[Corridors] Armored Hallway [Professor Hubbles]

[Ellie Rook]

Imagine. Ellie Rook. Hufflepuff Prefect. Ellie shook her head as she walked along the halls. Jamie was around somewhere doing his own rounds, but for now, Ellie was alone, and in the dark. Ok, it wasn't even dark yet, but the Hufflepuff already found herself losing interest in the task. She sighed. The fall night air was beginning to get cooler and cooler. It was on the verge of actually being cold.

Ellie walked around in her long black robes, the prefect badge pinned to her chest. She rounded a corner, her wand lit up, just so she could see into the dark corners that were cast in shadow from twilight. A shorter student ran past Ellie, a large pile of book trailing behind him. It was almost as if the new term had finally set in, homework actually had to be done and tests to be studied for. The was one thing Ellie was grateful for, a break from her work. Prefect duties didn't seem so bad anymore, not after seeing the boy and all his work chasing him.

Ellie continued her walk, she reached the stair case and climbed up. Halfway there, the stairs began to groan. Ellie had noticed that the stairs hadn't exactly been cooperative lately. She had seen many people get stranded because of them. Ellie ran as fast as she could up the stair and just reached the top as the staircase groaned again and then moved toward the eastern castle.

Ellie sighed, greatfull she actually got to where she needed to be. She wondered if the Professor's had noticed the strange behavior of the stairs. Ellie thought she might have to see if they were doing anything about them. Maybe even go and visit Professor...er, Headmaster Hubbles. Ellie's face broke into a smile as she thought about it. The perfect reason to go and see him, perfect for the prefect!

Ellie walked down a rather dark corridor. She was on the back side of the castle now and the low sun didn't cast any light through the windows. She brighten her wand and walked around a corner.

Bam!

Ellie was on the ground. It felt as though she had ran into a wall. Why would a wall be there. Rubbing her head, she held her wand up to see what she hit. A large suit of armor stood directly in her path. Ellie groaned as she got up. Who would put that there. She walked to the side of the armor and tried to go through he hallway again. However, the arm lower fast, the armors weapon coming down and almost slicing the newly badged prefect in half.

"Bloody hell!" Ellie yelled as she jumped back. She walked over farther. She didn't take her eye off of the metal man. Ellie backed over to the other side, and her heel hit something with a clang. She turned to see another suit looming just as tall over her. "Oh boy." She said, backing up, glancing between the twin sets. He was getting assertive, stepping forward on the Hufflepuff. "Uhh.." Ellie said, confused as what was going on. "I just need to get by..." She said, but the suit of armor took another step.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

“Just don’t do it again, otherwise I will be coming after you with a paintbrush!”

Dan warned as he pointed at the group of witches that were sitting in the portrait giggling away as they were all taking rather large swigs from bottles of wine. With one final glare the Headmaster turned on his heel and started to walk down the corridor only to be bombarded with the abusive shouts from the rowdy witches. What was with these portraits today? This was the fifth one he had been called out to today to try and sort out, but the problem was they were losing their respect for the head of the school….’Bloody things’

The corridors were rather quiet today; only the odd student would scurry past trying to avoid eye contact with headmaster as they feared getting into trouble for skipping lesson. In all honesty Dan would not have punished them, in his eyes as a student he had skipped a fair share of lessons and it never did him any harm, although on many occasions when he was in Brazil he wished he had paid more attention to Care of Magical Creatures.

Soon Professor Hubbles found himself ambling down the stairs in the main corridor, his office was upwards yet he was going downwards. It made no sense…no this made no sense the stairs were going downwards. Starting to feel slightly motion sick Dan planned on making his quick escape and ran down to the bottom of the section of steps and waited for a landing area to appear before making his leap to the non moving flooring. Really it should have been Dan’s job to sort the whole situation out but that would be too much effort so the Headmaster quickly rounded the corner of the corridor trying to ignore the shouts of some of the portraits on the wall who had watched the whole thing.

’Bloody Hell!’

Dan stopped in his tracks and looked around the corridor, he thought it was going to be another portrait but it sounded too familiar. The voice came again asking to be let passed and Dan knew it was…used to be one of his Hufflepuff, one of his best in fact. It sounded like someone was playing a trick with the poor girl, those Parkhurst twins no doubt, so this is why the Headmaster was surprised to see a suit of armour who was dangerously swinging its sword around and approaching the Hufflepuff.

