[Charms] Team 2, Stage 2!

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Slowly you turn the key in the door and there is silence much like with the green door but the key seems to move further and with a greater ease and then you hear it.

CLICK

The key vanishes from inside the lock and slowly the golden door starts to open , its hinges creaking giving off the feeling it had not done so in years and dust falls from the doorframe. But slowly shafts if light can be seen, in the dark room and touches on the wall flicker alight.

The room itself is thin, like one of the many narrow passage ways inside of Hogwarts; it was only wide enough for one person to walk at a time…the way is dark and it seems to carry on for a good hundred meters when you reach an older looking, wooden door.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty watched on in quite amazement as Jac took key off Effie and was brave enough to pick a door. Girty slowly walked towards the green door keeping her wand tight in her hand ready for something to fly from the pits, ceiling or one of the other doors…however it was Jac who did the flying. Swearing loudly Girty ran to the side of her friend at the same time as Alex. With a small smile at the Ravenclaw however Alex did not help her up he just took the key rambling about having an idea.

Jac was soon standing once again and with a reassuring pat on her back Girty wondered over after Alex ready to be on guard duty once more or catch him if he too went flying backwards. But instead the door swung open revelling a passage way. Girty continued to walk forward holding her hand out in front of her but as she passed Alex she gave his arm a small affectionate squeeze to congratulate him.
The corridor seemed to go on and on until she reached a door at the end, there seemed to be no lock on it and no matter how much she pushed the door would not open. Turning back to look up the corridor she shouted back to the others.

“It will not open! We may have to force it down…there is no lock!”

[Alex Doyle]

Alex saw Girty come near him as he turned the key in the lock, giving a small smile he said, "Protecting us too are we? Noble and Brave, is there no extent to your talent?" Though he was slightly nervous after seeing what happened to Jac so he turned it slowly, half expecting to find himself in one of the four pits, but the lock gave a small click and the door open, "Well would you look at that! Lex found the answer."

He started to walk down the corridor, but Girty went in first, giving his arm a squeeze which he sort of flinched at. He looked over his shoulders at the others and then followed her down the narrow corridor, Alex was just small enough, his shoulders were nearly grazing on the two walls. As they got to the end Girty yelled back to the others, "Ow!" He pained, covering his ears, "Sound travells in narrow corridors you know chicken. Dont shout so loud it made my ears ring"

"Well as much as i know im going to hate saying i have a weakness, though im surprised the people in team one didnt hear you" He removed his hands from his ears and looked at her, "My talents dont stretch as far as breaking down doors, ive never been able to master blasting spells..." He looked at her and gave a slight smile, before averting her gaze and looking back to the others who had not yet entered the corridor.

[Jac Shaw]

Jac smiled, as well as she could with her chest shouting at her, at Alex and Girty who rushed to her. Alex soon formed a new, better plan then hers and went to the golden door. Jac watched him, trying to catch her breath and will her aches to not ache any more. Her hand still just below her breasts, Jac pressed hard, and watched Alex and Girty, leaning on her knee with her free hand.

To her great surprise, the door opened and a tunnel was revealed. "Why didn't I think of that?" Jac moaned at herself and walked over the bridge and towards the opening. She followed just behind Alex, making herself a little smaller so she could fit nicely down the long corridor. Before long she heard Girty's voice ahead. "A corridor that leads to a dead end, yup, that sounds like Hubbles. Erm, no offence Girt, your brother's gone off the deep end."

No lock, no way of opening it, Jac thought. "That's my area of expertise, Lex and I've got an idea," she said. She sucked her belly in and began to push her way to the front. "Ok, I suggest you stand back coz we all know how my plans turn out." Jac laughed and pulled out her want. "Here goes," she said, pointing her wand at the door, wall, thing, "Evanesco." The Vanishing charm was bound to work and when Jac wasn't falling over or flying through the air she knew it had worked.

