Emma watched in horror as Zeblin fell down onto the ground, his legs and chest gushing from blood. "Oh my god!" was all she could mutter as she stood in the cold, outdoors of the Hogwarts Grounds, in her Ravenclaw PJ's. It was about 2 in the morning, and she didnt know what to do.

This had only happened once before to Zeblin, the centaur she had raised since it was young and banished from its tribe, but last time it was only a minor injury. After staring at him for several seconds, she could only think of one thing to do. RUN!

She turned and sprinted as fast as she could towards the school, taking 3 steps at a time and yanking open the main doors. She then flew down through the dungeon, and came to a halt outside of the potion professor's door. Grabbing at the handle, she tried to open it, and used Alohamora to try to unlock it but she had no success. So naturally, she did the next mature reaction, and started banging on the door like a mad person, the sound echoing down the dungeon.

"Mark!" she cried impatiently, half-betting with herself that he was in there. She had only a short time to get a potion or something to heal Zeblin before the 4 year old Centaur died, an un-deserving death...

Scarlett padded down the stairs that led to the dungeon in a gray jersy robe. One had carried a bucket with a long rope coiled in it and the other tried to smoother giggles. Scarlett and her accomplice had planned a halarious prank to play on Mark. When they and reached the dungeon Scarlett could hear yelling and it sounded like Mark's name. She turned back to look at her accomplice with a worried look.

Melie, wearing black silk pyjama pants and a hot pink hoodie and black fuzzy slippers. Like Scarlett, Melie had one hand covering her mouth trying to hide the laughter that wanted to escape. Melie, along with her partner in crime, made they're way down to Marks office with they're tools. As they approached though, Melie could hear a girl yelling and pounding. She gave Scarlett a quizzical look and took out her wand from the pocket of her hoodie. Melie peeked around the corner and saw a hysterical Emma pounding on the door of Marks office. Melie rushed over to her wondering what was going on.
"Emma! What's wrong are you okay?!"

Logan had just walked back into the castle from his meeting with Emilie. He was in rather high spirits at the moment. He saw Melie and Scarlett giggling as they walked down to the dungeon. Curiousity got the better of him, so he trailed behind them being as quiet as possible. He barely got down three steps when he heard what sounded like Emma screaming, and the other two girls running down to meet them.

Logan bolted down the steps. "What is it?! What's wrong?" He pulled out his wand, should the need arise.

Emma froze when she heard voices coming from behind her, and turned around to see Liam, Melie and Scarlett. Relief flew over her face. "Do you guys have a key or know where he has a key?" she asked more calmly, "I need to get in and get some potions, quickly!" she said, making herself taller by standing on her toes and reaching up to the top of the door to see if there was a key hidden up there.

After running her hand across the top for a several seconds, she stopped and dropped her hand to the side. "There has to be a spare key somewhere, right?"

Scarlett could see that Emma was clearly too distraught to try the obvious. She drew her wand and pointed it at the lock “Alohamora,” she said. The door swung open to reveal the potions lab that Mark usually used. “Will you tell us what has got you so riled up.”

OoC: Usually I would assume that it would take more than that to get into a Professor’s lab, but as Mark has not been feeling very posty lately and we currently have no nurse I thought this might expedite matters.

OOC: I actually tried Alohamora in my first post, but its ok well just keep going.

Emma glanced down as Scarlett used the Alohamora charm and it actually opened the door, unlike her sad attempt. "I must have not been focused." she whispered to herself as she took a step through the door and to the side so the others could follow through.

Grabbing several ingredients at a time, she started cutting them up to make the potion as she listened to Scarlett question what was wrong. Taking a deep breath and putting the knife down, she turned around and said.."Zeblin is a centaur I have raised since my first year and since he was young. He was abandoned by his parents, and banished from his tribe, especially when I helped him survive.", taking a deep breath she continued on.."The problem is, he lives in the forest just like the other centaurs, and sometimes they meet up and the results usually aren't good for Zeblin. Last time Mark helped me take care of him, and allow him to be safe once again. But, I think the old leader of the centaur tribe died, and now there is a new one that hates Zeblin."