“OI!” Dan shouted, marching towards the scene with a look of determination on his face and in his voice. “You know the rules, no swords and or other weapons are allowed to be used before eleven at night and never are they to be drawn on a student!”

Coming to a stop by Ellie Dan placed a reassuring on her shoulder as he reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his wand. The suit of armour creaked as it took another, all be it smaller step forward. First the portraits, then the stairs and now this! Something was going on here!

[Ellie Rook]

[Danny-boy!! Ellie might have just died.]

Ellie was seriously confused at the armor's actions. She had never seen a suit of armor move with such audacity, actually she had never seen a suit of armor move. But hey, she was a witch after all, and it shouldn't really surprise her. She was more surprised, well worried actually, that the armor was moving in a very vengeful way.

The second suit of armor raised its sword at Ellie's muttering. Apparently she wasn't getting the message across that she was just trying to perform her prefect duties. The Hufflepuff drew her wand, but didn't really know what spell she was going to perform, especially if the large ax being held over her head suddenly dropped.

In the seconds before help arrived Ellie pondered what it would be like to be a ghost. She would forever haunt the hallway where she died, bursting into tears every time she saw a suit if armor. People would walk through her and she would forever be in the company of others ghosts such as Gemma Landyn and Caitlyn McGrimm. How...morbid.

Ellie raised her wand, though she was sure only stupid mutterings would emit from her mouth, when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. She turned her head to see a red haired hero walking quite fast to the scene of the attack. Ellie could only mutter one thing as the suit of armors helmeted head turned to look at the Headmaster. "Professor!" She said, a sappy, yet very thankful, grin coming over her face as she felt his hand on her shoulder.

He's old and married, OLD AND MARRIED!! Ellie shouted in her mind.

"Uhh, Professor, I don't think its read the rulebook." Ellie said, stepping back slightly as both the suits of armor blocking the hallway stepped slightly forward. He wand was raised along with Professor Hubbles'. She looked at him, basically silently asking, Well what the bloody hell do we do now?, completely unaware at what was going to happen.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

“No, it does not seem like they have.”

Dan mumbled in response as he lowered his hand from Ellie’s shoulder and turned his focus to the suits of armour that were blocking the corridor. Raising his wand Dan looked nervously at Ellie before turning back to the on coming suit of armour. His grip tightened around his wand as he tried to think of a spell that could possibly work to stop a pair of magically enchanted objects, it was strange that when push came to shove the ex-charms professors mind went blank and he was left standing there looking gormless. Then almost as is he had been struck by lightening a spell came to the headmaster!

“Immobulus!” The icy jet of light shot from the end of Dan’s wand and towards the suit of armour and for the briefest of moments a smile spread across his face as he was convinced that the spell would work, but as with most things in Dan Hubbles life it is never as simple as it should be. The spell hit the closest suit of armour square in the chest plate but it did not stop, instead the spell reflected off the shimming metal and ricocheted back towards Dan and Ellie.

Dan’s eyes grew wide and seeing as he was not exactly in the mood to be frozen on the spot and he was sure that neither did Ellie, so trying to do the honourable thing he rugby tackled the Hufflepuff the ground and watched as the spell just skimmed over the top of him. Rolling over onto his back, his chest was heaving in worry Dan heard another creaking step of the armour…this was not good. Scrambling to his feet Dan pulled Ellie up and took a few more steps backwards to give them some room between them and the rampant suits of armour.

“Your turn.” Dan laughed nervously, glancing down at Ellie giving her the chance to show him her skill in charms yet again. He would have tried another spell but his pride took more damage in that incident then from the trip to the corridor floor.

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie was very confused at what was going on. She felt completely stupid, standing side by side with the Former Charms Professor, and she couldn't think of anything to do against the rogue suit of armor. However, Ellie's mind was racing with spells. Five years of learning magic had given her a decent array to choose from.

The Hufflepuff felt his hand come off her shoulder. She held her wand up, even though it was useless without an idea in her head. She watched as Professor Hubbles cast their first defense at the armor. The spell bounced straight of the metal armor and head straight for her. She didn't have time to react, but luckily, Hubbles did. Ellie was thrown to the ground in a decent tackle, her elbow pounding the floor. She felt the skin open as the bone his the stone. As she shook off her fall, being helped up by the Professor, Ellie stepped back as the army of metal clanged forward.

