Constantine was bored out of his mind waiting for the students to arrive. His had his elbows propped on the table, hands folded together, his chin rested upon them. His eyes traveled lazily about the hall, digesting the surroundings. He seemed to have chosen a seat with a wobbly chair, he was having quite the time of his life slowly rocking the chair back and forth; short leg to long leg...short leg to long leg.

And then the students began to file in, finally. He sighed lightly and straightened up, attempting to look as if he was thoroughly excited to be here. Don't let his expressionless face fool you, he's ecstatic.

Armand made his way into the Great Hall and approached the staff table. Looking over the seats just made him shake his head. At this point he was finding he'd rather stand. At least then he could leave quickly. He made his way over and took note of the cushion-less seats. He wound up taking one of the nicer ones. If someone else wanted it, they could bugger off. He sat there as expressionless as newer compatriot, though with no intention to look excited. He was perfectly occluded and intended to stay that way.

After having to stand on the platform and direct the male students to their appropriate carriages..and Bob, Caleum finally made his way towards the staff table. His eyes scanned the so called Great Hall and noticed some of the tables looked better than others. Oh that's fair! And then his eyes scanned the staff table and the so called chairs that were provided for them. WHOA! Forget the chairs. "Neo?" he spoke with a questionable look on his face. He had no idea his running buddy was going to be here. "How...I mean...where? Good to see you, mate," he said as he held out his hand for a good, firm hand shake.

Dumont walked through the doors into the great hall, looking around at the four house tables and making a mental check to see how many students had already arrived. Not many, but he was sure there would be more coming along shortly. Slowly, he strolled up to the staff table and took a seat, continuing to gaze around the room. He nodded quickly to his three fellow staff members, wondering if they were feeling the same way he was.

Constantine nodded in acknowledgment to the other two men, but a grin slid on his face at the sight of Caleum. "No, I'm actually the ghost of Christmas Past looking like your friend, Neo. I'm here to tell you that you'll be getting coal this year for your age comment towards your friend." Constantine actually managed to say all that with a straight face; it was no problem actually, the atmosphere in the great hall helped with that. But he couldn't help but smile soon after; what was so funny was that he hadn't Caleum that he was going to be here, actually...

"You never asked," he said softly in response to a question that was not asked, but would come along eventually. The "why-didn't-you-tell-me-you-acorn-loving-freak" question. Constantine merely chuckled lightly again, extending his hand for Caleum to shake. "Good to see you too, mate. What took you guys so long?"

Bob ran, well hobbled to the staff table as quickly as his stumpy legs would let him. He sat down without introducing himself to the other staff members and looked greedily at the table. Damn! There was no food.

It was like a trance had come over him. The students, the other staff, the school situation did not matter. He just wanted to feast to start and there was no food. He was heart broken. He sighed loudly and crossed his arms impatiently.

Caleum gave a nod to the other men that were gathering at the staff table as well as he felt Neo shaking his hand. "Coal? I'm only getting coal for Christmas? Well, then..." he trailed off as he shook his head. "This is definitely going to be an interesting year by far. Good to see you as well." Caleum's eyes shifted back to the one person who ran up to the table behind him. He leaned in closer to Constantine with a raised brow. "That is what took me so long to get here," he whispered behind his hand. "Couldn't help himself at the Platform. He was asking some of the students for food. Strange this one is." Caleum shook his head and rolled his eyes as he took a seat, one with a cushion of course.

Forrester entered the Great Hall and took his customary seat at the staff table, only to realize with a start that this will be the first feast without Ari beside him. He felt a pang of something as he looked out at all the faces of the young wizards they would be teaching. He wasn't sure how to take this sudden change, but gave a small smile as he realized that a lack of women would mean a lack of drama. This term would be juuuuust fine. He sat back and waited for the feast to start.

