Erin sat at her favorite tree, reading a large hardback copy of a book called The Monstrous Regiment, curled up in a large comforter she had 'borrowed' from the Slytherin dorms. She started to turn the page of her book, when she saw a sudden bright flash in the sky.

Looking up she saw a fiery trail fly across the sky, and suddenly break apart into pieces. At first it looked as if it was going to burn up, but then a large chunk of white hot debris fell, and hurtled down to earth. A loud rumble filled Erin's ears, and those of anyone else on the grounds, and a earsplitting crack followed as the rock cracked into pieces. the white hot meteor broke into several pieces, one exploding into tiny bits, while a large chunk fell into the waters of the lake, its molten surface causing the lake to steam violently as the meteor fell into the depths of the lake.

Another chunk fell into the Forbidden Forest, a deafening crash of splintering wood went up as it impacted... and several small scraps split from the main body, onto the school grounds.

After sitting in a daze for a few moments, Erin unwrapped the blanket from around herself, and got to her feet. One of the meteor shards had crashed near her, and she wanted to see what it was. Suddenly, she saw a odd blurring, as if a magic field was emanating from ahead. Strange that she saw it though, usually Erin had to concentrate to use her ability to visualize magic... but there it was.

Cautiously she moved forwards, and walked down towards the lake where a patch of blackened grass was... and where the odd emanation was coming from.

<<Currently Listening to: "Temptation (feat Rebecca)" by Arash>>

Crys had been in the lake, playing with Squiddy. She always enjoyed her time with the only person in the whole bloody country who didn't harass her over something or other. In fact she was under the water, talking with the Giant Squid using their system of gestures and hand signs when the sky lit up.
It flashed across the surface above, and both turned to look up at it in wonder. Then Crys told Squiddy to go deep, in case of danger. The squid shot down into the depths, agreeing with the girl about the danger. Only a moment after her friend was out of sight, did a giant chunk of hot something come barrelling into the water.
It wasn't right on her, but it was close enough that she could feel the heat transfer to the water around her. With a few swift kicks she was up to the surface and heading to shore. She could see Erin nearby, and so assumed that the Slytherin was behind it.
'Gonna kill her,' Crys thought to herself.

Erin walked over until she was a few yards away from the scorched grass, and recoiled. The ground was warm, and the air above it was hazy, and was likely even hotter. She raised her wand, and blasted the small impact site with a blast of cool air, and moved closer. Casting Aguamenti she flooded the small patch of grass, and saw steam form.

Erin continued to summon water until the steam ceased forming, and walked forward, looking down into the puddle. At her feet lay a small hole, now filled with water, and in the muddy pool lay a large fist sized, bright red glowing crystal. Looking closer, she saw that it emanated magic, but studying it, she saw that it didn't look dangerous, so she reached into the warm water, and picked up the large crystal shard.

"What is it..."

Erin wondered aloud.

<<Currently Listening to: "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" by The Flaming Lips>>

Crys grunted as she trudged out of the lake. She grabbed her towel and dried herself off as she advanced on her fellow Slytherin, having every intention of just beating the snot out of her and calling it a good day. However the plan changed when she realized there was a hole in the ground where another something had fallen.
And Erin looked confused.
So either Erin was stupid and didn't know what she had done or, as was much more likely, the girl was not behind the attack. Which placed this into Random Acts of God territory. Always a dangerous place to be in.
"Okay Erin, I'm not going to KILL you...yet...so let's have a chat." Crys spoke clearly, trying not to be annoyed with the fact that she was standing next to someone she barely knew and asking for information. "What. Happened. Here?"

Erin stood up, and was suddenly accosted by a irate Crys. She glanced at the crystal in her hand, and then up at Crystal.

"I have no idea what the heck happened. Some meteor thing fell from the sky, and broke into pieces.... and I think this is one of the pieces."

Erin said, suddenly feeling insulted at the way Crys had spoken to her. The crystal shard in her hand glowed, and suddenly increased her anger, causing Erin, who usually brushed off slights, and insults, to start thinking about attacking her fellow Slytherin.

