Tulojow Nagde swept onto the scene with more agility than Figaro ever imagined an old witch could have!  And the fire in her eyes snapped Figaro out of his freeze behind the suit of armor.  And finally it made complete sense that Madam Nagde had been an Auror.  The way she moved, cast that brilliant spell - she looked like a warrior.  With a long braid and wrinkles.

In awe, Figaro finally began to take steps away from the danger, towards Darcy and Trent.   

"I don't understand? What spell is that? Why can't they use water? What's wrong with that fire?" he asked, panicked. The fire almost looked like beasts and the roar of the blaze sounded more like the shrieking of griffins and the screams of dragons. "Darcy, what did you do?!"

Jacqueline's first year class had just let out. Thankfully. And Jacqueline was up for a short break. She sat at her desk, quite thankful for a moment of rest, though she didn't expect it to be as short as it was. The smallest of Hogwarts students were taxing at the best of times, and without knowing how short their leash was with Professor Lumpkin, they tended to pull a little hard against her. They'd learn to behave soon enough, but until then, Jacqueline would simply be a little tired.

She was sitting at her desk, reading up on Little People, Big Plans when the acrid smell and an unusual warmth washed over her. Jacqueline knew immediately what it had to be: fire. Not just any fire, but Fiendfyre. Jacqueline had never actually dealt with the stuff, but knew how dangerous it could be if not contained properly. She set off down the hall. It wasn't hard to find the source of the fire, panic was evident everywhere. "Houses! Now!" She barked, running all out for the infirmary.

When she neared, she noticed the most unlikely pair: The Headmistress and Nadge. They would need help, that's for sure. With a flourish of her wand, Jacqueline's leopard joined heads with a fiery Chimera. "What the HELL is the meaning of this?" She called out over the roar of the fire. It would be nearly impossible to contain the fire, and she knew that even with the three of them it would be a challenge. And it would cause untold damage to the school.

Ana was surprised at Nagde's speed, having written her off as on the frail side considering her age. But when the ex-auror joined her in the battle, Analiza did not let her prejudice towards the woman stop her from accepting the help, since her poor little kitten was struggling with the fiery dragons twice her size. It was even more of a relief when Professor Lumpkin, who Analiza trusted the skill of, also appeared and lent her own patronus to the cause. As well as a few angry words.

"What the HELL is the meaning of this?"

"Fiendfyre." Analiza stated simply, her words nearly drowned out by the fierce roar of the flames. She felt no need to say more at the moment, since staying alive was the primary objective on her to do list, saving the children came second and explaining why some little kid inexplicably knew how to cast Fiendfyre and chose to do so on the hospital wing was far at the bottom. She let Jacqueline draw her own conclusions and returned to fighting off fiery impending doom.

Fiendfyre was a bitch of a spell. It burned hotter and faster then any fire known to man and was harder to extinguish then an oil fire. Patroni could hold the flames back from spreading, but they could do little to deplete the hungry flames. And as heroically as her slender feline patronus batted and snapped at the snaking tendrils of flame, Analiza knew it would not be long before her small reserve of happy memories was depleted and she would lose control. There had to be some way to contain or banish the flames before they spread into the hallway.

"I have an idea..." Analiza screamed over the roar of flames to her two comrades "You hold them back, I will be right back!" Leaving her cat to fight, Analiza dashed down the hallway towards the stairs, showing an amazing amount of agility in her tight skirt and heels. With the adrenaline pumping through her body, she made it to her office in record time and barely stopped to catch her breath as she made her way to a small iron box. It contained various tools of her trade in it's magically expanded interior, most of which were thankfully unpacked already, and she loathed to lose it. The governors had better reimburse her for her loss.

Tossing the last few books and papers onto her floor, Ana gathered up the box and dashed back towards the rapidly growing inferno. It would not be long before the contents of the room disintegrated and the fire moved out into the hall, so Ana ran with all her might, teetering around corners precariously on her spiked heels and nearly falling on the stairs twice. Arriving at the scene of the crime, she dropped the box in front of them and grasped for air for a moment, managing to gasp out "... S...shrink... shrink the bu..rning things... and... put them.. in the box... we... throw in l..lake...Now."

