Game one

Lycoris had fallen behind Zabby. Frankly, she couldn't understand why robes were complicated to run in. She's almost went the wrong way before she realized the footsteps were much further off than they were. "I'm here!" she called as she skidded to a stop. What she saw most vividly was the scarlet of blood. "What... happened?"

She casted the counter spell once she was done asking for help.

There was a moment of quiet when Diana looked at her cousin's body, with tears distorting her vision. Nicolas was... No, it couldn't be. She always thought that he'd be around forever, he always was...

When help came, in the form of the Professors, Lycoris, and Zabby.

Diana was trying her best not to burst into tears... and failing miserably. She tried to speak but only a sob managed to come out. She tried to speak again... and a hiccup stopped the words.

She mentally slapped her self. Wiped her tears on her robes and took a few calmming breaths.

"We were..." A sob was threating to come but Diana stiffled it. "walking the corridor..."

"He played a trick on me..." Diana's vision was blurring at the memory. "And so I walked a little faster... When I realized he wasn't..." There was a rather small sob. "He wasn't following me anymore..." Diana wiped her tears away. "I went back and I found him..." dead hung about the air.

That was all that Diana could do. She collapsed on the floor, hugged her cousin's body and offered herself to the sobs that were at her throat.

Zabby sat next to her friend, wrapping an arm around her. "Oh, Diana..." she whispered, rocking her friend back and forth. "Professor Engeltine, I think this isn't the time. We can always use a pensive later to retrieve the memories, but I don't think Diana can answer right now." She tightened her grip. "Professor Kiminski, can we do something about Nicholas's body? Cover it or something?"

Ana paused as sobs echoed along the corridor.
"Diana..." Darien started to run.
Ana rolled her eyes and followed at a slower pace.
"Diana!" Darien noticed Nick's body and froze.

((Hate to be picky...but Diana did tell them what happened...and Professor DeLanquar does not allow students to address her as Professor Eglantine...))

((The basics of what happened are in Lustre's last post, next to last paragraph...))


When two more students approached, Sevastyan regarded them with perhaps a bit more suspicion than was perhaps deserved, but said nothing. He noticed Darien freeze, and his sister's less-than-surprised countenance, and would bear both in mind. "Mr. and Miss Vaight," he acknowledged their presences neutrally.

It was a rather awkward moment for Sevastyan. He could imagine what Diana was going through, albeit on his own level, perhaps a little too clearly. A blank expression covered whatever sentiments he felt as he vanished the pool of blood. With a stiff nod in Miss Gallagher's direction, Sevastyan conjured something that resembled a bed sheet and covered the cadaver with it. Only the hilt of a sword could be seen.

A sword as opposed to magic? Odd... Sevastyan mused to himself, raven brows furrowed.

"Come. Ve should leave this area..." the Russian trailed off to glance briefly in Eglantine's direction for some suggestion as to what to do here with one hysterical student, with two almost equally unnerved, and scanned the faces of Miss Calantha and the two new arrivals while he was at it. "There's no telling vhere the assailant has gone... and vould seem that there is little safety in numbers," he said to the group at large.

Turning away from them for just a moment, Sevastyan conjured his patronus: a large, brawny, brooding bear. "Tell any vandering student unescorted by a teacher to go back to their common room immediately!" he ordered the silvery figure, observing it grimly as it took off at a solid run.

"What...Who..." Darien breathed.
Ana's eyes slowly scanned the area.
She'd noticed the suspiscion in the professor's look, and wasn't really surprised. Darien had hated Nick. And of course, they were Slytherins.
"Bit crude isn't it." She remarked. Her tone was emotionless.
Darien glared at her. "Leave the mystery to the teachers Ana." He stepped forwards. "Diana?"

Eglantine knelt beside Miss Casillas and Miss Gallagher. "Come we will go to the Great Hall." she stated softly, speaking to Sevastyan as much as she was speaking to her two Gryffindors. "Кто вы думаете, он был?"she asked, rising from the floor to speak to the Russian professor. It was most handy at times to be able to speak to him without the students understanding them.

"The... the Great Hall, right?" Lycoris managed to say, after taking steady breaths to try to calm herself. Nick was dead. There was a killer on the loose, and he or she killed Nick. That person was here, since Hogwarts was in a lockdown and she didn't want to think of who it might be, or who might be next. But she had to. She looked around carefully.

