Needing a bit of leverage. [OPEN/BATTLE]

[ooc: Feel free to open one-on-one topics in order to keep track of your duel. It's easy to get lost in group threads, so that's totally fine. Khaat and I will be doing an example thread for those who are interested.]

Hadley had spent the evening doing what she seemed to do best in this world: talking to the other people at the Inn. In truth, she was rubbish at magic, and she wasn't even convinced that the wand wasn't the one doing all of the work. Still, they had more training to worry about in the morning and she didn't want to be the tired one when she was already the seemingly incompetent one. She turned in early, hitting the lights and hoping that she would fall asleep quickly.

The first crack sounded at midnight.

Hadley sat up straight, her eyes wide. She recognized that sound by now, but she wouldn't have reacted so strongly had it been only one person apparating - that's what it was called, right? - outside of the hotel. But there were several - lots, even. And something about that made her nervous. She knew that there were some people in this world that didn't want her "kind" there, and the fact that children were living in the hotel made her jump out of bed and pull a robe around herself. Then, she flew out into the corridor to knock on doors and wake anyone who would listen to her. The children. Where were the kids staying?

Upstairs. Right.

Shouting that something was wrong, she spun and rushed up the stairs, aiming for the fourth floor. Her hair flew behind her as she ran, but she skidded to a stop at the end of the hall when she caught sight of the group outside, a shiver running up her spine. She needed to wake the others, and find a place to hide.

"Uh..."

Elliot woke to muffled thuds, rapid footsteps in the hall and a shrill voice insisting something was wrong.

He was about to roll over and go back to sleep, insisting he needed his sleep for class in the morning, when he remembered that he didn't have classes anymore.  And why.

Elliot rolled out of the bed and groped on the floor for his pants and shoes.  A shirt had been flung over a chair on the other side of the room.

Then, there was the wand.  So far it had been completely useless, doing even less for Elliot than what he'd managed himself without it (allegedly).  He needed something more reliable.  Something sharper.

"What I wouldn't do for a scalpel," he murmured.

It's not like he intended to apparate into a random house, it's just that's usually what happened when you said "I'm going to drink ten flasks of that until I can't see straight".

Of course, that's not a smart idea, but Yippa suggested it. It had to make sense. Right?

Regardless, looking around he saw the humans. This might've been good if they weren't all running in hushed whispers.

"What're ya all crawling about for?" He said. Then he heard it. Click. Click. Click. It was like the noise he heard whenever he apparated.

Now he didn't know humans well, but he knew one thing: They were lazy. They probably were all apparating because they were too lazy to consider walking.

"You damn lazy humans. Port only apparates when he's drunk!" he shouted at the ginger standing in front of him. Or was he a blond? Either way, he had hair that wasn't black or brown or gray.

The feck?

Elliot had no idea what this thing was, but he was willing to bet it was magic because nothing could look like that and not be magic. And forgetting for the time being his whole "weird conspiracy theory" nonsense, this wasn't the time to panic.

"Hey, you thing," Elliot lunged for the creature.

"I'm not apparating. Do I look like I'm apparating to you? I don't even know what apparating is!" his shouts were formed as whispers, scraping against his throat.

And he'd just said apparate way too many times in a row.

"Now, be a good thing and we might help each-other out here. You do a favour for me, I'll do a favour for you sometime, yeah?"

Port likely should've apparated. The only reason not to was because it would be fun. An oddity, truly, but after losing Yippa. . .

His mind stopped the thought as he hit his head on the drawer, "Port's not a thing, he's a house elf- and OWWW!" He shouted as the pain rushed suddenly.

A Human that didn't know what apparating was? Impossibl- Muggle?

"I don't happen to be in muggle lands, do I?" He said, now looking for any implications that it simply wasn't so. Anyways, if apparating was happening, trouble might be afoot.

"Hold questions sir. Port must be "Honorable". If it means something other than walking into a wintery death because you're sick, be sure to let me know. I don't feel terribly sick." Port said, recalling the book about British honor in 'Ants-Dart-Icka". Whoever Icka was, she must've been important.

He then started for the door.

Elliot watched in fascination as the thing smashed itself in the head. He wasn't much worried about it, the thing, oh, sorry, house elf, was clearly used to the action. Adept at it, even.

"You're in Buckley Inn," Elliot replied, nonplussed. "In Diagon Alley."

He had been going to confirm that he was a muggle, but then remembered the way the wizards treated him, and from the low intelligence this creature displayed (it couldn't even use correct grammar) that was likely a bad idea.

Instead, he picked up the wand from the bedside table.

"Of course I'm not a muggle," he replied. "I'm Australian. Apparition is illegal in Australia."

He wouldn't be surprised if it was true. Practically everything was illegal in Australia.

"Now, be a good house elf and find me a knife before I get very angry."

Diagon Alley. That meant that maybe there was trouble, or he was right and wizards were simply lazy.

