(Dungeons) Dungeons at Night

[Mark Alméida]

Still trying to get used to the place, it was, annoyingly, taking Mark far longer than what he had both expected, and would have liked. It would seem to Mark as though he had managed to find himself within the dungeons, which was fine by him, he didnt mind it down here, for some reason. He tried to fathom out the time, it must be getting on for midnight at least. The days were going by, and as usual, Mark had not yet been to a single one of his classes. How was he going to get through this year, it certainly wouldnt be by the skin of his teeth. Excessive studying last month of term, its how he usually managed anyway.

The dungeons at night were dark. Well he had already known they would be what with them being dungeons. The whole point in them was so there were no windows right? He didnt light his wand, though stupid of him really, considering he couldnt actually see a damned thing down here right now. For all he knew, something big and hairy could be sneaking up behind him and he wouldnt know, of course it would have to have been silently or he would have heard them, or it as the case may be.

He knew there was a professor that spent most of his or her time down here when they werent teaching, he just didnt know who it was. Was it Bubbles? He wondered, though he doubted it really. Still, the dungeons seemed to carry on downwards, which, naturally, was where his feet were going to take him, despite who was down here or who wasnt. Though Mark walked normally through the dungeons he made little noise, so he might not have even been found... Or there was a chance for that.

CRASHH!

Mark spun around hearing the noise from somewhere behind him and then hearing a crazy cackling voice, it seemed to be laughing. Mark lit his wand tip to see what was going on, the light extended to the end of the dungeons as he looked in horror, it would seem as though one suit of armour had been picked up and dropped onto another one. He looked up and down the corridor for whoever did it, only to find himself looking towards the ceiling at some silly looking ghost who began to chant:

"Naughty, Naughty Gryffindor!
Naughty, Naughty Gryffindor!
Broke the suites of armour he did!
Should go get Professor i should"

Before Mark could say or do anything, the thing vanished. Mark stared at where whatever it was once was. He knew it was a ghost and he was guessing it was quite the trouble maker. Though now, he held his breath knowing very soon, a professor would likely come along to inspect the noise and find Mark stood there with two very much destroyed suits of armour.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan groaned as he hobbled down the dark corridor leaning on his walking stick down the corridors. It was Headmaster Darrow’s idea of a punishment for his actions to keep him doing his normal duties even when it was best advised for him to rest. However luckily for Dan today was his turn to patrol the dungeons and as it was such a vast area he would only have to do something if he was called to peoples aid, and over the years he never once had to do anything. That was until today.

The sound of a rather loud bang woke Dan up from his light nap and the sudden sound of something metal falling over and then the chanting of what must have been one of the schools ghost as he flew through one wall and stopped suddenly at the sight of the professor. Although no matter what Dan asked the ghost would only say the same verse over and over. Rolling his eyes Dan took hold of his stick and hobbled down the corridor as fast as he could and followed the ghost who seemed rather eager to get someone on trouble.

Finally they turned the corner and entered the corridor that the culprit was standing down. Actually that small factor surprised Dan more then anything, he had not run away from the scene of the crime, in fact he still stood by the suit of armour. Running his hand over his stubble Dan looked at the Gryffindor to the suits of armour. There was no chance he could have lifted that up and put it on the other. He did not look strong enough to lift his own school bag.

“What are you doing down here? I thought you….”

This was not the Gryffindor Dan thought it was, in fact he had never seen this lad before. That could either mean two things he was a rebel and never came to his lessons or he was knew. There had been a note passed around that a new student had joined but Dan never paid attention to those things, he did to know the names of half the people in his classes and he got on fine.

