01<@Ardweden> [Day: Sunday, September 26. Time: ?] 01<@Ardweden> [You have returned to Hogwarts! That's a good prize, right? You're looking for Hien's sister, Natalie. You've just entered, having defeated a Door and a Drawbridge, and are venturing farther in. The oil paintings around you are muttering to each other and casting glances at you, but you haven't gone closer to figure out what they're saying.] 01<@Ardweden> [Scathach is with you. Joan is not. What a crazy world this is.] 01<@Ardweden> [Start!] 06* Imp glances at Scathach. "So reminding. can you go into more detail how to do that? I tried that with Tony...." 06* Hien watches Kali storm off and grumbles, then turns back to look at Imp and Scathach. 06* Susano-o looks concernedly after Kali. "Can we discuss this while we walk?" 06* Imp shrugs. "Sure." 06* Susano-o starts following after Kali, then, but tries to stay in the conversational group. 06* Hien attempts to move and talk at the same time while not getting lost. Multitasking! 06* Scathach follows, saying as she goes, "There is a point where the conscious and subconscious merge. At that time the truth can be revealed." She nods to Hien. "She might be able to do it." 06* Hien stares at Scathach. "Wait. How?" 06* Scathach shrugs. So then how do you know? And how do you do it without hurting them? All we've done is hurt them. A little birdie told me. 01<@Ardweden> [You walk into Hogwarts Proper, which as before is filled with stairs and students scurrying about. Well, the students are scurrying. The stairs are just moving.] ...the crow? Raven, sorry. 06* Scathach shakes her head. 06* Imp looks around and plops onto Hien's head with a bamf. "Lead on oh mighty one." 06* Kali is already following her path, halfway up the staircase. Fortunately this time, she's taking care not to touch people. Unfortunately she's not slowing down in the slightest. 06* Susano-o points up after her. "That way, Hien?" 06* Hien follows Susano-o's point. "I think so." And she proceeds! With an Imp on her head. 06* Kali actually does pause for a second as they approach, letting them catch up. When they come to her side, she's still looking up the stairwell, not on anyone in particular. Definitely not them. "Intruders." At least that *seems* directed at them. 06* Susano-o comes up, brow furrowed. "What? Us? Or someone else? Where?" 06* Kali turns her head back at Susano-o, giving him a firm look. "Didn't you hear it? That's what the paintings said." She looks further back up the stairs into the distance. "They already know we're here." 06* Imp frowns. "Well we have to try." We do. 06* Kali 's lips thin. "Never said we didn't." And then she's off again, retracing the steps from the other day. 06* Susano-o looks at Hien, and then starts following again. 06* Hien tries to concentrate on Natalie for a moment. 06* Scathach also follows. 06* Imp just rides along. 06* Hien nods slightly to herself, careful not to dislodge Imp, and proceeds onward after Kali. 01<@Ardweden> [Kali unerringly guides you up the stairs, remembering exactly the right number of clicks and going exactly the right direction on every platform. Before too long, you reach the same classroom as before.] 06* Kali gestures with her hand...hands. She has far too many of them! And defers to Hien. This part is her deal. 06* Susano-o looks in through the door. "Good memory," he says approvingly. 06* Hien nods to Kali, then says to Imp, "Off head for the moment?" 06* Imp hops off and lands next to Hien's feet. Thank you. 06* Hien peers in through the door, trying to spot Natalie-Elaine. 01<@Ardweden> [Natalie-Elaine is in there, pointing her wand at a piece of parchment, which folds itself into an origami boat and starts to sail through the air. No one else seems to be in the room at the moment.] 06* Hien looks at the others. "She's alone. I'm going in." 06* Susano-o nods solemnly. You want us to come? 06* Kali frowns a little bit steps back further. Her voice is soft. "...it's just too simple." 06* Hien looks at Kali. "She's the type who would stay after class and practice some more." 06* Imp waits for Hien to make the call. 06* Kali gives Hien a worried look but stays silent. You guys wait here for a minute. 06* Scathach nods. 06* Hien heads in and takes another look around the classroom before walking over to Natalie-Elaine. 06* Susano-o takes up station by the door, hand resting calmly by the hilt of his sword. 01<@Ardweden> [Hien enters the room by herself! There's no way that can be a mistake. Natalie-Elaine calls out another word in latin(ish) and points her wand at the paper, and it refolds itself into a pinwheel, spinning in the air (and in place).] 