A flash of grey to Tulojow's side heralded the arrival of the History of Magic professor.  As Tulojow's brilliant horned serpent, weaved around a writing snake of fire, a large, glowing leopard joined the fray.  Tulojow stood tall, her shoulders back.  She'd be feeling the pain tomorrow, no doubt, but for the time being the adrenaline was starting to mask the pain.  At another time, under other circumstances, Tulojow might have given the two other women's patronus felines curious consideration.  But, for the time being her focus remained firmly on the task at hand. 

The Headmistress offered a short, nonspecific answer to Lumpkin's inquiry - it was probably an answer the History professor could have figured out on her own - Unfortunately, Tulojow didn't have much in the way of additional information to offer.  "Not a clue," Tulojow admitted, above the roar of the flames.  "Just arrived."  The flames had already fully engulfed the Hospital Wing by the time she'd arrived on the scene.  She didn't know what role the three older students she'd passed had played but it didn't seem necessary to bring them up in the conversation. Not until the current crisis was under control. 

It's head reared, fangs bared, the horned snake struck out at an advancing tendril of flame and the flame retreated temporarily.  If they could just push the flames back into the doorway - if they could get the wing door closed - they could try sealing off the room and letting the raging fire burn itself out.  In a sealed room, with the flame raring as hot and fast as they were, they'd burn through what oxygen was left in almost no time.  But, another idea seemed to come to the Headmistress' mind and the woman took off.  How long the cat patronus would last without its caster nearby, Tulojow didn't know but she kept her focus firmly on the battle. 

Tulojow simply nodded at the woman's proposal and began sending the massive serpent on quick ventures through the flames, cutting a swath through the heat to offer its caster a visual on the burning items that served as a source of fuel for the flames.  With a flick of her wand, the item shrank to a miniature version of itself just as the serpent pushed further onward, seeking out items to shrink in the swirling inferno.

It wasn't too much longer that the imposing Professor Lumpkin arrived in a fury, and completed the coven of three.  Figaro was down the hall watching from a distance.  He didn't know where Darcy and Trent were anymore, or Pax, but there were other students milling around now.  But the roar of the fire, which was just getting bigger, drowned out their exclamations and questions.

But Professor Lumpkin's voice did carry.  Ordered in a voice that threatened dismemberment, Figaro had no choice but to finally turn from the blazing Infirmary and head to Hufflepuff House.  As soon as he rounded the corner, the temperature in the air dropped so much he shivvered. 

Olivia was already gone, leaving a gaping hole in Hufflepuff House.  But now - well there was no way Darcy was going to get to stay after this.

Trent watched as the Headmistress struggled with the charm... She didn't seem as threatening as she stuttered and looked as if she was pleading for help. But Trent wanted to get away. He wanted no part in this... Maybe he would stick up for Darcy if she got caught... Trent didn't really know what to do. What could he do? He felt like some little boy that couldn't do anything but watch the flames burn everything up.

The professors started yelling towards each other, the younger students looked frightened to death. Was it awful that Trent was only thinking of himself? That he wanted to get away before they started pointing fingers at him again? If Trent were to have burned down the castle, he would be long gone by now. They really don't understand his common sense. Not that Darcy didn't have any common sense... She was just... Innocent.

Darcy was a lovely girl of course... But he couldn't do this. Trent kissed Darcy on the cheek and sprinted away. Far, far away from the burning infirmary and the professors that surrounded it. He could still feel the burn on his skin which made him panic even more. Nearly stumbling down the stairs, he finally collapsed, sitting down on the staircase. "I should just drop out of school..." He grumbled to himself.

"I didn't do nothin'!" She yelled at him over roaring flames.  More professors were gathering and the situation was quickly getting out of control.  She had no idea it would have created such a sensation, but the devil woman had earned it.  Darcy just hated that Professor Nagde had to get caught up in it.  The Bumpkin woman could go throw herself in the lake as well.  As a plan was devised, Darcy realized it was well past time to cut and run.

