From: walktheline	Date: February 1st, 2011 12:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

The ground became more and more mushy as they walked deeper into the woods and Charlie was glad he had worn multiple layers, it was pretty cold. He and Emilie had got lucky, Fortis was easily one of the best teachers at this school and he grinned at the other senior from over his shoulder.

"What kind of spells are you going to use to blast it with" he said quietly, shoving his free hand in his pocket and away from the cold.

	From: babalon	Date: February 1st, 2011 06:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Emilie stepped on and over a large root curling out from one of the willows. She'd transfigured her eyes to that similar of her animagus form-- a White Bengal tiger. This gave her pupils a more striking, vaguely almond-shaped appearance; the irises of her eyes were rather enormous and a more brilliant blue, almost clearly visible in the low light-- with just a tiny bit of black visible around the edges. Better to see in the dark with, after-all.

"An outright attack would be dumb," She shrugged, her voice hushed. She looked behind them, being that she was the farthest back and had the best night-vision.

Then, after glancing up at Fortis for a moment, she grinned at Charlie. "You should bind it first, then take out the head."

	From: crescentcitynpc	Date: February 1st, 2011 07:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Professor Fortis smiled and shook his head when he overheard the two students whispering. "The goal with this creature, if we find it, is to subdue it not take out it's head," he said looking back at Emilie and Charlie.

He stopped short listened hard into the darkness in front of him. "Binding and subduing," he reminded the two students as he stared into the darkness looking for movement.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 1st, 2011 10:10 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Charlie hoped one day he could be so unflinching and cool as Fortis, who seemed to be in control of every situation.

"Yeah Em, binding and subduing" he echoed as if she had got it wrong and looked back at her again. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw her eyes glowing. The monster had got her!

"Oh shi- shoot! Emilie's been possessed!" After Jenny at the dance he had been a little weary of stuff like that. "What the fu- fudge is wrong with her eyes!"

	From: babalon	Date: February 1st, 2011 10:36 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Was he serious? Emilie groaned. Of course he was. It was Charlie. Frankly, she was surprised Charlie had even ventured out into bat country.

"I just transfigured my eyes, retard. The tiger is my animagus form. We see better in the dark than pink, hairless monkeys."

Turning to look at Professor Fortis, she raised her eyebrows. Maybe he noticed something she hadn't. "Professor?"

	From: crescentcitynpc	Date: February 1st, 2011 11:02 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Professor Fortis couldn't help the little laugh that escaped. He clapped a hand over Charlie's shoulder. "Keep your wits Mr. Oliver," he said coolly. He had to admit Emilie's transfiguration was a pretty brilliant idea. "Miss Devlin's transfiguration has proven to be quite ingenious."

"I thought I heard a noise," he said indicating the area in front of them. "Mr. Oliver if you will flank my left side, Miss Devlin the right?" he suggested.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 1st, 2011 11:12 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Charlie jumped slightly at the hand on his shoulder and looked around suspiciously. This was getting weird, man. Maybe he was cutting out for Scooby Doo-ing in the woods. He wondered if Fortis would catch him if he jumped into his arms.

Still, he did what Fortis asked, deathly quiet and straining his ears to hear anything. His eyes were pretty much useless and the more freaked out he got the dimmer his wandlight became. "I heard something too" he whispered, awaiting the certain death that was obviously coming.

	From: babalon	Date: February 1st, 2011 11:22 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Emilie smirked a little as Charlie jumped. She shouldn't have been amused. A teammate that afraid would sooner dump you than help you. She grimaced slightly at him before nodding to the Professor in the low light, and taking her place by his side.

She didn't say much of anything aside from a sharp "SHHH," to silence Charlie as he spoke. She didn't see anything in front of them, but then-- a tiger's eyes weren't night vision.

	From: crescentcitynpc	Date: February 1st, 2011 11:49 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Fortis moved forward, making sure to match his pace with the two students. There is is again, he thought to himself when he heard movement from in front of them again. Something was out there, he just wasn't sure what.

A beam of light appeared from the tip of his wand and he directed it outward toward the source of noise. He didn't see anything for a few seconds and then a sudden movement. Even Fortis straightened up a bit. "Steady," he barely whispered under his breath.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 2nd, 2011 12:04 am (UTC)		(Link)

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.

Charlie extinguished his wand, instead raising it ready to shoot whatever spell came into his head at whatever was moving. Professor Fortis's beam only reached so far, and Charlie concentrated on the blackness just beyond, where he imagined the branches hung overhead.

	From: babalon	Date: February 2nd, 2011 05:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

Emilie's somewhat glowing blue eyes flicked over the scene in front of them. Unlike her two companions, she could see just fine in this light, the beam of light from Fortis's wand making the scene in front of her almost as brilliant as it would have been in the day.

The brush ahead of them moved again and aimed her wand at the movement, breath catching in her throat. Was that a giant rat?

Another moment of inspection, and she scowled.

"Professor," irritation edged into her voice as she watched the small creature. "...It's an opossum."

	From: walktheline	Date: February 2nd, 2011 03:22 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Charlie felt a wave of relief wash over him as she identified the animal and ran a hand through his hair. Although he couldn't see it, he took Emilie's word for it and lowered his wand.

"What a jip" he joked, only now realising he was stood in a very boggy patch of ground, and practically stuck. With a heave he managed to free his feet and began walking again.

"You know what I think? I don't think there's any more of those things here. We're lucky to find a fu- fudging opossum!"

	From: crescentcitynpc	Date: February 3rd, 2011 03:42 am (UTC)		(Link)

He was relieved to hear that the creature was only an opposum. "Interesting creature," he said nodding. Ah. There it is. The opossum flipped over to his back once he knew he was spotted, his legs straight in the air.

"Quite lucky indeed," Leonard Fortis smiled and turned to Charlie. "Watch yourself there," he said. "Perhaps we shall make one more round before calling it a night?" he suggested.