"My... anger is not for you." Nor was it completely anger. Not like it used to be. It did not grow on its own anymore like some uncontrollable thing. Ethan met Casey's eyes evenly.

"I do not believe any of the staff have any ulterior motives for being at Hogwarts. They are, almost without exception, excellent teachers who care for their students. To different degrees to be sure. I believe whatever is going on at Hogwarts is an external force, given more freedom by inadequate leadership within the school itself."

There might have been a challenge in that.

"No, not for me," Tate agreed. "You were angry for Kazimeriz, on his behalf, and I'm not sure he'd want that from you. My only point, and we can move on."

He placed his hands flat on the desk and studied them. "I'll look outside the school, but I'm afraid I cannot let them into my confidence just yet."

"I am aware." Ethan answered quietly.

He looked at Casey's hands too.

"If I were to give you advice, and I would never presume to do so," Only partly because Ethan, as a general rule with only one noteable exception had no interest in the well being of any Gryffindor who was not a student of his at some point, "I would suggest to look to the students for some indication of who you should trust amongst the staff."

Ethan was sure most adults tended to discount the opinions of the children. It had never been his way to do that.

"To be honest, I'm not sure how to distinguish between how I will treat the staff and the students. The staff are officers, I suppose, and the students are soldiers. Always easier to hold the officers to task and chum up with the men," Tate mused in a moment of complete transparency. He had no experience with children. None.

"Yes." Ethan agreed after a long moment as he attempted to assimilate the metaphor. He did not always do well with those.

"I suggest getting to know the school leaders to start with. The Quidditch Captains and Prefects, and the NEWT students. From there, the others will follow."

He supposed that meant he'd somehow decided to agree with all this.

So those were... the top men in the ranks. He understood that concept. Make good with the leaders and the other men would follow them anywhere. "Good advice, Truebridge. Thank you." He tried not to sound surprised by that.

And what was Casey intending to do with that advice? Ethan eyed him warily for a moment and then with a small sigh he flicked his wand out of his holster and directed his attention at Michelle.

Yes, thats right his wand.

"For safe keeping, could you see that she is delivered into the hands of Anastasia Bunbury when you are through with any tests and the like you need to do?" Ethan reversed his wand and offered it to the other man.

There would be no point trying to leave, though Ethan was certain he could manage it if there really was a need to escape. No, he was going to cooperate.

"When I return, I expect the probation to be reversed and striked from my records."

"You... don't want your wand?" Tate considered that before taking the wand. "She won't trust me. Anything I should say to her to know the wand is coming willingly from your hands?"

"I don't know that I'd be able to resist the lure of leaving and of communicating my whereabouts." Ethan answered. "You would not allow a true prisoner to keep their wand after all."

Oh hmm. Ethan couldn't think of a single thing that might make Annie trust Casey.

"I think the fact that you are seeing it into her care to begin with is about the best we can hope for. I don't... we don't..." Hmmm.

"Fair enough," Casey tucked the wand away. "Shall I hand you over to the Aurors now or would you like some time to prepare yourself and get your affairs in order? Within reason, of course."

"Considering I have already lost my job and I am unable to tell anyone that this is a ruse, I have no affairs that need seeing to." Ethan answered.

Actually his life was rather neatly arranged so that he could pack up and leave at any time. He had a house elf which took care of his home, friends who generally understood that he tended to disappear for long periods of time, and... that was pretty much it.

Annie would not be pleased though. Gavin and Marcus likely wouldn't be either. And if he knew Caroline, the woman who had quit in outrage over his own dismissal, well...

Tate leaned forward, his elbows propped on the table and his expression candid. "Look, Truebridge. I am sorry about all this. I know it isn't ideal and I'll do my best to make sure we recompense you for everything you're doing. It's for the good of the students."

And because it was what Thomas wanted. The irony was not lost on Tate that he was dancing to the Dark Lord's tune.

"I hope you understand that I will, if anything happens to harm the students, hold you personally responsible." Ethan informed the other man, tugging on his sleeves and straightening his clothes which had gotten admittedly mussed in the process of being... arrested.

He met Tate's eyes calmly, quite intent with his words.

"I doubt you can hold me to higher standards than I hold myself, but I accept that responsibility," Tate agreed.

"I don't suppose there is much left to discuss. Shall we...?"

"See that you do." Ethan answered, standing up, his back straightening to go with his grave expression.

"Lets go." He agreed, as if he were simply agreeing to go for a walk.