Badgers in Fight (Carcer)

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It had been a pretty uneventful afternoon spent on the grounds. Alice had been doodling around in her creature studies journal for the majority of the afternoon. Alice had always spent time alone on the grounds before that "buddy system" rule was set in place and during the day time, she really saw no reason why she still couldn't spend time alone out there. What kind of fool would attack someone during the broad daylight anyway? Alice felt perfectly safe at her usual spot perched up near the lake. A relaxing afternoon ahead of her.

While it had been uneventful, the afternoon had passed by fairly quickly and before Alice knew it the sun was beginning to set. With a sigh, she began to pack up her journal and quill back into her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She began the trek back up to the castle to avoid any conflict with prefects or Masin and Casey, or worse... Abigail and James who had put the buddy system rule in effect. The sky was darkening quickly and dinner would spoon be served so this was as good a time as any to head up to the castle. As the Hufflepuff did so, however, she came across a small group of Gnomes that were practically hurtling themselves across the path. Alice stopped and raised an eyebrow at them. It was odd to see them roaming anywhere but near the gardens and the fact that they were running toward the forest gave Alice an eerie feeling.

That was when Alice heard something off in the distance. It sounded like an explosion... coming from the castle.

@carcerronaldhagrid
ooc: Hehe, see what I did with the title? bwaha

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Today had been largely uneventful. Which was just fine, in Carcer’s book. He knew that Ethan and a few others were doing something with Phoenix Rising, but they hadn’t asked for his help, only his silence. The rumors flying around school had made everyone nervous, but he’d gone along with it. He was currently walking the parapet walls, on his way from the Owlery, where he’d been helping take care of the school owls (one of the duties of the CoMC club).

As he walked, he noticed that someone was out on the grounds. He paused, equal parts happy and frustrated to see her. Because sure, she was a little too far away for him to make out her face, what other person with long blonde hair was stubborn enough to still be going out on the grounds alone? He still smiled, in spite of things, stopping to watch her as she headed back toward the castle—

And an explosion rocked the castle.

Carcer turned toward the sound, eyes narrowed. What was going on? Then he looked back over the castle wall. Alice had paused too. And—oh no. He could see several figures moving toward the castle. And Alice was between them and the castle.

In an instant, Carcer’s body shifted, lightened, and a fluffy, too-large flying squirrel jumped from the parapets. He glided forward, straight toward Alice, but he was watching the figures. As he closed in, he could see they wore masks, which shouldn’t really have surprised him, but he was angry nonetheless. And that anger bubbled over into outright fury when he saw them pull their wands and point at Alice…

He swooped over Alice’s head and transformed again. And thirteen feet of half-giant landed between her and half a dozen spells. The jets of light bounced harmlessly off Carcer’s skin as he pulled his own wand and flicked it. One of the attacker’s masks was transfigured into a giant spider and he started to scream.

Carcer wanted to ask Alice if she was alright, but he was having trouble forming words now. Instead, he found himself growling angrily at the approaching figures, a growl that had nothing human in it…

@alice
I would never have thought of that xD

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The explosion was so out of place at Hogwarts that Alice just stood very still on the path leading up to the school, staring up at the castle with a furrow brow of confusion. Surely there couldn't have been another tower explosion due to an accident... Then Alice began to hear bodies approaching and she felt her heart skip many beats as she took in a sharp breath and turned slowly around, reaching into her robes for her wand as she did so. They had long, black cloaks and were all wearing masks.

Death Eaters.

What happened next happened so fast, Alice was sure that if she had blinked she would have missed it. Something flew over her head but before she could even look up to see what it was, a half giant suddenly appeared in front of her. Alice's eyes widened just as he landed and the cloaked wizards all shot spells out toward them. Alice ducked down, her wand now out, and looked up at Carcer whom the spells bounced off of completely. She thanked Merlin in that moment that he was a half giant. Slowly Alice stood up as she heard the growl emitting from within Carcer. She placed her left arm on his pant leg, gripping it as she stood slightly behind him; her right hand had her wand out at the ready.

"Carcer..." She said quietly, not taking her eyes off of the wizards in front of them. Alice was at a loss for what to do. All her life she had been afraid of fighting for her life or the lives of others. Alice never wanted to fight in such a way. But now it looked like she was going to have to.

@carcerronaldhagrid

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Break them. Kill them. Flay them.

His blood was singing. Calling to him, reminding him that he was an apex predator, and those before him were merely his prey. All he had to do was run them down. Their magic was pitiful. Then, a simple grip on the neck—

“Carcer…”

That voice. Her voice. It was like that first gulp of air after being underwater so long you start to feel dizzy. Carcer shook his head, throwing off that instinct coursing through his veins. He was still furious, but he was thinking, now. He widened his stance slightly, leaving only Alice’s head as a visible target, and the fire in his eyes was more clear than words that he would kill any of them who took a shot at her. He gently touched Alice on the shoulder to reassure her, before raising his voice at the masked figures. “You’re trespassing. And my lady here doesn’t want to fight. Turn around and leave. If you take one step forward, fire one spell…I won’t stop until you’re all broken.”

