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Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - The Narrator - 10-20-2025
Trigger Warning
This thread depicts themes of mental and physical child abuse and later on, graphic violence.
This thread depicts themes of mental and physical child abuse and later on, graphic violence.
Ten Minutes.
The man chuckled to himself in the corner of the tallest room in the tower, hunched over a chest that he meticulously picked through.
Behind him, along the cold stone walls sat three students. Their feet tied, with hands bound behind their backs. They weren't gagged. If the screams and protests came, he wanted them heard. All of which would be in vain of course, and would cease to be their own within a few moments anyway.
Long, bony fingers picked up each item, examining it slowly, as though he'd never seen them before, before dropping them carelessly back into the chest.
Eight Minutes.
He slammed the chest shut and stood, his spine answering with a muted crack. He wasn’t old, not by any measure, but his body moved like it had endured more spells than it was ever meant to bear. When he turned and dropped his hood, his victims would see that they knew him.
The Astronomy professor - Thayer.
His eyes sparked with a wildness that the students wouldn't have seen before, the smile that slowly etched across his features crazed and sinister. He moved towards them, in no obvious hurry, but purposeful, before crouching down before them, taking the time to stare each child in the eye.
His gaze landed first on the eldest. Temperamental, stubborn, outspoken. He'd come to know her well over the years, or at least her antics. She was a girl with a past, and a mother with worldly connections. Her closeness to certain...families would play well into all of this, he was certain.
Next on the second-year. An enigma to him. Quiet from what he had seen, stoic, a bit of a loner, a Ravenclaw, and bookish. She wouldn't be much trouble for him, if he were a betting man, and he absolutely was.
And finally, on the little one. A bubbly sort that all the older students seemed to adore. Cute as a button, always smiling. She would be the most fun to break.
"Patience," he said softly to the girls, his expression unmoving. He crossed his arms across his chest as he remained crouching, his eyebrows wiggling as his eyes moved back and forth between all of them. "Not much longer now. Tick, tock." Another grin, his voice lowering even further to a whisper.
"Tick tock."
Five Minutes.
Welcome.
This is a fairly dark thread. All participants have been informed ahead of time and consent for power-playing will be ongoing. This thread is by invite-only, but we hope you enjoy reading it.
You can find additional threads open to all regarding this plot in the Carnival and The Great Hall.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Ruth Elliot - 10-20-2025
This wasn't the turn she saw her evening taking. Hell, this wasn't the turn Rae could see during any stage of her life.
The fourth-year was no stranger to disasters and emergencies. She'd seen enough brawls and blow ups during her time between homes and orphanages. Front row seat to heinous crimes, an unwilling participant in more than a few, the Slytherin understood what a dark and terrible place the world could be. She just...didn't understand...how she got here or why the astronomy professor had suddenly decided to play the role of the moustache twiddling villain from the films.
Rae looked around the dark room, her mind flooding with flashbacks of just moments before.
She'd been on her way to the rest area with a dormmate of hers. All day, while she'd moved around the games and rides area, she'd seen people coming in with massive, roasted turkey legs they swore they'd gotten from one of the stalls. It was one of the first stops on her list once she was off the hook--or should've been before she'd been pulled onto some of those rides she'd spent the day helping people into. It was just her luck that when her stomach was finally ready to have all its wishes come true, Professor Thayer decided he wanted to make the front cover of the Daily Prophet.
Selfish bastard.
There had been black smoke, dark as midnight, then a tug in her belly-button and now she was bound and sitting against a cold wall. She pulled against her restraints, finding them as firm and uncompromising as she'd imagined.
"Patience. Not much longer now. Tick, tock."
...Right.
"Not sure what this is all about, sir," Rae said, taking in the grin that seldom meant anything good. "And you've already said it won't be long." She wiggled, trying to get into a moment comfortable position. "But, you can't possibly think this'll end well for you or Headmaster Halloway--well...ex-headmaster, anyway."
Wasn't that guy in prison or something?
"There's no need for all the fuss; you'll scare them," she continued, nodding toward the younger pair. "In any case, you've already ruined the carnival. Isn't the rest of this...the freaky smile, the crazy eyes...just a bit...much? I'm not trying to tell you how to be a villain, you do well enough on your own with those assignments of yours, but," she paused to have another look around the room. "Chains, hooks, canes; it's all a bit cliche, isn't it?"
And she wasn't trying to have more complaints but she was getting hungry.
Weren't kidnappers meant to feed their hostages?
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Everleigh Ravenstone - 10-20-2025
Her head was a mess. Nothing made sense. One minute she was getting some popcorn, then everything turned black, the noise, the wind, the unmistakable feeling of being tugged through space and now this. Hands bound, legs tied, taken to a dark stone room that screamed get me the fuck out of here.
And then HE turned around. Professor Thayer.
"Patience. Not much longer now. Tick, tock."
He was making no sense. Everleigh’s head throbbed as he studied her and the other girls next to her. Rae on one side, Maevie on the other. The man standing in front of her was not the same man that taught them Astronomy. Never one of her favorite classes, but he had never screamed Psychopath until tonight.
"Not sure what this is all about, sir. And you've already said it won't be long. But, you can't possibly think this'll end well for you or Headmaster Halloway--well...ex-headmaster, anyway."
Ever looked towards Rae, shocked by her words and the way she spoke to him. Maybe wasn’t the smartest move… Keeping her eyes cold and mouth shut, Everleigh took in as much of her surroundings as she could. Looking for anything that might help, an exit, a weapon, something. Unfortunately, locked up and without a wand, the 2nd year Ravenclaw was at a severe disadvantage.