"I would have never taken you for a rugby man, Professor." She said, her robes getting wet with blood at her elbow. She pushed her hair out of her face and caught her attention back to the advancing armor. They were pushing the current and the former Hufflepuff back to that wall. Soon that would be trapped. However for now a good ten feet was between them.

Ellie nodded. The pressure was on. It was her turn. Time to show the hunk of metal junk who was boss. Quickly her mind raced through what she knew. Spells bounced right off the armor. Ellie didn't want to chance another backfire in the increasingly smaller space. An idea popped into her head. It might do some damage, to the armor, the building and possibly the two humans alone with it. However, it was the only thing she had in her mind.

"Hold on!" Ellie said as she raised her wand and threw it back and then forward, gaining power as though she was throwing a ball. "REDUCTO!" She said as she through a light blue ball of light toward the ground just below one of the suits of armor. The stone exploded with power and the suit was jolted up with it. It raised a few feet in the air and then came down, in pieces.

The blast had sent the young Hufflepuff flying backwards. The stone rubble from the explosion fell around the pair, scratching Ellie's face. Ellie covered her eyes from her now sitting position. As the dust cleared, she smile. One down, one to go. Ellie noticed that she basically blew apart half the corridor. She grimaced and turned to the Professor. "Uhh, I got a little carried..." Ellie said, with a shrug, gazing at the giant hole in the floor.

Ellie's head snapped back to the attention of the remaining set of armor which was now closing the gap between them. Another Reducto curse wouldn't work. They were to close. Ellie would blow them up with the armor. Her eyes were wide with fear as the Armor raised and swung it sward at her on the ground. Ellie quickly scooted out of the way and got to her feet. She glanced at the Professor. "Your turn..." She said, as if it was a game.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

There they stood a thirteen year age difference and yet it seemed that the younger of the two was the one more prepared to handling a situation like this. It was not from want of trying though, Dan had cast a spell and it would have been a thumping good one too had it not rebound, but truly that was neither here nor there all that mattered was that they were fighting the armour and Ellie was…Ellie was hurt.

Black could hide most stains but Dan had been a teacher for long enough to be able to notice the deeper shade on the elbow of one of his favourite students. “Oh Merlin, Ellie are you ok?” The concern that filled the man’s voice was true, he was not being one of those teachers who faked concern just because they were being cared to look after the students, and for once Dan cared about someone who was not a Hubbles. However it did not seem that the slight cut on the Hufflepuff’s elbow was giving her too much grief as with in seconds she had regained her composer and was firing off a spell.

Oh how much Dan would have loved to stand there saying that he taught Ellie everything she knew, admittedly he had been her teacher for some time but nothing in the classroom would prepare students for the moment when the pressure was truly on. But then as any true Hufflepuff would she excelled under then pressure and with a bit of quick thinking and excellent spell work one suit of armour was down. The only slight problem was that in the process she did destroy half of the corridor and so before Dan could even think about bursting to pride he had to avoid the rather large lumps of rubble as well as that other suit of armour.

Clearly it seemed to think that Ellie was the major threat as it swung its sword towards the poor girl. Taking a deep breath Dan stepped forward, his fist clenched and reaching out he knocked a few times on the empty helmet of the suit of armour. His intension was to get the blasted things attention and it bloody well worked. With a loud creek the armour turned its attention to the headmaster and quickly brought its sword around to try and slice the man in two. Jumping backwards Dan heard the horrible sound of cloth ripping and as he looked down the tip of the armours blade and cut his shirt.

“You sod.” Dan gasped as he stared at the rip in his light blue shirt. “Dia brought me this shirt for my birthday…she is going to kill me.”

The thought of his wife’s face when she saw the ruined shirt almost empowered the man to find some courage that would normally only become a Gryffindor…courage meaning an act of stupidity. Forgetting that he had his wand in his right hand Dan strode forward once again, vigour in his step and determination in his eyes, predictably the suit or armour raised its sword to strike but Dan dodged out of its way and so as the tin can rose to attack once again the Headmaster took his chance.