06* Hien can't possibly get lost inside a single room. Can she? She walks over to Natalie-Elaine and taps her on the shoulder. "Hello again." So who told you this stuff? Who are you hrm? 06* Imp is looking at Scathach not letting them get away. I am Scathach. 01<@Ardweden> [Natalie-Elaine starts, but the pinwheel doesn't stop spinning. She spins to look at Hien. "A dragon!" she blurts. And then her brow furrows a little. "Do I know you?"] 01<@Ardweden> [Outside the classroom, the occasional student passes by, but they pay those standing guard no mind.] You saw me yesterday. Don't you remember? 01<@Ardweden> ["Y- no?" She's clearly *trying* to remember.] That was only half the question. Think about it for a second. It was also only half the answer. 06* Kali glances at Imp for a moment and then gives a deep breath, sighing. "She's another Walker." She pauses and looks up Susano-O. "You really don't remember?" 01<@Ardweden> ["I..." Eliane's frowning now, which makes her look more like Natalie. "Maybe in a dream, kind of."] it wasn't even half the question... and they've danced around the answers constantly 06* Susano-o frowns, and taps his fingers on his armor. "I remember you mentioning them. I don't remember seeing them." 06* Hien eyes Natalie. "Do you remember falling out of a tree when you were younger and breaking your arm?" 01<@Ardweden> ["Yeah," Natalie says, after a little hesitation. "That was before my mom and dad died. Why are you in here? I didn't know they let dragons on the grounds, much less talking dragons. I'd read that dragons don't usually talk."] I'm a special dragon. Only you can see me right now. 06* Kali turns to Scathach, giving her a firm look now. As firm as you can to a black blob like her. "I think a better question is...why now? Who sent you?" 01<@Ardweden> [Natalie laughs a little at Hien's statement. "Yeah. It helps that I'm the only one in here."] 06* Scathach turns just as much as necessary to see Kali. "Someone with the same goal." So... what else do you remember from before you came here? 01<@Ardweden> ["The cast was Ravenclaw blue," Elaine says, this time without hesitation. "I remember really liking it. Maybe that was prophetic."] What's the goal? How did you fall out of the tree? Was someone there with you? 06* Scathach glances at Imp. "You don't know?" 01<@Ardweden> [Elaine thinks about that. "I don't know?" Pause. "I just... lost my balance and fell."] 06* Kali frowns more at Scathach. "You said you share the same goal as us. You came to us. *You* prove to us you have the same goal. S'kinda how it works..." You weren't playing with anyone when you lost your balance? 01<@Ardweden> ["I don't remember. Maybe...?"] 06* Scathach turns back to Kali, dark eyes flashing. "I came to help you," she says simply. How did you get from the tree to the house? Help us what? 01<@Ardweden> ["I was carried. I think... maybe my parents got me?" She frowns. "Why are you so interested in me falling out of a tree, anyway?"] 06* Susano-o looks at Scathach, somewhat dubious. "You see. If you are with us, why be so cautious? It is not that hard to share." 06* Kali keeps her frown but stays quiet, ears perking at the conversation inside. She steps to the side idly, but eyes turn to the hallway to keep attuned to anyone's approach. Because I want to help you remember... last time, you did. 06* Scathach turns back to Susano-o. She stares at him for a minute, and then her hat and scarf vanish, revealing a weathered face and long, dark hair. "Would you trust a group of strangers?" she whispers harshly. I did. I've had to and you know who I am so I'm not a stranger. 06* Imp says that like knowing who he is helps. But you do not trust me. 06* Kali draws her sword slowly, with a steady shink from the sheath. "Getting nowhere fast." She sighs and leans over near to the door, muttering, "Intruders. It's *way* too quiet for 'Intruders.' Something's wrong..." 01<@Ardweden> ["But..." Elaine frowns. "Why can't I remember?" Hien (and the others) can hear a clap of thunder from outside right when Elaine says, "What's *wrong* with me?"] 06* Susano-o drums his fingers on his armor again. "Because you are being cryptic. How did you get here? Did you come through Haven?" He blinks hard, and his armor briefly sparks with light as he looks towards the room. 06* Imp sighs. "I'm trying to trust you, I just want to know what's going on." 06* Kali tsshes between her teeth and thinks that's her cue. Because she slips her way right into the room like a sleek lethal serpentine woman poised to strike. *What* is the question. 06* Scathach doesn't answer! Important things going on in there. 06* Hien looks out the window, briefly. "It's okay. I'm here to help." 01<@Ardweden> [End!]