"There's no need for all the fuss; you'll scare them In any case, you've already ruined the carnival. Isn't the rest of this...the freaky smile, the crazy eyes...just a bit...much? I'm not trying to tell you how to be a villain, you do well enough on your own with those assignments of yours, but, Chains, hooks, canes; it's all a bit cliche, isn't it?"
She was insane. Certifiable.
“Rae!” she said in a hushed rush. Her voice cracking on the one syllable word. She didn’t want to show fear, but it was oozing off the 2nd year. A subtle shake to her body, teeth chattering, not with cold, but with terror.
“Why are you doing this? What do you want with us?”
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Maevie Golding - 10-21-2025
Her heart was beating so loud, Maevie was sure the others could hear it too. Caught in her throat where it made breathing harder, swallowing impossible. Every muscle in her body screamed from tension, from the restriction and the adrenaline that demanded her to do something.
Ice cold fear rendered her mute and immobile though. As though the panic had disabled her to nothing more than a frightened, rigid little girl that tried her hardest not to cry.
She had been strolling the Carnival like everyone else too, paper bag in hand, the sweet and nutty flavour of candied almonds coating her mouth. A smile plastered on her face, filled to the brim with girlish joy and happiness and then the paddock had broken open somehow.
She had turned -- like everyone else too.
And then the world had turned from bright colours and sunshine to damp, confided darkness, hands and feet tied, biting dread and terror crawling into every cell and crevice of her body and mind.
As scary reality hit her in the face.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the hunched, hooded figure in the corner of the room, thoughts of her mum and brother pushing to the forefront of her brain. All she wanted was to go home right now but she knew that pleading and crying wouldn't do her any good, so Maevie just stayed quiet and stiff, not even daring to look around at the other girls sat next to her.
The slam of the chest made her flinch violently, eyes wide and breaths shallowing as the man stood and turned, lowering his hood to reveal himself as Professor Thayer, looking nothing like the teacher Maevie knew him as. He looked -- insane. That smile too sharp and his eyes too deep and empty as he crouched before them.
Maevie instinctively cringed away from him, back pressing further against the wall, squeezing her tied hands uncomfortably. She met his stare, seeing nothing but evil there and it flipped her stomach over, dropping low and nauseating into the pits of her guts.
What the hell were they supposed to do?! Her mind raced so fast, she couldn't hold a single thought, all she did was freeze and stare and panic.
But one thing was sure -- Rae's strategy certainly was not what Maevie would have chosen, the way she was talking back promising nothing good at all. Ever seemed to agree, trying to make the older girl stop and then asking Professor Thayer the most pressing question of why.
Maevie said nothing, too paralyzed and confused but feeling strangely glad that at least she wasn't alone.
She wished she could hold Ever's and Rae's hand, the thought powerful enough to break through her shutdown at last and she inconspicuously scooted a little closer to the former until she could feel their shoulders touch, never taking her gaze off the man before her.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Wylder Merrow - 10-21-2025
It had been a quiet, peaceful Saturday at home with Bruno. The old hound dog was getting up there in his years, and while he still enjoyed a good walk, the poor sap wasn't much for lengthy ones anymore. Instead, the two had sat out together on the porch, overlooking the sea that crashed into the cliffs beneath his home. Some may think the man lonely, or recluse, but in truth it was the silence that eased Wylder's mind and shut out all the noise, smells and visions that routinely plagued him.
He was still a young man, only thirty-six, but his eyes and demeanor portrayed that of someone long-past those years. They were battle-hardened, reflective of someone who had seen and done too much. The position he'd found himself in was supposed to...change something, he figured. Take him out of the life he had curated for himself as an auror and soldier.
All it did was solidify him in his own head.
He sighed, dreading Monday morning, but willing himself not to think of it, when a screech sounded from north.
Wylder got to his feet, his eyes narrowing as a patronus approached - a crow of some type, one whose owner he wasn't familiar with. Bruno growled, but silenced quickly at Wylder's scold as the patronus landed on the rail of the porch, and within a moment, the man's world was turned upside down.
"Fuck." It was the only word uttered, as he grabbed his wand off the end table and apparated.
Base of the Dark Tower
He stood outside the Dark Tower on the Hogwarts grounds with Blackwood, Barlowe and Haswell. "Of course I didn't bring him," Wylder almost spat, though his voice remained calm and level, "I'm not handing over that lunatic to his cult. Three children are missing. We're getting them back. It's the only focus." He nodded to Blackwood, his former comrade in arms, and Barlowe whom he'd met back in his auror days on a poaching case. He respected both men, and knew they'd work efficiently as a unit.
Ruby...
His eyes fell on the woman he'd been forced to name Headmistress, but quickly averted his attention back to the tower. Women weren't typically useful in these sorts of situations. Not that he'd seen anyway. "We move together, as quickly as possible. He may have set traps on the way." He glanced between the two men, ensuring their wands were out.
Merlin, this was going to be a fucking public relations nightmare. "One of you lead," he nodded to the men, and motioned for Ruby to go ahead of him. "I'll carry the back in case there's more of these idiots."
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Gideon Blackwood - 10-21-2025
Base of the Dark Tower
He had no idea how long had passed, but the screams hadn’t started yet. The bulk of the student body was locked tight in the Great Hall with the the rest of the staff keeping guard. Where they would be safe. He needed them to be safe. Not only were his Niece and Nephew there, but so many others. All innocent in this fight.