[Sarie Thimble]

"Wicked Jac, what do you think will becoming next. " Sarie said from the back. She was jumping up and down to see what was going on in front. She was excited. She wondered what was waiting on the other side. She wished she could see better. The hall was very cramped and she wanted to get out there and into open air.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Do you really think Dan would make things easy enough that a vanishing charm worked???

The door smashes into a thousand pieces sending chards off wood in all directions and as the dust settles the room is reviled to those in the corridor. At first it seems dark but as the first person walks over the threshold into the room a chair reaction is set off and touches along the walls flickers on revealing a ledge which was big enough to fit most of the team on and then a floating bridge over a pit of darkness. As your eyes move over the platform of 4 titles you see a chest on the other side and above the chest is a ledge.

At first the ledge is empty but you can hear movement, the sound of footsteps sound out and from the darkness slowly steps a proud looking Sphinx. Its golden fur coat glistening in the torch light and as it moved its head in such an elegant fashion it mane dropped around its human face. The Sphinx almost seemed happy to be found although a frown was still upon the creatures face as it looked upon the students standing in the door way.

“Welcome my children.” A feminine voice floated over towards them over the void. “When you are ready please step upon the first platform when the task shall proceed.”

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty looked on blankly at the door almost whishing it would fling itself open with just the power of the mind. However when nothing happened and Alex joined her Girty’s attention wondered ever so slightly and looked up at the Ravenclaw grinning as he called her chicken. However it was not until Jac came down the small corridor that the Hufflepuff even thought about the door again and it would soon be hard for her to forget about it again.

Jac clearly had not looked over the fact that there was no way of standing back in such a small corridor and as the Gryffindor Girty’s eyes grew wide and she automatically turned her back on the door and stepping closer to Alex she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down to the floor.
The loud bang that echoed around them and then the sudden showering of bits of wood proved that Jac had been successful at the task. A few seconds after the bang Girty raised her head and through the dust looked over at Jac trying to look unimpressed but she found herself laughing.

“Nice one Jac, at least it worked…but I never expected the vanishing spell to have that affect on the door…”

Girty stood up and brushed the dust off herself and shrugged her shoulder, Dan had problem done some sort of trickery on the door to stop people from just vanishing everything…it made things more exiting if anything. Turning her attention to the gap in the wall Girty pocked her head in and looked around the darkness before taking the step over into the new room. It was then the lights all flickered on and footsteps could be heard.
Tightening her grip around her wand Girty held her breath hoping that the others hurried up and came in not leaving her alone with….with a Sphinx. Her mouth dropt open slightly and she looked on in disbelief at the creature in front of her not paying any attention to what it was saying.

[Alex Doyle]

Alex felt an arm around his neck, dragging him down to the floor as shards of wood came flying from the door. He covered Girty's head with his own arms and put his head down, burying his head in her hair. Things began to settle down and Girty stood up, Lex, Following suit stood up and brushed himself down too.

"Yeah, good one," He laughed, "Dont like splinters"

He followed them into the room and looked, with a raised eyebrow at the Sphinx. Thats not my mum... he couldnt stop himself from thinking that and had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. Doing as the Sphinx said, Alex walked over to the platform and stood on it, wondering what the task ahead of them was going to be,

"Come on then you dozy lot!" He laughed, "Do you want team one to win?"

[Sarie Thimble]

Sarie felt a piece of wood fly pass her cheek. She covered it and felt the small cut start to bleed. She was still in the back and only heard the voice and she followed the group in front of her on to a platform. She saw a Sphinx and she stared at it, she had never seen one before.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty was still enchanted by seeing a real life Sphinx that it was only when Alex’s voice rang out around them that she even thought about moving. He seemed to have gone to the first title so shrugging her shoulders Girty wondered over and stood next to Alex giving him a small smile as slipped her hand into his and giving it a small squeeze.

Girty felt strangely nervous, she had paid enough attention in Care of Magical creatures to know that Sphinx’s were dangerous animals when confronted and they were known for their riddles which really did not reassure Girty as she did not have the most logical mind in the world but she guessed if they all put their heads together they could come up with something.

“Why do I get the feeling we are going to have think for this task.”

