Some would say that a boring something was a good something. And while the members of Enuma Gremory's Peerage's time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the past month wasn't necessarily boring, it wasn't per say exciting either. Sure, some chaos occasionally shook things up, namely either the older Weasleys messing with Lockhart or Aura's Pixies planting various, generally simple but effective, pranks all over the castle which were completely indiscriminate, leading to anyone and everyone unfortunate enough to fall upon them to get caught in very annoying and/or humiliating situations. Like rigging a rope around a corner that ensnared the victim's ankle before hanging them upside down, giving people a clear view of the victim's underwear, or rigging a bucket of really cold water on a partially opened door, which on top of giving the victim quite a chill made their clothes cling to their bodies, showing off their figures (much to the victim's embarrassment). And no one was safe from the Pixies' pranks, not even Aura and the rest of the Peerage, even if Shalltear had the foresight of having someone else go before herself and Enuma to spring the pranks.
It was once again around Halloween that things started stirring inside the castle. The caretaker of Hogwarts, Argus Filch, found his precious cat, Mrs Noris, petrified while hanging by the tail from a light fixture. While no perpetrator was found, the incident put the entire castle on high alert as multiple students got petrified during the following months. The Devils originally planned on heading to the Underworld and Gremory estate in order to celebrate Yule with Enuma's family, but something completely derailed those plans. And that something was that Enuma herself was found petrified in the hallway near a window after not showing up for a lesson on one of the few occasions where she wasn't in the company of one of her Peerage members. And judging from the pose she was found in, she had been trying to cover her eyes but hadn't been fast enough. To say that the other Devils were angry, mostly at themselves but also at whoever was responsible for the petrification of their King, was quite the understatement.
While Shalltear was definitely angry, she didn't let her fury steer her actions and made her position as Enuma's Queen known amongst her fellow Devils. Outright ordering them to continue their respective schedules as normal as possible while at the same time searching through the Hogwarts library for anything that could be the cause behind their King's petrification (along with everyone else who had been petrified) and a way to fix it. She got some protests, namely from Hermione of all people (and a groan from Aura (most likely because the Beast Tamer wasn't exactly the best at keeping focus on something that didn't have pictures (which only a portion of the books in the library had) and therefore not excited about being in a library for an extended period of time)), but those were quickly silenced by the Bloody Valkyrie pointing out that making a fuss or complaining about it wouldn't help solving anything. As the others begrudgingly agreed with the Vampire's statement, they couldn't help but hear someone shouting outside the infirmary.
"GET BACK HERE YOU OVERSIZED BUG!" Shouted someone, who turned out to be an older student of the house of Hufflepuff, chasing Cydaea who quickly made her way to her petrified owner and started snuggling up against Enuma's side in a worried manner, or at least a manner that could be interpreted as worried. The student seemed to be on the verge of yelling again until they spotted the Teratect snuggling with the petrified redhead in the infirmary. "Oh. That's right. One of the now-second years has a freaking spider for a pet. Kids are getting weirder by the year. No offense." The last part was quickly added in response to the older student noticing the members of Enuma's Peerage glaring at them before they left.
"Rude. Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be the nice ones?" Noted Aura somewhat sarcastically.
"That might be stereotyping but you're actually quite correct, Aura." Replied Shalltear, the only one who was actually a member of the house of Hufflepuff besides Enuma.
"Whatever, so what are we gonna do now besides trying to find a solution for the Boss' stiff situation?"
"That's a bad joke and you know that Aura. I for one will be searching the library for any plant that can help." Stated Mare before leaving, most likely heading towards the library.
"Aura, go with your brother. That's an order. Actually, make that an order for all of you. Never go anywhere alone unless you have to be in different locations. Am I understood?"
"What about you though? You won't have someone to watch your back." Exclaimed Hermione worriedly.
"I'm the Bloody Valkyrie. I can take care of myself. Besides, my ability to sense a presence, both non-hostile and hostile, is much sharper than most. I have managed to fend off more than a few assassins that were actively trying to conceal their presence on more than one occasion."
"Okay. Now you're just boasting." Replied Hermione, not believing Shalltear's claims.
"Does it look like I'm blowing nothing but hot air?"
"She's not bragging, Hermione Granger. I took a peek into the past and what she says is true." Stated Luna suddenly, which earned herself a look of approval that turned into a smug look aimed at her fellow Demon-Ship from the Vampire.
"Enough talk. Alright ladies and guy-"
"Hey!"
"Let's roll out!"
"Understood/Got it/O-o-okay."
"Wrong franchise!"