"My dear," Tate finally did sit up as he offered the girl a sympathetic smile. "I wish I could convince Professor Truebridge of anything. He knows that I will always have a spot for him at my school, but for now... it seems like he has other paths he needs to follow."

"I suppose we'll never know whether your hex would out pace my fist," Tate said easily, but he was willing to let it go. Truebridge meant no harm and the look on Violet's face had him feeling... like a brute. And Tate was NOT a brute.

"Funny how fast things change. I suppose I'll have to post advertisements in the Prophet. Something pithy that still manages to warn them what they're really getting into." It was possible Tate actually looked at Lafay when he said 'warn'. Maybe. "Don't be a stranger, Zan. I liked you having my back."

Ah. Tate turned from Truebs for the moment, offering a nod to the Hufflepuff in question. "I'm glad you enjoyed your time here. With the Triwizard next term, I can assure you that next term will be quite as exciting as this one was."

"Chicken..." she said under her breath and smirked. She coughed. "Can someone pass the chicken." She asked. "Ethan... we never had that cup of tea... I feel slighted now that you are leaving... maybe I'll visit you where ever you are off to. Where is it, you are going to?" She asked him.

Gold hesitated. She wanted to hug Professor Lawson. But the teachers didn't understand. Gold didn't want this hug to be a waste, too. Then she reached out, and did. "I'll send you lots of owls." She glanced round the Staff Table. Professor Lawson still wasn't here. The other one.

"Please tell Professor Lawson, from me, that he's been the best Muggle Studies teacher ever," she said, tones honest.

Simon smiled at the Headmaster. "What is that?" He wondered what was going on but decided it was none of his business, Simon had never heard of a Triwizard cup before.

The hug was more than enough to send warm tears cascading down her cheeks. She hugged Gold back fiercely and let out a small laugh. "Promise?" she teased before releasing her hold. Owls would be wonderful. There were so many people she wanted to keep in touch with.

Nodding her head, she said, "I'll tell him." Marcus was going to miss this place as much as she was. "Take care of yourself, Gold."

"I think I'll always have your back." Probably. Just often from afar really. "We should... with... Annie and Cari... dinner..." Pause. Or that might be... you know, bad for someone's health. It wasn't like those two got along. Hmm.

"Or just me." He amended, unsure if it was even possible to have Anastasia be on her best behaviour in that sort of situation.

"Cairo." Truebridge answered. "Back to History actually." Solemnly, he flicked his wand, so that the teapot poured Hecate a cup of tea. He levitated it to her without his expression changing. "Cup of tea." There. Done.

Trixie smiled weakly at Moretti as she acknowledged her presence and couldn't help but let out even a slight giggle as she asked about whether she'd be seeing Trixie next term. "Most probably. I'm accident prone, you know me" she smiled. "But I'll come and visit too if I dont injure myself."

Trixie listened to what Professor Truebridge had to say but she wasn't happy with it. "It may be so but what happens when those people leave?" she asked. Next term would be devastating for the Slytherin and she wasn't even thinking about the term after that. Help her housemates? She was doing that already. "It's truly a pleasure being taught by you sir" she said with a small pout. He certainly didn't have a lot to say on the matter.

Ok so the Headmaster had calmed down from that little violent outburst. Thankfully. Because quite frankly that was scary enough. And he was being all sympathetic and stuff, which Trixie appreciated. "Well thank you anyway" she smiled softly albeit weakly. "And it's been a pleasure being at Hogwarts this term" she informed him.

The young man's mouth twitched at the corners at the professor's slightly obvious efforts to disentangle himself from his admirers, but he didn't move. Despite the displeasure written on his face, he couldn't hide the amusement at the scene before him.

"Leaving, sir?" he finally murmured, teeth catching on the corner of his lip. "For... for good, you mean?"

That was just... well. Depressing. There weren't many professors left from when he'd first started here. And Cairo? Was that where Cope was? He knew it was Egypt, but he didn't know exactly where...

"Promise," Gold said, putting as much warmth as she could into the hug, now. It didn't feel like a waste. It felt exactly like it should - like a good!hug. "Pinky promise," she added, with a light smile. She didn't like Professor Lawson sad. She wanted her to smile. Be happy.

"I will, if you'll smile."

Aww, Truebridge was so nice she wanted to hug him again, but decided not to since he seemed...uncomfortable when she did. "Thank you, Professor that means a lot. No one really tells me that." she replied. Only one person said something similiar but not as touching as that. "You really are a awesome Professor, and I'll miss you." Violet let out a sigh of relief as things seemed to calm down. She never really talked to Tate, so she decided it was safe to talk now. "Hi, Headmaster Tate." she said. "This term has been...fun." she said awkwardly. She wasn't really sure if Tate liked her so she usually tried to stay away from his office and not make eye contact.

