Hiding from inferi (OPEN)

Haley got herself safely into the trophy room and noticed that a lot of other people were already there. The first person she saw was Leisha. She practically sprinted over.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.

She looked around and saw a lot of other people she knew. None of them looked any hurt or anything, but they all looked so scared. Haley had a feeling that she looked pretty scared herself. She certainly was, but the adrenaline was still kicking in her blood, so she didn't feel the full extent of it yet.

Leshia was so happy when Haley walked into the room, she could not help but throw her arms around her about knocking her over.

"OMG I was so worried about you one minute you were there and then the next you were gone." Leshia was practically in tears.

"Can you believe this is happening, whats going to happen to us?" Leshia was just so hyped on adrenaline she was just blurting things out of her mouth.

Haley stumbled backwards when Leisha gave her the hug, and then she too wrapped her arms around the girl.

"I'm so glad you're safe, all of you," Haley said, looking over Leisha's shoulder.

Haley then shook her head. "I have no idea. I mean, there were inferi there! And you can't really stop them, can you? To think this had to happen at the end of the year. I hope we're gonna be okay," she said and broke from the hug.

Then she frowned. "Pxyis was out there! And Tess and Victoria! Why? Why aren't they here?" she asked with big eyes.

"And where is Parker?" Haley then asked, looking around the room.

Charlottes double walked into the trophy room and sat down, she wasn't able to say anything but imitate the very basic forms of life, she sat down and looked at the other students in here, expression blank and she didn't blink at all, she just sat and stared in silent, just looking between student to student with an odd mechanical motion.

Letting the controller know where she was, the double merely blinked and stayed stationary, calm, as if she was totally shell shocked to the world around her.

Haley saw Charlotte walking into the room, but something was wrong with her. However, Haley didn't know what. She looked almost sick. Haley frowned and walked over to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Haley had seen faces like that before. Cold, melancholic, blank. It was the expressions she got when she learned of her death. Had someone died? Haley wouldn't believe it. She couldn't. But what was a battle without casualties.

"Is everyone okay?" Haley then asked, feeling completely confused and helpless.

Haley also realized that maybe Charlotte didn't want to talk to her, since she had been dancing with Humphrey after all the drama. But fact was, Haley just wanted people to be happy. No matter who they were. And Charlotte seemed like a nice and kind person who really deserved the best.

Haley was shocked when Humphrey was taken into the trophy room. He was still sleeping, and he looked really tired. She just hoped he'd be okay.

She also wouldn't mind finding out what was wrong with Charlotte. Except for looking around the room, she hadn't said a word or anything. Haley was beginning to wonder if the person even was Charlotte.

"Leisha, do you know what's up with Charlotte?" Haley asked her friend silently.

Sofia took a look at the students surrounding her in the room. She could see all the worried looks on their faces. She was trying to think of a way to calm everyone.

"Alright Ladies and gentlemen, I know we all want to know what is going on, but I am sure that the headmistress will have everything under control in moments."

Sofia was not sure if that was meant more to calm her or the students.

Tabi had not wanted to leave Pxyis out in the great hall, but she had no choice to come as Leshia was dragging her with her.

Before she could say a word Leshia threw herself into Haley's arms.

Haley started asking a bunch of questions that they were not sure of the answers too.

"We really do not know a lot Haley, we were brought in here too. The last time we saw Charlotte was she was leaving the great all with Aiden. It was bad out there."

Tabi was looking around the room. "So what about the ones that are in here, has anyone counted?"

Haley nodded at what Tabi said.

"You're right. We should ... do a namecalling or something. Can't everyone just say that they're here, and stuff, and then I can ... like ... write them down or something so we know who is here?" she asked the room, not feeling good in a 'bossy' position.

But she really wanted to know if anyone was missing. She hated the thought of not knowing where her friends were.

Humphrey was furious with himself for running away into the trophy room. But he valued his life and wouldn't commit suicide by staying in that battle. Maybe in a couple years he could be of use, but not now..."Victoria, do you think we are cowards for running away? Shouldn't we as Gryffindors be in there leading the fight?" he asked one of his closest friends. He really liked Victoria. Maybe...maybe I should try and ask her out sometime. They got along better in some ways than he and Charlotte did.

"Humphrey... Ehm... Victoria is still out in the Great Hall. She will be here soon enough though," Haley said, happy that her friend was awake, at the same time as she was worried about him and the others who were still in the midst of battle.

"What do you mean, she is still out there. I saw her." he said. Then he looked again. "Oh, that's Keiba. They look too darn similar." he said, frustrated.

Haley smiled softly to him. "Just relax, Humphrey, and take it easy. This will all be over soon," Haley said, hoping that professor Slytherin was right about that.

She wanted this to be over and done with. She wanted to feel safe again. She didn't want to hear the bouldering sounds from the Great Hall. She just wanted to lie in her bed in the Hufflepuff girls dormitory and wonder if Agath- Agatha! Was she all right? Haley bit her lip. She hoped Agatha wasn't planning on coming down to the party.