With a good strong and powerful kick in its chest plate there was a hollow thud and a long cry of expletives from Dan there was a few seconds of silence before the suit of armour lost its balance and fell backwards down the freshly made hole in the corridor floor.

(Oh dear me I am sorry. This is rather lame!)

[Ellie Rook]

"I'm fine Professor." Ellie said, quickly shaking of the thudding pain in her arm. Of course Ellie had hit the funny bone. Her forearm had gone slightly numb as well as the blood rushing out. Ellie never understood why they called it the funny bone, it certainly wasn't funny.

Ellie really did feel bad that she destroyed the corridor. Hopefully, no one below was hurt by the falling debris, the last thing Ellie needed was to kill someone. She wasn't to fond of the idea of going to Azkaban for nothing.

Ellie backed in to the corner. She was getting worried. She knew if she casted any spells they would bounce off and hit her. Ellie wasn't fond of the idea of her dying as well.

Ellie heard a bang, Professor Hubbles had banged on the head of the armor, trying to get its attention. Ellie was very grateful, and she breathed easier. She watched as the armor swung at the Professor. Ellie let out a little scream to tell the Professor to watch out, but no real words came out,and it was just a little yelp. She saw the shirt cut. Ellie was sure that Professor Hubbles would have a harder time fending of his wife then the suit of armor.

She watched as the Professor physically sent the armor down into the depths of hell. Ellie smiled and cheered. She ran over to the Professor. "You didn't get cut did you?" Ellie said, gazing at the blue shirt with the hole in it, hopeing he wasn't hurt.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The screams and cheers that the young Hufflepuff was providing made Dan feel like he was in a muggle action film, he was the hero coming in to save the poor damsel and in the end save the world. Maybe this was him being slightly over the top but this cockiness of his carried on even after he had kicked the evil villain into the dark depths of the corridor bellow.

“Me get hurt?” Dan shot Ellie a smile that could only truly be described as charming. “What would give you such an idea? It is not like I am prone to injury.”

For anyone who is not aware of Professors Hubbles antics you may be interested in knowing that this particular man has a habit of being on the edge of death and his clothing being stained with crimson blood. If he is not getting his chest sliced open or poisoned he will be found getting beaten up in a fight that he no doubt started and end up walking away with a bloody nose and dent in his pride. Today however there would be no blood and no damage to his pride…or at least not yet anyway.

Studying the rip one last time as he wondered if a few simple spells would fix it Dan was about to start walking off down the hallway once again when he noticed something glint in the light. The smile slowly faded away from the man’s features as the sound of metal grinding against stone filled the corridor and right before their very eyes the first suit of armour began to bring its self together again.

“Ding ding round two.” Dan mumbled to himself as once more his wand was raised, pointing it at the automatic solving jigsaw that was the suit of armour. Something strange was going on inside of Hogwarts and it was something that truly terrified Dan because as Headmaster he knew that people would be looking up to him to try and quell this evil but also if anyone got hurt he would be the one to get the blame…and he was far to pretty to get sent to Azkaban.

[Ellie Rook]

"Oh, ok, right Superman." Ellie said, rolling her eyes. She knew that her favorite professor didn't exactly have the luck of the Irish with him. She remembered last year hearing some interesting stories of Professor Hubbles. He didn't exactly attract drama, but it certianly wasn't afraid of him either.

Ellie was so happy that it was all over. All she really wanted to do was go and sit in the huge prefects bath tub and wash off all the sweat and blood and dust from her destroying the hallway. She thought it best not to bring that point up just now, perhaps Professor Hubbles would forget about the gaping hole in the ground. It really was a stupid move.

Satisfied with a good days work, Ellie was about to say fairwell to her knight in shining armor ad head up to her bed and bath. However, as she walked toward him to say these fairwells, she noticed he was looking at something. Ellie followed his eye line and groaned. Raising her wand once again, she heard the Professor mutter something. A small smile flickered across her face. "Fighters take your corners." she muttered in response. Ifthey were going to a boxing motif, then she would play along.

The suit of armor put itself together, as if the part were magnetized. Of course it would do that, Ellie thought, Why would it possibly just give up and let us be. Something were strange was happening here. The armor was out for blood. Ellie looked down at her elbow. Well, more blood. The Hufflepuff's mind was racing. She couldn't think or anything. They already knew direct hitting spells wouldn't work, and apparently blowing up the hallway didn't work either. Ellie looked at the Professor. "Any thoughts..." She murmured, as though she didn't want the suit of armor to know they wre plotting against it. Not that she had tried to blow him up a couple minutes before or anything like that.