Crys listened carefully, making sure that at least the girl wasn't talking in rambling insanities. Good, good start indeed! However it was troubling to hear nonetheless.
There was a giant rock and it had fallen from the sky and now it was in pieces. Fine, oh just great, but now they were really treading on RAoG terrain and that sucked pretty hard. Crys had a running tab with that area, and her arse was the payment. She had no intentions of paying up anytime soon if she could help it.
Then she saw the rock in Erin's hands glow, and saw the minute changes in body language that meant anger and possibly imminent attack. Years of abuse and bar fighting had made Crys very good at telling people's emotions from the way they stood.
"Don't get a pissy now, hun, I'm not well enough acquainted with you to know if you're an idiot or not. It was a precaution." Well, she was never good at being anything but blunt and insulting...and that she was.

"What the [expletive] are you talking about?"

Erin asked annoyed, and then suddenly looked down at the shard, noticing that Crys had looked at it. The shard had been glowing bright red a moment earlier, but quickly the glow subsided to a dull glow. Erin dropped it, letting the shard fall to the ground, and took a step away, as if it had struck her.

"What the hell is that thing?"

She asked nobody in particular, and stared at the crystal shard as if it were dangerous. She felt a bit woozy for a moment, and then focused. The strange emanation that was coming from the shard on the ground was coming from more than just the one source. And judging from the way the meteor had broken up, it was likely that there were other similar shards nearby.

Crys watched the shard drop, then kicked at it with her foot.
"You were being controlled by a rock?...what does that say about you, I wonder." She shrugged that thought off before she got hit, not that she really thought the girl would. Crys wasn't the perfect picture of threatening, but she had presence. Prescence kept people back in even the tightest of crowds.
"And...there are more of these things...many more? Many more that people will accidentally pick up, thinking they're shiny baubles...and then the effect sets in...and oh god this is going to get wet and touchy feely before it's all over and done isn't it? Gross."
Emotions. It had to be emotions. It couldn't magnify...hungriness, no, it had to be emotions. One of the few things Crys had serious issues with.

"If you had seen the meteor coming down you would have seen that this is probably one of the smaller pieces. The Forbidden Forest is probably filled with em, judging by the size of the rock that went down."

Erin said, staring at the rock. Whatever it was, it was radiating magic, but it was no kind of magic she had ever seen before. Suddenly the shard started to grow angrily red again, and started producing feelings of violence and hatred, radiating outwards towards the two girls.

"Crys!"

She started to try warning Crystal, but was felt the influence of the shard working at her mind. She felt a intense headache as she tried resisting, but after a scant 30 seconds, the effect began to dissipate again.

Crys twitched, then smirked down at the rock, reaching down and picking it up and holding it in her palm. She felt angry....and it felt pretty good actually. She'd forgotten what pure anger felt like. So good...like a lost love.
She turned her gaze on Erin and gripped the crystal tight in her hand, smirking wickedly.
"So you're a geologist now? What do you know about anything let alone something otherworldly, huh? It's idiots like you who give the rest of us Slytherins a bad name." Crys squared her shoulders, prepared to fight the girl if she so much as blinked funny.
"I'll just go collect those other pieces and prove to you just how harmless it all is! Not a bloody difference at all!" She snorted at the very idea of a crystal-it's a rock!-controlling her or her emotions. Rubbish.

Erin watched Crys turn away, and walk off with the shard in hand. Seeing the look in her eye told Erin not to try pursuing anything. At least not until the shard's effect died down some. Even still, she was rather annoyed at the way Crys had spoken to her... even if the shard provided a reason for it.

Erin turned on her heel, and started to walk towards the lake, into which one of the larger chunks of the meteor had fallen. Looking out onto the lake, she saw furious bubbling heading towards the shore, specifically heading towards the boathouse and dock at the edge of the lake. Looking concerned, she saw several large tentacled shoot out of the water, and start lashing violently at the dock, smashing into it, and breaking some of the weaker boards.

Obviously the odd crystal could anger non humans as well... and the giant squid had decided to take its anger out upon the docks.

Erin was about to say something to Crys, but cut herself off, not knowing how the other girl would take it at this moment in time.

