Closed Careful What You Wish For

[Yuelia Rossingol]

approval ID #120292

Animating dolls was one thing, thought Yuelia, crouched in front of a gargoyle and gazing at it inquisitively. She could, once she could freely use magic outside of school, quite gleefully have tea parties with them as she'd always wanted. But it wasn't quite enough. Yuelia was small, physically weak. She could defend herself quite well with magic, as her duelling titles proved. However, if she wanted to really keep herself safe and defeat anyone who would wish her harm, she needed to use something quite a bit bigger than a doll. And so, she pulled out her wand to point at the stone creature, a small smile crossing her lips. "You will play with me, will you not?" she whispered, pondering how to make it behave. She wondered if Chaos would be impressed with her for this, and her gaze became a little more determined. "You will protect me from anyone who wants to hurt me, my dear friend?" Carefully, she began attempting the animation spell.

 

[Cameron Roswell]

Cameron was aware it was anti-social, but if given the choice between trying to socializing with his peers or going to lurk in the Dungeons under the guise of 'patrols', he'd always take the out if he could. He'd never actively disliked the school as a whole, but there was no doubt he'd be relieved to be done with it once the year was done, especially with the way his luck was going the past few months. He'd only just got his camera back and working properly after it'd taken a bludger earlier in the year and just yesterday his wand had tried to jump whole-heartedly into his cauldron when he'd been trying to use it to light his burner, an inclination Cameron could understand but would appreciate if it would hold off on for a few more months.

It was quieter down in the dungeons, which gave Cameron more time to think without feeling like he was just sulking in his silent dorm. It also meant it was much easier to hear students talking to themselves, or at least Cameron assumed that's what Yuelia seemed to be doing, only catching a snippet of her voice as he got closer, snorting when he spotted her apparently chatting with a statue. "And people think I'm anti-social," Cameron said, mindless of whatever Yuelia seemed to be doing with her wand as he stepped around a shadowy corner. "You couldn't find anyone friendlier to talk to, like maybe a brickwall?"

 

[Yuelia Rossingol]

Gargoyles were mysterious in how they worked, not necessarily being based on any sort of animal behaviour. As far as Yuelia was concerned they were inclined to aggression, mischief, but all in the vein of protecting their domain. All sharp claws and teeth, the kind of beings that would leap on someone and ferociously attack them - if they posed a threat. And realistically, nobody within Hogwarts grounds would pose an actual threat to a student, especially not another student.

There was realistic, of course, and there was whatever Yuelia's fantasy happened to be as she whispered the animation spell. Because as Cameron spoke, the stray thought seemingly crossed her mind that he was a threat, that his rude comment was something far worse than what it actually was, and that if the gargoyle was going to protect Yuelia from anything, the first target was therefore her fellow Slytherin.

By then it was far too late. The stone began to move, but Yuelia, thinking it hadn't worked quite right, turned to face her so-called assailant, not yet realizing exactly what was to come. What she did realize, at least, was that animating objects outside of class time was probably not something she was meant to be doing. Especially not as a prefect. "Um, brick walls do not have faces, unless you mean portraits...?" she questioned, shrinking back against the wall and hoping to have this all pass without any issue. It wasn't a duel, so she wasn't spurred into confidence. "I..." Any excuse was cut off by the sickening grinding of stone from behind her, the gargoyle beginning to move in earnest. "Oh."

 

[Cameron Roswell]

“Yeah well I figure anything is better than that thing’s ugly mug-“ Cameron drawled, cutting off with a confused frown when he was sure he saw the gargoyle’s foot twitch. “Did you just-“ He managed to get out, falling silent when the gargoyle’s head suddenly snapped towards him, a cold shot of fear spearing right through him and directly down to Cameron’s feet as he met the empty stone eyes of the gargoyle’s face and it blinked.

“I don’t think you should be messing around with those like that,” Cameron tried again, mouth dry as he took a wary step back and then another, watching as the movement seemed to cause the gargoyle to hunch and twitch, like a spring being wound, it’s stare still locked on him. “What spell did you cast?” He asked, fumbling in his robes, eyes leaving the statue to stare incredulously at Yuelia. Taking his eyes off the gargoyle however, he realized as its wings snapped open with a horrible crack, had been a mistake.

 

[Yuelia Rossingol]

There was a part of Yuelia that was immensely pleased that the spell had worked, regardless of what intent the gargoyle may have had. It wasn't the right thing to be thinking in this moment, naturally, and she should have probably been more focused on perhaps trying to stop it, but she was rather spellbound seeing it move and come to life, all because of her. And all for her sake, too. She stared in awe as the wings spread, feeling a strange warmth in her chest at the knowledge a long held dream had come to life, that she could create life within inanimate objects and have them act as her friends and protectors. "It's an animation spell," she explained, her voice quiet and reverent. "My friend, you-"

And then the gargoyle lunged straight for Cameron, and the air around her went cold.

Of course, Yuelia hadn't really considered that protection would mean the gargoyle would attack anyone perceived to be a threat, which apparently extended to seventh year students fumbling for their wands. She turned around, eyes widening in horror as she saw the gargoyle leap past her and onto the older boy. There wasn't anything she could have done - no, that wasn't quite true at all. If she hadn't been so caught up in what she'd done, perhaps she could have reacted with the speed she'd cultivated from duels to do something, anything. But instead, she dropped her wand. She pressed her back to the wall, breath catching in her throat as the gargoyle raised a clawed arm. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, but really it was only an instant before the claw came down.

Oh, Merlin, where did I go wrong?