Front Desk
 

A polished oak desk, located behind the study tables, sits in the center of the library. A few low shelves contain books that have been returned or books that are on hold. Behind that desk, sitting upon a stool, is the librarian, her head bent over a few rolls of parchment or a book.

As you approach, Madame Kohan looks up and greets you with a warm, friendly smile. “Good day. How may I help you?” She is eager to assist anyone; whether it be retrieving a particular book, giving recommendations, or perhaps even sharing a story or two with a student or colleague.

Daniel approached the front desk. He wish he can learn more of the things he had in mind.

"Good day ma'am. I wonder if you have some books in here that have muggles as topic?"he asked the Librarian as polite as he could.

"Hello." She greeted the young Gryffindor who stepped up to the front desk. "Muggles...yes, we do have a few of those. I think that you might find 'The Secrets of Muggles - Why They Do What They Do' and 'Muggle Inventions' to be of some interest to you. You'll find both on the second floor, first set of bookshelves."

Paris had been through the whole library and she hadn't found what she was looking for. She hated to bother the libraian, but she wanted to find as much information on Da Vinci as she could.

She had a few books in her arms as she approached the front desk. "Excuse me Madam Kohan, but are there any books on the muggle inventor Leonardo Da Vinci?" She asked her. "I've looked everywhere." She didn't want to woman to think she had been lazy and not looked for the information herself.

Daniel nodded but with a questioning face. Muggle topics are on the second floor first bookshelves.

He was about to go and make a run for it but he turned around and faced the Librarian. He speaks clearly, "What about this book?" he said giving a small parchment with the title of the book that was given to him by Professor Dumont.

"And do you have anything about muggle royalties?" he said following his first question.

Madame Kohan glanced at the piece of parchment that the boy held. Now that book...she hadn't come across it but that didn't mean that they didn't have it. She couldn't memorize every title in the library, of course.

"Let's see..." She stepped off of her stool and bent down below the desk, her eyes coming level with a large open book that listed the titles available in the library. "Sizemore..Sizemore..." She murmured. "Well, here's Samson and Shelby.."

With a frown, she straightened up. "I'm afraid we don't have that book, but I can always look into ordering it. I can let you know when it comes in." She offered.

"As for Muggle royalties, I assume you mean that of people such as Queen Elizabeth? If so, then you can find that in the same area as the other Muggle books you've requested. It'll be towards the end of the bookshelf though."

Hmm, must be a Muggle Studies assignment...Madame Kohan thought as a Slytherin approached her for help on the subject of Da Vinci. "Leonardo Da Vinci?" She repeated. "A great man with a fascinating history! Fortunately, we do have a few books on him, though if you can't find it then perhaps they simply haven't been placed back on their shelves."

As she turned to look towards the small cart that usually held a few stray books, her eyes lighted on a rather large volume. Lifting it, she placed it on the desk. "This should be of help to you, and the book 'Muggle Inventions' should be of assistance. I just pointed that young Gryffindor in the same direction."

She brightened up she was glad there were some books about him in the library. "Well I really want a book all about him. He is my idol, and I want to be an inventor just like him. Did you know he invented puzzle boxes" She told the librarian. She was excited about her idol. She looked at the book the librarian had put on the desk. It was huge and she hoped it was all about Da Vinci. "Thank you this looks like a lot of reading I need to do." She smiled as she heaved the book off the counter. As she pulled the book the weight shifted and it carried her over and she fell on her bum. "Good merlin this book is heavy," She said picking herself up off the floor and dusting herself off.

Twenty five steps. Ari had been directly directed in the right direction towards Miss Kohan's desk. It was twenty-five steps, twenty five sweeps of her white cane before the tip of it tapped the bottom of the desk. When it did, Ari jumped slightly, "Excuse me," she laughed nervously, but quietly.

Adjusting her glasses, Ari brought her white cane into the neutral stance, placing both hands on top of it. "Excuse me--I was wondering, does this library have a collection of books written in braille?" She smiled. "No emergency, just for, uh--" she cleared her throat, "just for future reference."

Madame Kohan glanced curiously at the young girl as she admitted to an aspiration of becoming an inventor like da Vinci. "Really? My goodness, you certainly have high standards, young lady. I don't see many students who are interested in such matters; though an inventor is just as important as an Auror or Healer. And, as a plus, you'll be remembered forever as the one who invented..well, whatever!"

"Actually, no I didn't know that. I know that 's much more than an inventor, but he's done so much that it's quite difficult to know exactly all that he has done."

As the girl pulled the book off of the counter and then tumbled onto the floor, Madame Kohan immediately hopped off of her stool and hurried around to the front of the desk. "Are you alright?"

Not having expected the sight that befell her eyes, Angela straightened up slowly from her position near the desk. "Braille?" She repeated. "I'm..afraid that we only have one and it's a copy of 'Basic Braille'." She answered apologetically. "Though I certainly can look into ordering more."

"Ach." Ari snapped her fingers. "Well, it's quite alright, I assure you, there's no particular emergency or rush. You see, I--I carry, eh, cpies of books written in braille with me, so..." She trailed off, smiling.

"If I'm, eh, in need of a particular book, you shall be the first to know, Madam Kohan."

Victoria and Jules walked into the library so Victoria could find out how to change her hair colour.

Jule followed behind Vicky and waited for the librarian.

Madame Kohan glanced uncertainly at the girl as she reassured her that it was fine that she did not carry such books. "I am sorry again, dear. Please do let me know if I can be of any further assistance."

"Hello Natka." She greeted the girl, wondering thoughtfully as to the girl's origins. The name sounded Russian, though regardless it was a beautiful name.

