01<@Ardweden> [Day: Saturday, September 25. Time: ?] 01<@Ardweden> [You're in Harry Potter! Or a version of Harry Potter. You've been looking for Natalie, and now you found her, only she said she isn't Natalie? What's up with that? Anyway, you're in a classroom filled with students and taught by McGonagall. Maybe-Natalie is seated at her desk. Hien is talking to her. Kali's advancing on McGonagall, and Joan just stopped her. The exact details of what's going on are a bit tricky, so let me just do this:] 06* Hien exhales, trying to avoid breathing smoke. "It's me, Nat. Sydney. I've come to find you." 06* Kali nods in response, turning her attention to the teacher at the front of the room. "Great! We found her..." Walking forward, unsheathing her blade, she makes the best diplomat. I'd hope she could talk 06* Joan holds out a hand at Kali. "What are you doing?" 06* Kali stops at the Joan hand and narrows her eyes at her, but does cease her movements. Her head gestures towards the front of the room. "Taking care of the problem. That's why we're *here*, right? Like you did for Tony's dad?" 06* Joan eyes Kali right back. "What the 'ell is wrong with you?" 06* Hien is so intent on Natalie that she completely fails to notice Kali. 01<@Ardweden> [The girl blinks at Hien, confusion showing, then a little disappointment. "Sydney...? Sorry, but you got the wrong person. I'm not Nat."] 01<@Ardweden> [Start!] 06* Hien stares at her. "But... then... if you're not Natalie, then... who do you think you are?" 01<@Ardweden> ["Elaine," the girl replies, already more comfortable than she was before. "Why?"] Elaine? Do you have a sister? 06* Kali is staring at Joan for a moment, eyes heated before she swivels at Hien's comment, lips thinning. She hisses out. "Quiet. Our cue might be coming up soon." 01<@Ardweden> [She furrows her brow. "... No?" she asks. "At least, I don't remember one."] Elaine, what's your middle name? 06* Susano-o looks around at the other kids in the class, looking for other Natalie candidates. Just in case. 06* Imp opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again, and shakes his head, gives up and then outright just stares at Kali. 01<@Ardweden> ["I don't have one," Elaine answers without hesitation. She pauses briefly, then: "Do you need help finding Nat?"] 06* Joan turns back to McGonagall. But partially. She keeps Kali in view. 06* Kali looks hard at Imp. If looks could kill, well, her problems with Tyler would be over much sooner, now wouldn't they? 06* Hien shakes her head. "I'm looking at her. You're Natalie Elaine Raynerson, and you're my sister." 06* Imp actually hops off Hien's shoulder as that's said, the better to not be a target. 06* Susano-o swings his gaze back to Elaine, then. 01<@Ardweden> [Natalie stares at Hien for a long, long moment, before she says, "You're a *dragon*."] 01<@Ardweden> [Surprisingly, nothing's happened yet. McGonagall and the other students don't even seem to be paying attention, though it looks like the lesson's finishing up.] 06* Imp actually ends up near Joan trying to keep the rest of the party between him and Kali. You're a witch. I just look like this because it's a magic world. 06* Joan barely registers it. She's rather tense at the moment. 06* Kali chooses this moment to speak out. "Weren't we still going to look for the Headmaster? Or have plans changed now?" 06* Hien looks at Kali for a moment. "We were going to find him so we could find Nat... but she's here." 06* Kali folds her arms and frowns at Hien, looking at her pointedly. "You sure that was the only reason we were going here...?" Her eyes glance fertively about for any Raven shadows. They followed *that* here too... 01<@Ardweden> [Natalie immediately says, "No I'm not."] 01<@Ardweden> [There's no Raven to be seen. No shadow, no nothing. In the background, McGonagall calls that class is dismissed, and students start packing up to leave.] 06* Hien looks back at Elaine. "Please, listen to me. This isn't our world. You may not think it's true, but back home you're asleep in your bed, dreaming this. If you don't come back you'll be stuck here, and I do't know what Mom and Dad will do. I don't know what *I'll* do." 06* Susano-o moves closer to the wall of the classroom, to try to be out of the way, still watching the dragon. 01<@Ardweden> [Elaine frowns a little. "I don't... have parents. I mean, I did, obviously, but I don't now." She stands up and starts to put her books away.] Why wouldn't you have them now? What happened to them? 06* Kali just breathes. And waits. Impatiently. Her arms haven't unfolded yet and she's still looking outside the room. Any other exit doors? 