Thayer.
He was a solitary man, never joining in on conversations. Choosing to eat in his office, never the staff lounge. It wasn’t something that caused him to question the mental stability of the man, which would eat at the Deputy for some time to come. Every look, every word said, every sidelong glance. he would think back and study everything, where had they gone wrong? Was he responsible for all the magic fuckery? Was it Nick's man all along?
Arriving at the base of the Dark Tower, Gideon was not shocked to see The Minister of Magic. Taking off his vest, tossing it to the side, Gideon unbuttoned the top button of his white shirt, preparing for what was to come. He needed room to move, nothing to restricting.
"I'm not handing over that lunatic to his cult. Three children are missing. We're getting them back. It's the only focus." Wylder wasn’t wrong. Handing over Halloway wasn’t the answer. He was at least happy to see the Minister. Battle Buddies from the days of war. They worked well together, which would come in handy in this situation.
Gideon nodded, “Agreed. We don’t negotiate. We get the students back and put him behind bars. Or in an early grave. I’m open to both eventualities.” The second option was his favorite, he would settle for the first.
Moving his neck left then right, an audible crack could be heard. The look on his face was cold, calculated. "One of you lead, I'll carry the back in case there's more of these idiots."
Gideon stepped up to the base of the stairs, looking up into the darkness. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, getting into the soldier's headspace. Someplace he never wanted to go again. “I’ll go first, when we're ready.”
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Ruby Haswell - 10-21-2025
Ruby approached the Dark Tower, her eyes drawn up to the top of it. She felt so small down here, and so insignificant. And honestly? She was pissed. She’d already been dealing with so much – minor things, in comparison to this new challenge, and was tired. And also – Thayer would now be barred from the castle.
The Headmistress, while standing only five-foot-three, insisted on leaving her insecurities behind her at the Carnival. She wasn’t stupid, she knew that Wylder was less than thrilled that he had to appoint her to this role. Typical man. She looked over at the others. Everyone’s wand was out and at the ready, including her own. She spun it in her fingers, feeling like she might explode with adrenaline at any moment.
“Ready when you are, Blackwood,” Ruby said, venom in her voice. She was beyond furious at Thayer for operating under her nose like this. She was pissed that he had been successful in causing enough distractions that she, Gideon, and the Minister were none-the-wiser that someone had been working with Halloway to do this.
She then had a thought and looked at Barlowe. “You’re a bit more stealthy than us, perhaps we should follow you as you can get closer without being detected,” she suggested, smirking a bit. Honestly, thinking back to what Gideon had said, she was just about seeing red. She’d be fine burying Thayer.
“I swear to Merlin if he has hurt any of them…” Ruby muttered, her eyes narrowing as she turned her attention back to the tower before her, digging her nails into her wand.
Yeah, she was ready to pounce and destroy him. Could she take him down herself? Well – it’d definitely be better to have more wands with her. Still, her body was buzzing with adrenaline, her anger building up more and more. “Let’s go!” she said, her voice even and yet urgent.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Maddox Barlowe - 10-22-2025
Maddox wanted a raise and a conversation with the chairman of the board of governors. He'd sent in his resignation; he was almost home free. Morgan would've had a difficult--but not impossible--time adjusting to her new life at Castelobruxo, Evander would learn a second language, and he wouldn't currently be moving through the corridors with exhausting urgency because somehow old Nick managed to have more friends who believed in his whack-a-doodle ideas. That the man had had followers in the first place was hard enough to believe.
That any of the nuts managed to continue under the radar after he was taken was...almost impressive.
Thayer. Maddox had told Julia that there was something off about the man. It wasn't anything overt, and perhaps that was how the man had managed to stay so well hidden after the castle had been scraped, but there was always something.
Of course, even with the man giving him reason to keep a professional distance, the creature professor had not thought him to be an outright lunatic. Three students, he'd gone and taken three. It went without saying that he agreed with the Minister's stance on the matter. Having worked with Halloway and Thayer, and watching the former get taken from the castle, rambling about his dangerous plans, Maddox agreed readily that he wasn't the sort of man that needed to be handed over and allowed to continue roaming.
He stood at the base of the tower with the others, peering up at the high stairs. His body was already giving signs of relenting, but not so much that he didn't think he could push. Worst case, the next day was Sunday. WHEN they got this sorted, he would have Julia take Evander or leave him with his mother and spend the day recovering. This was more important than he could afford for his condition to hold him back from. Down in the great hall, many of the professors were watching the students. If this was his role--and he certainly wanted it to be; sitting around in crisis only ever made him anxious--then he would need to keep up.
For now, the man leaned against the wall in a casual stance, both hands hanging loosely from his pocket in a moment of inconspicuous rest.
"One of you lead. I'll carry the back in case there's more of these idiots."
“I’ll go first, when we're ready.”
He was fine with that. Maddox didn't have an issue falling in where he was needed, understanding the high stakes of their journey up the tower and what was on the line.
“You’re a bit more stealthy than us, perhaps we should follow you as you can get closer without being detected.”
He nodded wordlessly. That, he could still manage.
In one lithe motion, the man shrank and contorted. He felt the magic flooding through him, heat surging through his veins in that now familiar sensation that consumed him. Maddox changed without fanfare--a matter he was tremendously grateful for, especially given his current level of fatigue. It would have been a bad look fumbling with his magic when they needed to move.
