Open Bounce

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly was amazed that more than a semester in, she still hadn’t been able to explore all of the school. She found herself on the Seventh Floor for the first time. As she traveled through the corridor, she chucked a bouncy ball against the walls, catching it repeatedly. In her pockets, she had stashed a number of items picked up at Gambol & Japes over the Brightstone Weekend, but wasn’t sure if today was the day to cause havoc. She took her time as she checked out the different portraits and fixtures.

Then, Tilly nearly hit a painting with the ball. Grinning sheepishly, she took more care with her aim afterward; she didn’t need to rile up the resident portraits for no good reason.

 

[Seraphina My]

Seraphina felt conflicted about the semester almost being over. On the one hand, she didn't have to worry about the exorbitant amount of homework she was repeatedly given over the year. However, her mother was making her return to the house in New Zealand for the summer rather than allowing her to visit her grandmother like she had initially promised. She hadn't told her why, but it didn't matter. She would be stuck in that stupid house with the stupid baby who she couldn't even talk to. Seraphina walked up the stairs, trying to reach her dorm so she could be alone when she was almost hit in the face by a ball. It had hit a portrait instead, but it was still close enough that if she had been a few steps ahead, it would have hit her. She swung her head towards who she assumed was the pitcher. "What do you think you're doing? You nearly hit me," she shouted towards the girl. There were other students walking around, but she didn't care. The carelessness of this girl had p!ssed her off.

 

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly raised an eyebrow at the Gryffindor girl. They had some classes together, but Tilly could not remember her name. Besides, she was taken aback by the girl’s reaction. Any remorse the Hufflepuff might have felt evaporated in a second.

“Sorry,” Tilly said with emphasis, not really sorry at all. She grinned and bounced the ball against the floor, trying to walk away.

 

[Seraphina My]

Seraphina crossed her arms and saw that the girl definitely did not seem bothered by disrupting people in the hallway. She huffed and stared at the girl. Why did people have to be so rude. She caught up to the girl, not running but briskly walking, and stuck her foot out, hoping the girl would fall or at least trip. "Watch where you're going skyscraper," she sneered as she smirked at the girl, deciding whether or not she should attempt to take the ball for herself. She didn't know why this girl was playing in the hallway when she clearly could have done so outside, but Seraphina didn't care. She wished she could have remembered her name but only knew her face the more she looked at it.

 

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly was not expecting the Gryffindor girl to match her pace and follow her. She was definitely not expecting the girl to stick out her leg and trip her. Except Tilly did not realize that was happening until she had already crashed to the ground, smacking her knees on the stone floor and catching herself with her hands. The bouncy ball rolled out of her hands and hit the wall.

Tilly wasn’t sure what hurt more, the impact of the fall, or being called a skyscraper. Tilly had always been taller and wider than most other kids in her year, but she hadn’t started to feel self-conscious about it until earlier this term. She rose to her feet, scowling and wincing at the pain in her joints.

The Hufflepuff pulled out her wand. “Accio ball.” The bouncy ball shot up and she caught it in her hand. Tilly stood there, trying to think of a good comeback, but one didn’t come to her. Instead, she threw the ball again, launching it at the wall just behind the Gryffindor’s head and hoping physics would do the rest for her.

 

[Seraphina My]

Seraphina giggled when the girl tripped. Before she could grab the ball, the girl snatched it back using her wand. Sometimes, Seraphina forgot she could use magic to her advantage now that she had a wand. She was so used to spoiling others' lives with just her hands. Suddenly, the ball was flying past her face as she felt it hit the back of her hand, knocking it forward as she placed her hand on the back, mouth agape. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the ball. "Accio ball," she retorted, catching the ball as it tried to fly past her again as she threw it over a banister, waiting for it to sail down and down, possible to the ground floor. She crossed her arms as her wand hung in her hand and stared at the other girl with a smirk on her face. Her move. The easy thing would be to go to her dorm room or leave, but there wasn't much fun in easy choices.