06* Joan is still keeping an eye on McGonagall. And one on Kali. 01<@Ardweden> [Natalie snaps, "They died, okay? There was a car crash and they died." At this, McGonagall walks over and asks, "Are you okay?" to which Natalie says, just as snippishly, "I'm fine."] 06* Joan looks at Natalie at that. "A car crash? Outside ze castle?" 06* Hien closes her eyes. "Oh, Nat." 06* Hien exhales. They didn't. They're fine. Back home. All you have to do is come with me. 06* Kali turns her attention now over to the teacher, head turned fully away from Hien. "Teach. You seem to be sticking around her awfully long after class." She pauses and relaxes, adding softer, "Not that I've gone to wizard school before..." 06* Susano-o tenses a little, but stays over by the wall, out of the way. 06* Imp looks at Kali again, confused. 01<@Ardweden> [Elaine looks at the dragon skeptically. "Right," she says, obviously not buying it. Meanwhile, McGonagall frowns at Kali. "Class was just dismissed, and *you*, Kali, are not a student here."] 06* Kali smiles at McGonagall cheerfully. Look at that smile! It's all teeth. "We're *guests*! We were invited in!" 06* Joan turns to McGonagall. "'Ow do you know 'er name?" No, really! It's true! 01<@Ardweden> ["I am well versed in both history and strange creatures," McGonagall says calmly, turning to look at Joan. She adjusts her glasses. "You are Joan of Arc, if I'm not mistaken."] And where did you learn zat? 01<@Ardweden> [Elaine picks up her books. "Hogwarts is my home," she tells Hien. "I *belong* here."] 06* Kali would groan at Hien if she could. But it's more of a silent wince before she turns back her attention to McGonagall. Trying not to talk over Joan, she slips in, "So if you're not the headmaster of the school, who do you work for?" All intensity of her eyes are focused on the woman. 01<@Ardweden> ["The headmaster, and I've read quite a lot," McGonagall says dryly. "Now, I'm quite certain you haven't discussed your presence with the headmaster, so if you would please come with me...?"] 06* Hien stands in Natalie's way. "This isn't real! You belong back home!" 06* Joan glances from McGonhowyouspellitanyhow? to Hien. 06* Kali turns for a moment to look at Hien and snaps out, "Hien." What she does with it is her own business because she's back on McGonagall. "Gladly. And who does *he* work for?" 06* Imp stares at the dream witch girl. "Ummm I think I'd prefer to stay here and talk to the students..." 01<@Ardweden> ["I *am* home!" Natalie repeats, trying to get by Hien. "And I don't want to go back- back out there!"] 06* Kali shrugs. "Your choice." To Imp? That must have been to Imp. 01<@Ardweden> ["We can discuss that in his office. If you would *please* come with me." McGonagall moves forward, gesturing for the others to come with her.] 06* Susano-o raises his eyebrows, and looks to Hien. 06* Imp stares at the teacher and then at the rest of the group. He seems really unbalanced and unsure right now. But... you... please. Please *remember*. Remember when you were six and you fell out of a tree and broke your arm? I was so scared. I carried you back inside and I wanted to ride in the ambulance with you. This is like that only a hundred times worse. 06* Joan glances back at McGonagall. "With ze student, per'aps. We've a few things to discuss with ze headmaster concerning 'er." 06* Kali breathes and adds remorsefully, "Hien..." A slight bite on her lip. "This is someone else right now..." She does make her way over towards McGonagall. Ready to go. 01<@Ardweden> [Elaine blinks at Hien's question, her brow furrowing. She's silent, thinking.] 06* Imp shakes his head hearing Kali say that and bamfs ontop of Hien's head. "Come on dragon mount! We got a principal to annoy! You can send me to his office right now!" 01<@Ardweden> ["Elaine's presence here isn't in question," McGonagall says, primly. "And she'll be around when you're finished. Yours is."] 06* Hien finally looks at McGonagall. "You promise. You promise she'll still be here, and we'll be able to talk to her." 01<@Ardweden> ["Of course," McGonagall replies.] Per'aps you should stay, 'ien. 01<@Ardweden> ["*All* of you," McGonagall says.] Okay, then. 06* Imp actually moves down to Hien's shoulder now. 06* Susano-o makes ready to follow Hien's lead, straightening and adjusting his blade at his side. Lead on. 01<@Ardweden> [McGonagall nods and turns to lead you all out. As you leave the classroom, all but Susano-O hear Natalie say softly, behind you, "I had to wear a cast. It was blue, like Ravenclaw blue."] 06* Imp keeps his eyes forward with great effort. 06* Kali 's expression remains impassive as she just follows McGonagall. 06* Susano-o follows obliviously along! 