She wasn't the only one to make that realization.  Fig finally came to his senses and started running.  She hoped Bumpkin wouldn't get him in too much trouble, but that was his own fault for standin' around.  A pair of lips graced her cheek, and Darcy turned, stunned by the sudden display of affection.  Trent began to run, too, and Darcy chased after the two boys, running as fast as her feet could manage. 

She nearly fell over the older boy down the stairs, just managing to keep her footing.  "Go, go go," she yelled, not thinking of anything but the urge to get away. 

((I am gonna rush the thread a little so we can get it over with ^^))

There were a lot of things to be said about Miss Analiza Snark. She was cold hearted... callous... manipulative... bossy... arrogant... sharp tongued... so on and so forth, the list went on for miles. But one thing that couldn't be said about her was that she was incapable of putting all of those negative traits aside to achieve a common goal to benefit others. In this case, it was saving the school from nothing short of absolute distruction.

Catching her breath, Analiza managed to conjure up another happy memory, the birth of her son, to summon the cat once more. Bounding gracefully into the inferno, it zigged where Nagde's serpent zagged, cutting an adjacent path through the fire. The patronus returned with bits of the shrunken room clutched proudly in its mouth, like flaming rodents, and deposited them in the box. This went on for several minutes, the heat leaving the women drenched in sweat and struggling to keep enough power going to get every last bit from the room. With each little piece removed, from beds to trays to equipment, the fire found itself shrinking a bit more. When it got to a manageable size, Analiza said in a loud but calm voice "We need to seal this off immediately..."

Dispelling her patronus, much to the relief of her weary spirit, Analiza started to summon stones to brick up the wall. It was a much easier task then maintaining several spells at once, so her brain was allowed a moment of rest and she was able to focus on what had happened with more clarity. As the bricks quickly filled up the doorway, Analiza's golden eyes scanned the room and lit upon something she had noted but failed to fully comprehend in her frenzy. A phrase scrawled across the wall in sloppy graffiti that told Analiza nearly all she needed to know about the reason for this senseless and destructive crime.

For a moment her work on the wall stopped as Analiza just stared at the obscene message, her hand clenched so tightly around her wand that the grooves in the wood bruised patterns into her palms. For Ollie... She recited over and over in her head, each syllable sending a wave of anger through her. She could handle the nasty letters from werewolf activists... the condemning articles written by her very employees... even a bunch of little snots who thought that their little club could do something that thousands of years of capable adults could not... but this... This senseless distruction of such a sacred place for so many of the wizarding worlds citizens... Well even Analiza Snark could feel grief.

After all Her father had died here, in this infirmary, from the wounds he suffered protecting this school. And now some prepubescent cretin had desecrated that memory with a petty act of teenage angst over something they couldn't understand. This couldn't, and wouldn't, go unpunished. If this is how they wanted to play, she would gladly throw her hand in the pile and play dirty. If they would go as far as to cause wonton chaos 'for Ollie', she wondered how much farther they would go in her name... How much farther she could push them before they destroyed themselves and all hope they had in saving anyone.

As the last stone sealed away the incriminating scrawl, Analiza rolled her wand between her fingers, what she imagined was its voice whispering ideas on how she could use this to her advantage in the back of her mind. She needed to find out which of the three, the slimy Slytherin, the Tomboy or the loudmouth, did this, even if it meant breaking them with techniques mastered in her years as an Unspeakable. After she got her confession, she would crucify them for all to see. Proof of what she would do to those that dared to desecrate her school. Turning to the other teachers, Analiza's face was the epitome of calm while her golden eyes nearly glowed with her barely contained rage. "Those three..." She said slowly and deliberately, weighing each word so to not give away her intentions. "... Bring them to me. Immediately."

((Hope that was ok. Tried not to godmod anyone directly, but if there is an issue, let me know ^^ I think we can now finish this up.))

Perhaps had Tulojow attended this school, the loss of the Hospital Wing might have sat heavier with her.  She might have shared more of Snark's anger.  Hogwarts had only served as Tulojow's home for a little over a year and most of that year had been spent living on the grounds.  It was sad to see any building destroyed but the loss didn't hold the same personal pain as it did for the other staff members.  It was much easier for her to focus on what the destruction had cost the human element. 

