Muggle Studies

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny didn't look away from the mad woman's eyes, her lips thinning and hands tightening on the desk at her sick little games. The muggle boy had to be terrified... She couldn't even fathom what he thought was happening to him, and the people around her - not all thankfully but the most of them were just looking at him like he was some kind of bug. Even before he was turned into a damn spider... It sickened her.

Forget whatever twisted lesson the she-Carrow was trying to instil, *they* were the monsters here. Every last damn one of them. Even her, with her cowardice and fear to speak out.

She doubted she'd ever hated herself so much as she did now. Her only comfort was that she hated Aleco more.

[Caden McGinnis]

"Can't say I know too much 'bout 'em, boss," Caden shrugged his shoulders. "I'm thinkin' I'm the wrong man for the job."

[Alecto Carrow]

"Hmm... maybe if I pull a spiders leg off you'll rethink, after all you're what? A 7th or 6th year? You should have learned something by now..." the woman used her wand and the spider began to flail it's many legs as one was pulled at an odd angle. "Well? Or shall we play a game of free the spiders limbs?"

[Theo Nott]

Theo wathced in morbid curiosity as Caden started to dig a grave for himself. The boy was most assuredly insane. The way he talked to the professor signified, to Theo at least, that the boy had a death wish. Watching as Alecto turned the muggle into a spider a look of dark amusement flickered across his face. His eyes actually widened at the sight of the legs twitching as Alecto  moved them as she saw fit. That was impressive control over the spell, whichever it was she was using.

[Alexander Chevalier]

From beside Caden, Alex observed the state of the 'spider' with a concealed sigh. He then glanced to his housemate. He was so sick of this. Sick of the way in which Alecto kept forcing his friend into these situations, nevermind the fact that Caden seemed to foolishly invite it.

An idea began to formulate in his mind then and he sent a swift glance Ginny's way. Would she fault him for this? If it worked, slim as it was, then the Muggle boy might have a very small chance of living through this ordeal. However, the issue was whether or not Alecto would agree to it.

He inhaled, suppressing his growing doubt and anxiety. This was the right thing to at least try to do. He looked to the woman, observed the taunting expression on her face, and ignored the incessant hammering of his heart in his chest. Here went nothing.

"Why don't we make this just a little more interesting, professor? " He began smoothly, voice composed and betraying nothing of the warning in his head. "In terms the Muggle boy might understand a little better. If, of course, you're open to another suggestion?"

[Alecto Carrow]

Alecto frowned as her attention was drawn in a direction she had not been looking for, she looked at Alex "What, exactly does that mean?"

[Alexander Chevalier]

Alex noted that Alecto appeared cross, definitely a little annoyed by his claiming her focus. Great. That wasn't such a good sign. He felt his anxiety rise but continued to fight it down, determined to at least voice the proposition. "Since this is a class on Muggle Studies," he began very carefully. "How about a game? A demonstration, if you will, of one of the sorts of gambles the Muggles are known to entertain?"

He paused, considering a final time before tilting his head, the anxiety increasing by the second but still failing to break through. The completely uninterested expression on her face was perhaps even more intimidating than her dark enthusiasm. "Do you know of 'Russian Roulette'? It would have be a modified version, of course, but essentially the same."

[Caden McGinnis]

Caden glanced over at Alex when he spoke up, about ready to hit his little buddy for drawing Alecto's attention, but...hey, that'd be pretty hypocritical of him, wouldn't it? Still, he couldn't stand the idea of Alex trying to cover for him, or whatever this was. The only reason he was holding back at this point was because he was afraid Alecto would take it out on Alex, or somebody else. But, he had to admit, his housemate had come up with a pretty clever way of avoiding that revolting torture she was enforcing on the poor muggle boy, something he felt a twinge of guilt for. Why had he said spider? He should've named something else. This damn woman really could just take anything and run with it, no matter what it was. Quite a knack she had, actually.

[Alecto Carrow]

A brow rose "If this is going somewhere I suggest you get there before I take a leg in penance."