Crys had every intention of going off to find the other pieces. But suddenly the need to do so died. In that brief moment of clarity she dropped the crystal. She glared at it before the sounds of destruction pulled her attention away.
She ran from her spot by the crystal to the shore, spooting the trouble instantly. Her body went cold as she stared in shock, her mouth slightly agape at the sight. Suddenly she was very aware that she was being picked on by some other worldly force.
"Pick on me, FINE, I don't care, but NOBODY touches my Squiddy!" She took a running leap into the lake and slid through the water, having at least enough forthought to grab her wand from it's ankle holster as she did.
She swam towards Squiddy, determined to help her friend or die trying.

"CRYS!!! GET BACK HERE! You saw what one tiny shard did to us! Theres a whole friggen thing of it in the lake!!!"

Erin yelled after the quite possibly suicidal girl. If a tiny shard could almost drive Erin to fight, when she was a normally non confrontational person, then a huge chunk of the crystal could make even the strongest willed person into a hate filled maniac. The squid, normally a gentle creature would likely tear Crys apart.

Erin waved her wand forcefully, knowing that Crys might try stopping her, and she cast the strongest locomotor mortis spell on the girl that she could, hoping that it would stop her.

<<Currently Listening to: "So I herd you liek musics (Oh lawd, is dat some insurgency remix" by Dj AnounymOS>>

Crys heard the girl yelling at her, but she didn't care. Yes, it was a stupid move by all indications. Squiddy had a deathgrip on a large chunk of the stupid crystal. But Squiddy was her best friend and she'd die before she let that stupid freaking rock do this to him.
As she tread water near the flailing tentacles she heard a spell and jerked out of the way, glaring angrily in Erin's direction.
The minute her focus was lost, the squid wrapped a tentacle around her ankle and hauled her up high over head. Crys just growled and glared at the squid.
"PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW MISTER!" Crys snapped. There was a slight hesitation, then the squid flung her halfway across the lake in retaliation. Crys skidded through the water, then sank down into it.

Erin's eyes narrowed when she saw Crys dodge her spell, but started to run towards the lake, her trainer shoes skidding in the mud and pebbles as she neared the lake shore a few hundred yards away from the squid. Crystal tried to talk the squid down, but she had seen for herself how powerful the shards were when they were held in physical contact with someone. Before Crys could hit the lake's waters Erin cast a hurried cushioning charm to take some of the force out of her fall.

"Crys, you okay?"

Erin yelled to the girl, and started running towards the other end of the lake, keeping a eye on the rampaging cephlapod. She couldn't have her housemate get killed... especially since the school staff had already marked her as a troublemaker... as she was the only one around, she would likely be found to blame.

<<Currently Listening to: "300 This is SPARTA (EXTENDED fun times mix)' by Funtastic Power>>

Crys growled in agitation before swimming right back to the raging squid, this time staying out of reach. She pulled her wand and glared angrily at Squiddy, having hated the very idea of drawing her wand on him.
The hard part was knowing where to freaking shoot. She glanced back at Erin, then gripped her wand between her teeth and dove down under the water to get a better look.
There was tentacle everywhere, and it looked like one big writhing mess. She dodged one long arm and moved in closer, determined now more than ever. She ducked under another arm and caught sight of a glow.
She rushed towards it and found the chunk of space rock at last, wrapped tightly in the confines of one of Squiddy's two longest arms.
Cursing to herself, Crys moved to the surface.
"ERIN KEEP HIM BUSY! DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM THOUGH!"

Erin was still sorely tempted to stun the girl, and drag her back to the relative safety of the Hogwarts Castle, and just let the squid destroy the squid, but she realized that as insane Crys' idea, she DID care about the squid, and that it was probably just easier to go along with her.

"You're crazy Crys. You better know what you are doing!"

Erin yelled. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her small magical silken bag, and wrung the cord tying it shut until the bag was shopping bag sized. Reaching in she pulled out several items, including a sealed Super Ball, and several wizarding fireworks. Judging the fireworks as the least damaging of the items she pulled out, she tapped the fuse of one of the rockets with her wand and ignited it, aiming the rocket so it would explode somewhere above the squid.

The rocket's fuse burned down, and with a blast of flame the rocket flew off into the sky, and detonated in a large brilliant nova of blue flame above the squid, making a loud crack, and drawing the squid's attention away from the dock. Quickly Erin set the fuses on a couple more rockets, and got a roman candle out, ready shoot some of the fireballs off towards the dock if need be.