[Mark Alméida]

Mark walked up the dungeon corridor quickly until he reached the suits of armour, picking an arm up he looked at it, trying to figure out if it could be fixed, maybe Mark could just clip it back into place. Though now he had a new vendetta, find that damned ghost and hurl a nasty spell to bind it and stick it with a rather annoying female ghost. Inspecting the armour, after picking up a breastplate he realised it couldnt be fixed and put it back down again. He was slowly becoming to realise this place was not at all Mark friendly and was somehow, regretting his own decision to come here. Of all the places he could have gone, or stayed in that matter, he chose here. Why? Because of Maxi, because his best mate was here. What a turnout that was, he had seen him once over the last couple of weeks and that was it. Probably busy playing happy families with Ashyboy he thought to himself as he slung down the arm with a rather loud clatter. What was the point in being quiet when that ruckus had probably woken the whole school?

Mark knew that the ghost had probably carried out its thread and gone to a professor. There was only one way out of the dungeons and that was back up through the door and he knew if he headed that way he'd probably end up caught anyway. So he stayed put, probably out of defiance and curiosity to see who would show up.

Mark turned to see who the speaker was, he hadnt seen this professor before yet somehow he seemed familiar to him. Mark looked down at the armour and thought this was probably not the best place to have stayed, especially due to the fact he had his wand in his hand, he spotted the ghost floating next to him and the ghost smirked, turned to the professor and said:

"He used his wand he did,
I saw him i did,
With my own two eyes i did"

With that the ghost left and Mark groaned, this left him and the professor. Mark put his head in his hand and shook his head. What have you gotten yourself into now Mark? he thought. Somehow Mark was getting himself into trouble when he wasnt even wanting to!

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan stood blinking at the lad wondering if he really was the type to do such a thing, however the ghost seemed more then keen to get this poor Gryffindor into trouble but as soon as he had fired the accusations at him he flew off with a loud laugh. It was one thing that even over all these years Dan could never understand was why the ghost were so content on making everyone lives hell, maybe it was because they were bitter to be dead. Turing his attention back to the Gryffindor Dan looked me over to make sure that his wand was not in his hand in case for one the poltergeist was telling the truth.

Tightening his grip onto his walking stick Dan hobbled closer to the Gryffindor with his hand outstretched and frown on his face. Not only was Dan peeved off to been woken up during his sleep but also over something so trivial that would be solved within moments if the student was willing to cooperate.

“Can I have your wand please Mr….erm….sorry who are you?”

A frown spread across Dan’s face as he studied the features of the boy hoping it would twig some sort of recollection of hearing or seeing something. But yet nothing came to him apart from seeing the worried look on his face, which was a change as normally it was the look of guilt that people had when Dan asked them for their wand. In fact Dan had decided this boy had to be new to the school as he seemed not to know who he was, which worried Dan as he always liked to think that his reputation proceeded him and when he strutted (or in this case hobbled) down a corridor people would know he was and move to one side either out of fear or respect for him. Maybe he was inflating his own ego too much but it was that self belief in himself that made Dan Dan.

[Mark Alméida]

Mark watched the professor who seemed astounded to see him stood next to a broken suit of armour. He was blinking at Mark, Mark just smiled and bent down, picked up the arm of the suit of armour and said, "Its kinda... Well broken..." He shrugged and threw the arm down with a clatter. "Oh.." He said through the echoing noise, "Forgot it made a racket" He put his hand behind his head and rubbed the back of his head with his eyes closed, as if he had a sharp pain. He knew he was probably going to get into trouble but it at least was usually over something he had done himself.

Mark could hear wood on marble and opened his eyes to see the professor hobbling towards him. He tried not to laugh, it was always funny to Mark when he saw a Professor injured. Not that he didnt have any respect for professors. He did ususually. Sometimes. Certain ones anyway. Though Mark tilted his head when he saw he had his hand outstretched. Did he want to shake Marks hand or something? Maybe he thought he had broken that suit of armour and maybe the professor really hated that suit of armour and maybe he was going to congratulate him on a job well done.

Yeah... Right...

"Alméida" Mark said, "Markeil Alméida, but please call me Mark, i hate Markeil" He said with a shudder, he wondered to himself would his parents ever come up with a normal name. Still it was better than Chritain like his mother wanted to call him. He thought if his mother ever called him that, he would have to avada kedavra himself to the next oblivion. "My wand?" He questioned as he pulled it out of his pocket, "Sure, s'long as you dont snap, damage or hurt it in anyway" he gave a shrug and passed it to the professors outstretched hand.