[Alexander Chevalier]

Damn. This was woman was so entirely terrifying. Alex fought to maintain a calm demeanor, but found the struggle was becoming more and more difficult to handle. He glanced to the 'spider' again, resolving himself just a little more before returning his attention to the cold stare of the Carrow woman.

"I'm suggesting a wager over the life of that Muggle. In the interest of keeping things entertaining," he began, forcing the words from his mouth. "We play a game similar to Russian Roulette. If you win, you end his life, if he wins, you let him go and direct your punishment to whomever you choose as compensation for that loss."

He considered that, if she did decide to play along, and ended up losing, she might decide to punish him via Ginny or Caden, the two who meant the most to him. However, he also had to consider that they would be willing to take that risk. Even the thought of it turned his stomach though and he again braced himself against falling entirely beneath the intimidation she instilled. He kept his expression detached, "I think it might be fun to involve the class this way since, depending on which way this goes, we are all somewhat at risk of being on the receiving end of that potential compensation."

[Alecto Carrow]

The leg of the spider was stretched and the creature moved rapidly around "I'm growing to the end of my patience... first of all, who said I intended to take his life? Though I do like that choice now, so who knows I may implement it. Second of all, what *exactly* is your game? You're giving me repercussions but no actual rules or structures- as a Ravenclaw you simply *must* realize how asinine your current approach is."

Alecto's eyes narrowed "So. Now, state clearly -what is your game? Just how can it include everyone? And just who said I'd rather kill him than torture him?"

[Alexander Chevalier]

And that was the problem. Watching her torture him like this. However, would it really be better to risk his life over simply letting her have her way with him? Was she really not planning on finishing him off afterwards? Alex's eyes lowered, resolve wavering. He became conflicted over it. What now? She had made her demand, but now he wasn't so sure he wanted to meet it. Angering her further was having a negative result on the Muggle behind her. But he also couldn't just ignore what she was asking him to do...he should've just stayed quiet. He glanced briefly to Caden and reminded himself just why he had spoken up in the first place.

"In the standard game," Alex explained softly as he again looked to her. "A handgun is used. It typically has a barrel with six rounds, all of which are left blank save one. Two opponents face one another and take turns lifing the gun to their own head, pulling the trigger and then passing it over for the next person to do the same. This continues until one of them...falls dead. The only way this game would effect everyone is through the outcome. If you lose, your punishment would potentially be directed to any of us." So...the question was whether she had actually been planning on killing the boy. It was so incredibly sickening that she was merely toying with him. However, her implication for the end result was a little surprising.

"But perhaps this isn't the best idea," he replied then.

[Theo Nott]

Theo shook his head slightly at the foolishness of Alex. He suggested a muggle game, one that Theo had never heard of, and he supposed by Alecto's reaction, that she hand'y either. He frowned when the boy suggested that the whole class play this game, with the possibility of taking the place of the muggle under their professors wand. That was not something he would agree with, though then again, he most likely wouldn't have a choice.

[Alecto Carrow]

The woman rose a brow not sure if she should be amused or offended "You mean to tell me, you'd like me to use a muggle weapon to -basically, shoot and kill because I'll always go for the head- one of my students on the off chance that the muggle can be saved? Are you out of your mind?"

She approached the boy her wand pointed at his neck "Believe it or not, I actually *do* believe in my cause, which is the betterment and elevation of those of *magical blood*, yet you want me to spill some for a muggle that would burn you at a stake if possible?"

Alecto looked at him her gaze narrowed and her temper near edge before whirling around and with a flick of her wand tearing the leg off of the spider.She looked back at Alex with flashing eyes and stated very simply. "You piss me off."

It seems she had decided: Offended it was.

[Alexander Chevalier]

Perhaps he was out of his mind. He froze the instant she approached and held her wand to his neck, entirely immobilized by her unfeeling stare. When she tore off the limb of that 'spider', he desperately held back his remorse over the situation. Caden was so much better at this. He, himself, was best left silently supporting the efforts of his more successful classmates. He had only made things worse. He had not been entirely accurate in his undeveloped assessment of her character.