The suit finally got itself together, and it turned it head to face the two Hufflepuffs. Ellie's wand was raised, she was ready, but he didn't know what she was ready for. She was sure she could hold her own in a one on one fight with a living being, but this was not a living being, this was some hammered metal giving life and thought by wizards much like the ones it was now assaulting. Who ever did this would pay. Seriously.

[babble babble babble]

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

When Dan had left his office earlier that morning after a causal breakfast with Dia he would never have expected that he would be face to face with an alive suit of armour who wanted to kill him and one of his favourite pupils. The world truly had gone insane!

“Any thoughts other then ‘ahhh were doing to die?’” Dan gave a soft laugh as he looked down at Ellie with a small grin, he was not sure why he made a joke, and such a bad one at that but then when put into situations like this Dan was never all that quick thinking…he was a Hufflepuff after all. Looking back from Ellie to the suit of armour Dan tried to be serious once more. “Of course we are not going to die, Mr Nish is very talented he will be able to sew us back together again. I always did like the Frankenstein look.”

There he was again making jokes instead of thinking of ways for them to get out of this situation. The suit of armour was getting closer and the glint that shone from its blade made him think that not even Mr Nish would be able to fix them if that diced them up enough. Swallowing hard Dan tried to think of something and with every clunk and every step that the suit of armour got closer to them he knew time was running out. He was finding it hard to keep his wand arm steady as he held it out in front of him, for some reason the Headmaster was feeling pressured and that pressure was as if someone had cast ‘Obliviate’ him and removed every spell from his memory banks.

“We need to stop it somehow.” Dan muttered, he knew he would be making very little sense but it was the only way he could get his mind ticking over as he watched the armour get closer and closer. “Blowing it up will not work as it mends its self so we need…we need to tie it up. If only there was a spell to- to…” Dan froze and slapped himself on the head with his freehand. “Hubbles you fool!”

“INCARCEROUS!”

Thick ropes flew out of the end of Dan’s wand and wrapped themselves tightly around the suit of armour constricting its movement. The only thing Dan did not know was whether it was going to hold or not.

[Ellie Rook]

“Any thoughts other then ‘ahhh were doing to die?’”

Ellie looked up at the Professor with a dumbfounded smirk and mustered up half a laugh. Really, was the the first thing on his mind, cause Ellie figured that The Professor was probably right. Looking at the beast of metal and...more metal, Ellie couldn't think of anything else either. The Hufflepuff rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, I've always fancied the bride of Frankenstein..." She said, grinning at the thought that if something did happen, Professor Hubbles would be Frankenstein and she would be the Bride of...oh, how silly was she being. Ellie liked being alive, and having all her limbs which are not sewn together on her body.

Ellie watched the armor as it got closer. She heard Hubble mutter his thought process out loud just as she did. Now she remembered where she had picked up that habit...Charms Class! Anyway, Ellie hoped that his mutterings would come to some form of conclusion soon. "Professor..." Ellie said, as if he didn't realize that they were being assault by a medieval cast or armor.

Ellie beamed as the Professor obviously thought of something. Hopefully this something worked. Ellie watched as ropes cast themselves around the armor. The rope pinned its arms to it sides and wrapped its legs tightly; the armor couldn't balance and so it teetered to once side and fell over with an echoing bang onto the stone rubble floor. Ellie wasn't about to start cheering again. Her experience with these...objects, had taught to not to count her chickens before they hatched.

Seconds passed, and the armor did not move. Ellie looked up at the Professor and smiled. "Well done." She said. However, as her congratulations echoed of the stone walls, the armor jolted up right. It cast out it arms, breaking the ropes instantly, it sharp corners acting as knives against the rope. Ellie sighed, which came out more like a gasp. Rope wasn't enough to hold metal. "It's kind like rock, paper, scissors..." She mumbled.

"Professor, rock beats scissors, but paper beats rock..." The thought was running through her mind as the hunk of junk struggled to regain its footing. It was getting up slowly, probably more pissed off then ever now. "What beats metal!?" She looked at the professor for some kind of answer. "What beats metal...nothing...but.." Ellie's eyes lit up. "more metal?"