<<Currently Listening to: "Lucky Star (REDALiCE remix) by REDALiCE>>

Crys dove back under the choppy water of the lake, sliding through the water with unnatural grace. She moved over and under the mass of limbs. It was like being in the middle of a giant knot.
She moved around to the other side of the squid and found the tentacle holding the stone again. It was all so unbelieveably confusing. She pulled her wand from her mouth and, pointing it at the stone, screamed Expelliarmus.
Bubbles streamed from her mouth and her wand and struck the rock, forcing it out of Squiddy's grip and down to the bottom of the lake.
Squiddy settled and moved away, feeling ashamed. Crys went up to the surface, gasping for breath.

"DON'T LET IT FALL!!"

Erin yelled as Crys knocked the giant crystal from the giant squid's grasp. Down at the bottom of the lake live grindylows, and merpeople, and they were likely to not be any better to deal with than a rampaging squid. They also would likely attack anyone in the lake... including swimmers, the squid, or other merpeople.

"THERE ARE MERPEOPLE DOWN THERE!"

Erin yelled, too late to do anything as she saw the deep, angry red glow of the crystal sink into the depths, and out of sight. With the crystal heading downwards, it was likely no longer safe in its waters... a chunk that large would drive all the lakes inhabitants insane slowly over time, and eventually retake over the mind of the squid as well.

<<Currently Listening to: "I Wish (Skazi mix)" by Infected Mushroom>>

Crys heard Erin holler and scream. She pointed her wand downa nd muttered a levitation spell. With some effort the rock rose and she moved it over to the shore, setting it gently in the dirt before going to the shore and shaking herself off almost like a dog.
"That stupid bloody crystal...you think the merpeople are bad? Ever seen a unicorn on acid? how about a centaur or a freaking hipogriff?! This stupid thing is in the forest too, Erin." Crys slumped to a seat on the ground, her muscles burning and screaming in pain and tiredness.
"I need to rest...."

"I know it went into the forest Crys. But if you are so concerned about your 'squiddy', then I would be worried about the merpeople too. You think they won't hesitate to attack it? I avoid duels, but I admit to almost hexing you straight into the hospital wing back there when I was holding the shard."

Erin, seeing that Crys was okay, began to walk up towards the spot where Crys had dropped the shard from before. Thinking it wise to move it somewhere it wouldn't be found she flicked her wand, and tried levitating it. Suddenly her eyes widened, seeing the flow of magic come from her wand, she saw the crystal react, growing more powerful in it's hate-filled radiation. Abrubtly she let the shard fall to the ground, not wanting to make the thing even more powerful than it already was.

"Crys, I think we should avoid using magic on these things..."

Erin said, staring at the blood red crystal as if it were the strangest thing she had ever seen. And it quite likely WAS one of the strangest things she had encountered.

<<Currently Listening to: "Feel This Way" by Gammer>>

Crys sit there, soggy and tired, and looked up at Erin with a purposely blank face. After a moment she rolled her eyes and resheathed her wand.
"Fine by my, except how're you going to move it if you can't touch it or magic it?" She laid back and stared up at the sky. The sun was warm, and it took all the energy she had to keep from just going to sleep right then and there.
"Maybe if we had some kind of magic-canceling device...or a forcefield of some kind..." She offered thoughtfully.

"Well it seems to be fine if we don't physically touch it, so I figure this might work out..."

Erin said, reaching into her pocket to take out her small collapsible silk bag. She kneaded it with her fingers, causing it to stretch out, until it was handbag sized, and reached in. After a moment of searching, she pulled out a small toy grabber claw, like the kind sold in muggle shops to little kids.

"I love these things... cheap as hell, so I buy several a semester, and with a few protective charms, they are a immense help working with potions... especially as I have a tendency to make mistakes with measurements."

Erin said. She turned, and pulled the trigger to open the claws, and picked up the shard, and then released the trigger, the claw grabbing a firm hold on it between its rubber lined claws.

<<Currently Listening to: "Brothers Gonna Work It Out/Not Another Drugstore [Planet 9 mix]" by The Chemical Brothers>>