06* Hien whispers. "You remember. You do. You remember." And she follows McGonagall out. 06* Joan follows along, frowning. "'ien, are you sure?" 06* Hien looks at McGonagall. "She promised." We have to jump through hoops usually. And you trust 'er? 01<@Ardweden> [McGonagall leads you down the hallway and then back, across the maze of stairs and landings and hallways. She doesn't seem to be paying any attention to Hien and Joan's conversation.] She may be able to help. She may know more about how this works. 06* Susano-o follows along, half listening and half looking at the architecture of the place. 06* Hien piches her voice to a low rumble. "And if it doesn't, we'll go back and I'll talk to Nat some more. Because she *does* remember." 06* Joan casts Hien a doubtful look, but doesn't say anything. I don't think many want to help us. 06* Kali sighs and lets out, also in a lower whisper. "You *do* remember this is the *good* dream, right?" That's why I'm trying to work with it. Wait, her family dying is the good dream who would wa.... 06* Imp falls silent again. 06* Kali looks straight ahead and adds, for Hien's benefit. "Right. And so far, nothing's ever changed until we've ruined it." 06* Hien picks Imp up off her shoulder, GLARES at him, and then puts him back. Well I'm kind of hoping this isn't going to be the case. 06* Imp gulps shivering. 01<@Ardweden> [McGonagall leads the lot of you to what must be the Headmaster's office, as she whispers a password to the Phoenix statue and a spiral staircase grows around it, spiraling upward. She steps aside and gestures for the lot of you to head up sooner than later, if you please.] 06* Kali 's not going to respond to that. She just walks on into the Headmaster's office. 06* Imp gulps a bit, staying on the shoulder. 06* Hien is walking, yes she is. 06* Joan puts a hand on Hien's other shoulder. "'Ien.... You know so far zis 'as only ended one way." 06* Susano-o will head up once Hien does, following behind her. 06* Hien answers, with a bit of uncertainty in her voice (who knew dragons could do uncertain?), "But does it really have to?" I do not know. 06* Imp bamfs off Hien's shoulder now and just walks, looking depressed now. He kept glancing up at the dragon in disbelief. 06* Susano-o cocks his head to the side, and says quietly, "Probably." 01<@Ardweden> [The lot of you head up to the headmaster's office. The door at the top opens into... an empty room. Well, it's not *empty*. There are knick knacks and things that must be magical, including a pensieve, all over the office. A hearth crackles merrily (and improbably) in the back, with a phoenix perched on top. And, in the middle of an expansive desk covered in papers, is a Sorting Hat.] 01<@Ardweden> [McGonagall moves to step in after you, but before she can step in, the doors shut right in her face. She lets out a shout on the other side, and then muffled language that must be spells, but the doors refuse to budge.] 06* Imp sighs. "Okay come out and talk to us. Statue? Goat boy?" 06* Hien addresses the hat. "Walrus? I don't suppose you're in there?" 06* Joan glances back at the doors, frowning. "Well zen." 06* Kali smiles at the muffled language and then looks about the room. "*Well*. This day keeps getting better and better." Her blades are already out. 01<@Ardweden> [The hat opens one eye, then the other, then yawns its brim wide to talk... and starts coughing. And coughing. And COUGHING. Maybe it's actually choking?] 06* Hien rushes over and picks up the hat! What's with the coughing hat? 06* Joan glances warily at Kali. How do you do the Heimlich maneuver on a hat? Turn it inzide out? 01<@Ardweden> [Hien picks up the hat and, out of the bottom, fall a pillow's worth of large, purple feathers. For that matter, the hat's coughing purple feathers as well.] In the middle. Right? 06* Hien gently squeezes the hat in the middle. 06* Kali has her sword levelled at the hat. Or rather underneath it. Ready for whatever it's going to cough out. 06* Imp looks very confused but just watches Hien. 06* Joan puts a hand on her own sword, ready to draw in an instant. 01<@Ardweden> [The hat coughs and coughs, and eventually coughs (along with EVEN MORE feathers) a sword. And then coughs again, but nothing comes out.] 06* Joan blinks. "Did it just poop out a sword?" 06* Kali wanders forward next to the hat and goes to kick the sword. If something's going to drop after it, best it not be armed. 01<@Ardweden> ["*Coughed* up a sword," the hat clarifies in a voice like yet unlike the Walrus'.] What the hell is with the hats around here? Well I suppose it 'ad to come out one way or ze other. 06* Hien squeezes it again. 06* Kali gives Imp a *look*. Wizards and hats? You have to ask? Really? 06* Imp doesn't notice kali staring at the hat. "They all talk, they all cough things up, and at least it isn't a walrus cat this time." So far. 01<@Ardweden> [The hat coughs again, then says to Hien, brim flapping, "Thank you for the help, but it's not necessary now."] 06* Hien sets the hat down. So, what's with the sword? 