Outwardly, the meditating professor was serene. Inwardly, she was full of dread and wished this feast would end as quickly and uneventfully as possible. It all came down to the suspicion that she had no friends and that every one of her colleagues either hated her or looked down at her. All the year long she had worked tirelessly to enforce Julian's rules - despite being hired by Regina. She could not blame Regina's loyalists for not liking her. It was childlike, but she understood it. What she had not been expecting was how exclusionary and sadistic Julian's men would be. She had tried befriending Rafferty...and had come away humiliated and enraged. She had tried to impress Julian, which at first seemed to work...until she had warned that Professor Petrov's behavior could develop into a scandal if reported by the Daily Prophet - and he had actually thought she was threatening him! Despite everything she had done for him, he threatened to fire her. She had never felt so betrayed in her entire adult life.

Gone were her standard white Yoga robes. In their place were robes identical to her other robes in every way but the colour. Black. Blacker than the blackest night. Black that was so black it made it look as if she had torn a piece of fabric from the abyss and covered her original robes with it. Fitting, considering the bitterness she now felt towards many of her colleagues.

"Good evening, Sir Headmaster," she said, inclining her head respectfully to Julian. "Good evening, Professors Wishart, Le Roux. I hope the three of you are content." A polite turn to each of them as well.

There were only two people in this castle she truly loved, and only one of them returned her affections. Knowing this made her feel colorless and cold.