"You get stronger." Truebridge answered simply. "You learn."

There was not much more to say. Ethan Truebridge was different. He always had been. And while he was very fond of his students, expressing that wasn't easy. He did it through his actions and through helping them more than through his words.

"I suppose so." Truebridge agreed quietly.

Guilt was a foreign thing to him, so he didn't quite recognise it for what it was. Though considering he tended not to do things for himself, it was about time that he did. He couldn't feel bad about moving on with his life.

"You can write. I'd write back." Of course.

... and he was hungry. Surely he would get a chance to eat?

Well that seemed reasonable enough. "Deal," she said, wiping her cheeks dry. She gave Gold one more quick hug and a warm smile. It was a sincere smile. One she didn't have to fake at all.

"Now run along and enjoy the rest of the feast. You deserve it."

"You need to learn to tell yourself. Tell yourself true things and important things, not superficial things." And she was getting better at seeing her own REAL value as opposed to the surface stuff she always went on about before.

"I'll miss you too. I suppose." He did. He supposed.

Gold smiled. This was better. Professor Lawson looked more beautiful when she was happy, Gold decided. Sadness didn't suit her. "I think I do," she half laughed. "Don't forget to write back, Professor."

She returned the hug with a quick one of her own, before returning to the Gryffindor House Table. She couldn't say she had come to terms with the fact that people she loved - not only professors, but friends. More than friends, best friends, some of her favourite people, even a boyfriend - were going to leave Hogwarts, all at once, but she felt better.

Better than she had, in a while.

She looked at the cup of tea and began laughing. No. Really. That was funny. She took the cup and raised it to him. "To your health... and your new job." She said and winked at him. Then continued laughing and put down the cup. Not a sip taken... Like she trusted anyone... psha...

Mmmm. Somehow, Raiden wasn't really surprised. Like at all. Professor Truebridge was a good person, but if he'd gotten something better, and considering the treatment he'd received over the years...

He'd seen the man fired for no reason and tossed out a window. He'd been removed from his stance as the Head of Slytherin House for no good reason, and replaced with someone who wasn't even qualified, in Raiden's opinion, to clean the castle floors. And last term, after returning from being locked in Azkaban, he'd ended up in St. Mungos along with the rest of them, injured in the fight.

Were Raiden offered a better job in better places, he would have left too.

"I'd like that." Writing, he meant. It would be nice. "I can't say I'm... not sad that you're going. But I wish you the best, sir."

And... less clingy teenage girls.

"You'll see, lad. Have no fear... it'll all be made clear next term," Tate smiled broadly at the boy.

"It's like you're setting me up for a situation in which someone HAS to hit me," Tate groaned, putting his hand to his head. Everyone in that group had hit him. They should start a club.

"But Cari would very much like to see you, I think. Dinner would be nice. I'm hoping to travel this summer, so maybe we can come to you."

"I'm glad. No one died, which is pretty much my only rule of thumb in judging whether we had a good term. No kidnappings, no deaths, and no serious injuries," Tate crossed his fingers to show that he HOPED their good luck would continue.

"Hello, child," Tate raised his hand and sort of wiggled his fingers at her. "I'm glad you had a good term. Plans for the summer?"

"Yeah, I guess." she replied. "I'm glad I'm better now, and I'm sorry for being rude last term." She didn't think last term was fun at all. Nope.

She half smiled. "I'll probably write to you." she said, she would totally have to update him one day.
"Not that I know of, I think I'm just going to take it easy." she replied. "Although it would be nice to finally see Torin dress as a girl though." she added with sigh. Oops, did she say that out loud? Hehe. "How about you, sir?"

Josephina had not prepared for the end of term to come this quickly. She'd survived her first year back to Hogwarts with no major harm done and yet the year seemed to fly by. Staring out among the students who she had come to learn from and adore, she wondered if this feeling would fade. It was nostalgic, almost.

With a sigh, she glanced down the table at her colleagues. She really couldn't have asked for much more. Except the potatoes, cause she was going to miss those as she traveled for the next month doing research.

Yeah he was late as usual but he wouldn't be Marcus Lawson if he wasn't late to a social event. He still had that rock star approach where nothing happened until he got there.

But his time hadn't been wasted. He had taken the time to actually walk around the castle and its grounds for the very last time. You know, to say goodbye and all.

He was feeling good. Happy even. He had made this decision a couple of months ago and now that the last day was finally here, Marcus was really quite excited about what the future is going to bring.

