The deep tenor of Professor Darrow's voice caused a swirl of mauve to dance solemnly throughout the Great Hall. They had been anticipating this speech. What with the news spreading like wildfire about the recent incident involving Miss Benet, it would have been idiotic of them to be surprised by such a display. Cora, like many students, had her head bowed in solemnity. She felt for Miss Benet's twin; losing a sibling - a twin no less - must be such a painful experience. Glancing at her own twin siblings, Cora withheld a grimace of pain. The thought of losing any one of them was too great to bear. The only comfort she had was knowing that neither of them would be as reckless and stupid as the late Gryffindor student. A bitter tang filled her senses as the student next to Cora dissolved into tears. She cast a sympathetic glance towards them and reached out to pat them comfortingly on the back.

Honestly, what was that child thinking? Attempting to pull a prank on people. What a sad way to go; and not in a heroic way, Cora thought as her gaze left her Claus and Cassia and moved back to Professor Darrow. He had been warning the students of the consequences of messing with magic that was beyond one's skill level. The price of overconfidence. The Fawley students had already gotten letters that morning from their mother and father warning them not to commit such an act of heinous carelessness. Though Claus and Cassia could goof around quite a bit - in addition to not underestimating their intelligence -, neither was so idiotic enough to do what Miss Benet had done.

How unfortunate, the raven haired Gryffindor mused as she continued to comfort the student beside her, that such potential and gall – for what Miss Benet had lacked in sense, she had certainly compensated for it in nerve! – had perished in such a tragic fashion.