The back cat shifted between the feet, taking the spot on the third step before turning to make sure they were all following.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - The Narrator - 10-22-2025
Thayer's eyes drifted slowly towards Ruth, his grin falling slightly as she tried to reason with him, he supposed. She was a smart girl, cunning and observant. Over the past four years of 'teaching' her, he'd come to know her well. A thorn in his side more often than not.
"There's no need for all the fuss; you'll scare them."
"Scare them?" His eyes lit up again as he glanced back at the two smaller girls. He leaned in closer to them, studying their faces for any traces of fear. There it was, on little Maevie's face, deep in her eyes and in the way she cringed away from him. His smile stretched across his features as he looked at Everleigh. "Am I scaring you?" he asked, his voice low and full of anticipation.
Two Minutes.
“Why are you doing this? What do you want with us?”
Everleigh's teeth chattered, a symphony that told him this might be too easy.
“Your Headmaster tried to open the world,” he murmured, each word rolling off his tongue like scripture as he straightened and began pacing, slowly at first and then more purposeful, as though each stride pulled the sermon from his tongue. “He tried to show you that magic isn’t some precious bloodline inheritance. That it belongs to everyone.” The man practically spat as he spoke, his arms waving wildly as he continued. "And for that, they called him 'mad'. Locked him away like some common criminal."
His pacing stopped as he stooped down again in front of Rae. Insults, sarcasm. None of her usual quips would help her or her friends here. "But you understand don't you, Miss Elliot? The world fears what it can't control." He glanced down at her tied feet before turning his attention back to her. He tsked, giving a slow shake of his head. "And you're woefully out of control."
One Minute.
"You feel that? That little flutter in your chest? The way your hands shake even when you tell them not to?" He drew his wand, tapping Everleigh lightly on the cheek with it. The air slowly took on a thicker feel around them, the way it did when a storm was on the horizon. "That's just the beginning."
His gaze drifted back to the youngest of the bunch as he flicked his wand, releasing her hands from its bindings.
"Time's up."
She didn't move, frozen in place, terror seeping out of every inch of the child. "Maevie," Thayer croaked, twirling his wand between his fingertips. "Do you know what they used to do to little witches long ago?" His voice was low and raspy, full of the obvious thrill he was getting out of this. "When the muggles were antagonized by them, or felt the witch was a danger to them, they would burn them." The twirling stopped as he pointed his wand directly at her.
"Imperio." Soft, barely above a whisper, his eyes never moving from the child, as the spell struck her in the chest. His smile widened, "Pay attention closely girls." He wanted their attention fully on Maevie. He flicked his wand, a small flame flickering at the end of it.
"Pretty isn't it?" he said, his eyebrows raising manically for a moment as his pupils dilated and he leaned in towards Maevie.
"Hold your hand over the flame."
He needed them to hear her.
*All power-plays and assumptions have been discussed and consented to ahead of time.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Maevie Golding - 10-22-2025
Maevie released the shallow breath she had been holding since Professor Thayer had hunched down, now straightened again to pace the room.
His words didn't make sense to her, wouldn't pierce the inch thick layer of fear and terror that blanketed her mind. She had heard of the big arrest of the former headmaster, that he had planned something bad. She knew it because everyone still talked about it, complained about the erratic magical blackouts and outburst.
She herself had gotten stuck on one of the moving staircases when suddenly they had simply stopped their normal pattern. It had been funny in the moment, exciting and comical how the professors had scrambled about to save their students. She'd never taken anything too serious, hadn't been there for the drama the year prior after all. To her, it was all a big adventure, like dropped off in a dream where magic was real and brooms could fly.
But all of that had turned into a paralyzing nightmare within a few heartbeats. A bubble of safety and childlike wonder popped.
Warmth replaced by Professor Thayer's crazed eyes and sadistic smile, burning itself into her memory as he lowered himself to eyelevel again -- and then bored his gaze into hers another time.
She didn't notice the release of the ropes right away, arms sagging a little where they had been forcefully pulled back.
"Time's up," he said but she didn't know what that meant, only continued to stare at him with eyes wide, lips parted as though her body did remember how to speak but her brain didn't know how to fill the gaps.
He said her name and it made her skin crawl with a thousand little shudders, running down her spine and sending ice into her veins.
What did muggles do to witches? What? Burn, burn, burn.
Her mind was racing at a million miles per hour and then suddenly--
It wasn't.
Bliss. Washing over her in one warm wave of fluttering euphoria. Her muscles relaxed, her face brightened with a faint smile and every worry in the world simply ceased to exist. There was nothing but foggy happiness and a gentle embrace.
Unfocused eyes trailed towards the flame sparking to life at the end of Professor Thayer's wand and she nodded absentmindedly, obeying a softly spoken command at the back of her conscience.
Hold your hand over the flame.
Her right arm moved on automation, palm inching close to the fire.
Hot.
It urgently warned through the haze but not strong enough to break the curse. An image flashed alive. Ever's own hand shooting out, not to draw her back but to wrap cold fingers around her wrist and push Maevie closer toward the flame instead.
A pained expression crossed her face, desperation shrilling her voice. "Stop it, Ever, it hurts!" But the girl didn't listen, forced her hand to remain where it was and the pain grew blistering.
"Stop!", Maevie screamed through the haze that simultaneously kept her calm and content, a paradox dipped in writhing burns. As the pain continued, a whimper slipped from her lips, sharpening until the pain was unbearable even through the blissful indifference and her voice broke into a tortured scream.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Everleigh Ravenstone - 10-22-2025
The fear and adrenaline were coursing through her veins. Her shoulder, barely touching Maevie's, helped ground her. Keep her present. This was not the professor she remembered. Like a switch had been flipped, he changed. Even his appearance was different. His eyes now had a glint. A spark that brought more terror, a sign of someone not to be trusted.
