(Forest) Unknown Defeat

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh had to smile at Neku's response. He had always heard they spoke without emotion and to meet one of them could only make him smile. He had never met a centaur before, he was unsure if he would have ever met one, let alone converse with one. He looked at her and smiled.

'This place is amazing. It has a sense of being ancient and containing great power, I suppose only those with magical skills would be able to feel it, those that are more magical than us wizards would feel it even greater.' Leigh said, looking at his hand and feeling a strange intricate tingling run through it. 'It's like this place is alive.'

[Jake Gobien]

No matter how many times a centaur called him a young one, it still made him chuckle, others would bristle and be offended, thinking centaurs thought them naive and ignorant, young or foolish, which centaurs probably did think too; but Gobien took it as a compliment, only youths can really endure some terrible physical exertion, and to his mind he still was young; he definitely acted it.

"Good point," he agreed simply bounding upon Neku's back with natural born agility. The ride was exhilarating, they sped through the forest taking the easiest paths, and moving at a far greater speed than he could ever manage. Clearly she was intune with her surroundings as she moved with practised ease, as one with the forest.

Grinding to an abrupt halt Gobien slid from the back of Neku bowing once more and thanking her, "a most swift journey, though Addis looks a little worse for ware," he chuckled realising the irony of his words as his own appearance was equally as rugged and weathered, in fact worse, as he had been at the mercy of the elements for a number of years now.

Gobien chuckled wryly "it's still not very safe then," he remarked "as the forest is pretty deadly, he knew he was relatively safe here, yet something made him wish to leave; he realised he didn't want to settle anywhere, even the comforts of a warm bed weren't enough to keep him within four walls, and this place was cold, hard stone, beautifully entrancing, but in the end cold.

Gobien smirked at Leigh's obvious awe, which he too felt, "I wouldn't in the least bit be surprised if it was alive Leigh; it's probably where its power comes from." He stated with a smile at Neku, as if to say humans aren't always as stupid as we look.

Perching upon a jutting rock, which seemed formed as a bench for being seated upon, Gobien folded his arms, "so what plans can we conjure up to threaten the Ministry? They seek the item of power, is there any real way of our aquiring it first? Or should we rather endeavour to thwart their efforts? Perhaps both would work best?" He opened up the debate wondering if his companions would come up with anything for the dilemna they had all been pondering and puzzling over for weeks now.

[Neku]

"Even non-magical beings would feel the power of this place, though explaination for them would be harder than that of yourself" Neku told him as she nestled herself down in a corner, feeling her legs ache now.

"This place, it is only as alive as you belive it to be" She peered around at the walls, centuries of history were carved into these ver walls, and if they could speak. Oh, how she would love to hear the stories they could tell. "The cave itself is not alive. Do not be as foolish as to believe that. The memory of it, however, is alive as we three here"

Neku stood up and folded her arms across her chest, "As since we know not what this item of power is, so there would be no sense going after it. Since going after something we do not know, would only lead us into a wild chase of nothingness." She spoke quietly as she thought. "Until we know what the item of power is, our best bet is to try and keep the ministry folk down. Whilst trying to find this item. So for now, i am going along with thwarting anything they come up with" Neku thought again for a moment. "Another thing i could think of is finding someone in the school. Do any of you two know anyone inside? A student preferably, who we could trust enough to listen out for things? Or maybe get inside one of the ministry organisations?"

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

'Hinder and trace.' Leigh said, looking away and staring into space. 'We thwart them at any turn we possibly can, whilst we search for it.' He smiled at the thought of killing a few Ministry officials, but then remembered they were following a mad woman, them being blinded by faith. He shook his head slightly and sighed.

Soon he heard the last few words of Neku and his eyes shot over towards her, a smile spreading across his face.

'I was once the Head of Hufflepuff... I have some students who know of my existence, they may approve of such an undertaking.' Leigh said, wishing he wouldn't get the students involved, but they were already. 'I have been planning on using them to get myself into a teaching position again, under a guise of course, change my name obviously and my appearance. I can perform a rather strict teacher act if the need arises.'


((Ooc: The teacher plan is actually may what happens... It depends on Gail and the mods of the site, lol.))

[Neku]

"Yes, it would seem that thwarting them is the only option we have as of yet" Neku looked at him and sighed, "Again, how do we search for something, when we do not even know what it is we seek?" Neku stood up and walked to the cave's entrance. She was troubled deeply. Now she was involved with Humans and seeming to help them in their endevour. She did not mind, for the ministrys plans were affecting her, and her home as much as them and she wanted the problem sorted. They stood more chance with a centaur on their side did they not? If only she could get Valunce to help too. Two centaurs were better than one.

