying a light pressure. "Ah, where was I? Oh yes! In contrast to unicorn hair, basilisk skin positively thrives on this spell."

That smile again, but now the knife was set to slice through their very flesh.

Her will surged, and so did the Cruciatus curse. "You see? Fascinating! One should be careful not to over-do it, though. The weak willed cannot hold up to such things." Stepping off Maes, Belladonna leaned down to quietly tug away his wand, and then walked over to Jaina, still holding the spell on her, to pry her wand away from her fingers as well. Walking backwards, step and step, she finally released the spells hold on the girl. "A lesson well learned, I think. Congratulations to you both. As a reward, I leave you these." She rolled their respective wands towards them, out of reach but close by, before she pointed her wand at the ceiling above them once more.

"Best of luck."

Rocks fell, but she did not stay to see if they were struck, pinned, or any other sort of thing. Belladonna had placed to be, people to destroy... a busy day. This had been a most pleasant diversion, though. She must remember to leave them a thank you note.

[OOC: I am so sorry for the delay on this, I just couldn't face writing Ghost Widow for a few days orz I decided to make this a bit bigger than usual to cover it, since we'd discussed her doing this stuff and it was okay-ed, but if you would like me to change anything please let me know and I will be happy to do so ♥]