Regripping the knife, she slammed it down through one of the ingredients and then looked up again.."Zeblin is hurt badly. A lot of blood, and deep cuts. I need to get him healed, and then I need to find the other centaurs and try to re-create peace." she said and then laughed slightly at her weakness, "I guess that was a little bit more information then you needed!"

OoC: :blush: Sorry Emma. Thanks for covering for my mistake.

BiC: Scarlett entered Mark's lab and watched as Emma frantically began preparing healing supplies. She listened to Emma's shocking tale. "It's not too much information if we are gonna help ya. And I would like to help if you'll let me," Scarlett said.

Emilie walked slowly back up to the castle, feeling very happy after her afternoon with Logan. When she reached the castle, she saw Logan following Melie and Scarlett. She wasn't sure whether she should follow or head up to the common room, and she eventually decided to follow them down to the dungeons.

She reached them just as Scarlett used Alohomora on the door to the potions lab. She followed them through and listened to Emma's story, and was quickly able to get the gist of what was going on, and why Emma seemed so freaked out. Her hand moved automatically to her wand as she processed what Emma was saying. She wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure what at the moment.

Logan noticed Emilie coming down, but his attention was turned to Emma's story about Zeblin. That had to hit home hard. Logan grimaced but walked into Mark's lab near where Scarlett was. He glanced around at the several jars and glasses full of ingredients he hadn't even heard of.

Bringing his focus back down to earth, he looked at Emma. "What do you need us to do Em? I'll try anything," he said with confidence. He could take potion-making serious if the occasion called for it.

Sighing deeply Mark set off towards his potions lab. The nurse had been away recently and he had been rudely awoked to make some new dragonpox vaccine for the hospital wing. He walked down the steps into the dungeon area rubbing his eyes tiredly. As he turned onto the corridor which contained his lab he could hear noises eminating from far away. Quickly he pulled out his wand and hurried his pace. There was definately people in there and noone had asked him to use it that night.
He held his wand up as he approached the door, before quickly entering the room whilst shouting "Petrificus Totalus: Maximus," which should have made everyone in the close vacinity freeze on the spot. He looked round at all the people in the room, 'Emma? Scarlett? Melie? Logan? Emile?' he wondered with a confused look on his face. He flicked his wand; ending the full body binds and looked around at them all. "What the hell is going on? You know i dont mind you guys using my lab but you have to ask first, its 2am for crying out loud!" he said sternly, he was their friend but also a professor and had to take the responsibily seriously.

Melie followed everyone into the lab once it had been opened by Scarlett and seconds later Melie heard someone burst into the room and she was frozen on the spot. A moment later Melie was free to move again and she turned to see the spell caster.
"Mark! Thank god you're here! Emma needs your help! Zeblin's been hurt," Melie told him. Not realising she still had her pranking equipment in her hands. "Scarlett and I found her here banging on the door looking for you, we were only trying to help!"

Scarlett felt the body bind freeze her to the spot. She was facing the door so she saw Mark come through it and look them all over. His face was like a black thunder cloud. Scarlett was glad that there prank had been aborted. He probably would have given them detention if that bucket of jello had dumped on his head.

When he let them all go Melie began to explain the situation. Scarlett decided not to add her vioce to the din of explinations, instead she waited for Emma to ask for what she needed, and then tell them how they could help.

Logan was a bit too shocked from the binding curse to even say anything. He kept his gaze on the potions directly across from him as Melie began to tell Mark Emma's story. Good thing he didn't hear the giggling earlier, Logan thought as he waited for Mark's response to all this. He hoped that it would come quickly though, after all, a life was hanging in the balance. They would need to act quick to save Zeblin.

Emma felt her body freeze and un-freeze, leaving everyone with a very angry Mark. Naturally, she ignored him and went on with her business, cutting and slicing ingredients. Turning to Scarlett, she nicely asked "Can you get a cauldron started quickly for us to make the potion?", then turning to Logan she asked.."Can you help me slice up the these three ingredients and can you get a dragon's tooth out of that container over there on the tray?".

Continuing on, she didnt even look up at Mark, and walked past him to get another ingredient while Melie wonderfully tried to explain to him what happened. Emma figured that if Mark wanted to argue about them breaking into his office, then she could argue back that she was a prefect and had the right. It was that simple.

As Emma began to dole out the tasks, Logan patiently waited for her to call on him.