"Oh of course, you are supposed to be dead are you not?" Neku looked over to him, "What about willing ones? Ones who feel they have nothing left, ones who neither care what they do anymore. Those would be the better choice. Someone who knows what they are doing and has been involved in big dangers before" She told him. She did not want some feeble idiot. She did not fancy babysitting. "It matters not if you have to reveal yourself to someone described as i just have, as long as you know you can trust them, Leigh"

"And please remember, this is no walk in the park. It is not an adventure nor a fun quest. It is dangerous and could have dire consequences. Do not bring someone you care about overly." She raised an eyebrow at the professor before turning away, "I think it not wise. The ministry would know you in an instant. Though someone is bound to slip up. All it takes is a blabber or veritaserum. I suggest, having a student, who cares not about him or herself, dangers or anything of the sort to keep us informed on hogwarts, but that is my opinion"

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh looked at Neku and watched her walk away to the entrance, his brow turning into a frown as he stared at her. He slowly looked away at Gobien and smiled. 'What are your thoughts on my idea? Better coverage to find what the artifact is, if it is what the Ministry believes what it is.' Leigh said, staring at his fellow man.

His train of thought shifted when Neku spoke once again, his eyes darting back to her to meet hers and the look she wore on her face. He lost his smile and took out his wand and began to levitate it, letting it slowly rotate, it was nothing but an old habit to do.

'There is only one person who I can think of who fits that discription, and as far as I have noticed there is a fellow student of hers hell bent on changing her back to the once cheerful and carefree student she was before she left.' Leigh said, knowing exactly who Neku was talking about, her suggestion of a student coming to him like a bullet. 'There is no need for Kim Rivers to become involved, she does not deserve it after what has happened to her. And that annoying pest Jerred Boneman will find out as he follows her everywhere she goes... She is not a good choice at all.'

Leigh breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, calming himself down before continuing. 'The students I have in mind I trust with my life, as I trust them with the knowledge of the my being alive.' Leigh said, speaking calmer now. 'The wheels would have been set in motion now and a girl named Marishka has helped it along... A dark presence in this forest is no more, it or he was my uncle at one point and now he is nothing more than a mere boy, a student she has taken under his wing and helped him cope... She has helped me so far, her attitude has changed somewhat since I saved her life from this dark presence. She is one whom I know I can trust, as well as the handful of students I once taught within Hufflepuff.'

[Neku]

Neku didnt think Leigh would be able to hold his guise for very long, though if he felt sure, she would at least let him try. She wasnt one for interrupting humans, so instead, she left them both to discuss.

"Well personally i believe Miss Rivers would be perfect. I too, have been watching her for some time, coming across her is yet something i wish to achieve. I do believe she will not be swayed by this boy of yours." Neku looked at her, the forest leaked with things that had happened to her and raising her voice exhaspiratedly she pressed the point "Exactly! She has been through more than most people which is why she is the perfect choice, we can get her to ditch that Jerred quite easily" Neku walked right upto him, she towered above the small human "Believe it or not Leigh, I am far older than you, and much more to the wise. The forest itself told me that she would be the perfect choice, she is strong minded, and more capable than any... If you shall not approach this female, I shall. Though i do believe it will be better, coming from you" She stared down at him. She knew what she was talking about, she just hoped he would too.

"I do not like the idea of being around more Humans" she sighed, "I do believe Kimberly will suffice, though if you shall choose another that is your wish, but i, myself, shall go after Miss Rivers. One way or another, that girl is probably the easiest person we have. If you had not noticed, she detatched herself quite easily from a lot of people, and i know she finds it difficult to trust people. Which is why i know, she will be the one we need." She walked away from him again, her elder had always said, mixing with humans would only frustrate her, because they were blind to wisdom. "...Alas, if you do not trust my instincts, and my wisdom... That is your own foreboding, not my own"

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

Leigh frowned heavily as he looked darkly at Neku, his eyes not moving from hers. Little by little, his left hand closed and formed a tight fist, violently shaking as he looked away with a look of defeat. He didn't want anyone else involved, the students would obviously fight back eventually, it was only normal. Leigh breathed out slowly and sighed.

'If you want it done, then it shall be.' Leigh said, accepting defeat though he'd rather not. 'I will find her, track her, tell her and recruit her.' Leigh looked at the entrance to the cave and felt himself unsure of if he would ever be able to find it again, though he felt the doubt would hinder him slightly.

He took a step towards the door, paused for a brief moment and turned back to Neku. 'I don't know when I'll return, but when I do it's either with or without her.' Leigh said, soon turning his attention to Gobien. 'Take care of the cave, who knows who saw us come in here.'

Leigh stepped towards the cave entrance and cast a dissillusionment spell upon himself, disappearing slowly as he left the cave, changing his form to track Kim, if she was in the forest.

[Neku]

[[Ill start a new thread for us]]

[Prof Octavious Everritt]

((Yeah, I saw it, also as you may have noticed the change of name, the plan for becoming a prof under disguise has been done, so we'll start it in the new thread.))