Girty gave a soft laugh before looking over her shoulder to see if the others in the group were ever going to join them or make Girty and Alex do the whole task by themselves.Sarie soon joined them and Girty grinned at the young Gryffindor.

“Are you ready for this Sarie? It is not everyday you get to stand face to face with a Sphinx...Dan really has outdone himself with this task.”

[Sarie Thimble]

Sarie grinned at Girty. "Yeah lets go." She said wondering what the riddle might be. Sarie wondered where team 1 was at. Had they already past this point or where they still trying to figure out the key. She was glad she took the class. "So what kind of riddle do you think it would be?" She asked the other Hufflepuff.

[Jac Shaw]

When the spell finally took effect, an odd unexpected effect but an effect none the less, Jac didn't think to duck or cover her face. That rarely was her first thought. Instead she gave her wand a small wave and said with a squeeke, "Protego." The splintered bits of wood that flew towards her became fine, like grains of sand hitting her face. It stung like when you walk on a beach with the wind howling, trowing sand against your legs. She squeezed her eyes closed and waited for the stinging to be over.

When she heard Girty's voice, Jac slowly opened one eye, then the other. Her face relaxed when she saw the room ahead of them. Big. Jac whistled when she walked forwards, Alex at her shoulder. "Nice," she said, Girty and Sarie passing her. The sphinx was no stranger to her as the book Ed had written on them was particularly well written and interesting, making it one of her favourite books that she loved to read over and over again.

Jac noticed the three on the platform ahead of her and she hurried to join them. She looked around the room, a big smile on her face. Looking now at Girty, Jac grinned, "your brother's really gone all out here, hasn't he?" She tilted her head to the side as Sarie asked about the riddle. Jac loved riddles and could hardly wait.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty looked over her shoulder and grinned at Jac as she came over to join them, she seemed impressed by what she saw, and she was not the only one Girty was going to have words with her brother later and find out how long he had been sitting on this project for. It was only when Sarie asked her about the riddles that the Hufflepuff’s attention flicked back to what was happening around her.

“Well I hope you are easy riddles Sarie, otherwise I will out of my depth.”

Girty grinned and looked up at Alex for a while wondering if for once he was going to use his mind for once, there had to be a first time for everything. Finding it hard to stop herself form laughing at her own thoughts Girty looked away from the Ravenclaw and towards Jac who was also commenting on how much trouble Dan had gone to.

“Oh yeah…he has out done himself with this one. Makes it seem like he is trying to impress someone.” Girty chuckled wondering if that might have actually been the reason behind it all.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The Sphinx watched on as the students entered the room and when four of them had assembled on the platform the task was about to begin. But there was a small problem, the students seemed to be having a conversations between themselves, the Hufflepuff in particular seemed to happily chatting away…this, the Sphinx guessed would be the Professors younger sister, she had been warned already be warned about her.

“SILENCE!”

The voice of the creatures sounded out and echoed demanding respect from everyone in its presence. The creature’s mane shined in the torchlight and it took a few steps closing to the raised plinth it was standing on. It looked down upon the students with a hard gaze, there was a representative from three of the houses in the school so maybe they would have a better chance had successes in the task. But first the ground rules needed to be set.

“To complete this task you must answer four riddles. As you progress they shall get harder to test your skills more and more. You will only be allowed to ask for clues three times during the duration of the task, and wrong answers will be punishable. Do you have any questions?”

The Sphinx kept its gaze upon them ready to pounce if any dared talk out of line, the Professor has told her to allow them to tease and belittle each other but if they dared speak ill to such as magnificent creature then on their head be it.

“No questions…good then let us begin.”

I fly in the air, But I am not always there. I cannot be touched, But I can be felt or held. Think very hard, But if you live near the equator, You may have a tough time seeing me. What am I?

[Sarie Thimble]

Sarie leaned over to Girty. "It rather sounds like rain to me. What do you think Girty?" She didn't want her team mates to get hurt. She knew what would happen if she got it wrong. She shivered at the thought.