COMC Lesson 1: Lethifolds Under The Bed

"Nice job, Cass," Benji said easily, watching the patronus hawk fight off the lethifold. So it was a dementor on a smaller scale then. He figured that would have been good to know, but it was his own fault for not doing the reading. "Knew yours wouldn't be something lame." But there was no time to chat, as apparently there was a second lethifold now attempting to eat the muggle kid still plastered to his bed.

As Rosie summoned Corbin back to him, Benji couldn't help the laugh that exploded out of him as Maevie cracked the boy right in the skull with a vase. Solid job the little one did. Poor guy had just fought for his life against a bath towel, and he'd have a goose-egg on his forehead from a firstie to show for it.

"DONAHUE'S DEAD! HE'S DEAD!"

Wicked. Benji'd be able to see thestrals now that he'd watched someone die. It was too bad. Corbin seemed like a cool bloke, and he didn't mind him so much as he did some of the others. Even so, the kid had been dumb as a box of rocks running ahead of everyone, and sometimes nature just had to take its course.

Anyway, there was the other they had to deal with. Benji wasn't much help with the lethifold, and Cass had it under control, impressing his girlfriend and all that. Suddenly, there were parents in the hallway screaming at all of them, and Benji knew exactly what to do to make this situation better. Or worse. It was hit or miss with him when it came to adults, and his own parents hadn't like him much, but...

"Oy, it's alright," Benji said casually, pointing to the box at the end of the hallway. "It's just we're wizards, you see. And that thing there on your kid is a lethifold. Like a dangerous kid-eating blanket. That bloke there," Benji pointed over his shoulder to Professor Barlowe, "is our dad. He's half-cat. He has lots of kids with lots of different ladies. Don't ask. It's a whole thing. Anyway, he wrangles creatures and things, and since you don't really know how to handle these, we figured we'd take care of it for you. Even sacrificed one of our own for your kid!" He bent down to take Corbin by the wrist, and dropped it with a heavy thud again.

"See? Dead? But Cass there, he's the strongest of all of us, he's saving your son right now. Not to worry. All will be fine. Probably."

There. Benji handled it. He smiled at Catherine and Vinnie, who had also tried to reason with the parents and turning back to them gave a little shrug. "If this is all a little overwhelming, not to worry. You won't remember a thing."

A huge shit-eating grin spread across the boy's lips. He couldn't wait to see an 'obliviate' in action.

"Maevie, no!" Rosalie tried, but it was too late. The vase slammed into the side of Corbin's skull with a sickening crack. She winced, just as her hand closed in around his the collar of his raincoat. He was fighting, trying to stand, trying to...was he trying to go after the second one?! Bless his sweet heart, but the boy was absolutely insane. Rosalie admired his tenacity and will to protect the muggle boy, but he'd just fought off an entire lethifold and taken a vase to his head. He was in no position to -

Apparently his brain agreed because in the next moment the boy slumped to the floor and was out. Cassian was after the second one, another patronus in action while the boy's parents came flying into the hallway, red-faced and screaming. Rosalie was overwhelmed with all the noise and chaos, several trying to talk the parents down, including Benji. The girl rolled her eyes at his attempt at an explanation, wondering just who conceived this idiot boy that she called her cousin.

"DONAHUE'S DEAD! HE'S DEAD!"

And now there was more screaming. Poor Elias. The boy was going to be shell-shocked by the end of the term if things kept up this way for him. "He's not, promise." Rosie shook her head empathically at the younger boy as she knelt down beside Corbin. Rae wasn't helping, agreeing that he was dead. She shot a look at the Slytherin girl, really needing her to not encourage the hysterics around here. "See his chest? He's breathing. Will probably have a horrible headache when he wakes up. That's all."

While the chaos continued around them, Rosie sat down on the floor next to the passed out boy, taking his hand in hers, and giving it a little encouraging squeeze. "You'll be alright, brave boy," she said softly, "We'll get you back to the castle quickly." Brave, or incredibly stupid - did it really matter at this point? Corbin would learn, and if he didn't...well, maybe his early demise would be warranted at that point.

Probably not. She had done much stupider things recently than Corbin had, and at least he had done it to try and help someone else.