He really hoped they would do it, but somehow he doubted they’d listen to him.

@alice

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Alice continued to stand behind Carcer, eyes wide and unblinking, not moving a muscle. The grip she had on Carcer tightened slightly as he spoke. She really didn't want to fight, but as Carcer clearly stated he would fight for her, Alice was realizing that if it came to it... she would fight for him. Her eyes began to go over each of the masked beings, watching their every move. Her free hand that did have a grip on Carcer began to slowly reach into her robes for her own wand, hoping that none of them were watching her behind him. She had thought too soon.

Just as Alice was about to pull her wand completely out, a mask man made a movement toward them and uttered some spell or curse aimed right at Carcer. Immediately, Alice parried forward and gave one swift movement with her wand to deflect the curse. "Expelliarmus!" She countered, successfully disarming the man. Her eyes were still wide and unblinking but she had momentarily let go of Carcer. She backed up again, her back bumping into his side and her hand found him again. She should have known that these clowns wouldn't listen.

@carcerronaldhagrid
I want to see Carcer break some people. c:

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They were slowly drawing wands. Red hazed the edges of his vision. Carcer had control again, but the furious anger he was feeling was still half that of a man concerned for others, and half that of a predator, furious at being challenged by his own prey.

One of the men started to cast a curse, and next to him, Alice Longbottom moved. She seemed to flow from her spot behind him, moving around his legs and in front of him with the grace and speed of a lunging viper, and before the masked man could finish his own incantation, had already fired a Disarming Charm at him. The wand flew high in the air toward them as Alice backed up into him. That was fast. It occurred to Carcer that Alice would be a very dangerous duelist if she practiced, given just how quickly she’d moved.

Of course, that was just one thought, lost in the spiral of sudden action. Alice had snapped Carcer fully back into control of himself, and as the other two immediately pointed their wands at their now-exposed target, he felt his anger spike everything into sharp focus. Carcer was slow to anger, but he’d never been able to focus it like he was right now.

A wand flicked out, and this time, the masked figures robes were Carcer’s target, transfigured into a swarm of angry bees. Shrieks of pain and terror rent the air as the angry insects began to sting at the exposed flesh beneath, and the other paused, looking over at his companion in shock.

Carcer lunged.

He wasn’t a quick person by any means, lacking in agility due to his natural frame, but in terms of running speed, no normal human could cover distance as quickly as a half-giant. As the figure turned back to him, Carcer reached out, his hand covering the figure’s wand hand and upper arm entirely, and the half-giant lifted him off the ground, raising him up until they were face-to-face.

Carcer growled again. “I warned you.”

Then he squeezed, hard.

A numbers of loud snaps cut through the air, the sound of a dozen bones and a single wand snapping under the sheer pressure of an angry Hagrid’s grip.

@alice (I am forever late Dx)

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Alice's breathing was heavy, focused, and furious as she inhaled and exhaled through her nostrils. Her sudden burst had surprised even herself, and when she had backed up into Carcer she suddenly made the realization of what was just about to happen. It felt like the seconds following her defense were long, gruelling minutes. Then, just as suddenly as she had, Carcer's own wand flicked out and before Alice's eyes one of the men's robes transformed into a swarm of bees. Alice's eyes widened but she did not move, her wand at the ready all the while.

The Hufflepuff was at a loss for words when quickly the half giant next to her lunged forward to the other man who was not currently being swarmed by bees. She watched as Carcer lifted him, but was once again brought to the attention of another who was aiming their wand toward Carcer. "Stupefy!" She quickly parried forward as the hooded being was stunned and sent flying backward. She had not heard the cracking of the bones of the wizard Carcer was holding, and that was just as good for Alice. She didn't take violence well, as Carcer knew.

Alice turned back to face Carcer, her eyes wild with adrenaline and panic. "Carcer, the castle," was all she could get out in a panicked croak as she looked up toward the castle that was being bombarded with explosive spells. All at once, Alice felt her world crumbling down and her heart breaking. Her family was up there. And so was Carcer's brother. She knew they had to get to the castle as soon as possible.

@carcerronaldhagrid
I am also forever late, so all is well.

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It was easier to maintain his focus than it had been to focus in the first place. Thunder coursed through his veins, but Carcer was at the eye of the storm, now, and everything was clear.  He watched as Alice put the last masked figure down with a Stunner and unceremoniously flung the one he still held aloft to the side into a boneless pile, unconscious from the pain.

“Carcer, the castle.”

He spun around. Smoke was rising from several of the windows, and screams and explosions echoed distantly. Eyes widened, then narrowed in fury. Of course it wouldn't just be three of these guys. Carcer growled angrily. “Seems we have more than three guests. It would be rude of us to keep them waiting.”

Without another word, he bent down, scooped Alice up in his arms, and took off running toward the castle, his superhuman strength and size carrying them straight for the place where the sounds of battle were loudest.

He hoped against hope that his brother was very far from where he was going.

@alice [End here?]