Despite the younger woman's efforts to suppress it, the sheer fury Snark was harboring was easy enough to recognize.  She'd opted to expel a student for merely being infected with a contagious disease - what she would do with a student who destroyed the Hospital Wing, Tulojow could only speculate.  So when the Headmistress demanded someone retrieve the students, Tulojow didn't hesitate to pursue the students.

"I'll go get them," she offered.  "...make sure they're alright," might have been audible in her voice as she moved away.

The woman's intentions might not have been transparent in her voice but, given her past actions, Tulojow readily made some educated guesses.  The sense of urgency masking the pain in her knee once more, Tulojow rushed down the hallway after the students. 

One student was perched on a step when Tulojow reached the landing of the staircase.  The other two students were still retreating, though they hadn't made it too far.  Tulojow whistled quietly, but distinctly, to grab the two other students' attention and beckon them back up to her. 

"She wants to speak with you three," Tulojow said, her voice lowered but still carrying the necessary weight.  "It'd be foolish to leave her waiting too long, but I need to know what happened."  Tulojow hesitated a moment, weighing her options.  She wasn't quite ready to give Snark the ammunition to can her, quite yet, but - well, old age hadn't necessarily made her any less prone to rash behavior when the circumstances warranted it.  At least she wasn't throwing rocks at tanks in Tiananmen Square. 

She ran a hand over her head, trying to tame the few strands of stray hair that had fallen free, as she looked between the three students.  "Whatever happened - or whoever did it - I'm sure you had simply come across that incantation in a book and, really, had no idea what it would do.  Intent and premeditation would be much harder to prove if the spell was used, foolishly, out of pure ignorance."  Her gaze shifted pointedly between the three students.  How long she'd have to assess the situation she didn't know - the more the culprit - whoever it was - was able to read between the lines, the better. 

But, just in case, "when in doubt, it's always within your right to demand to have a parent or guardian present for major disciplinary actions." 

Figaro jumped up from his perch on the stairs when Madam Nagde rounded the corner.  Having been ordered to his house, and having not quite obeyed, he was was ready to run off to Hufflepuff and avoid further reprimand.  But the Healer's gentle beck made him pause and come closer.  She'd never been a wrathful disciplinarian, not since he'd met her.

But now, standing close to her, hearing that the Headmistress wanted to talk to them - that Madam Nagde was asking for some sort of explanation.  Figaro put his hands on his ears, his mind kind of spinning and chattering away, telling him to get going and stay out of it.  This was trouble of the sort he couldn't handle.  It was beyond his capability to commit a crime so terrible, and beyond his capability to deal with its consequences.

He blurted out the first thing that coalesced into words: "I didn't do anything! It was Darcy! I just... I mean, I didn't do anything, what's she want to see me for?"

Figaro's fear of Headmistress Snark was apparent.  He'd been bold as brass so far, talking his head off about her safely out of earshot - but he was terrified of her and this would be his first direct confrontation.  And it was a confrontation with some serious heat.

Of course, Darcy nearly tripped over Trent. How surprising. He got back up and continued down the staircase. He heard the Headmistress's booming echoes down the hall and she was clearly demanding for someone to go get the two-- And then Nagde appeared. Trent glared up at the woman, whom definitely seemed friendly enough. But he didn't trust her.

"when in doubt, it's always within your right to demand to have a parent or guardian present for major disciplinary actions." 

Trent wished he could demand Lukas Quinn by his side. His parents weren't exactly... Er... Fit to come to Hogwarts. "I didn't do shit." Trent finally blurted out at the older woman. Well, he truly didn't. "I shouldn't even have to come. I just walked in at a bad time." Like when he walked in on Charlie Robards dancing his heart out. "Can't I just go take a nap?" But, not needing to be answered, he sulked back up the stairs and pass Nagde. Whom he gave a deep scowl to. No matter how many people liked that woman, Trent didn't care for her all too much.

He reached the Infirmary once again, where the flames have died out and the burn was gone. "I didn't do anything. Can I go?" He had other things to do, after all. Like sulk in a corner or write poetry or take pictures of the back of Astrid's head... Just things that he'd rather be doing than talking to a redhead that wasn't even remotely attractive to Trent.