 

[Liusaidh Styx]

Liusaidh was always looking for something new to be doing, so she was often wandering around the school, so as she was heading through the seventh floor corridor and she heard the distinct sounds of some magic she decided to head on over to find out what exactly was going on. Much to her surprise there were two girls one she knew, Tilly or something weird like that, and another that she didn't. They were seemingly fighting over a ball. While she didn't need to pick a side, she decided she would. Tilly's of course. "Accio ball," she said as one of them went to drop it over the edge and she caught it in her hand, "This yers?" she said glancing towards Tilly. She was holding it in her hand and deciding what next. "Why were yer throwin' o'er the banister?" she then asked the other girl. She had cheerfulness in her tone, she wanted to know what had been going on between them, it seemed like it could definitely be fun to get in the middle of it. [/B]​

 

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly snickered at the Gryffindor’s open-mouthed expression. Served her right for being such a twit. The Hufflepuff started as the girl chucked her ball over the railing, but she calmed herself with the reminder that it was just an inexpensive toy. If she wanted, she could go hunting for it later, and that would be another adventure in itself.

Except, Liusaidh appeared and retrieved it. Tilly nodded. “Yep, that’s mine.” She held out an open hand to Liusaidh and glared at the girl whose name she still didn’t know.

 

[Seraphina My]

Seraphina was disappointed that another girl came in her way of humiliating the broad girl in front of her. She didn't know this one either, and it was at this point she wished she had paid attention in her classes more so she could identify these students by name - it made her comebacks better when she could personally attack someone. She lowered her arms and scrunched up her face, glaring at the first girl. She knew that she wouldn't have much luck as it was now two against one, and they all had magic at their disposal. Deciding to end her bullying, she point her wand at the original target casting a quick tripping jinx and then turned around on her heel, starting to walk down the hallway in the opposite direction.

 

[Liusaidh Styx]

Liusaidh handed the ball back to Tilly and then then looked towards the other girl, she still didn't know who that was and could admit she was a little confused as to what exactly happened. She watched as the girl raised her wand at them, to Tilly specific and cast off a spell, but Liusaidh didn't do anything she just kept her own wand in her hand and then cast back, "Petrificus Totalus," as soon as the girl's back was turned to her and Tilly. ​

 

[Seraphina My]

Before Seraphina realized what (literally) hit her, she felt a strange sensation come over her body as her arms pinned to her sides and her legs came to a screeching hault. She tried to call out for help, but no sound came out of her mouth as she feel face first onto the stone floor. She felt her nose hit and was sure she could feel a warm liquid dripping out. Those witches, she thought to herself. Hoping for the first time in her life that an authority figure would walk by to free her from this horrific state, she laid on the floor at the mercy of two first years who were mad over a little ball. Sometimes, just sometimes, she hated it here more than at home.

 

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly pocketed the ball, her knees throbbing with a dull pain. She would need to go straight to her House and rest after this. Walking down three flights of stairs was not appealing to her. She knew Liusaidh’s intervention was only escalating the situation with the unpleasant Gryffindor girl, but at the same time, she appreciated having backup.

And then, Tilly barely registered what was happening as the Gryffindor cast a spell at her. Tilly fell harder the second time around. She swore loudly (as badly as a twelve-year-old could swear) as her kneecaps exploded with an even worse pain, her left more so than the right.

Then Liusaidh used an incantation TIlly had never heard before, and the Gryffindor was down on the ground too. Despite the circumstances, Tilly might have felt bad for the girl, but she was in too much agony herself. The Hufflepuff broke out into a sweat and tried not to whimper and groan. She was definitely not walking back to her House at this rate, and probably needed a trip to the Hospital Wing.

 

[Liusaidh Styx]

Liusaidh didn't really care that Tilly had been tripped by the girl's spell just watched with some glee as her spell hit the girl who'd been walking away. She broke out into giggles and began walking towards her, "Wow, that's ne'er work before," she stepped towards the girl and noted that there was a little blood. She looked back at Tilly, "Ye alright there? Dae ah need tae take ye tae the hospital?" she asked Tilly but her attention was mostly on the girl she'd managed to hit with the spell. "Dae ye 'hink ah can just reverse it with a finite?" she hadn't ever bothered to learn the counter curse. It was probably the general counter spell "before ah dae though, listen here, lass," she prodded her foot into the frozen girl, "Ye pick on Tilly again, and ah'll dae much worse," she wasn't even that loyal to Tilly but for now she could be. "Finite?" she lacked conviction but she gave the spell her best shot. Maybe it would work. ​

 

[Seraphina My]

Seraphina had never been frozen before by magic. It was an eerie feeling, and she could feel herself fighting her hardest to just move her hand or even her toe within her shoe so she knew she was still alive. She knew she was panicing for no reason, but it was hard not to when your body was literally unable to do what it instinctually wanted to. She listened as the girl who had cast the spell on her spoke, but it also hard to focus past the pain coming from her nose. Also, what she presumed to be blood was causing her lips to itch. The girl cast a counterspell that worked, and Seraphina was relieved as she took a deep breath. She pushed herself off the ground and wiped her nose with her sleep, forgetting to look at it as she turned around and glared at the two girls. "You didn't need to break my nose for messing around with your ball. Rude," she spat at them as she looked at her sleeve and realized that it was indeed blood. She pinched it and leaned forward a little bit as she moved herself towards a wall and leaned against it, feeling her front body ache from the impact on the floor.