Mark returned the frown that had spread across the other males face. He was trying to think of things Maxi had said to see if he could possibly pin an identity to the man, he wasnt Vance that was for sure, he wasnt nearly as mean as Maxi had described, but he hadnt given a description of anyone else so this man could be anyone. He might not even be a professor as Mark had assumed, he might have been a ministry worker. No that was dumb, the ghost had said he was going to get a professor.

"No disrespect intended, though if you want to take disrespect thats upto you" Mark spoke with a shrug, "Who are you?"

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

A Gryffindor named Mark, that rung a bell someone had talked about them, mentioned them in conversation but it could have been anyone. And there were so many people in that house any of them could have been called Mark after all it was a common name, well Markeil was not.

Dan watched the boy carefully as he handed over his wand, he seemed rather disgruntled to do so and Dan could not blame him. A wand was everything to a wizard and if anything happened to it you knew that you would be in trouble and it would cost you a fair few gold coins to replace it. Yet Dan could not help but offer him a smile when he was worried about him snapping the wand, although if the crime was great enough Dan would love to do it one day but he did not have the authority.

Grasping his figures around the wand Dan held it out in front of him and pointed his own wand at it. He was about to cast the spell when the boy spoke once more, this time asking who he was. Frowning slightly Dan lowered his own wand and looked at Mark and suddenly felt rather stupid and rude to not mention, he was just so used to people knowing who is was.

“I am Professor Daniel Hubbles Mr Alméida. Teacher of Charms and head of Hufflepuff house!”

Dan’s voice got louder and prouder as he mentioned being the head of Hufflepuff, it was something he loved telling everyone and if people did not know who he was then it just gave him yet another reason to brag. Giving Mark a weary smile Dan pointed his own wand at the Gryffindor’s.

“Prior Incantato”

A light flashed from the end of Dan’s wand and consumed that of Mark’s then out of the end of the other a pale light started to escape and soon a ghostly image of Mark summoning a drink across the table in the great hall was shown. Satisfied with the answer and knowing that no wand could ever lie Dan stopped the spell and pocket his own wand and held out Mark’s for him to take back.

[Mark Alméida]

Mark folded his arms across his chest and gazed absent mindedly around the corridors. It would seem the professor was more concerned about Mark's wand than he was about the fact he was out well past curfew, though this was okay by Mark, though maybe he was just looking on the brightside, maybe the trouble of being out so late would come after the wand inspection. Maybe not.

The wand, in which Mark was so protective over, was now in the Professors hands and Mark felt twitchy about this. Trying to remain calm and keep his relaxed stance he tried to think of amusing memories. Though Mark's eyes kept darting back to his wand over and over again, sidestepping from his left foot to his right one, twiddling his fingers and watching as the professor mulled his wand over.

Now was the time Mark got nervous, was when the professor pointed his own wand towards Mark's. "Uh.. Please-be-careful!" He said in a rushed voice, though thankfully the professor seemed to stop pointing his wand at Marks and answered his question. Ah! Bubbles! he thought to himself with a slight smirk when he remembered what Max had told him. Though he seemed like he wouldnt be much trouble to Mark, in fact he seemed a bit on the soft side.

"Mr Alméida? That makes me sound old you know" He said with a wrinkling of his nose. Hubbles? Wait a mo... "Girty!" he said with sudden realisation. Of course! How could he be so stupid! "So there would be favouritism for that house then? Especially seeing as how your own family member resides within it" the smirk stil clean on his face, signs of smugness shown too as Mark was proud he had figured it out.

"Oh... Yeah that was pumpkin juice by the way... Wasnt anything it shouldnt have been... You know... Like firewhisky you professors like to drink" He tried smiling, and added hastily, "Not that i would know about that or anything"