We Have a Problem | INVITE

Sacha had apparated outside the front gates of Hogwarts before storming up to the castle, itself. His displeasure hung about him as a cloud. He liked Asric Chaos, really. The man was intelligent and capable... most of the time.

At the moment, however, Sacha had a problem and it had originated here, under Asric's watch.

The double door leading into the castle slammed open before the man had reached them, startling students milling about the entrance hall. He'd go all the way to the man's office and figure out how to blast down the door, if he had to. One way or another, he and Asric were going to have a serious discussion.

Sacha started towards the stairs.

He knew Sacha was here way before he heard him. He could guess why he was here. That stupid crow had come from his castle so it was natural that he'd automatically get the blame.

He stormed along the corridor to meet him at the top of the stair in the entrance hall. Ghost jogging beside him to keep up with his long strides.

"Asric, old friend," Sacha greeted as the other man met him at the top of the stairs, gray eyes hard despite the cordial greeting. "Ghost," the man inclined his head towards the wolf.

He wasn't surprised that Asric knew he was coming. Asric was as aware of Hogwarts as Sacha was of Durmstrang.

"We have a problem," Sacha stated needlessly. His tone was rather calm. In fact, the only sign that he was far from calm was how thick his accent was. His accent was usually much more subtle when he spoke English.

"Sacha." He nodded. He was neither pleased nor displeased to see the man. They had always been acquaintances but the fact he turned up uninvited, intimidating his students was not something he was too happy with.

"Lets take it to my office shall we?" He said turning and leading the way up to the top floor. "How did you know i was in?" He asked. He was often away doing work.

"Of course," Sacha said agreeably. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the students milling about the hall below. At the moment, he couldn't really bring himself to care that he'd probably frightened some of them.

Climbing the steps beside Asric, Sacha gave an affable shrug even as he cast a glance, and possibly even a nonverbal spell, to check the area to see that no one was within listening distance.

"The Shadow was coming to your stronghold," he stated, tone matter-of-fact. "I knew you'd be in."

He turned to look at Sacha. Of course that made sense. He'd know if anyone tried to come near the castle. He made it up to his office and gave the gargoyle the password so they could go up.

"Take a seat. Would you like a drink?" He asked moving to the cupboard behind his desk.

Sacha took the offered seat, leaning back almost casually.

"Some cognac, if you have it, please," the Russian replied. His gaze studied the interior of the office briefly.

"I see not a lot has changed since I've last been in here," he noted conversationally. "I also hear that you've had a child, a boy. Congratulations. I imagine you must be very happy."

He nodded and searching his cupboard for the Cognac and a glasses. "I never spend too much time in my office. Seems pointless changing it really." He shrugged moving to sit behind his desk, placing the glass on the table. He poured just into it before sliding it over to Sacha.

"Thanks, he's perfect just like his mother." He smiled. But i was time to get to the point, he knew this wasn't a social call. "So what do i owe the pleasure?" He asked leaning back in his own chair.

"I can certainly understand that," Sacha agreed amiably. "The only time I'm in my office is to do paperwork.

"Thank you." He accepted the glass and took a sip from it.

Setting the glass aside, Sacha calmly met the younger man's gaze. "You know precisely why I am here," he stated. "This... Crow is no longer causing trouble here, but at Durmstrang, as well. I do not take kindly to anything that can cross the wards surrounding the isle without so much as a flinch and kidnap one of my students before my eyes while I am left powerless to stop it.

"What is it that your founders left to be released and wreak havoc, this time? And how do we get rid of it?"

He nodded. "Im afraid even paper work doesn't get done in here anymore." He said brushing the paperwork aside with his hand to make his desk look at least a little tidier.

He shook his head. "The trouble is still here." He said bringing his clasped hands up to his chin as he thought. "It appears as though this 'crow' can travel long distances rather quickly." He said narrowing his eyes as he looked out the window.

"Some things are forgotten about over time. This sadly seems to be one of them. The crow appeared out of no where, i have no idea how it became released if thats what it was. I do however know that it listens to some of my commands. Yesterday it went after one of my students whilst i was in the grounds. I told it, it was no longer needed here and that the boy was safe and he left... after taking another student i didn't reach in time." He said getting to his feet.

"No power or magic will stop it. If i am correct then the crow was made to protect the students. So the only way to stop it would be to reassure it the students are safe." He said turning at the end of his pace to look at the older man.