 

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly was impressed when Liusaidh’s simple Finite thawed out the Gryffindor girl. Except, she wasn’t exactly pleased about it. Knowing Liusaidh had her back was a relief.

Tilly rolled onto her side, using her upper body to prop herself up. She struggled to stand without putting too much pressure on her left knee. The Hufflepuff gritted her teeth and tried not to shout. It was satisfying to see the Gryffindor in pain as well. That said, Tilly couldn’t help feeling a little guilty for her bloodied and broken nose.

Tilly rolled her eyes and did her best not to grimace as she shifted her body slightly. The nerve of this girl!

“Rude, my skyscraper arse.”

 

[Liusaidh Styx]

Liusaidh was quite surprised the counter spell worked. She looked as the girl with the bloody nose stood up and then glanced back at Tilly who retorted. it wouldn't have matter what this girl had been doing, it wasn't like Liusaidh had stepped in because she wanted to help. She giggled a little, "Did she call you a sky scraper?" the girl thought it was pretty hilarious as a nickname. "Why?" she asked the girl with the bloody nose, there was a friendliness to her tone which somehow went against the fact she had just recently cast a spell which had cause the girl some harm. "Tilly are ye alright? Dae ye want me tae take ye tae the nurse?" She noted that Tilly was having some problems or was just playing it up to make the other girl feel bad.​

 

[Seraphina My]

Seraphina looked at the girl asking her why she called her a skyscraper and then looked down at her feet, still holding her nose. "I don't know," she mumbled, kicking the floor. She knew why she called her a skyscraper, but she also didn't want to say it if the two girls were going to throw more spells at her. Listening as the girl suggested taking the skyscraper to the nurse, Seraphina let go of her nose. "I'm the one with blood dripping everywhere. Move you... you... heffalump," she said, unsure why that word had just come out of her mouth. She pushed past her new enemy (Tilly), bumping into her side, as she walked towards a staircase to find a bathroom and deal with the blood on her lips.

 

[Tilly Drage]

Tilly was about to respond to Liusaidh when the Gryffindor claimed not to know what she had meant.

Tilly had no idea what a heffalump was. But it sounded suspiciously close to elephant. No one had ever poked fun at her size, at least, not at Hogwarts New Zealand. Tilly wanted to crawl out of her own skin and hide somewhere.

The Hufflepuff didn’t retaliate as the girl bumped into her; she winced again and the blood drained from her face. Tilly felt like puking. She squeezed back tears, partially from the pain in her joints, partially from her bruised pride. Liusaidh didn’t seem like the type of person she could cry in front of.

“I do need to go to the Hospital Wing,” Tilly said to Liusaidh, quietly. “My knees are screwed up.” Then Tilly realized where the nurses were located- on the third floor, just below Hufflepuff house. It was going to be a long way down.

 

[Liusaidh Styx]

Liusaidh frowned when the girl said she didn't know why she'd called Tilly sky scrapper. It was boring to not know why she hadn't had a reason for it. "That's borin'," she frowned when the girl used another word heffalump. That was just weird...that girl was weird. "She's so weird. There's a bathroom on the fifth floor!" Liusaidh called out to the girl so she'd be to able. She then looked to Tilly. She groaned slightly at her. She didn't want to help. "Can ye walk? Or ah can like pull ye along?" she didn't want to carry her, that would be too much effort, she could provide possible support but that too seemed like a lot of effort, she was half tempted to just leave and not bother helping at all. ​

 

[Tilly Drage]

The thought of Liusaidh pulling her down to the third floor was hilarious. “What, do you have a sled in your pocket?” Tilly joked, laughing, but then she immediately regretted it as she jostled her knee too much. A wave of nausea radiated up her torso and into her face, and miraculously, she managed not to vomit. One way or another, she made it down to the Hospital Wing. She decided to avoid the seventh floor for the rest of her first year, and maybe even her second.