They were cornered.

Darcy knew she should have left at the start of fire, should have beat it back to her bed the minute the flames sprung out of her wand.  But she had been foolish and now it was time to pay.  For an instant she felt like her mother staring down a line of riot police.  Except her mother probably wouldn't be proud of her.  Darcy wasn't even proud of herself right then. 

"I didn't do shit. I shouldn't even have to come. I just walked in at a bad time. Can't I just go take a nap?"

Her jaw just fell open.  What was he doing?  He had promised to stand with her, to keep her safe! And he was...just going to abandon her like that?  Her mouth contorted, a sob threatening to spill forth as she realized her brief love was a backstabbing traitor.  Who could nap at a time like this?


"I didn't do anything! It was Darcy! I just... I mean, I didn't do anything, what's she want to see me for?"

"FI-IG!" she cried, shocked that her friends would turn against her in a heartbeat.  Mysti wouldn't have treated her like that.  Fauna wouldn't have.  But then they wouldn't have let her start the fire in the first place.  Still, they would have at least stuck by her.  She guessed that was what her mother meant about true friends.  She should have known better, Fig couldn't keep his mouth shut if his own life depended on it, let alone hers. 

Disheartened by her friends' cowardice, Darcy knew she was the last one left to deny the crime.  "Yea, I-I saw it in a book and, I didn't...I didn't know it would do this!"  Figaro had all but threw her in Azkaban, but Professor Nagde knew.  She knew Darcy would never do something that bad.  Mischevious, maybe, but not a crime!  Tears threatened to spill, at Darcy found herself seeking solace in the very prospect she had tried to run away from.  "They won't put me in Azkaban, will they? I made sure you weren't there, I wouldn't hurt anybody.  I wouldn't!  It's just stone, right?"

Tulojow lifted both hands in a whoa, slow down fashion as Figaro jumped to his feet.  She forced herself to take a long, deep breath as she grasped a handrail with one hand and leaned against it.  Oh, how she was going to be sore tomorrow.  Wherever she happened to be waking up tomorrow.  Obviously, anywhere other than the ground floor wasn't going to work. 

But, the respite was only momentary.  Tulojow reached out to place what she hoped was a calming hand on Figaro's shoulder.  She glanced towards Trent as the boy insisted his innocence as well.  Which, of course, left one alternative.  Her gaze flickered towards Darcy but she looked back towards Figaro and Trent.  "I'm sure she just needs to straighten things out.  If you didn't do anything then you just need to tell her that."  Tulojow wished she could tell the boy that his fear was unwarranted but she wasn't entirely confident of that fact herself. 

Trent pushed passed on his way back to the smoldering infirmary.  Tulojow turned her attention towards Darcy.  Slowly, her age showing more than it had during the height of the tragedy, Tulojow descended a step, drawing closer to the girl.  There was worry and unease behind her eyes but her features were, otherwise, soft and calm. 

"Okay," Tulojow said, nodding her head.  It had just been a tragic, stupid mistake.  It was hardly criminal.  "No, they won't send you to Azkaban.  No one was hurt and you are a minor.  You're right, it's just stone."  Unfortunately, it was unlikely Headmistress Snark would see it that way.  "Alright, we probably shouldn't keep her waiting.  But, I'm happy to stay with you until your parents get here.  Let's go."  She turned and started to lead the way up the stairs and back towards the charred infirmary.

Figaro hung his head.  He wasn't sure what he was supposed to have said.  He'd told the truth, but should he have instead said nothing or outright lied to defend Darcy? Now she was pissed at him.  And it wouldn't be long before they were all getting an earful from the Headmistress.  And not long after that before they'd all hear it from their parents.

But he trudged like a prisoner already condemned back up the the stairs and down the corridor after the old lady witch.  He looked back at Darcy.  She looked as downtrodden as he did.  He wondered if Aurors were going to show up and take her away, or if her parents were going to come get her.

It had never happened in all of Figaro's memory that a student left school during the term.  Except for Olivia.  She had left every month.