"Am I scaring you?" She wouldn’t be answering that question. Her blue eyes watched Thayer, tracked him around the room. Spouting his rhetoric, lies and insane musings.
“Your Headmaster tried to open the world. He tried to show you that magic isn’t some precious bloodline inheritance. That it belongs to everyone. And for that, they called him 'mad'. Locked him away like some common criminal." Ever had heard rumors and hushed conversations. Her parents would stop talking when she entered the room, not wanting to alarm anyone. Then when the Headmaster was ousted, imprisoned, everyone seemed shocked. Messing with Hogwarts under everyone’s nose.
The man was insane, and it looked like his friends were as well.
"Time's up," he said, with a gleeful look on his face. Her heart rate picked up, terrified at what he might do.
"Maevie, Do you know what they used to do to little witches long ago?" Thayer’s voice was low, rough. The words coming out meant to terrify. "When the muggles were antagonized by them, or felt the witch was a danger to them, they would burn them."
WHAT? NO! Burn? He can’t be serious.
"Imperio." Ever’s eyes got big. It was spell they learned about, but never saw in practice. There was a reason for that, it was unforgivable. "Pay attention closely girls."
Ever’s breaths were coming in deep rapid gasps. Bordering on hyperventilating. At the spark of a flame at the end of his wand, Everleigh knew, at that moment, that they had only begun to see his evil. “No, no, no, no, no!” Her head shaking back and forth, eyes on Maevie. The sweetest girl, she did not deserve this. Ever’s legs began to kick out, body moving to get free of her bindings.
"Pretty isn't it? Hold your hand over the flame."
NO! MAEVIE DON'T!
Watching Maevie hover her hand over the flame, blindly obeying the man's command, was the thing of nightmares. And as the sizzle of skin could be heard and the smell of burning flesh met her nose, the nightmare just kept getting worse.
"Stop it, Ever, it hurts! Stop!"
Tears were falling down Ever’s cheeks, hot tears of anger, fear and rage. “MAEVIE NO! STOP! DON’T HURT HER YOU SON OF A BITCH! GET AWAY FROM HER!”
Yelling at the top of her lungs, trying her best to kick Thayer, get him away from Maevie, but nothing worked. And poor Maevie screamed louder.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Ruth Elliot - 10-23-2025
There were many men like Thayer in the world, a lot more than many in polite or even regular society would ever believe or begin to comprehend. They lurked in plain sight, as the man had. Well-dressed, sometimes they were even soft-spoken. "Gentle" creatures, perhaps strange, or loud and brutish, it was all the same. Men who thought they had the right and would exercise it anyway they saw fit.
It was the way of the world.
The professor now crouched before her was neither special nor different, just another on a long conveyor belt that rolled by her, disproportionately sending them in her direction. It was, perhaps, the biggest cosmic joke of her existence.
Dark eyes returned the man's stare, unblinking in their inquisition. She had neither intention to cower like Maevie nor to beg for an answer the way Everleigh had. What good would either do? Rae didn't care to know his reason. It wouldn't change the outcome of their taking. Whether he wanted world peace or an end to this era, he'd still taken them. Pleading? Whimpering? It only satisfied whatever base inclinations lay within the man.
Her point was proven fairly quickly when he turned his smile to the younger two, enquiring about their fear. They didn't need to answer; their bodies did, and it was enough.
"And you're woefully out of control."
"So I've been told." Her words were like the first, heedless of Ever's protests that she...she what? Not respond? Not say whatever the hell it was she wanted? Thayer's mind was already made up. Whether he killed them or let them live, tortured them or let them go, nothing they did now would change his mind. She wouldn't bow and scrape to meet the same fate in the end anyway. A man like him, especially after the spiel he fell into, wasn't the sort to be reasoned with.
Finding out he was one of Halloway's friends cemented that belief in her mind. A man who tried making them share their magic and their castle, who thought muggles were entitled to their magic? Yeah...his friends were guaranteed not to be the most reasonable sort.
Then he started to spout more nonsense, this time about witches and muggles. Why were they always a little cr--
"Imperio."
Her brows rose. It made sense, of course. Anyone willing to systemmatically demolish the wards of the castle and, en masse, break the statute, wouldn't be too concerned with whether spells were considered 'unforgivable'. Even then, there was part of her that thought things wouldn't get so far. It forced her to recalculate the threat in real time. Imperio was simple; the cruciatus curse might not be far off. The walls might bleed green, lighting up on his command.
For now, it was fire and the girl screaming when she could no longer bear it.
The muscles in her jaw clenched as she watched, not sure what she could even do. Without her wand, bound as she was, what could she do? Telling him to stop was nothing more than juvenile wishful thinking. There was no way to lunge at him. Goading him might make him do worse to Maevie to prove he could. Rae's stomach twisted from the powerlessness she felt in the moment.
There was no 'fighting' the curse for the Hufflepuff. If he never ended it, she would only burn. "Everleigh, don't look."
It would only break her further...faster...
Rae herself averted her gaze, understanding she needed to keep her nerve and her resolve. She needed to keep her head on her shoulder. She needed to not give in to strong but useless emotion.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - The Narrator - 10-23-2025
A gentler man would have shirked at the little girl's horrific screams and cries of pain. A reasonable man would have recognized that torturing children as a means to an end could only end one of two ways. A saner man would have never laid in wait for nearly a year, blending in, observing, setting off little inconveniences here and there to help the administration let their guard down slowly over time.