"No problem." Logan said as he rolled up his sleeves and picked up a small silver knife and walked over to the ingredients. He began sawing through one of the harder ones, trying to make the cuts nice, even and thin. It's gotta be perfect this time, not like all those other excuses for potions that I've made. This internal mantra kept him focused on the task at hand

After a few minutes, that was all cut up, and he wiped a bit of the residue from his hands, and walked over to where Emma had indicated earlier. Lifting off the lid to the container, Logan eyed the several different specimans of Dragon teeth. He selected a long one that was smoother than the rest, despite a small chip at the top. "Will this do?" He asked, walking back over to the table.

Scarlett glance nervously at Mark as she began to get a cauldron over the fire. Normally she would not use Mark's things without asking, but this was an emergency. "I'm sorry," she mouthed to him. Scarlett was very uncomfortable, but she did what she thought was right.

Mark listened as everyone in the room, except for Emma explained what was happeneing. "Its ok, go ahead, but you really need to get permission to be in here, rules are there for your safety." Being a prude wasnt at all in Marks nature but if he wanted to keep his post as the professor here he needed to respect his responsibilities.
He loked over at Emma who still hadnt even acknowledged him, "Where's Zeblin now? you know i wanna help but being a Prefect doesnt give you permission to break into a professors lab, just like im not allowed in the prefect lounge." he hated speaking to her like that but he felt as though she was ignoring him on purpose and that irked him somewhat.

Emma spoke back to Mark's comment quite coldly, "Well then maybe you shouldnt leave your room so easily accessable and open!" she said, still not even glancing up at him.

Hearing Logan's question, she gave him a beautiful smile and a quick "That is perfect!" before she gathered up all of the ingredients and walked over to Scarlett, who had the cauldron ready. "Thankyou!" she said kindly, as she added the ingredeints and stireed the potion.

Finally she finished, and asked Mark without making eye contact.."Professor, can you please handle me one of those vials?". Then she turned around to the others, "Zeblin is at the front of the forest, we will have to move quickly to get to him while he is still strong, but I think he will be able to quickly recover. Then we can figure out what to do with the other centaurs!"


OOC: Emma isn't mad at Mark, she is just avoiding eye contact with him for a certain reason, that is more about keeping her posture correct, to not show weakness. But I will explain more later.

Melie stood there watching everyone get the potions ready for Zeblin and watched the exchange between Mark and Emma.
"Oh god," Melie muttered under her breath, she did not need to have those two getting snippy with eachother while everyone tried to help Zeblin. "So is there anything I can do? I want to help too," Melie said walking over to where Logan had been preparing something.

Still wondering why Emma had yet to look him in the eye, Mark grabbed one of the nearby vials and handed it to her. "From what i could see from down the corridor you wernt finding my door all that easy to access." he said quietly before walking over to the store cupboard he kept some ready made potions in.
"How did he get hurt?" he asked the group alound tying to find the right potions to heal Zeblin, "Essance of Dittany always comes in handy." he said under his breath to himself. Essance of dittany is a potion that stops bleeding in even the most severe cases, as seen recently after the squid attack on the lake. It would come in handy tonight too, Mark felt sure of that.

Emma quickly added some dittany ( :P ), an important ingredient that she almost forgot and finally looked up at him when he made the comment about the door, almost like he was mocking her intelligence level. Glaring at his back while he grabbed the vial, she made eye contact with him when he handed her the vial, and said softly.. "Essance of Dittany it is!" she said and then flicked her eyes down towards the potion, hoping Mark did not seem the tear that fell from her eyes. With a quick swipe of her hand, she dried it off and scooped up some of the potion and placed it in the vial.

"The other centaurs attacked him, I'm 99% percent sure it happened because of the new leader who hates Zeblin." she said as she headed towards the door, wanting to get back out onto the grounds. "Let's go?" she said quickly, as she walked through the door and flicked her wand as she left that cleaned the room up.

Logan grinned when Emma took the tooth he had selected, but was a little uncomfortable about the exchange between Emma and Mark. He looked from side to side, and finished cutting up the rest of the ingredients on the table. He exchanged a look with Melie, not sure what they should be doing. When Emma gathered up her things to leave, Logan walked right over to the door. "Right then. Do you need any help?"