She wasn't just here for the thrill of the torture. She was here to set an example and nothing could sway her from that goal. He of course hadn't meant that she shoot any of his classmates, though he figured clarification was unnecessary at this point.

"Of course, professor," he responded simply and reluctantly, burying his remorse and resentment. "I did not intend to offend you." Not at all. Her anger was so entirely frightening. He thought her presence couldn't be any more difficult to withstand than it already was. He was wrong.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco watched the whole situation, thinking that the Ravenclaws were worse than the Gryffindor this year in their boneheaded ideas and tendency to yell out at unwarranted times. His gaze flicked to the muggle, inside he was remorseful, hoping the additional leg wasn't an actual leg or arm for the boy, just some other transfigured aspect since he *did* offically have like four extra libs.

However, he'd probably loose them all before the Ravenclaws in this classroom learned to shut their bloody gobs.

[Theo Nott]

Theo watched Alecto's movements and smiled inwardly as she verbally lashed Alex. That is exactly what they deserved for suggesting such and idiotic idea. The house of the intelligent...apparently not. He winced as the leg was ripped from the body, that looked incredibly painful.

[Ginny Weasley]

Godric be damned, she didn't know if she wanted to throttle Alex right now for his boned idea that spurred the mad witch on or if she should be pleased he at least tried, which was more than she had done, instead just flinching away as the spider lost a limb. She felt sick with herself, disgusted.

This wasn't her, this pathetic, selfish snivelling coward was not her/

"Why do we have to torture him?" the words left her throat in a blurt, her expression pulled in upset and anger both as she glared at the woman. "You say they're monsters, that they're dangerous, fine, but why does that mean we need to torture them? If everything you say is right, then we are *better* than they are. Magic gives us the power."

[Caden McGinnis]

"Well, for that matter, aren't we supposed to be better than they are?" Caden questioned, arching a brow at the Death Eater. "I mean, muggles are the sort who burn, maim, torture and murder our kind. They've done it for years, centuries. Isn't pulling that sort of stuff on them, doing exactly what they're doing, lowering ourselves to exactly the same level as them? If we're better, we should act like it."

[Alecto Carrow]

The woman had been about to respond to Weasley when Caden spoke, her gaze went to the boy "Pet… are you, not only comparing me- to muggles but any other Death Eater- or even the Dark Lord for that matter? Is it my understanding you believe that we are on the same level as them?"

He smile was deceptively pleasant. Perhaps a bit too pleasant.

[Caden McGinnis]

"Nope," Caden replied. "I'm saying, why lower ourselves to their level? If we do what muggles have done to us, aren't we sorta acting like them?"

[Alecto Carrow]

"Ahh, so you are," she removed another leg from the spider "Anything else you want to add? Remember he only has six more after that I'll have to switch to a new subject…"

[Theo Nott]

"What part of the body are you actually removing?" Theo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He watched in morbid fascination as Alecto removed another leg. He knew his question would gather dirty looks from the other students, but the application of this transfiguration was intriguing.

[Millicent Bulstrode]

Millicent looked to the creature in disgust. She really didn't like spiders very much at all. She glanced around at the other students and rolled her eyes at their horrified reactions. This was nothing. It could be a lot worse. And besides, the guy probably deserved this. Served him right for threatening to burn other people like that.

[Caden McGinnis]

Caden winced internally as Alecto ripped off another leg. Damnit. Yeah, there was pretty much no getting to her on this, he was mainly just trying to divert attention away from Ginny. He was tempted to shoot a scowl Nott's way, but at the same time, he was a little curious himself...but for a very different reason. That guy really was despicable. Just as bad as these Death Eaters, maybe even worse. All depended on how you looked at it.

Of course, his facial expression remained unchanged, and he simply kept up that carefree, light sort of countenance, responding simply to Alecto, "Nope, I'm done."

[Pansy Parkinson]

"Yes, Professor, this is Muggles Studies," Pansy replied softly when the woman asked her and then sunk in her chair.
She gazed at Alex and shook her head at him but it seemed that the boy was too entranced with his idea and Alecto to see her, so he spoke exactly what he shouldn't have spoken.