He didn't truly recall Buckley Inn, but it wasn't any matter. Finally he grew completely relieved when he saw the man grab his wand.

"Wherever, it doesn't matter as long as you've got that." he said, pointing to the wand.

A knife. He wanted a knife? This was going to be fun indeed! "Port'll get you a knife. Or something sharp." Port said, taking a sip from his metal flask before sealing it once more and apparating.

Within a minute, he came back with a shattered beer bottle, and a rather pleasured look on his face, "No knives. Found . . . " he said, trailing off, "A bottle. Port figures it'll be quite helpful." he said, setting the bottle on the bedside table, "What people never see, they never miss." He said, laughing to himself.

Yippa, his cockroach, appeared on his shoulder, "You probably shouldn't have done that. It was mean!"

Port talked to the cockroach, though he knew nobody else heard the voice, "Doesn't matter if it was mean. Port did it for . . ." he said, looking over to the man, "Who are you now?"

Elliot petted the elf on the back. Now that he'd established the creature was completely useless he wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

"Great, that's great work," he said with a bright smile.

He knew what was expected of him, of course. People had a romanticised notion of drunken brawling. Unfortunately, Elliot had stitched up too many hands to agree with that notion. He already knew you had to knock the end off the bottle at a specific angle and if you failed you ended up with a handful of pain.

"I'm nobody important," Elliot told the elf. "You should probably just go back to where you came from."

There was still commotion outside his door, though since nobody had tried to get into his room, Elliot decided he was safe enough for now. He picked up the wand, which he evidentially was a useful threat, and opened the door.

This was an inn. Inns had kitchens. Elliot could find a knife all by himself.

He looked as the man walked away, "I'd be careful. Heard apparatin'. Since you're 'Australian', I'll tell you now, apparatin' is people popping in here. Probably not nice people."

Port looked at his bloodied hand, realizing the fault he had made in breaking the bottle, but proceeded to wipe it on the wall, "Port'd like to help Mr. Nobody Important." Port said, following close behind the man, "There's things that might be fun." now grinning. Yibba crawled back onto Port's shoulder, "Fun! Fun! Fun!" She said excitedly, now running around his head and shoulders.

"Quiet you." Port said, laughing as he shoved the cockroach back into his pocket.

Corrine had never taken her apparation exam, in fact she'd never taken a single lesson. The course had been twelve galleons too much and although her friends had told her it was an investment, investment or not if you don't have the money then you can't buy the lessons. It had been rather upsetting watching all of her friends leave the common room throughout sixth year to head to the Great Hall where they'd apparate. Corrine had always intended to take apparation classes at some point but she'd never gotten round to it, instead she'd paid for a pre-nursing course so that way she was eligible to train as a nurse at St Mungo's. Life was always full of given and takes and when it came to apparation that was most certainly a give, especially when you have to awkwardly ask if you can side-along apparate with a fellow death eater.

In an attempt to keep her vomit down Corrine examined the surrounding. They were on Diagon Alley outside of the Buckley Inn. Corrine was on her first mission with the death eaters and in side were innocent muggles, order members would no doubt arrive and Corrine would find herself in a clash of wands purposely to hurt.

It seemed wrong. Corrine was a nurse, it was not only her job to heal but in her nature to care and help people. The last thing she wanted to do was attack anybody and ambushing the muggles in the middle of the night left her with a twisting feeling in her stomach.

'Go on.' A voice muttered along with an elbow nudging against her side. Turning to see who it was Corrine realised she had no idea. The only things that Corrine could identify in her companion were two dark eyes peering through slits. Perhaps if the ex-Hufflepuff had made any friends among the death eaters she would have known exactly whose those eyes were but she couldn't tell. All she knew was that whoever was behind the mask was a male thanks to his deeper voice.

'Well if you're just going to stand and stare.' Alexander Nott said again, this time pushing past Corrine who hadn't realised she had arrived at the front of the group and closest to the door.

'Alohamora.' Alexander whispered before turning the handle and pushing against the door. It didn't move. After trying the spell again the young death eater turned to the rest of them.

'It's magically locked. We'll have to smash our way in.'

'Smash our way in?' Corrine gasped. Once again forgetting that she intended to keep her head down and go as unnoticed by her fellow death eaters as possible. 'But people will hear. People will see.'

'People were always going to hear. The whole point is to get the order here.' Alexander hissed, turning to once again face the door where he raised his wand and aimed it fiercely towards the door.

'Bombarda Maxima!'

BOOM! With the sound of a cannon the front door to the Buckley Inn was blasted from it's hinges, the door frame even caved in slightly and ahead of Alexander, who was now making his way into the Inn, Corrine noticed several bolts were dangling precariously from the frame.

Taking a gulp Corrine followed Alexander into the Inn, her hand on her concealed wand hoping that if she stayed behind Alexander Nott she wouldn't have to use it. She wouldn't have to hurt anyone.