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*Permission to hold Corbin's hand given by Emery <3

The sounds coming from up the stairs were frankly terrifying. Screams, shouts, spells being yelled, the teacher also yelling. Matilda had thought it best to stay downstairs, since her leg was more than sore today, and the crutches were a bitch to deal with. But… It sounded like a lot was happening up there.

Resting one of her crutches against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, Matilda managed to hop her way up the stairs to where the action was. Just as she reached the top, a new scream sent chills down her spine.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Good evening, ma'am. If you could only--" Oh shoot. The muggles were awake and from the sounds of it, not happy to have late night guests. Matilda could honestly not blame them. The mom was popping off, the dad looked a little dazed. In hindsight, Muffliato would have been a fabulous idea. Oh well, live and learn.

The chaos was something to behold. The Muggle mom freaking out, the Professor trying to calm the situation… and failing spectacularly. Students screaming, the kid possibly being eaten ALSO screaming. It was a lot on the senses.

Pointing her wand at the mother, Matilda said “Silencio!” Hoping to shut her up for the time being. Casting spells on Muggles was highly frowned upon, but shit was most definitely hitting the fan, so… when in Rome.


Pointing her wand at the mother, Matilda said “Silencio!” Hoping to shut her up for the time being. Casting spells on Muggles was highly frowned upon, but shit was most definitely hitting the fan, so… when in Rome.

Tulip was glad when a) someone listened to her advice and b) could actually cast the bloody spell. She was partly surprised when the Patronous worked, it was cool to see one in the flesh she didn't know many people who could actualy cast them. It seemed the Idiot Corbin was under it and looked okay, he didn't looked all shriveled up and soul sucked as he probabily should have been. Although one student began screaming that Corgin was dead, bloody first years she thought.

And then the chaos started the students were yelling, the Professor was in despair then the Muggle parents turned up, and then they realised there were two Lethifolds. Tulip couldn't help but laugh, not a gentle lady like titter but a side splitting laugh at the absolute insanity that was going on around her. This lesson had certainly brightened up a deary day.

"Pick a problem and fix it,""extra credit if you can make the noises stop."

She heard professor Maddox give them a new instruction, whilst the mayhem was entertaining it would have to come to an end at some point. She couldn't cast a Patronus so Lethifold number 2 was not a Tulip problem, other people were checking on Corbin, not a Tulip problem. That left the muggles, it seemed some of her peers were trying to reason with them. Muggle or Wizard you walk into your child's bed room and find it full of people you are going to be unimpressed, no amount of talking epscially from a bunch of under age wizards was going to work.

Tilly however seemed to have a better idea, an idea that was not dissimilar to her own. Typically Gryffindor's take the lead with practical solutions. She watched the other girl cast a silencing charm. Tulip had other ideas but along a similar plan, she pointed her wand at the fathers head and cast "Ferula", aiming to completely cover his head in bandages, he wouldn't be able to see them and they wouldn't be able to hear him. Everyone was a winner.

Merlin, take him now.

Maddox watched in flaccid horror as his students proved to him that things could, in fact, get worse. It started with Everett's dismay. In all the chaos, the boy had convinced himself of the older boy's death and had been aided along in that hasty venture by the gremlin of a Slytherin girl who often seemed to relish in the mayhem the class sometimes found themselves in. He pinched the bridge of his nose, not sure where to even begin when the older Laurence stepped in to offer what he hoped would be calming reassurances.

He would leave the younger boy to her. Apparently, there was far more that now demanded his attention.

While McCormick managed to get the second lethifold running with his patronus and Elliot slammed it into the cage the moment it drew close enough, a different sort of disaster was unravelling on the other side of him.

Holloway hadn't been awful. Never mind how useless such a spiel would be in the middle of an active home invasion, the girl had sought to placate the hysterical pair. She was fine. Folwell was trying to send them all to Azkaban. Express.

"I can't wait to see how you fix this one."

He scowled down at the girl who clearly didn't have enough work to do. "Find something productive to do, or I'll make sure you're well occupied when we get back."