"Unicorns? A very interesting subject, that is. Unicorns are fascinating creatures, though are very protected and sacred creatures. We do have a few books on the subject. They're found on the second level of the library on the last row of bookshelves. I believe that you'll find what you're looking for there. If not, let me know."

"May I help you girls?" She inquired as two Ravenclaws stepped up to the desk.

"We would like to know if there's a book with hair color changing charms?" Jule asked.

"I want to change my hair colour and I am looking for a book with the spell in it" she smiled at the librarian.

Natka smiled, glad at the directions she recieved. This would make her life much easier.

"Thank you very much, Madame Kohan," she replied, before walking off towards the aforementioned bookshelves.

Second Level, last row... Natka thoought to herslef. She had a tendency to get hopelessly lost; better not forget where she was going, anyway.

Ethan levitated a large box in front of him. It practically overflowed with books of all shapes and sizes. He'd acquired them over the summer and they were surpluss to his needs. He'd mentioned that he'd donate them and so he was bringing them up for Madame Kohan to examine.

Sarah wandered slowly up to the library's front desk.She just needed something to do,something to occupy her mind for a while.
Clearing her throat,she then smiled at the librarian. "Hello Madame Kohan,I'm Sarah Griffin.I was wondering if you needed any help in the library today? I just need to do something to take my mind off the fact the Huffie common room flooded....with all my stuff in it." She stood,shuffling one of her feet about on the floor,trying to rub a mark out of the wood.She'd already owled to her parents asking for fresh clothes as they couldn't go and get theirs from the dorm.Now she just wanted to be useful to someone.

Madame Kohan looked thoughtful for a moment as the two girls requested a book containing a spell to change hair color. 'You may want to try 'All You Wanted to Know about Fashion' and 'Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder' Both are found on this first level..second set of bookshelves."

As the next person in line stepped up, a look of surprise flitted across Angela's face. It wasn't often that she had visits from other staff. "Why hello Ethan." She greeted with a warm smile, her gaze taking in the large box that was filled to the top with books. Ah! These must be the books he had spoken about donating in the staff meeting held before term had started. Wonderful!

"Found a bit of time to come by?" She could understand that it could be near insane busy for most of the professors trying to keep up with classes and homework and such.

"Hello Sarah." She greeted. Oh goodness! The Hufflepuff common room had flooded as well?! What was going on here? Where was this water coming from? "Ah..well.." She looked around with a slight frown, trying to see if something caught her eye.

"Actually, you can. If you can go around the library and look for books that are on desks, chairs, or other surfaces that have not been put back on their shelves..and bring them back here to this cart, I would greatly appreciate it." She finished, throwing a look towards Ethan wondering if he knew about the second flooding. "I am very sorry that you lost your belongings." She added sympathetically as her mind worked furiously over the implications of such. The common room was on the kitchen level. Had the kitchen been flooded as well? If so, what had happened to the elves?

"Hello... Angela. I might end up bringing more of my books up here if the flooding continues." Ethan made a slightly mournful face, he was definitely worried over his books. "In any case, these are the books I was talking about, I'm not sure that they'd all be appropriate and certainly some would be better suited to the restricted section, but I assume you won't mind sorting through them? Perhaps even enjoy it?" He flicked his wand and let the box gently come to rest on the desk. "Are they alright here?"

Sarah looked up as Madame Kohan addressed her.She could be helpful? Good,she wanted something to do,she couldn't hang around in the Great Hall all day until somewhere was found for them to go.
"I'll go and do that now for you Ma'am." She smiled at the woman and was about to turn to get on with her task when she spoke again,expressing her sympathies. "Oh thank you,quite a few people did I think.I'm sure we'll be able to get replacements,though...." Although it still felt weird to currently have nothing. "Material things can be replaced,the main thing I guess was that no-one was seriously hurt by it all."
Nodding to the librarian,Sarah turned on her heal and made her way into the library,ready to search out misplaced books.

Lucas ran into the library. He knew that most of the people would be staring at him but this was an emergency. He needed to talk to any official and this was the first and the closest place e could think of where e'd find someone. Well e could atleast find the Librarian. Where could she be? He was starting to get worried.

"Hey can I talk to the Librarian please." He said to everyone hoping that someone would tell him where she was so that she could tell her. That boy was in need of some immediate attention.

Madame Kohan nodded in agreement with Sarah's mention of material things being replaced. "Quite right." She spoke before adding a quick 'thank you' before the girl ran off to complete the task.

As a voice piped up nearby, Angela glanced in that direction. "Ah, William!" She greeted with a smile. "The young Ravenclaw, like his cousin Ariana who had graduated previously, was really a joy to speak to. "How have you been, William?"

Angela frowned again as Ethan brought up the flooding. "Yes..the Slytherin common room and then the Hufflepuff common room. This is all rather disheartening. There have been no injuries as far as we know, have there?" She inquired, mentally reminding herself to get out of the library more often so that she could keep up around the school.

"Yes..that is perfectly fine. Thank you Ethan. I'll be sure to sort through them and place them into their proper places. I believe the books will make a fine contribution to the library." She peeked inside the box, reading the title of the topmost book. 'Ailments and their Cures." Wonderful! This could go in the Career section of the library for those students who were interested in the art of Healing.

"What do you need, young man?" Angela asked as a young Gryffindor ran up to the desk. He seemed harried, as though he had run from someplace else. Had something happened? Another flooding? The thought alarmed her and she stepped from behind the desk just in case she needed to quickly leave.

As she did so, she glanced toward Ethan. At least there were two professors here; that would hopefully make things easier to contain.