Antwone cautiously walked up towards the staff table, eying the strange man, eating (if one could call it that) a buffalo wing in what Antwone thought to be the most uncivil way. He tried not to stare too long, fearing the man may take notice to the eye contact he was giving him and ask the young wizard if he had any food on him. With all his curiosity tugging his eyes to the peculiar man, Antwone still managed to turn his attention to Professor Erikson, but not before he took a glance at another staff member: Forrester. The last time he ran into him he and Sho had last nearly half of Ravenclaw's house points. But he was there for neither him nor the bizarre man.

"Professor Erikson," he cleared his throat. "May ... may I have a word or two?"

Constantine smiled, "well, maybe if you're good, I might consider throwing a mouse in there for you." Returning back having his elbows propped onto the table, hands folded, and chin resting on top, his eyes upon the fellow that Caleum pointed out.

His brow furrowed in slight disgust at the man and the way he was eating. Okay...ew... "He...ah...does look like the one for eating. Lots. Remind me never to sit next to him." His eyes went back to watching the students, he was in no mood to eat yet, much unlike Caleum's new buddy.

Thus far the only one that he'd recognized was Forrester... great. Like the two of them were ever on the best of terms. He wondered if he could just leave now. He scanned out over the crowd of students, seeing who he could pick out. However before he really started, he was interrupted by a student. "Antwone... yes, of course. If you would all excuse me a moment." He made his way down and over to the side, indicating for the boy to follow.

Antwone followed Professor Erikson's gesture, moving off to the side of the staff table.

"I see Professor Forrester isn't on the top of either of our favorites list, is he?" he examined, noticing the way Erikson looked as Forrester sat down. Antwone tried to smile a bit before he presented his serious question.

"Well, that's not why I'm here," he dropped his voice to a whisper. "Is all this really true professor? Is the Ministry interfering with Hogwarts education again? It's not just the separation, all those rules. It's ..."

Gavin slowly made his way to the staff table. Not much for socialization, Gavin wasn't exactly looking foward to this feast. However, seeing as he would be working with these men for the rest of the term, Gavin thought it would be wise to make an appearance at the feast and at least seem somewhat interested in being there. No one needed to know the truth, did they?

As he approached the table, he could already see other Professors sitting there, waiting for the feast to begin. As he stepped up to the table, he nodded to each of them "Gentlemen," he said as he took a seat next to a heavy set man, grunting like an overstuffed pig. "Obviously they've lowered the standard for Professors if they let this guy into the school. I can't wait to see what class he's going to attempt to teach," Gavin thought to himself as she sat there shaking his head in disgust.

He seemed to consider a moment before speaking. "The Ministry does have a hand in this, yes. I am assuming this is a trial matter, however. As far as Professor Forrester goes... he and my wife had been in some sort of rivalry." He decided it would be bad to mention that Forrester thought he'd overstepped his bounds and tread on a few toes.

"I suppose we'll have to live with it then and wait it out," Antwone said, about to turn to go back to his large Ravenclaw table when he remembered something a bit queer. "Sir, Jezzabell forgot her book in the boy's carriage and I found it. When she came to get it though she said you knew I had found it. But, I had only discovered it in the carriage a few moments before and you weren't there. How would you have known I had it?"

That had been a tad curious. At first Antwone threw off the comment as nothing. But with his mind racing with so many ideas he couldn't help but look more into Jezzabell's words. How had the professor known he had the book when he had been speaking to Jezzabell on the platform. He couldn't have seen him in the the carriage. It was rather dark and there was no way he could have seen him flash it to the Slytherin student he thought it belonged to.

Will approached the staff table and addressed his head of house. At least, Forrester was head of house when Hogwarts was co-ed... He presumed that much hadn't changed.

"Professor?" he said, clearing his voice as it creaked. "Hullo... I'm Will Jones, I'm your --Slytherin's-- male Prefect this term, as I'm sure you're aware... " Please, please recognize me... he thought. That'd be too embarrassing, if he didn't.