OoC: Aah! I've gotta remember to check this thread more often! :tongue:

BiC: Emilie felt herself freeze and then unfreeze a minute later. She looked around to see who had cast the binding spell and saw a confused looking Mark standing at the door. She kept her mouth shut and her eyes down as Melie explained what had happened to Mark and Scarlett and Logan helped Emma with her potion. She felt a bit uncomfortable with Emma and Mark's exchange, but kept her eyes on the fly that was making it's way up the side of her sneaker.

She looked up as Emma filled up a vial with the potion and started out the door. She followed her, walking slowly and staying a few steps behind. She wasn't really sure if she wanted to go with them or not. She hated seeing animals and people sick or injured, but she'd do her best to help Emma with whatever she needed.

"Yea that would be great Logan!" Emma said with a smile. "I'm worried about Zeblin, but I know we arent going to have much of a problem with him. We are going to have a problem with the other centaurs." she said as she tugged her coat closer to her body as she began to head up the stairs from the dungeon.

Scarlett caught sight of the slightly greenish tinge to Emilie’s face and she realized that where they were going there was bound to be blood. Scarlett began to feel a little queasy and wonder if she really wanted to be there. Having to healing training and no natural instinct for it, she wondered if she would just be in the way. Then she heard Emma say that there would be trouble with the other centaurs and Scarlett new she would have a purpose if she went, so she followed the group.

Logan nodded to Emma as she started up the stairs. They were definitely going to be in for a long night. He waited up for Emilie to catch up with him before following Emma up the stairs. She seemed to be a squeamish about the whole thing, so Logan slipped his hand into hers, and gave it a little squeeze. "Are you going to be alright, Emilie?" He whispered out of concern. He'd hate to drag her deep into the forest if she was going to be uncomfortable with it.

Melie followed the rest of the group down the corridor and she walked up next to Scarlett.
"I don't think it'll be that gruesome Scarlett," Melie said to her friend, she knew that Scarlett wasn't very good with the sick and injured, even though she had done a good job with Melie not too long ago. "I'm sure it'll be fine, we can keep an eye for anything that might be sneaking up on Emma while she works on Zeblin." Melie slipped her arm into Scarletts as they continued to follow Emma.

Scarlett squeezed Melie’s arm. “I feel a little shaky just thinking about he pour little guy lying out there in the rain. I’m just not good at looking at blood.” Scarlett spoke to Melie in a low voice as they followed Emma to her centaur. “Funny how I’m ready to take on a full grown centaur, but the thought of a bleeding small one makes me want to faint. Speaking of taking on full grown centaurs,” here Scarlett raised her voice a bit so she could share her ideas, “I suggest everyone get their shield charms up before we enter the forest. We don’t want anyone to get sniped on the way in. Mark what else can you tell us about the way centaurs fight?” Scarlett remembered a potions field trip where Mark had mentioned that he knew the centaurs well.

Emma could hear the girls conversations about blood, but decided not to comment since they seemed to be comforting each other perfectly fine. Coming up to the doors, she opened them and stepped outside, glancing back at everyone and pointing towards the right side of the forest where Zeblin would be. "We probably shouldnt crowd him.." she said, and then smiled when she heard Scarlett mention shield charms. "Good idea." she said.

Scarlett carefully avoided crowding and looking at the bloodied form that lay sprawled on the ground. Everything she had ever heard about centaurs said that they didn’t attack the young of their enemies. Scarlett found it curiously chilling that they would not extend that curtsey to their own young. She turned toward Emma, “Are you sure the centaurs did this to him? I thought they didn’t harm the young.”

Emma quickly muttered the spell to cast a shield charm while they approached Zeblin. Walking forward, she knelt down beside him, and looked at the bruises and shallow cuts that she had already healed using her wand. "Who has the potion?" she asked, not remembering who had taken it.

Mark had followed the group down the corridor and out into the grounds and arrived outside just in time to hear Scarletts question. "I wouldnt put it past them, he was considered a traitor amongst his heard for fratonising with humans." he informed her.
He then walked up beside Emma and knelt before looking around to see who it was who had the potion, he had been the last person out of the lab and the potion had gone so he figured one of them must have it.