Thayer was neither gentle, nor reasonable, and he was certainly not sane. Nor was he particularly concerned with what he was. Rather, all he was focused on was getting what they had demanded of him, and ensuring that the Ministry was ready and willing to hand it over.
As Maevie's sweet little screams rang through the room, the man flicked his wand quickly, amplifying them so that they could be heard across the entire grounds of Hogwarts, before returning the flame to her hand. The longer she screamed, the more shrill, the more horrific, the more desperate he knew Haswell and her cronies would become.
"DON’T HURT HER YOU SON OF A BITCH! GET AWAY FROM HER!”
So much shouting, cursing...crying. Already? So soon? It was almost too easy, and Thayer - almost wished it wasn't. As effective as all the screams would be, the man liked a bit of cat-and-mouse. Perhaps he'd picked too easy a target in the second year. Perhaps Whistler or Laurence would have been a bit more fun. Still, she was trying to kick, and that certainly wouldn't do.
Releasing Maevie from her curse, Thayer quickly moved his wand to Everleigh. "Petrificus Totalus." He leaned in, close enough for the girl to see his dilated pupils in the dim lighting. "Now Miss Ravenstone," he scolded with amusement, "it's quite a show we're putting on here. Everyone will get their turn. In the meantime, why don't you just sit there quietly and watch?" She could do nothing else now of course. His eyes moved briefly to Maevie, "We're not done yet, little one. Don't get too comfortable."
His grin widened, and without looking in Ruth's direction, he snatched the girl by her feet bindings, yanking her from the wall and dragging her to the center of the room. Defiant little girl she was. How many detentions had he had to endure with her? How many smart quips? She wasn't one easily broken, but even oak trees toppled with enough blows.
There was no need for conversation. His next word would say everything. Another amplifying charm as he pointed his wand at Ruth. His voice came raspy, low, almost hateful.
"Crucio."
If Haswell and the Ministry weren't on their way by now, they would be after this.
As always, all powerplays have been approved.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Ruth Elliot - 10-23-2025
She'd be a liar if she said she was either shocked or appalled that Ever had been petrified.
It was the natural consequence of all that kicking and screaming, one Rae had already anticipated in her own careful calculations. There was an art to such scenarios, an unspoken rule that you not concede even an inch until there was no other choice. Rae had seen such men feed on the fear and pain of others before, and had watched their eyes light as an unmistakable zeal flood through them. For some, girls like Ever were their favourite. For others, girls like her were.
The end of Maevie's desperate screams had her looking up. The fire was put out, and for a moment, the little girl would be able to brea--
She lurched forward, yanked by the man's strong arms from the wall against which she'd steadied herself. Reflex had her kicking this time, despite the binding around her knees and ankles.
"Get off me."
She didn't need to know who he thought he was, or to question the depth of nerves. The man was obviously on his own plane, his head above the clouds and authority, in whatever world he lived in that told him this was all okay.
Rae didn't fear for herself, not yet. When Thayer stopped tugging her, her dark eyes moved to the first year. Without knowing the extent of those burns, she still knew that little Maevie was going to need medical attention. Of course, she was under no illusion that she would be able to provide some, so long as they were still held captive, but it didn't prevent her brain from switching into fixer mode.
There were no salves, no ice, nothing to ease the ache of the burns. No bandages to prevent her raw skin from rubbing against fabric and objects alike.
"Crucio."
There was no time for a reaction, no time for Rae to process what that simple word would mean for her before the searing pain rushed through her. The young girl bit against her lower lip, overcome by the sudden sensation of knives piercing through her over and over. Her first instinct was to resist, to muffle herself in the only stand she could still make, not giving him the satisfaction of her suffering.
The spell was more demanding than her will. Its pain consumed her, burning through every inch of her until it was all ablaze.
The faintest squeak escaped her. It was the last of her control as her body was wracked by the unrelenting inferno of suffering.
She screamed.
It wasn't the volume of frustration or her aggravation getting the better of her. It wasn't righteous anger or even a plea. It was a visceral, uncontrolled release as the girl writhed on the cold stone floor. She didn't have the mind to beg. Her mind was locked into the pain, blinded by it, and far removed from this room or anyone who might be around her.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Everleigh Ravenstone - 10-23-2025
The screams lasted forever. Loud, shrill, painful screams that would haunt Ever for years to come. Even when Maevie stopped, the sound echoed in her head.
"Petrificus Totalus." In the blink of an eye her whole body ceased up. Her muscles were on fire, tight and contracted to the point of pain. Frozen in a state of terror. She was sure the look on her face was one of panic.
"Now Miss Ravenstone, it's quite a show we're putting on here.” The look of his black eyes, staring into her. She wanted to blink, spit in his face, turn her head, something, but she was forced to look at everything he was doing. “Everyone will get their turn. In the meantime, why don't you just sit there quietly and watch?"
A tear ran down her cheek. It was the only movement that came from the young girl. Ever watched in abject horror as Thayer moved on to his next victim. Rae.
Her eyes frozen open, forced to watch as Rae was pulled to the middle of the room. The girl was so strong. Able to hold her own, stay calm under pressure, give it right back in words and attitude.
"Crucio."