Slight dissension amongst the sibling ranks...? interesting... Sevastyan noted, unsure as of precisely what Miss Vaight was getting at. Was it the means of the death or the way in which it had been covered that she found crude? In the event of the first, he had to agree: it was crude. In regards to the second... well, they needed to act fast. At least the covered body would serve as a warning to any that walked by.

"Я не уверен. Хотя я думаю наши новые прибытия должны близко наблюдаться. Возможно я как раз параноиден…" Sevastyan replied to Professor DeLanquar, though there was a distinct uncertainty in his voice.

"The Great Hall it is. Professor, vy don't you take the front? Students in the middle - I vill guard our backs. Vands out and eyes sharp, everyvone," Sevastyan agreed, in English this time.

Ana pulled her wand out of a pocket. Darien's was already in his hand.
It unnerved him when Diana cried...

Eglantine nodded, glancing curiously at the Vaight siblings. Leading the way, wand carefully held at her side, she entered the Great Hall.

"Seat yourselves at one of the tables." she stated, addressing the students. "Professor Kaminski and I will secure the door.

"I highly doubt are you being paranoid." Eglantine muttered to Sevastyan. "We should be careful of everyone." She was not concerned about it being any of the students there in the Great Hall. She was not a trusting person by nature, but more or less she knew each of the students assembled personally, or at least they were her Gryffindors. And as for Sevastyan, he had been with her on their way to the Headmistress' office during the attack on Nicholas' life.

Lycoris took her seat uneasily. She wanted to do -something-. She fiddled with her wand. She didn't notice, but she hadn't let it go since transporting the Headmistress... it was just one bad thing after another now.

"But to suspect it as being vone of the kids? Slytherin or not, it is disturbing to think a child could kill vithout thought to the repercussions. On the other hand... I suppose you are right. I am glad you think I'm not paranoid: makes me feel better, at any rate," Sevastyan whispered. He didn't trust many people either. Unfortunately, his relationships with the students weren't quite as solid as the friends he'd made of the staff. The fact that he didn't Head a particular House meant that he didn't really have any biases based on what colors the kids wore. Perhaps, in the long run, that was a good thing.

It couldn't have been either Miss Gallagher or Miss Calantha... because ve sent them vith the Headmistress to the Hospital Ving. Given Miss Casillas's reaction, it couldn't have been her, yet she vos the last vone vith Nicolas Casillas... Professor DeLanquar and I have a solid alibi as vell. So, the only qvestion is: vhere vere the Vaights before all of this? Sevastyan mused, also thinking about the sword.

After withdrawing his wand, Sevastyan assisted Professor DeLanquar in securing the door to the Great Hall.

“No!” Diana said through tears. “We can’t leave him!”

((I'm going to assume that one of you is pulling her away.))

((Lustre, we're already in the Great Hall...))

((I know... but like... I didn't think she'd want to leave Nick's body just out there...))

((Wait. You brought Nick in with you?!))

((No I didn't that's creepy!))

((So, you're still outside the hall?))

((No... unless you guys left me out there!? Okay... I promise to be more active so that things like this don't happen. It's just why are you guys on when I am not?!))

Diana turned to the people inside the Hall, "Please! We can't just leave him out there? We need to bring him to the Hospital Wing at least!"

Darien nodded slightly. "I agree with Diana."
Ana rolled her eyes. "Big surprise."
Darien glared at her. "Stop being so immature Ana."
"I am not immature."
"Then act your age."
Ana glared back at Darien. Maybe this is how I deal with stress okay?!
Darien groaned. Not telepathy again! It confuses me!
Everything confuses you.
Darien ignored Ana's thought/comment. "It could be slightly awkward if a student stumbles across his body and panicks."

Diana gave Darien a look of gratitude. It was great to know she wasn't alone.

((Oops...Sorry, Merci. I don't think I'd ever read your character's last name before this, so I assumed that Engeltine was her last name. Well...You know what they say about assuming.))

Zabby tightened her arm around her friend. "Diana, I thing we could have Nicholas's body transported to the Hospital Wing, but for now we need to figure out what happened to Nicholas." She looked at Lye. "Help?" she mouthed.

"Isn't it obvious?" Diana said hysterically. "He was murdered! But I don't think that should stop us from putting him in the proper place!"