Of course he was going to miss the students especially the three Slytherin girls aka Destiny, Evelyn and Marie, Jake, Eli, Gold, Patrick, Xylon, Fallon, Arya and there were many more.

It made him stop for a moment before heading to the staff table and look out over the sea of students.

Bugger!

He was actually going to miss this place more than he thought. He shook himself and headed towards the dais, he'd made his decision and there was no going back now no matter how sad he was feeling right now.

And he was sad.

He was.

As he finally got to the dais, Marcus immediately took a seat beside his wife and found her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. Then he glanced around at the rest of his colleagues and raised an eyebrow at all the students milling around Zan.

What was going on with his friend now?

Nancy had decided to was only appropriate to say goodbye to all the professors...because it would be for good this time. This last time. Sniff! As she made her way up to the Staff Table her blue eyes flickered over to the Seventh Year Memory Book and it made her feel even sader as she watched Cela finish her entry. She was going to save this for last. It was too final to do it right at the beginning of the feast.

Upon arriving at the staff table her face fell into a slightly confused frown. Why was Gold literally throwing herself at Truebridge?! It wasn't HER last term and it wouldn't be...a dawning look crept across her face as a suspicion formed in her mind. A suspicion she needed confirmed first though. "Raiden." Nancy said softly as she walked up to stand next to her fellow Prefect. "What's going on?" By the way she inclined her head towards Truebridge and the rest of the girls people surrounding him it became obvious what she was referring to.

Hopefully it wouldn't be what she was suspecting.

What Lawson didn't know was, while he was taking his walk around the school and grounds, a certain Slytherin was behind him..the WHOLE time.

No, Destiny was NOT stalking the man..

Spying was more like it.

She didn't think he was ever going to head inside to the feast with how slow he was walking. She figured he was either really upset or he was just really old and slow. Of course, being Destiny and all, she chose the latter. But today she was not going to tease him about his age or even that ever growing bald spot of his. Nope. She was going to be nice..unless he started with her first, then she was going to let him have it.

Still following him up to the staff dais, Destiny took a look around the Hall, noticing Evelyn at the Slytherin table with Rae and whatshisname..she would stop over there when the food arrived later. She was going to spend the whole summer with Evelyn anyway..she'd have plenty of time to talk to her then. She gave her friend a wave as she passed, then turned back to Lawson..

..who was getting away!

Walking a little faster, which was taking a lot out of her, she finally reached the dais and stopped right in front of where Lawson was sitting, "LAWSON! I totally saw you cry at the Whomping Willow."

Oh..she was supposed to be nice.

The Lawsonator was still gazing down the table at Zan and wondering what was going on. He absently picked up a goblet of water and was just bringing it to his lips when...

Destiny happened.

Not expecting to have someone yell right in front of him, Marcus jumped slightly and the goblet jerked in his hand and water spilled down the front of his robes.

It was kind of a knee jerk reaction and what he did next was done without conscious thought. He just simply reacted because the girl had actually scared him and he had not seen her coming. And you know after once being the DADA professor it made Marcus look bad.

As he turned towards the Slytherin girl, Lawson flicked his wrist and the goblet tilted and the water flew out heading straight for Destiny and hitting her straight in the face.

"Ooops. My bad."

Mwhaha.

Bahaha!

Lawson had been so scared he wet himself.

Destiny really didn't mean to scare the man, she just figured she would speak loudly so he could hear her better. And it had nothing to do with his ancient ears, the feast was just really loud and if she couldn't hear herself, she figured he wouldn't be able to hear her either. Plus, yeah, he had ancient ears.

Snickering a little as the water ran down the front of his robes, she didn't see the water fly in her direction..until it hit her right in the face. After using her hand to wipe the water out of her EYES, she glaaaared at him as he said 'my bad'. Pffft. He totally did that on purpose, she KNEW it. The Lawsonator was incredibly lucky the feast didn't start or he would have had a face full of potatoes right then..

"Remember when Marie wet me and you tied her to me? Do I have tie you to her, to teach you a lesson?" she asked, pointing a wet finger at him.

Better then tying him to Marie, she should tie him to the chair, so he couldn't leave.

He'd been slightly distracted by hearing mutters about Torin Kane and dresses, but it wasn't enough so that he didn't notice Nancy's appearance. Glancing at her, he gave her a smile, a rather grateful one at that. She'd been a really good prefect and she was a great person, and he'd miss her. He'd miss a lot of people leaving this term.

There was one he really did need to seek out, though not to say goodbye.

"He's leaving," Raiden said carefully, eyes facing the staff table again and catching the little water tussle between Lawson and Destiny, rather than watching Nancy's reaction. "He's just resigned."