Sacha's eyes narrowed in thought. How very typical of British wizards. Creating a problem only they could fix without leaving the proper information for how to do so.

"So, I discovered," Sacha remarked dryly. He'd had to take a concussion remedy after slamming into the bloody wards in pursuit the damn creature. And he'd still had a headache after.

"Why do I get the feeling that would be, as always, 'easier said than done'? You told it it wasn't needed, and it still took a student. Clearly, this thing is out of control." Sacha ran a hand through his hair. "If we knew how the damn thing was summoned or whatever, in the first place..."

No.

No, no, no no no...

Damian ran frantically through the corridors. No one knew where Iva was; hadn't seen her since the previous evening. The Crow had taken her, Damian just knew it. It was his fault. He was to blame. Him and his stupid curiosity!

Reaching the gargoyle guarding the stairs to the headmaster's office, the boy snapped the password at it, waiting impatiently for it to move aside before darting recklessly up the steps.

He didn't even bother to knock before rushing in.

"Master, it was me!" Damian blurted. "I - Quil and I - it's our fault. The Crow. It was us, we... we set it loose."

"I told it the boy was safe, so it took the girl instead. It appears it needs to hear me say that every student individually is safe whilst it is around and has set its target on them." He sighed looking up at the portraits of the other headmasters. All of them seemed to be sat looking at both the men in the office, the tension clear in their faces.

He turned to look at his office door seconds before it burst open to reveal his apprentice. "Woo slow down. You and Quil set the crow free?" He asked. "How? Where?" He said getting to his feet to get onto the same level as his apprentice. "Can you show me Damian where you did it Damian?" He asked placing his hands on the boys arms as he looked him in the eye.

Sacha really wanted to make a sarcastic comment along the lines of their problem being solved so long as Asric was always around when the Crow was. He refrained. Barely.

He cast an accusing glance at the portraits. If they had been more vigilant in passing down the proper knowledge, they probably wouldn't be in this mess right now. They had enough going on with the muggles without the aid of unstoppable, winged kidnappers.

The man's gaze turned to the door as the boy burst in. Clearly, the boy meant something to Hogwart's headmaster. His apprentice, maybe? The boy certainly appeared the right age. And if he was right - if he had released the creature - it just might help explain why it was behaving in such a manner.

"We just exploring - we weren't out to start trouble! We weren't!" Damian replied. "And then, we... we found this chamber and..." The boy paused to swallow.

"I'm sorry." His voice came out choked, despite himself. "I didn't mean to. I... I didn't think it would do anything, sir. And now it's my fault Iv- I'm sorry..."

The boy belatedly realized there was someone else in the room. Damian took a cautious step closer to his mentor, turning back to face the man. He nodded his head.

"Yes, sir. It's on the fifth floor, in one of the unused classrooms."

He nodded. "I know, i know just show where it came from Damian." He said standing at his office door so the boy could lead them out. He didn't know what to think right now, he just knew he had to figure this thing out.

He stopped and took the boy by the arms. "Damian, it's okay. Just calm down and show us where you set it free. Then we can go and save the others. Okay?" He said looking boy in the eyes before standing up straight again. "Now lead us the way."

He nodded and placed a hand on Damians shoulder before looking over at Sacha. "You coming?" He asked holding out his arm.

As the boy, Damian, started to lead the way out the door, Sacha also stood. Personally, Sacha believe finding where the creature had come from would do little to actually find those it had taken, but it was a start, a vital start. The more you knew about what you were facing, the better prepared you could be in facing it, after all.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "Wouldn't dream of missing it," he replied.

He narrowed his eyes and apparated them all to the fifth floor. He hated the fact Sacha thought he was better. He could see the joy in his eyes at the fact his apprentice had woken this monster but he kept his mouth shut. Mainly to be professional.

"Lead the way Damian!" He said dropping his hands to his sides.

Damian glanced between the two men again when they'd arrived on the fifth floor. He then looked about to get his bearings.

Moving briskly down the hall, he entered the dusty classroom, leading to the back wall. The boy put his hand through the false wall.

"It's back through here," Damian said. "It's... sorta short. I mean, the ceiling's just above my head..." He bit his lip. The Russian man made him a bit nervous. He was so... Damian wasn't sure how to put it. It was as though the man could stare straight through him. Maybe he could.

Blue moved back to Asric, waiting for his mentor to indicate they should continue forward before stepping into the tunnel to go back to the chamber where he and Quil had first saw the Crow.