Caitlyn takes Matt's hand tightly when he comes back and then grins as Mai gets Keef soaked once again. "I think the sky is mad.. " She listened to the sound of the rain pelting against the stones and the roof. "But we are safe inside. I hope.."

She huddled against Matt, looking up at Keef. "What are you going to do with those branches?"

_________________

Caitlyn Rosewood: 5th Year
Aurora Gardner: 4thYear

"I have a bit of alchemy work I need to look in on. As well, the lightning-blasted branches will do well for something else I need to try to create. You could say I am doing the whole mad scientist thing, Caitlyn. Emphasis on both the mad and the scientist. It is something I do to in order to further my own goals. If nothing else, it is a necessary part of my scholastic growth. If what I am working on actually comes to fruition, I will be able to refine the process and make them more available.

"And yes, hello to you as well, kiddo." This was obviously to Mai. "Yes, I do realize you are still sopping wet. You need to learn how to master that drying charm. It's something I learned in Mandarin some time ago... but a little different"

While being hugged by Mairead, he pats her head with his free arm. Acting like the typical older brother, Keeferson somehow pulls out a beach-sized towel for Mairead and drapes in over her shoulder. Removing his hood, he takes another look around the castle entrance where they are all standing.

_________________
One character thus far:
Ares Richard Keeferson, Hufflepuff Hardcase
Redefining "user-unfriendly" since 1976.

*Feargus looks around, a bit confused, as he had been rather certain Mai had already dried herself with the hot air charm. He shrugs and shakes his head quickly, his hair being the last wet part of him. Water spatters around from his dog-like shaking and he watches Keef and Mai with interest*

_________________
"They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me" -Nathaniel Lee

Shifty are the eyes of the gambler...

'I just hope you don't hurt yourself." Caitlyn said quietly before pointing her wand at Feargus's hair and making it poof up like an ad for photoshoot. She giggles a bit, as slowly the storm seems to ebb just a little. Until another loud boom comes out of nowhere. She screamed, caught unaware by it, then blushes after she does so.

_________________

Caitlyn Rosewood: 5th Year
Aurora Gardner: 4thYear

*Feargus rolls his eyes upward and pats his head*

"Caitlyn! Ye gave me puffskein for a hairdo!" he grins at her. "How ye been lately, little one? I hear ye've gotten in some mighty scrapes recently."

_________________
"They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me" -Nathaniel Lee

Shifty are the eyes of the gambler...

"Yea. it's been hard.. but Matt's been there to help me. For a time I really feared Roland was going to kill me.. " "Oh yes. and then there was the attack on me in plain sight in Diagon Alley." She huddles deeper into Matt's cloak, as if cold. "The other bumps and stuff are normal, I mean. I didn't know the pseudo werewolf was wandering around the second floor." The rain continued to fall heavily, making a musical sound as it hit against the stone rooftop, with the occasional rolling thunder in the background creating a countermelody.

_________________

Caitlyn Rosewood: 5th Year
Aurora Gardner: 4thYear

_________________

Mai Roarke Willow Moran Evelyn Grant Eien Hansen Ashlee Gardner

Caitlyn nodded, huddled more into Matt and waited out the storm, jumping as all of a sudden the doors to the castle blow open with great force, flickering out all the candles in the entrance-way with the intensity of the wind. Caitlyn nearly screams as the Hall plummets into darkness for a moment. She holds Matt's hand tightly to make sure he's still there..

"LUMOS!" She cries out, and the small bubble of light surrounds her, she takes a deep breath, looking around.

_________________

Caitlyn Rosewood: 5th Year
Aurora Gardner: 4thYear

_________________

Mai Roarke Willow Moran Evelyn Grant Eien Hansen Ashlee Gardner

The doors slam closed again and then all that's heard is the rain and distant thunder. Caitlyn holds onto Mai's hand with her free one. "Strong winds can blow anything open. It's not like the door was locked down." She looks down at her tiny light coming from her wand and shivers. "But I think the storm is coming to a close." She watched as House Elves suddenly entered the hallway and began relighting lamps and candles off the edges of her vision. "I can only imagine what it looks like Outside!"

_________________

Caitlyn Rosewood: 5th Year
Aurora Gardner: 4thYear

*Feargus holds onto Mai, keeping her close and safe. He looks at her to make sure she's okay, before glancing at Keeferson to see how the big guy reacts*

_________________
"They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me" -Nathaniel Lee

Shifty are the eyes of the gambler...

One can hear Keeferson sigh loudly. The next moment, a spell is uttered in Latin: "Propinquus Ianua!" The doors shut again, firmly this time. Keeferson then goes over to them and raps upon them with his knuckles. As he does, he seems to be uttering some sort of mantra. As he comes away from the doors, a huge gust of wind slams into the doors. However, they do not open again.

"Knew that spell would come in handy one day. And here Qianxiao said I was wasting my time. Hah. I'll remind her how wrong she was if I get to see her again."

Keeferson takes note of all the unlit candles now. He is just out of sight of the others at this point. His darker robes and towering frame post an interesting silhouette in the long shadows. Waving his wand and focusing on his breathing alone, Keeferson utters another spell: "lux lucis candela." This time the spell is whispered, but the flame lunge from his fingertips and his wand, gracing the tops of each of the candles closest to him within a five meter radius.

"You do not want to know what it looks like outside until the rain subsides. And there will be one or two final pushes of the wind and howling rain before this is all over. At least there is no hail to go with this..."

_________________
One character thus far:
Ares Richard Keeferson, Hufflepuff Hardcase
Redefining "user-unfriendly" since 1976.

"Yet..."

*Feargus keeps his hold on Mai, checking on the two younger students to make sure they're okay as well. He waves his wand, uttering no incantation*

*Blue flames appear on the floor a couple feet in front of Feargus and Mai, illuminating a reasonable sized area and mixing oddly with the candlelight, casting odd shadows. The flames are warm and cozy, though seem to need no fuel*

_________________
"They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me" -Nathaniel Lee

Shifty are the eyes of the gambler...

Caitlyn watches the blue flames in awe, then looks up to Feargus with a look of admiration in her eyes, though the odd shadows may concielf it. The house elves look like weird sillouhettes trying to get everything back in order.

Then it gets really loud. Not loud from students, but from the roof. To spite Keef, it begins to hail and hard, the wind blows through the cracks in the wooden door, sending a cold chill through the entrance hall. The candles flicker.

Caitlyn crumples up in tiny ball next to Mai, pulling the hood of Matt's cloak over her head. She's so scared now she's crying.

_________________

Caitlyn Rosewood: 5th Year
Aurora Gardner: 4thYear

*Feargus shuffles in his pack and pulls out a small, empty potions jar. He scoops the blue flames up in his hand and places them in the jar, setting it right in front of Caitlyn. The blue flames provide a comforting light and act as a small space-heater, warming her*

*Feargus waves his wand again, once again producing blue flames in front of he and Mai*

//In case anyone's wondering, yes, he's taken the Silent Spell feat and all low level wand spells he casts are done so silently

_________________
"They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me" -Nathaniel Lee

Shifty are the eyes of the gambler...