Moving with an urgency typical of the lacadaisical man, Maddox clamped a hand over the first-year Gryffindor's mouth. "That's enough of tha--"

"It's just we're wizards, you see. And that thing there on your kid is a lethifold. Like a dangerous kid-eating blanket. That bloke there," Benji pointed over his shoulder to Professor Barlowe, "is our dad. He's half-cat. He has lots of kids with lots of different ladies. Don't ask. It's a whole thing."

God, there were two of them.

Maddox summoned the Hufflepuff by his robes, clamping his other hand over his mouth. "You both owe me an essay on the importance of the statute of secrecy when we get back. I want it by Friday unless you fancy yourselves detention." As if detention was the biggest of their problems now. The words had sunk in deeper than they should've and set both parents off on another wild rant, going back and forth as if it might help the situation. He tried asking that they calm down--refrain from waking the neighbours and making his life harder--but that only made the mother more hysterical.

At his wits' end, Maddox realised the sudden absence of noise. Nordstrom and her quick wand work had given his ears some peace. Asquith wasn't far behind, bandaging the man so he could no longer see. he could...still breathe, yeah?

Peace at last.

Maddox breathed deeply. It was over. He released the mouths of both boys. "Everyone downstairs in the living room. I'll be there shortly. Don't leave Donahue behind." He gestured them all off, even McCormick, who'd made his way into the boy's room, offering him assurances it was all a dream.

If only that would work on the adults. No, a different sort of fix was needed here. With the last of the students departing, he obliviated both parents. This was a night better not remembered.

The man hesitated a moment over Robert's bed. The boy, who was still so confused and shaken, wouldn't have been much harm, but core memories had a way of forming when you least expected them, and it wouldn't do to have him insisting on the events of the night to his parents and anyone else who'd listen for the rest of his life. At the very least, he'd be labelled a quack. That was no way for anyone to live. Ultimately, he made the decision to obliviate the boy two before shrinking and pocketing the cage, then heading down to join the student.

"Here's our way back. Everyone take hold." He said, offering the vase he'd also planted earlier in the week. "When we get back, we need to talk."

The man was about three seconds from locking them all in detention after this lesson.

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OOC: Aaaand that's a wrap for lesson 1! I'll leave the thread open for an extra day or two for anyone who missed any of the updates and wanted to get in a final post to catch up. In that case, you'd just react to this final post. If you just like completing things, you're also welcome to put in a final post! Grades will be up once I've closed the thread. Thank you so much for sticking with me! I had a blast reading everyone <3

Vinnie’s words were cut off when a hand clamped over his mouth. He was so earnestly in the midst of trying to convince the parents that he failed to notice at first. For a fraction of a second he continued to try ineffectively to talk before he realized what had happened. Vinnie stared up at Professor in confusion, eyebrows drawn.

“But Professor -“ Vinnie tried to say, though the words, muffled by a hand, came out incomprehensible. Surely the older Ravenclaw’s patronus would have broken the statute anyway. Or else the lethifold in its cage. What did it matter if Vinnie told them what was happening first, so they wouldn’t freak out?

Of course, his speech hadn’t prevented them from freaking out whatsoever. The parents had grown more hysterical at his words. When an older Hufflepuff joined in, their agitation only increased. It was stopped when the parents went abruptly silent, owing to someone else’s spell. Another quick cast wrapped bandages around the man’s head. Vinnie worried they might be too tight.

“Don’t leave Donahue behind.” Mercifully, Vinnie could speak again. He went for where the boy was still lying on the floor, and attempted to lift him up. Being a fair bit smaller, his attempts were unsuccessful. “Can someone help me with him?” Vinnie asked the older students, slightly put out he couldn’t do it alone.

By the time Vinnie had reached the bottom floor, he felt antsy. He wondered if Professor Barlowe was obliviating the young boy. He wondered why they had broken in here instead of fighting the lethifolds somewhere else. Glad he didn’t have to witness the boy’s stare go empty, Vinnie still felt a flicker of guilt in the back of his mind.

“When we get back, we need to talk,” Professor Barlowe told them when he arrived downstairs shortly after.

Uh oh. This didn’t sound like the good sort of talk that was going to end with extra credit and a chocolate frog for everyone. Vinnie suspected they were in for a long lecture, and that at least a good portion of it would have to do with him. With no small sense of foreboding, Vinnie moved towards the vase.