Office of Professor Ethan Truebridge
 

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The first thing you notice about this office is the exceptionally large desk, which, if you look closer; seems to have unusual scuffmarks on its surface. Perhaps it serves a less mundane purpose than simply a desk? A large and comfortable looking chair sits behind it; obviously this is Ethan’s chair though you will rarely find him sitting in it, he is more often found in the duelling arena or gallery.

Three smaller, yet no less comfortable looking chairs are arranged facing the desk, ready for any visiting students to take a seat. While waiting you might notice a large bookcase along one wall brimming with photo frames. Pictures of Ethan in his days as a student at WADA (if you look closely at the one on the left, you might recognize another Hogwarts staff member shuffling a pack of cards and doing one of those hit-with-the-ladies grins that former rockstars are quite good at) , one of him as a serious looking thirteen year old in Slytherin robes, a selection of him a few years ago with various dragons in the background, several cosy looking pictures with Anastasia Bunbury, a recent picture of himself with the Lawsons, one of him on a muggle sailing ship, one of himself with a gaggle of Avalons including former Healer Caroline Avalon and former Gryffindor student Tobias Avalon, another on stage dressed in tights and holding a skull, a picture of himself with two of his former students (Dominic Denton and Copernicus Kettleburn) and one of him in Egypt working with curse breakers. There are also several priceless items which he saved from the lost and found after Professor Lainey found and unlocked his gallery, including a remarkably intact looking Egyptian wand, a dragon-sized harness and an early sneakoscope.

There are two huge bookcases brimming with dusty looking tomes, several lanterns floating about and heavy velvet drapes cover the windows.
An old looking gramophone sits on the bookcase with a selection of records stacked haphazardly to one side, various eras of music are represented; of both the wizarding and the muggle variety. On the walls his OWL and NEWT results are proudly displayed alongside certificates proclaiming his knowledge and familiarity with various Dragon breeds.

There is no need to wait outside the office unless Truebridge asks you to. You must knock and wait to be addressed before entering or you risk losing house points for being disrespectful.

Trixie walked nervously over to Proffessor Truebridge's room. She felt the need to introuduce herself to her new Head of House and DADA proffessor. It was only polite right? And that was what she was taught to do at Beauxbatons. She glided over and knocked politely on the door anticipating an answer. She wouldn't just barge straight in like some other students would do. She'd been taught manners.

Having remembered Professor Truebridge's request to come see him, Miranda walked up the many stairs to his office and was soon outside. She walked up the the door and knocked, but upon turning around, she noticed another girl there. Obviously also waiting.

She gave the girl a smile and proceeded to take a seat in the 'waiting' room.

With his hands shoved, as they always were now, deep into his pockets, Jake eyed the other kids who were gathered around the door and shrugged to himself, knocking once on the wood with his elbow before leaning up against the wall beside the door, waiting for a response.

Uh-oh.

Miranda was there.

Best to avoid all eye contact.

Hearing a whole lot of knocking, Ethan opened the door, looked over the gathering of students outside and stepped out of the way.

"Come in, all of you."

He moved over to his desk and indicated the comfortable chairs strewn about the office before sitting down himself.

He knew why Miranda was here of course, but the others not so much. Though he had to admit he was pleased to see Jake, though a little wary of his purpose.

Trixie creased her eyebrows a little seeing as she was the first one here but she followed him into the room one the less. She smiled at her second cousin and then turned to the proffessor. "Good day Sir" she adressed him politely. "My names Trixie Malfoy. Newly sorted Slytherin. I just transfered from Beauxbatons and there we were taught to be polite. So I decided I'd introduce myself to you seeing as i'm so glad to have been sorted into your house" Even if it did mean having to share it with trouble makers. "Is there anything i could assist you with at all. DADA is my favourite lesson after all" the blonde girl grinned her quarter veela smile.

Satisfied with the relatively swift response, Jake found himself pushing off from the wall gently and spinning on his heel so he turned into the office, sizing up the chairs before selecting what looked to be the most comfortable, though he wondered whether they were all the same.

Still, the boy kept quiet. It was what Kazimeriz always went on at him about, ladies first.

He didn't agree with it, of course, but he'd go with it for now.

Still with a dark look on his face that had lingered somewhat from the opening feast, Jake waited for the girls to sit and state their intention. He was, of course, the last to knock. It was only fair that he'd go last.

