Quote:
Originally Posted by
AmbiguouslyMe 
Preston pulled his wand out from his robes and levitated the tea he'd had prepared before he arrived over to the desk along with two cups. Resting his wand on his desk, he poured out two cups and made sure the accompaniments were in reach.
Picking his own up carefully, he smiled and took a tentative sip as she spoke. Holding the delicate cup in his hand, he pressed his lips together in thought. "Mmm. I see." He was quite impressed by her enthusiasm, and her knowledge of what was lacking in terms of theory - something Preston appreciated greatly. And yet...
Preston leaned forward, both hands wrapped around the cup. "I appreciate your enthusiasm," he said thoughtfully. "Clearly, you know enough about the field to know what you've missed." Preston paused. "I'm pleased to see that Ravenclaw still houses students with such drive. But do you think other students share your enthusiasm?"
Preston rested the cup down and folded his hands on the desk, eager for her response.
Cela watched the professor pour the tea and gave him a puzzled look, her expression softening along with the tone of her voice. "Do you doubt them?"
She picked up the tea and sipped at it quietly, apparently collecting her thoughts. She was thinking about all the hard stuff all the students had had to face over the past few terms.
"I think that in some ways, Hogwarts has failed us." Cela began tentatively, quietly. "I don't know what you know about the stuff that has happened here sir, about the deaths, about the cursed kids... about..." She bit back her own story and replaced it with, "the prejudice." Werewolves and stuff.
"But if we'd been better prepared, maybe there would have been less... um... blood spilled. They're itching to learn sir, at least enough of them are, just so that we don't feel useless. We doubt ourselves and some of us..." Her, for one,
"Haven't ever felt that way before. And it isn't just about defensive magic, all the branches of spellwork are important and I think more opportunities to learn and, more importantly, be a part of things, will help that useless and helpless feeling go away."
She sipped her tea, falling silent again after her earnest appeal.