Emma looked over Zeblin, and was happy to see that his breathing was more controlled now. It's going to be ok.. she told herself when she felt someone kneel down beside her. Looking over at the person, she noticed it was Mark. All of the sudden, the scared thoughts that she had in her mind disappeared. Softly, she asked him.."Do you think the potion will heal him. Completely? Because he's like my..." she was then cut off, by a loud, pounding noise coming from deeper inside the forest.

Glancing at Mark, she then turned to the others. "The centaurs are close. We shouldnt stay here." and then she added, "What do you think we should do with Zeblin, we cant leave him here." Again, she looked over at Mark.."How quickly will the potion work?"

Scarlett cast the strongest shield charm she knew and pointed toward the forbidden forest. She heard Emma ask about the potion and said, “Emma you grabbed it as we were leaving.” It was no wonder that Emma would forget. She was under a considerable amount of stress at the moment.

Mark then answered Scarlett’s question about who had hurt the young centaur. That was all Scarlett needed to know. If she had to she would use her breath to defend to poor little thing from further abuse. And it was beginning to look like it would come down to that for Scarlett could hear the pounding of hooves as a retreat was discussed. Scarlett held her shield steady and waited to see if anything would come out of the woods.

Emma looked down at her left hand which was clutching the potion bottle so hard, that her skin began to turn a pale color. "Oh..thanks Scarlett." she said blushing slightly. Leaning over Zeblin, she uncorked the potion bottle, and was about to pour it into his mouth, when she heard a male's voice come from behind her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She froze, her eyes widening quickly, as she heard the sound of hooves come up from behind her. Shifting the bottle to her other hand, she extended her hand over to Mark, to give him the potion. "You give it to him while I stall." she whispered, barely moving her lips. Hopefully the centaurs did not see what she had just did.

Standing up, she turned around, and looked at the centaurs. In front of the main group, a stronger looking male stood, he was the one that had warned her. "You must be the leader of the pack." she said, amazed at how strong her voice sounded. It hadnt cracked at all, which was surprising, because slowly she was mentally beginning to freak out. "I'm Emma P-" she said but was interuppted.."I know who you are." he said sternly and then added as he looked at the group.."I know who ALL of you are."

Mark took the potion from Emma as she talked to the pack of centaurs nearby. He quickly tipped it into Zeblins mouth knowing he would recover pretty quickly, he'd probably be back on his feet in a matter of minutes. After he'd finished pouring the potion he set the empty container down on the ground nearby.

He then stood up next to Emma as the centuar spoke to her. "Calm down beardy." he said to the leader of the pack. "Just because it takes your whole pack can pick on one of your own doesnt mean you can go shouting your mouth off at everyone who passes by." he finished tightening the grip on his wand. He looked over to Scarlett to see if she still had the shield spell cast around them.

Emma glanced over at Mark, giving him a "What are you doing" look. Glancing at the centaurs who were slowly moving closer to them, she heard one of the follower's shout to it's leader "What did the boy say?" and then another one echoed back.."I think he just told us to be quiet."

Glancing at Scarlett and Mark, she saw him tighten the grip on his wand. She did the same. "Oh I am sure Mark didn't mean it that way." she said, not wanting to get a rough start with the centaurs. "I mean really, we have all lived peacefully with each other for years." she said, but bit her tongue as soon as she said it. Bad move. she yelled in her head, and watched as the centaurs raised their bow and arrows, ready to attack.

Scarlett nodded firmly at Mark’s questioning glance. Her shield was still up and she believed she had a firm hold on it. She listened as he baited the centaurs without fear. Scarlett had never met these beings, but she felt she was equal to the challenge they presented. She gripped her wand firmly and waited for the charge.

Emma felt a little relieved that the shield was still up. As the arrows were raised, she quickly thought of several plans they could do. The first was retreat into the forest which probably wasn't the best idea since they could easily get lost. The second was hold ground and fight. Looking around at everyone with their wands gripped, she decided that was probably their best chance.

All at once, 100s of arrows came flying out at them, some even coming from the sides as more centaurs advanced on them. In one swift movement, she pulled out her invisibility cloak and threw it over Zeblin, who was slowly recovering. Turning to Scarlett, she gave a slight nod, letting her know to hold the shield. With a quick movement, Emma added her own shield, helping double the power of the shield. "Fight, or move back?" she said outloud to her friends.