Plus, he'd touch upon a... sensitive subject.

"Sir," Jake said quietly in greeting, not really wanting to talk in front of anyone for a highly obvious reason. Stutterbox.

"Ah yes, I see you signed up for the Duelling club. Pleased to have you in Slytherin, Trixie." And of course, he was always pleased by a good show of manners.

"Actually, since you have offered, I do have a lesson which you might wish to assist me with. There is a certain type of dark creature in a protected part of the lake which I moved here before the term began, perhaps, when the time comes, you can be one of those who helps me bring them up to the classroom."

"Hello Jake." Ethan greeted quietly. He figured that Jake would speak up when he was ready to and didn't much mind the boy sitting there until it was time for him to do so.

Trixie smiled. "I most certainly have. Can't miss a great opportunity when it comes your way can you?" she said fluttering her eyelids a little. "And it is an honour to be here and in you house" she smiled. Yes she was a kiss up to the teachers sometimes but who could blame her? She liked people to like her, teachers included.

"Ooo...That sounds exciting. I would love to help out. May I ask what this dark creature is?" she asked bravely. DADA was definitely the subject she was most interested in. Her mother was an Auror after all. She definitely wanted to make a good impression after those trouble makers ruined the reputation of the house.

"Your house too now, Trixie." Truebridge answered.

"Hmm, well perhaps you might be able to figure it out. Its in the lake and its a dark creature. There are two of them in there actually. They don't normally live here, usually you'd find them in Japan, but right now they're in a protected area on the far side of the lake so that the students are safe from them until it is time to bring them out. I'll send you an owl and let you know before the lesson so you can come and help me if you wish."

Watching the girl curiously, Jake raised his eyebrows in slight amusement. Watching kids suck up to the teachers could be quite fun, but sometimes it made him want to cringe.

Listening in closely though trying to give the impression he wasn't interested in, Jake, with both hands bandaged, pulled out a scrap of parchment from one pocket with something scrawled upon it, and his wand in his left hand. "K-k-kap..." he started, but trailed off.

Making it seem like he was merely passing the time, Jake wordlessly levitated the parchment in front of his eyes, watching it bob in midair.

It was the only spell he could master properly, and getting it done wordlessly had taken so much practice but it showed he could be serious about magic. As he did this, the boy looked up at the selection on the wall and found himself letting the parchment droop a little, his face showing disappointment. "Gone." The picture from the climbing was gone.

Ouch.

But soon, the stony look was back, and Jake found himself waiting more impatiently to talk to Truebridge, even if just to SHOCK the man (which was probably impossible).

Trixie nodded. "Well yes I guess it is my house too now" she sighed.

She thought about it for a little while. Trixie had never really had that much DADA time in Beauxbatons as they liked to focus on charms and transfiguration so she was especially looking foward to some advance and skillfull DADA lessons. "I'm sorry sir I don't know" she said cringing slightly. Was she really that stupid? "But it will be wonderful if ou could send me an Owl" she smiled.

She turned to the boy who was talking, or rather trying to talk. "Hello" she smiled sweetly. She had nothing against people with stutters, her great uncle had one anyway.

Ethan glanced at Jake and then at Trixie. "It appears Jake knows the kind of dark creature we'll be studying." But what was gone?

He looked at the boy. "I could use your help too if you are willing to give it when the time comes."

Of course, Truebridge was more than capable of taking care of things on his own, but it would be a good learning opportunity for the students, plus a bit of a challenge for them.

"I certainly will owl you, Trixie."

And Jake... did he have anything to say on the matter? Ethan had noticed the non-verbal casting and he made a mental note to find the Head Girl and send her in Jake's direction for a little one on one help.

From what Jake had heard so far, the boy had gathered that this girl was in Slytherin house, therefore she must hate him. That's what seemed to be the pattern so far... he didn't quite like it either.

At the smile and the greeting, Jake looked pointedly away. No new friends this term. Any new friends would just be taken away from him. Again. No new friends.

And cut back on the talking as well.

"Kuhh-k-k-kappa," Jake said ultra-quietly, focusing on the parchment in front of him which span in the air in time for him to see the word scrawled upon it. When Truebridge spoke again Jake's brain worked frantically, wondering whether or not it was a good idea. In the end, the fact that it was a Dark creature weighed out all the other arguments. "Oh-k-k-kay."