Where was she going with this...when you know, tell her, Ellie would like to know.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Being put under situations of great pressure when the stakes were so high was something that Dan never particularly liked. He enjoyed being able to take his time, be in no hurry and know that if something was not done then it would be a life or death situation…he guessed that is why he did not choice to be an Auror, but then when Dan was younger he did not want to do anything! But here he was ten years down the road, headmaster of Hogwarts and having to think quickly on his feet, which clearly was not working all to well as the suit of armour broke through his ropes as if they were made of paper.

It was then very fortunate that he was standing here by himself as the young Hufflepuff standing next to him started to think aloud too. At first Ellie’s analogy confused Dan as he could not understand how a simple hand game had anything to do with them being chopped into tiny pieces by a very sharp sword. That was until Dan’s eyes grew wide and a mischievous, even cruel smile filled the man’s face as reality hit him and Ellie’s ramble actually struck a cord with him. Despite the fact that an enchanted suit of armour was charging towards them who could kill them in one fowl swoop Dan still lowered his wand and turned to Ellie, a fond look in his eyes.

“That is why I always liked you Miss Rook.” Dan leant towards her and kissed her on the cheek. “Your bloody brilliant.”

With a wild laugh he turned around to face the on coming ’monster’, slowly raising his wand up, he was going to enjoy this. In his minds eye he could imagine the scene unfolding in front of him, as well as the aftermath…but then seeing as the corridor had a gaping being hole in the middle of it then a few scorch marks and singed portraits would not make much more difference.

“Stand back Ellie me dear, things are going to get hot.” Taking a step forward as to face the suit of armour Dan’s wand was held firmly in his hand and with a flick, (and of course a rather loud shout for the spell incantation) a spiral of fire shot out of the tip of the wand and hit the armour in its chest plate.
At first it seemed to do nothing, apart from slowing the progress of the suit of armour down, but slowly as the heat of the fire intensified the shine started to vanish and instead it started to show the patterns of heat treatment. The blacks, browns and purples began to spread and in the middle where the main flame was hitting a white glow started to appear, the metal was melting. A bead of sweat ran down Dan’s forehead as the heat start to intensify, he could feel his wand hand burning ever so slightly from the heat, he was going to look badly sunburnt after this.

“Care to give me a hand Ellie?” Dan almost ordered more then asked. He may have been a pretty powerful wizard with a knack for charms but there was no way in hell in would be able to keep this spell going. He needed a break, or they needed another idea!

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie looked blankly at the ground...her mind not giving her any decent thoughts. Ellie hated that she could think of brilliant beginning and then...splat...she just couldn't finish a thought for her life. It had never come into any important light, until now, when she was fighting for her life along side Professor Hubbles. Why couldn't her brain just go, click! and put the two pieces together. It was simply infuriating.

Luckily, when Ellie failed to grasp her own idea, the Professor standing next to her did. She looked up as he praised her and met his eyes. Apparently she was brilliant, however she was sure the severe red that was rising to her cheeks where the Professor had just giving her a peck on the cheek was far from brilliant. More like embarrassing. Ellie brought her hand up to her face and touched the place where the Professor had just been. She smiled her girly, teenage crush smile, but with a clank of the armor gaining full position again, she was brought back to reality.

Ellie took a step back at the Professor's command. Hot? Hot! Ellie smiled as she stepped back, careful not to fall over any part of the floor she had completely destroyed. Ellie watched as wonderful Charms work was displayed before her. She saw the line of fire shoot out and smack the armor right where it hurts. She watched, praying that what seemed like their last defense would work. Seconds later, she could see the effects. The metal was melting. "Wicked." She said, as the colors swam into a melted mass.

Ellie could see that the spell was taking a lot out of Professor Hubbles. He was beginning to sweat, and his hands were shaking slightly under the weight. At his command, Ellie obediently stepped up. My it was hot up here. She grabbed the her wand with two hands, knowing that if the power was tiring the Professor, she would need to really fight to hold on. With a wave, Ellie to cast the spell, the fire spurting out from the tip, the heat doubling. Ellie felt the power flow out of her, it was perhaps, the most grueling spell she ever performed.