01<@Ardweden> ["It's meant to slay dragons," the Hat says to Hien with a smile.] 06* Hien eyes the sword, then the hat. "Okay. Well. We're supposed to be seeing the headmaster." 06* Kali turns her swords on the hat, glancing at Hien. "Hey. I think he just tried to attack you! Can I stab it?" Hold the stabbins, please. 01<@Ardweden> ["Hmmm, yeeees," the Hat says thoughtfully. "Too bad the door is closed."] At least for the moment. How do we open it? 06* Joan steps forward, about to ask a question. But not necessary! 06* Kali holds on the stabbings, then sighs. "You haven't even tried stink-smoking through it yet?" 01<@Ardweden> ["How do you *think* you open a door?" the Hat returns.] 06* Susano-o squints at the feathers, and then crosses over to pick up a couple of the ones that have fallen. "With a knob and a key." He holds the feathers up, and looks at them. Well if ze 'eadmaster wants to ze us, why doesn't 'e open it? Knock, say open in elvish, say please, ask for it to be opened, turn the knob? These are Walrus feathers. Or hat feathers. 06* Imp suddenly groans hearing Walrus's name. Ze Walrus? Why would 'e be 'ere? I don't know. But these are the same feathers. Look. 06* Joan looks 01<@Ardweden> [The hat smiles.] It's the damned hats. 01<@Ardweden> [Now that Susano-O mentions it, they *do* look a lot like a Walrus Hat Feather.] Walrus, if it really is you, come out. 01<@Ardweden> ["I'm the Sorting Hat," the Hat says, calmly, in that same Walrus-but-Not voice.] 06* Kali sighs. "We don't have time to deal with Walruses and hats." She looks at the hat. "Do you have the key? Do we need a Key?" Do we look like office workers? 01<@Ardweden> ["Nonsense," the Hat says. "The doors are locked outside, not inside."] 06* Hien shrugs and puts the hat on her head. 06* Susano-o almost successfully stifles a laugh at this image. 06* Hien is a dragon with a Sorting Hat. Why would zey 'ave locks on ze outside? 01<@Ardweden> [Hien does look pretty silly! The hat closes its eyes and starts muttering softly to itself.] 06* Hien nods slowly and carefully, holding the hat so as to not dislodge it. 06* Kali nods and looks back. "So we can just walk out..." Her eyes fixate on the doors. "Why was she locked out then?" The head master didn't want her here or we are locked in, but... hats. If it is the head master who locked her out, then where are they? 06* Kali turns to Imp sharply. "Wasn't asking *you*, buttmunch." 06* Hien says, quietly, "I'd hope she'd be proud anyway." It appears she's addressing the hat. No, ze Imp is right for once. It means ze 'eadmaster is either an ally or an enemy. Either way, 'e 'ad best show up soon, or we will be leaving zis room, one way or ze other. 06* Kali rolls her eyes and turns to the Hat. "*Hat*. Why was she locked out if we're just able to leave? *Did* the Headmaster do it?" The other two are ignored. 06* Hien looks at the others, hat still on her head. "Do you think we should leave?" 01<@Ardweden> ["HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat yells.] 06* Joan staggers at that. "What?" Wait, Hien's doing weed? 06* Kali 's swords are up again, looking just in case that was a codeword for the guards! Geez! 01<@Ardweden> ["Put that down before you poke my eye out!" the Hat says to Kali.] 06* Susano-o looks sharply at the hat, startled. 06* Joan eyes Kali again. "Oui, do as ze 'at says." 06* Hien removes the hat. "Well, I knew it wasn't going to be Ravenclaw." She looks at the others again. "Stay? Go?" 06* Joan pauses, thinking about the bizzarity of that statement. 01<@Ardweden> ["Sydney the Scarlet Flame," the Hat says, dangling from her hand.] Ze what? 06* Hien looks at the hat. "Yes?" Wait, what? 06* Imp looks so confused. Scarlet Flame? It's, um, sort of a title? Hien the Scarlet Flame. You guys don't have them? No? It is a strange title. And 'e didn't say 'Ien. 01<@Ardweden> ["She dreams of leaving the shadow," the hat says. There's a long pause, then: "There's more than one solution. Light the way."] 06* Joan boggles. Then shrugs and lights up the room. "Like zo?" She? Natalie? is any one understanding this? 06* Kali nods. "Yeah. Prefer not to talk about it." She does eye the hat. She's not aiming it at the hat eye anymore, instead intent to rub her wrist. "Understand the what. But not the how. That's the problem." 06* Susano-o looks at the hat, eyes dancing, thinking about it. Riddles. 06* Imp just looks between Hien and Kali looking confused and lost. 01<@Ardweden> [While standing, confused or thoughtful, you hear a shout from behind the door and the doors explode inward, jolting you awake.] 01<@Ardweden> [End!]