Maze of Stairs.

Georgie frowned, this was the fifth time the stairs had moved while she was on them. She wanted to go up to the Gryffindor common room, but by the maze of stairs she had been on she had ended up in the Entrance Hall.

She decided to give up and admired the statue that was on show there.

Damian shot a glare back over his shoulder as he finally made it to the Entrance Hall. The bloody staircases were even more active than usual, today, and twice, he'd had to jump to a landing as a stupid thing started to move. Shifting his book bag, now laden with library books, to his opposite shoulder, he started across the open floorspace, only to very nearly run into someone.

Served him right for not watching where he was going.

"Sorry!" he apologized, even though he hadn't actually disturbed her. He tilted his head, thinking that he recognized her from some of his classes.

"I'm Damian, by the way." Damian followed her gaze to the statue. It looked normal, which he was beginning to discover was a bit odd for Hogwarts.

Georgie jumped as someone nearly ran into her. She turned to see it was a Hufflepuff she recognized, but she wasn't to sure what year he was in.

"It's okay!" she said happily "There is no harm done is there?"

"Well hello Damien, I am Georgie" she smiled and turned back to the statue. She wasn't too sure about who it was, but the person was pretty any way.

As she face him more fully for a moment, Damian realized that he didn't recognize her from class, after all. But he had seen her. Probably in the corridors, or the Great Hall.

"Nice to meet you, Georgie," he replied. Regarding the statue, he tried to recall where he'd seen the person before. There were three birds depicted with her, and she wore medieval-style robes.

"Oh!" he said. "It's Cliodne, the druidess. She was in Great Wizards or Witches Throughout History."

Georgie grinned, "I tried to read it, but like most other books I also try to read, I dont get that far" she giggled, but inside she wished that she was only joking.

"Where do you need to be?" she asked, realising that he looked a little lost.

Damian laughed. "It's a long book!" he said.

He belatedly realized that his overall wonder at his still-new surroundings probably made him look like he was lost. "Oh. I'm just going back to my dorm," he replied, indicating the proper stairway leading down to the dungeons.

Georgie laughed "That shows why I couldn't get that far into it" she smiled warmly.

"I was trying to get back to my dorm aswell..." she said looking up to the seventh floor. "The stupid stairs keep moving exactly when I am in the middle of them" she frowned unhappily.

J. J. stumbled through the grand front door into the entrance hall, and sighed with relief to be out of the weather. The wind had picked up and the clouds were coming in. She was probably lucky to miss the rain.
Straightening her hair, she shouldered her bag, and turned around to the stairs to get back to her commonroom.
That's when she noticed the two people already in the hall.
One was a boy in her own house that she recognized from her classes. She thought his name was Damian.
The other girl was an older Gryfindor.
She stopped short, surprise covering her face.
"Oh, hullo there."

"Yeah, I had to jump, twice," Damian told Georgie, "but I think that probably works better coming down the stairs. Wonder why they're moving so much?"

Shifting his back to the other shoulder (it was rather heavy), he turned his blue eyes to the newcomer, smiling when he recognized her, even though he wasn't exactly sure what her name was. "Hello!"

J. J. smiled in response to the boy's greeting and took a step closer to the other two.
"That's quite the weather out there," she nodded her head back to the door, and the storm that she was sure she just got out of, and then winced internally. God, talking about the weather? How more awkwardly mundane can I get?, "I'm lucky I got inside."
A small roll of thunder boomed through the castle and J. J. jumped slightly. She hated storms.
She looked at the other two, "What brings you down here?"
She paused a moment, and then blushed. Where are my manors, Mama would kill me.
"Oh," she turned to the older girl, and then thinking about it included the boy since she wasn't even sure she had his name right, "I'm J. J. by the way."

Georgie smiled at the girl. "I hate storms too!" she said jumping a bit as she heard the thunder. "I would hate to be out in that" she agreed, shuddering a bit as she looked out at the rain.

"I was trying to get to my dorm but the stairs are been a nuisance today!" she said frowning, annd debating whether to take another shot at reaching the seventh floor. Sometimes she wished that they were able to apparate inside the castle.

"Hey J.J!" Georgie said happily. "I am Georgie, but you can call me Gigi!" she smiled warmly.

"Damian," he said. "I was just going back to the dorm from the library."

Damian tilted his head, slightly. "I like storms, really. I mean, I don't mind the rain and lightening and thunder. They're kinda cool."

"Nice to meet you both," she smiled. She looked up at the stairs nervously, "I haven't gotten stuck yet, but I've been terrified that I will. Probably when I need to get somewhere most. Like a class with a strict Professor."
More thunder boomed; she managed not to jump, but she couldn't help looking around nervously. She always seemed to be nervous lately.
"I don't mind storms, I guess... the loud noises just makes me nervous. Like most things it seems."

"You mean, like Professor Lewis?" asked Damian, then grimaced. She was the strictest teacher Damian had. "I don't think she likes me, much. Never had a professor ask me if I swallowed my books with Babbling Beverage, before. Though, I went to muggle school, so they wouldn't know what that is."

That, and he'd given up answering questions in class over the past year because even the teachers seemed to hate him for having magic. His eyes hardened fleetingly as he once more vowed that Bryce, in particular, would pay.

He glanced towards the window as another crash of thunder made itself known, a small smile pulling at his lips. Damian turned his attention back to the girls. The boy tilted his head for a moment, thinking back a bit as he puzzled over something.

"Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed. "I saw both of you on the train! You were in the same compartment as me," Damian said, gesturing to Georgie, then to J.J. "And you were looking for the snack trolley. It's funny how different everyone looks in their uniforms!" He laughed.

Iris slowly climbed up the confusing staircases - the cool part of Hogwarts but she doesn't like it much. She just finished dinner at the great hall and half-full. She was can't take her eyes off the steps and haven't realized a couple of students are there. Good thing she stopped right away. "Oh. I'm sorry. That's so close. Hi. Iris Frances. Do you mind befriending a Slytherin?" She joked and observed their features while grinning that playful grin. Maybe first years. She recognized a second year from Divination and DADA. Vane?

J. J. grimaced sympathetically when Damian brought up Professor Lewis, "Yes, that would be exactly the kind of teacher I would hate to be late for. And for the record I don't think you sound swallowed books with a babbling beverage - not that I know what that is exactly - I think you're pretty smart."
"Yes, that was me," J. J. laughed self-consciously, "I was so lost on that train. Thanks for the tip on the trolley by the way. I had skipped breakfast that day and thought I was going to pass out with hunger if I didn't find food soon."
J. J. looked up at the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs, and watched as a Slytherin girl, one she hadn't seen before came into the entrance hall.
J. J. looked taken back by her forward tone for a moment and then shrugged, "I don't mind at all, I guess. I'm J. J."

Iris didn't mind their reaction and just smiled back. "Okay, J.J." She was then surprised by the 'Professor Lewis' topic and agreed with their opinion. "Yeah, seems I don't like her too. Our first lesson in Charms was drying charms and cleaning stuff. I think she'll teach us on how to be housewives. And we have to do an essay about it. So what did she taught first years?" She chuckled and took another step.

"Lumos and nox," Damian responded. "And she has to teach certain charms, like the basic ones. She seems brilliant enough, I suppose, it's just..." The boy wrinkled his nose. "She thinks I'm a know-it-all." He was clearly not in agreement with this assessment.

"I'm Damian, by the way," he belatedly introduced himself. "And I don't care what House you're in - I could've been any of 'em, I'd bet. Besides, it's kinda stupid to fight amongst ourselves when the stupid muggles just want us all dead."

J. J. shrugged, "I don't know. Lewis is alright, she's just strict. She likes her lessons to be about learning... and you do get to do that."
Biting her lip, J. J. looked down at her feet as Damien brought up the Muggle issue. He's reasoning made perfect sense, we were all one, but the war made J. J. nervous.
Right now she still had a foot in both worlds, but she knew that couldn't last; she would have to pick a side eventually, and the wizards did have more rights, more reasons.
But what about her parents, and family?
She gave a small shake of her head and pushed it out of her mind for the moment. She looked back up at the small group collected around her. For now she just wanted some time to get used to magic - to get used to herself as she was now. The Witch.

"Damian Gray. Sister of Professor. Right." said Iris with a nod and got back to the Charms topic. "Oh, yeah she's super strict but you really have to be sometimes. It was fun demonstrating the charms though." She remembered the war and sort of felt nervous like what J.J felt through what Iris had observed. She shrugged it off and didn't want to talk about it. Iris just smiled and hoped that her sudden feel of nervous didn't quite show. All of them are nervous in fact and no one can avoid being one.

Georgie smiled at the girl who had just walked in. "Hey, I'm Georgie, but you can call me Gigi!" she said smiling. "It doesn't matter what house your in! Like I'm not a stereo typical Gryffindor as I have a lot of phobia's" she chuckled.

She frowned a bit as muggles were brought up. She wasn't really liked in the muggle world and had been attacked by muggles twice. She shoved that memory to the back of her mind and tried to join in the conversation.

"I don't take charms, I am a bit clumsy and heavy handed, and I was warned about Lewis!" Georgie giggled.

"Neville Longbottom wasn't considered a typical Gryffindor, either," Damian contributed. "But he destroyed Voldemort's final Horcrux - his snake - in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. Almost nobody has only one House's traits, anyway." Or at least, that's what Theo had told Damian, and it made sense enough to him.

"Wish I'd been warned about her!" Damian exclaimed with a laugh. "Though, I still probably would've taken the class. Are second year classes really interesting?" His eyes lit with eager curiosity.

Iris smiled at the thought of the brave Neville Longbottom but replied to Damian's question. "Not really. I for myself consider us second years rather talkative and noisy. Through the professors' comments. But it is quite fun learning though." She chuckled and looked at Gigi. "But you take DADA right? It's a bit harder than Charms of course. Hate to be clumsy at that subject." She then remembered they're talking in a public place and anyone might here them. "Uh guys? Do you think that Professor Lewis might come right up here? Totally scary. We're in a staircase after all." She whispered and turned at her back to see if anyone's there. She didn't want to lose house points or get detention. Or even get reprimanded by their strict teacher so far. I've had enough for one day. Iris thought. It was raining and she does love rains. She got back to her memories dancing in the rain in the muggle world with her parents and being happy in her life when every time there are heavy rain showers.

Damian was a bit concerned on that count. He'd only narrowly avoided losing points as it way. "Yeah... I'm done talking about her, though," he said fervently.

Iris agreed with Damian and changed the topic. She nearly has some time left to do her homework for tomorrow's next lesson. And she only bumped into them unexpectedly. "So... I think I have to go. On the way to the library. Any of you want to come? School work. They dumped us second years pretty enough." She nodded while taking more steps up the staircase. They didn't mind it moving repeatedly, and this sort of made Iris feel unwell.