"I was just wondering... there's been a lot of changes this term..." Thank you, Captain Obvious! "...and I was just wondering if there was some more information I could impart to the other boys or what I should be doing as a Prefect in order to support you. As my head of house. Which-- I mean, you are still Slytherin's head of house... right?" With so many changes, he was taking nothing for granted.

Forrester gave a smile to the lad, "Of course, Will. Yes, I am still your head of house. As for what to pass on, I'd suggest following the rules and staying in our school. I will speak to the house after the feast as well. Was there anything else you needed, my boy?"

Will shifted uneasily. Professor Forrester was really a nice gentleman in his experience, but he'd never had a direct issue like this to bring to him. "I'll do so, of course. Thank you, sir. I think it'd help if we knew why this is happening... and... er.... " Just say it. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Some of the rules kind of-- well, they're a bit lousy. I mean, no girls, I totally get- I don't like it but I understand it. And curfews and stuff. But-- I really can't write to my friends back home? And... well... we really can't dress up in the suits of armor?" Ah, there's the heart of it. Will looked at him, really upset about these rules. "Will we have any voice at all in changing any rules that we find to be ...problematic?" He looked at him plaintively.

"Ah, she mentioned that, did she? Well, I will make this simple. I have a technique that I can use which allows me greater insight into things. A little like a cross between being a seer and divination. I was looking for students trying to cross over, and I happened to see her losing the book, and looked ahead to see you finding it."

"That's interesting, that is. Can it be taught?" Antwone questioned. "Also, how will classes be handled? Are those too going to be separate? Is there a male and female professor for each class?"

He nodded, a bit sourly. "It would appear so. Though I can only imagine what those girls are being taught for herbology. I haven't had much time to meet whoever she is, but I doubt she is--" he stopped himself before he flooded the child with his own arrogance. "The technique I use can be taught, but it's very specific. Only someone who has it naturally can teach, because the teaching method is a closely guarded secret among those who are born with it. As is, I cannot further in my progress as planned because my mentor has cut us off for the time being."

Alex walked up to the staff table. He looked around for a moment. Seeing Erickson, "Hey Erickson." he made a 'what the hell?' gesture.

Storming up to the Staff's table with his eyes flaring up with intensity Kingston placed both his hands on the table and looked at all of the men that were sitting. It didn't take him long before he noticed that some professors had cushions and lovely chairs while the others sat in wobbly horrid ones.

"May I ask who's in charge of this complete madness?" Kingston asked, gritting his teeth as he tried not to show his anger.

Lord Borr, obviously the most important man in the Great Hall, approached the table. He was as large as he was important, a great swell of a man. A great man. The greatest man to ever live - right under the Minister. His cane's tap against the hardwood floors preceded him, as did his brown clad belly that was striped with plaid suspenders.

He took a deep breath and liked what he smelled. Men. A school of properly (or after he was finished with them) bred men. Men that would walk in his footsteps and try to be as great as him. Oh they could try...


Finally, Lord Berty Borr reached the Staff Table. He shoved some kid out of his way and preceded. He clapped his hands for attention (as if that were needed and everyone wasn't already looking at him), "Your attention! Your attention up here!" Lord Borr raised his cane once and let it slap down against the table in a loud, startling crack.

"Welcome, Men! Welcome to Cooper's School of Magic for Young Wizards. This is a proud, proud day indeed! Do you know what I see before me? Do you?" He paused in case anyone needed a chance to look around see.

"I see a change! A change from the uneducated boys that other school turned out. I see the future of the Ministry, and it is as bright as the day! I see no frilly perfumed distractions," Lord Borr glanced around to be sure of that," and I see law abiding champions!" Lord Borr raised his fist in the air, his speech growing more and more animated. Spit was flying from his over eager lips. "We are back on track and greatness will be achieved in this newly built monument to the Minister."

Lord Borr began to clap. His clap started slow, then started picking up a pace. "A round of applause for our Minister, Brennan Cooper!!"