Sofia thought it best to make a list of the students in the room so she would know who was not in the room with them.

Haley Vilde Smith-Hufflepuff
Leshia Prewett- Ravenclaw
Tabi Prewett-Slytherin
Humphrey Williams- Gryffindor
Charlotte Smith- Slytherin

Sofia was sure that Pxyis Wilson, and Tess McCartney were suppose to be on their way.

Sofia read off a list of names she currently she had.

"This is the current list of the ones I have in this room, is there someone I have missed?"

Humphrey did a quick head count. "You got everybody, professor. Can you please go get Victoria Rossmund, she is still in there, as well as Tess McCartney. The last time I saw them we were under our table casting spells." he told Sofia Slytherin.

He took a deep breath, and just a hint of a smile crossed his face. "Thanks, Haley. I needed somebody to tell me that. You always seem to know just what to say to me. It is kind of uncanny, but I appreciate it more than you know." Humphrey said to Haley.

Haley smiled to Humphrey. "I'm glad. I feel like I have no idea of what I'm saying," she said.

And it was the truth. Haley simply said what came to her mind, but she felt like she sometimes sounded stupid or exaggerated or something. She just wanted to keep her friends safe and happy.

Sofia looked at Mr. Williams for a moment and then looked around the room, not so many students in here and she knew than there were still many out there.

"Mr. Williams I understand your concern, but right not I have to look out for the students that are in here. Professor Girard, Healer Henley on working on getting all of the students in here. I was out there when they were talking to Ms. McCartney and she was suppose to be on way in here."

Sofia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "All we can do it have patience and mediate"

"Yes, Professor Slytherin." he said to her.

Then he turned to Haley, "Well, you do. You should be more confident in yourself, your instincts are good. Just make sure you don't become a pompous, arrogant brat like me." he said.

Haley had to laugh at that. "You're not arrogant, Humphrey. You're overexcited," she said with a smile.

But she was grateful that he said what he said. She was happy that he thought she had good instincts.

"No, I am. That is why my animagus form is a Hippogriff, an arrogant prick of an animal. Awesome, noble, proud, and amazing as well. But mainly an arrogant prick." he said with a wink. "Hey, I just call it how I see it. If you were a jerk I would call you on it too, and that hasn't gotten me into more than one scrape. Your welcome, any time you need cheering up let me know." he said.

Haley smiled. "All right, maybe you are an arrogant prick. But in that case, you are a kind arrogant prick. And that's okay. And if you don't believe me, you would never ask me to tell you when I needed cheering up, you know," she insisted, making sure he understood that he was a kind person, even if he was slightly arrogant.

Leshia had taken to walking around the trophy room. She was so nervous about what was going on outside of the room. Did anyone know what was going on, did their parents know. How many other students had they lost. Where was Salina and Corrine she was so afraid for them. Salina had become so close to her in such a short period and she knew she would be lost if anything happened to her or her twin.

Leshia had be so strong outside but inside she was dying. She could do nothing but fall on the floor and she just let it all go and started to cry.

Haley snapped her neck around she almost broke it when she heard someone crying. When she saw that it was Leisha, she couldn't help it; she started crying herself. She fell down to the floor next to Leisha, knowing that she was crying because of her other friends that were still out there.

Haley put her arm around Leisha, trying her best to comfort her in that way, even though words were scarce in this case, no matter someone's instinct. But she still kept muttering that everything was going to be okay, and that everyone was going to be all right.

By the one she reached the trophy room, her hair was in disarray, her once compose demeanor and looks disappeared. It was clear from her her falling down her shoulders, smudges of dirt on her cheeks from the disarray of the Great Hall, her white dress ripped on the side and smudged. 

She gripped Victoria's hand tightly as she ran in. She had thrown her shoes aside at the ball the moment they were attacked to help with her mobility and she stumbled quite a few times. 

"We made it" she puffed out as she gasped for breath. 

She let herself crumple to the floor her wand falling beside her knowing she was safe as was Victoria.

Humphrey saw Leshia collapse sobbing on the floor. Whoa! What was that about? Then he noticed that neither her twin or her adopted sister were there. Or her friends Pxyis, Tess, and Parker. He rushed over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Umm, Leshia, do you need somebody to talk to? I'm in the same boat as you, Charlotte's still out there, as well as Victoria, Tess, Parker, Airen, Jaden, Aaron, Pxyis, everybody who I care about except Haley and Keiba. Listen, everything's going to be all right. You know Headmistress Briony, she is going to do some serious butt-whooping in there. Besides, there are two teachers looking for our friends right now. Everything is going to be all right." he said this all in as soothing a tone as he could. He had never really comforted anybody except Charlotte before, it was so personal. And it had not worked well with Charlotte. He hoped Leshia Prewett reacted better.