Her own flames hit the armor and it took a step back. Ellie wasn't sure if it could feel the flames flicking at its metal skin, on the inside, Ellie hoped it was feeling no pain. Just like before, Ellie could see, through squinted eyes, that her own flame was melting the armor. Ellie smiled, but seconds later, she too, was over come by the spell. Her face was red with trying. Her own hands began to shake, and she could feel the skin on her hands blister with the heat. She looked at the Professor. "I don't think I can anymore..." She said, struggling, and with that, the flames ceased and she dropped her hands to her waist.

Ellie looked up at the armor. Where it's chest plate had been, a gaping hole now lay. The two Hufflepuffs had done some damage. Around the edging of the hole was black soot where the melting had stopped. Elie watched as the armor stood still. It made no movement toward the two. Was it finished? She glanced at the Professor, expecting him to be thinking the same thing. "Did we..do it?" Ellie said, softly, as though not to wake the monster up.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The swish and flick charms as Dan fondly called them where not very draining at all. You could cast Wingardium Leviosa two hundred times and still not feel this tired. Magic came form the heart yes, and you needed the intelligence to use it well but when casting either a powerful charm or one for a long duration it attacked you physically, just as it was going now. Even with the help of Ellie progress was slow and Dan was already tired, and although talented he knew the young Hufflepuff would not be able to hold on for that long.

His fear were confirmed when Ellie started to mutter about not being able to hold on and it was the signal Dan had been waiting for. Almost simultaneously their spells ended, Ellie with her hands on her hips while Dan fell to the floor; his wand left his now open hand and skidded across the corridor and his face was contort with pain as he lay panting on the floor. His right arm reached across his heaving chest holding his ribs on the opposite side as every breath was painful, never in his life had he done something so draining. At the sound of Ellie’s voice Dan opened his eyes and wearily pushed himself up feeling muscles ache that he did not know existed, he felt double his age and he knew he was moaning like one two and with ever movement he gave a small groan.

“I…I don’t know.” Answered Dan honestly his voice was still week as he continued to try and get his breath back. Whipping the sweat off his brow Dan took a deep breath and looked at the suit of armour, it was still stationary, and a huge whole in its chest plate and the metal was still glowing red from its heat treatment. Glancing at Ellie he was about to give her a smile of congratulations when there was a loud screech of metal. Had Dan not been so physically drained he would have jumped up to his feet but the man could not actually moved, instead he just helplessly watched and the suit of armour toppled backwards.

The sound of metal rang around the corridor as it made contact with the hard, flagstone flooring of the castle. Once the echo had died down there was no sign of movement from the enchanted tin can Dan finally managed to mutter a response to Ellie’s question.

“Yeah, I think we did it.”

(Apologise, that was rather lame.)

[Ellie Rook]

As the magic detached from Ellie's wand, she felt as though she could lay down right then and there and sleep for days. She wouldn't half mind it either. Ellie realized that she was incredibly out of magical shape, though she figured that stamina came with practice and Ellie was hardly a veteran at this kind of magic.

Ellie was winded. Her hand collapsed onto her hips, holding her up. Professor Hubbles, however, had found his spot on the ground. Ellie had half a mind to join him. He looked just as tired as she was, he had been holding onto the spell much longer then she anyway. Ellie kept her eyes on the metal figure. Indeed, the heat spell had done some damage, the glowing red hot metal circling the large hole gave that away.

Ellie was just as unsure as the Professor's answer. She checked her hands quickly. They were red and raw from the heat. They would sting later, by now, too much adrenaline pumped through the Hufflepuff's veins. Ellie eyed the armor again. It didn't move until...

CREAK!

Ellie shot upright with all the energy she had left in her body. Her wand arm went out, pointing at the armor, though she was sure she would be able to muster up a simple light spell. However, Ellie breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the armor creak backwards and fall over. It was indeed over.

With a groan, Ellie got herself down next to the Professor. Her hair was a mess, her robes dirty with soot and stone rubble. She sighed, but a smiled and a laugh came over her. "Did that really just happen?" she asked of the Professor. "I don't understand, why?" She said, not expecting Professor Hubbles to at all. All Ellie knew at this moment was that she was bleeding, dirty, sore, and tired. She could feel her eyes shuting just then.