Stupid nerves. He wished they'd go away, but since he was worried about a repeat of the feast, the stutter wouldn't relent until he was calm.

Breathe iiiiiiiin. Aaaaaaand breathe out.

Finding the spell too much effort to keep up, Jake quit trying and caught the parchment in the air between two fingers. And all the while he just glaaaaaaaared at the photographs.

Miranda, hearing the door opening, stood up from her seat and started to make her way inside.

She gave the Professor a curteous nod and went over to sit down in one of the chairs. There, her eyes rested on the old looking gramophone, with what she could assume was old records on the side. Wonder if he has any Beatles...

Her thoughts, as she kept scanning the office, had made her quite unfocused on the present conversations. But she was ofcourse aware there were voices, but assumed that whatever they were talking about didn't really concern her... so she probably wasn't missing anything.

Emma came in beside Trixie. "Sir, I'm Emma Malfoy, a first year Slytherin and I thought it was best to introduce myself to the Head of the Slytherin House and DADA teacher" explained Emma politely.

"Thats right. Kappa. That will be for our second lesson. I'll owl you when the time comes." Truebridge answered, hearing Jake just barely.

Hearing a slight noise just outside Ethan got up to open the door.

"Ah. Lina do come inside and find a chair. Won't be too much longer." Once he'd spoken to Trixie and the other Slytherin, he'd speak with Miranda and Lina. Ethan assumed that Jake wouldn't want an audience after all.

He glanced at Miranda but didn't say anything, attention caught by the younger Slytherin as she introduced herself.

"Pleased to meet you Emma. There will be a lesson soon, I hope to see you front and center."

Kylie had always loved DADA, but, due to her... well, lack of attendance to many of her classes for... other things, the previous year, she felt like she'd fallen out of contact with many of her professors. In an attempt to, well, fix that, she found herself standing outside Professor Truebridge's door. Knocking lightly, but loud enough that he would hear, even with the presumed multiple children she'd find inside.

After knocking, she took a few steps back and started to conjure little ribbons and sparkles, making them move gracefully through the air until she was invited inside.

"Thuhh-thanks," Jake said, his voice now even quieter, so much so that it would probably be a wonder if he was heard at all. For now, he'd just sit and wait for the place to clear out. And so the boy sat folding and unfolding his little scrap of parchment.

His hands were shaking as he raised his fist to knock on the door to his head of house. The man's name was like a a Jennifer Lopez movie, it wasn't rememberable. He tried writing the name on his hand to remember it but then he would get his hand all sticky with sugar and he would have to lick his hand and the name would be gone. The name would come to him, well he prayed it would. But he needed to speak to someone and his dad was always slow to write him back when he owled him.

He couldn't sit still and he was pacing outside of his office. He was jittery and on a total sugar high. Hence the need to speak to someone. He would rather speak to a female professor. They reminded him of his mother, whom he was missing more than he really wanted to admit. He paced back and forth and back and forth. His eyes darting around the corridor. He had eaten and entire box of chocolate frogs and ice mice. He was eating more sweets and candy than regular food. He hadn't been to the Great Hall to eat in days. And he was shocked to even realize that. He reached into his pocket for a cauldron cake and his hand closed around thin air. He pulled his hand out and a small panic started in the pit of his stomach. He didn't have any sweets. What was he going to do? He reached in the other pocket and found nothing. He was starting to crash and it wasn't going very well.

Tears welled up in his little brown eyes.

Cadence practically skipped down the hallways as she tried to decide who to share her cupcakes with. Who deserved her super!special!secret!RA!NBOW cupcakes? Definitely one of the professors. Certainly not the mean Potions professor, and she'd already offered one to the new Charms professor. The Arithmancy professor was okay, but her favorite professor so far, other than the Charms professor, had been Professor Truebridge. So, that was where she was headed with a green-frosted super!special!secret!RA!NBOW cupcake in hand.... green because he was the Slytherin head of house. Clever? Possibly.

As she approached the office door, she gave it three knocks and then waited. Nearby, there was a boy who seemed to be in some sort of crisis, and normally Cadence would want to help him, but there was something... off about him that unnerved her and made her feel like he was very, VERY hungry. Therefore, she made the decision to protect her green-frosted super!special!secret!RA!NBOW cupcake from the boy by not speaking to him while she waited on Professor Truebridge.