Ever’s breaths were increasing, on the brink of hyperventilating. Watching Rae on the ground in front of her, unable to look away, writhing in pain, but making no sound. And then the screams came.
Maevie’s screams were horrible, but somehow Rae’s screams, coming from the older girl with the bite of a snake, made this so much worse. Ever was next. He had said it, everyone gets a turn. The thoughts of what horrible torture was in her future had her brain missfiring.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Maevie Golding - 10-24-2025
The world consisted of nothing but pain and screaming agony.
Time ceased to exist and she was trapped here forever, forced to remain and watch the skin of her hand blister and burn, charring black. Feel how it ripped through her nervous system, too weak to fight the curse that kept her there.
As her scream turned to wailing cries and earthshattering sobs, trashing on the inside until it threatened to rip her mind apart, tear holes into her sanity. Her helplessness and the sheer desperation to make it stop shredding her mind, piece by piece. As her body wouldn't obey it's most primal command but instead lingered in the flames.
When it finally stopped, the world rushed back in where it had blurred and faded on the outskirts of her vision and conscience. The sound of Ever's frantic kicking and yelling, the cold of the room, the smell of her own burnt flesh.
Thayer's bone-chilling voice.
Maevie clutched her wrist, breaths ragged and the terror in her heart taking root in the deepest, darkest parts of her soul. Curled in on herself, tears streaking her face and the sobs quietly wrecking her body, she didn't take note of what was happening around her, didn't hear Thayer's hex that stopped the kicking and yelling.
All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut tight and try to block out the horror that unfurled with tantalising vileness.
She didn't dare look at her hand, the smell making her nauseous, although the pain seemed to fade away, as though the feeling in her skin had been burned out.
"We're not done yet, little one. Don't get too comfortable."
Her head slowly, reluctantly rose to find a grin that was wicked and out of this world, its sharp edges wedging deeply into her bones, the lack of light in the man's eyes chilling her to the core. The fear still gripped her like a fist, the absolute confusion that was why why why.
Only half a heartbeat later Thayer was up again, dragging Ruth with him and Maevie's eyes widened, panic rising again. "No!", she rasped, voice hoarse and brittle, desperate and barely audible. "No, don't!"
Breathlessly, Maevie watched in horror as Rae started writhing on the floor, screams sharp as knives slicing the air and her ears, turning her own breathing quick and shallow.
"Please stop," Maevie whimpered again, a little louder this time, the anguish that was enduring to see the older girl like this pressing through her frozen panic. With palms to the grimy stone floor she tried to drag herself closer to the man, dirt and dust pushing into her wound but she didn't feel it. All of her focus laid on making this stop, stop, stop.
Push him away, bat the wand out of his hand -- anything to make this stop.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - The Narrator - 10-25-2025
"Atta girl," Thayer sneered, his expression twisting into that of wild glee as Rae's screams exploded through the room. As he held his wand over the child, the deep red hex poured into her with every convulsion. The light from the curse vibrated against the stone walls, it's sound crackling through the air, but still no match for the shrieks and wails that drowned it out.
Having been on the receiving end before, Thayer understood all too well the agony Ruth was experiencing. Fracturing bones, searing heat. Stabs. Rips. It felt like one's organs were twisting in on themselves while one's skin burned. It was the cruelest of all hexes, one he now happily wielded in name of his cause.
The pleas for him to stop, desperate cries from the little girl who now pushed through her own pain to help her friend, fell on deaf ears. There were no cries, no begs that could sway the man from his mission. It didn't matter the collateral - innocent or guilty. There was no great moral compass within the man other than that that had been radicalized.
His wand suddenly swished in Everleigh's direction, releasing Ruth momentarily from her pain, as his call for, "Imperio!" came down hard on the Ravenclaw. The man wasted no time, turning his attention back to Ruth, reapplying the hex with a casual twist of his wrist. It was conviction and rage; an artist returning to his half-finished painting.
"Walk to the window, Everleigh," his voice came low, his eyes never moving from Ruth, even as Maevie crept closer. The intensity of his rage poured through his wand. Years of work and research, of finding his place within a group that finally saw the world as he did. An inclusive world - one he had worked so tirelessly and collaboratively for, only to watch it all be snatched away in a day. The Ministry thought they had the right to keep and hoard magic for themselves, never realizing how much more powerful the world could be if they'd only listen.
He'd sat quietly, waiting in the shadows, enduring every ridicule and sneer he'd had to listen to in these corridors. They'd all thought Halloway was crazy, when he was only trying to liberate them from the rigid beliefs that held their world back. Thayer had played the part, laid low and set every trap they easily walked into.
And now it was finally coming to an end.
"Lean forward, Everleigh, " his eyes shooting up only briefly, watching as the girl did, head-first out the window. "A little further..." he hissed, returning his gaze to Ruth as Maevie scooted closer. No matter; if she tried anything, she'd find herself right next to the Slytherin, suffering the same fate.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Everleigh Ravenstone - 10-25-2025
Silent tears tracked down Everleigh’s face. Body still painfully locked in place, unable to move, speak, scream. The sound of Rae’s guttural cries tore at Ever’s heart. The strongest of the three. If he tore down Rae’s walls, there was no hope for Everleigh.
Suddenly, without warning, her body relaxed and the bindings around her wrists came free. Rae’s screams stopped for the briefest of seconds, while Thayer pointed his wand at the 2nd year. A croaked, gritty voice came from Everleigh, “Rae?” She barely squeaked out when Thayer spoke again.
"Imperio!"
Warmth, safety, love. All the pain was gone. The pure feeling of euphoria washed over her in waves of happiness.
"Walk to the window, Everleigh," Getting to her feet, Everleigh slowly walked to the window. Her movements were not her own. Her mind warring with her body, being controlled by another. She knew, deep down, that she didn’t want to go to the broken window, but there was no choice, while still the euphoric feeling flowed through her veins. .
"Lean forward, Everleigh." The window, at waist height, was shattered during a previous incident. Small fragments of shattered glass still littered the sill. As if she was watching from a far, she felt her body complying with Thayer’s directions, even though her mind fought back. A startled gasp came out of her lips as a small piece of glass cut the skin of her arm. The grounds were dark, the lights from the carnival being snuffed out during the incident.
"A little further..." Her cries were not silent now. Sobs racked her body as more and more of her was exposed to the night air. Her hair blowing in the wind as she hung out of the window. The ground below looked so far away. Everleigh’s stomach was not resting on the window sill, while her upper body was leaning out the window. More pieces of glass were cutting in to the exposed skin of her arms. A slightly larger piece cutting through her shirt and into the flesh of her stomach. The strangled sobs were coming out louder now.
Rae’s screams had started up again, a background chorus to her nightmares. The curse, still holding on, inched Everleigh closer to the edge of the window. Her eyes shut and a blood curdling scream wrenched from her body as she came closer and closer to plummeting to her death.
“STOP NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!”
Unfortunately, there was no stopping the mad man. He seemed to live for their screams.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Ruth Elliot - 10-25-2025
It wouldn't stop.
It...wouldn't stop.
Rae could feel nothing but the pain that surged through her. Even the cold, damp ground of the tower had disappeared beneath her, her body suspended between the billowing waves of agony that crashed into her. They slammed against her inner defensive walls, shattering them with the ease of someone slicing through waterlogged parchment. There was nothing she could compare it to because there had never been pain so great. It was the incarnation of anger and malice, burning through her veins as it infiltrated every inch of her.
Against it, there was nothing else. She couldn't hear Maevie's desperate pleas and wasn't aware of the way the girl crept closer. The world had been transformed into blinding white light, blotting out every crevice of darkness and blinding her from the things that happened around her.
Then it stopped.
For the briefest moment, it all faded. Her body hummed with the residual aches it had endured, clinging to the pain as if it never left, though now it dulled. Her limbs were still blazing, but now she could feel her heart beating again. Rae could feel it pounding out of control, hammering against her chest cavity in its bid to escape her and what she'd been made to endure.
The white began to wane. Her vision, though blurry, began to return. She could make out figures and faint light. Ever was pulled next, but it was the figure of little Maevie that caught her attention as the girl drew closer. The Hufflepuff was begging, and that sort of thing never ended well, not with a man who enjoyed this so much.
Her lips felt heavy as they shook, and her throat had grown raw from her screaming, but somehow...she had to stop her.
"Maevie...don't..." she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm--I'm fine--"
Her body jerked as the pain took her again. In a flash, her recognition of the world vanished, dragging her back to that place of unimaginable torment. Her muscles seized against the pain, and her head felt like it was seconds from exploding. The curse sent her screams clawing up the back of her throat. With the faintest idea that Maevie might still be watching and trying to help, Rae sought to swallow them as best she could. For a while, she managed. What would've been screams came out as pained groans behind lips she'd pressed shut.
A minute? Three? Time had lost all meaning. The only surety was that the screams returned. Maevie stopped mattering. Everleigh, wherever the girl was, whatever she endured, ceased to exist. There was nothing but white hot lightning striking over and over, igniting nerves that were already frying.
RE: Site Plot: The Kidnapping | Invite Only - Maevie Golding - 10-25-2025
Thayer ignored her completely, as though she didn't even exist anymore. Like he was completely enthralled with Rae's writhing and screaming, breaking away only for the briefest of moments to flick his wand in Ever's direction.
Maevie didn't know what to do, had never felt so powerless and small before. As Rae began to scream again and as Ever walked towards the window like in a trance, leaning over the sill and the broken glass there, Maevie felt hopeless. Her pleas had stopped, stuck in her throat for all the uselessness and terror.
Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she knelt there, halfway between the wall and where Thayer stood in the middle of the room, cruelty edged into every feature of his face. The red of his curse made the air crackle, creating a cacophony of pain and bloodchilling horror as it intermixed with Rae's shrieks and Ever's sobs.
Time slowed for a moment, the insubstantiality of what was happening ungraspable. How had they gotten here? When had the world stopped turning?
Eyes wide and wet, mouth agape, Maevie couldn't help but stare. At Rae, at Ever, at Thayer. Her breaths shuddering in her chest, her palms still pressed against the cold stone floor.
“STOP NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!”
With a jolt, reality jerked back into motion, sound that had dulled setting her skin alight like lightening. Sizzling into her nerve endings and sheer desperation pushed adrenaline into every cell of her body.
Gritting her teeth against the fear and the way it wanted to shut her system down, blend out her peers' screams of agony, Maevie pushed forward again. Hands scraping over the rough ground, dragging her knees after and ripping her tights open. Until she was close enough to Thayer that she could see the evil in his eyes. "You're mad, you're sick!", she cried out in between sobs.
With whatever reserves she had left, she pushed to her feet and leaped, arms outstretched and aiming to grab hold of Thayer's wand arm to yank it away and stop this insanity.
With a raw scream, Maevie leaped and tried to sink her teeth into the man's flesh, clamping down on whatever she could reach.