Staff Table
 

The staff are seated at a long table, stretching across a dais at the front of the room. Feel free to come up and greet them after the feast has started.

Hecate wasn't hungry... and even if she was she was saving room for some pie to eat later on. She turned and looked at Preston. "How was the school term? Your classes were good?" She asked him trying not to remember their little spat at the dance.

Glancing along the staff table, Risu noticed that some of his colleagues seemed rather less enthusiastic about their food. There was a bit of pushing-food-around on some plates. Others were completely empty.

Not his, though. The end of term always came with both good and bad news. Getting some time off was good, for example - Risu had plans that, for once, exceeded his professional interests. Maybe even some holiday, if he could find the Galleons to do so. On the other hand, it felt a bit strange to see the seventh-year students leave. He had only been with the school for two years, so hadn't yet witnessed students grow up from frightened first-years to capable young witches and wizards, but Risu did think he was going to miss those who were leaving regardless.

And, of course, some of his colleagues would not return either. The grapevine didn't quite entangle all the way up to the Astronomy Tower, so Risu was often a bit late with non-astronomical knowledge, but he had seen the notices and some of the more subdued conversations between what would soon be former colleagues in the staff room.

All that did not diminish his appetite unduly, however. He looked over the Great Hall, nodding at students when he caught their eye.

Hecate sighed and looked around. Sage had his eyes on his plate. Some Gryffindor... Brave as a cockaroach in a kitchen at Thanksgiving... Not that she'd ever understood that holiday. Stuff your face all day with Turkey and Pies, then sleep, and shop the whole day after. Merlin... She hoped he'd choke on his peas... well... not really possible to choke on peas... but yeah. She turned back to Preston and smiled.

Feeling as if she might just be a little on the late side, Lexi Carlton hurried from her office and into the Great Hall. Realizing that she wasn't, as she'd thought, late to the feast, she slowed down upon reaching the door and then walked toward the staff table at a reasonable pace.

...and there sat her chair--just waiting on her to come and sit in it! Only, Lexi really wanted to spend this particular feast with Lily and Sage. This was the Ending Feast, and what better way to spend it than alongside her two best friends?

As soon as she reached the table, Lexi charmed her chair to slide down a couple of spaces until she was right in between Sage and Lil. "Hey," she said, giving Lily a playful grin as she got comfortable in her new spot. She'd move back down if the switch-a-roo turned out to be a problem, but as for now, she just wanted to spend the ending feast right where she was.

Thank Gonzálerin for summer.

No more snow for now and lots of sun and...less kids. Yes, time to go home back to Mexico. Oh how she missed it. Would she miss this place? Errr.

Seeing the other Professors at the table, the Mexicana nodded, "Good evening," as she ascended the dias, "Buenas tardes." and again for her table...neighbour, or however you said it. Sigh.

So, where were the tortillas?

She turned towards the Astronomy Professor, someone who she hadn't seen in...since the last feast? Noooo... Really?
"So, Mister Antares, did you see anything fun happening this term?" Hmmm?

Mister, hmm? Risu did not possess much in the way of vanity, but he was rather proud of his intellectual achievements. His PhD certainly entitled him to be addressed as, if not professor, then at least doctor.

Nevertheless, he took it all in his usual stride (more of a careless saunter, really), and, smiling brightly, manoeuvred several jugs, all filled with different beverages, into his colleague's reach.

"Good evening, Professor Saylen," he said cheerfully, setting down a heavy jug of pumpkin juice next to her plate. Then he tried to figure out how to answer her question. Holed up in the Tower as he often was, Risu tended to be very late with gossip and other, more substantial news, and most of the things he saw up there that he thought of as "fun" had to do with staring into the night sky. Probably nothing a creature wrangler such as Professor Saylen wanted to hear about.

"The, er... Triwizard Tournament?" he ventured hopefully. "I do believe I managed to catch one of the tasks. The, um, second one." He nodded. "Yes, I think it was the second one." Oh, the image of the scatterbrained scientist was one he would never rid himself of. "But I have to admit, I'm not much for this Tournament. Not a lot to see, wasn't there. And so dangerous..." He shook his head, and drank deeply from a goblet of pumpkin juice.

"The Ball was fun, though," he added, nodding cheerfully. "What did you think of it?"

He seemed rather happy. The corner of Maya's lips curled up slightly as she watched him set down the jug. Ah, juice, very mucho needed. She, inclined her head towards him, picked it up and poured some into her goblet, waiting to hear of his escapades or if something had happened around school.

Meh. Triwiz Tourni? Maya almost rolled her eyes, sighed and cursed it. But she didn't. She disliked that... 'event' and hoped she'd never have to see or hear of it for aslong as she worked in this school. Second task? What happened in that, again? "I cannot recall what happened in the second task... I don't think I was even there at the third and final." Dangerous indeed. "Yes, it was." Kind of pursing her lips at the thought, she pursed her lips, but took a refreshing sip of the juice. And she'd better not speak of it more, lest Professor Zookara be all 'ooooh, Maya, stop ittt. Hehe.

The ball? "Yes, that was quite enjoying. It was rather a nice change to see everyone out of their uniforms and in something more...casual." Fruit hat was the win. "The food was quite exellent aswell." Oh the foood. "Finally had my chance at the tortillas." And were there any here now??

"So, do you venture into deciphering what the stars might tell you, or do you strictly study them from a non-divining angle?" Maybe he could tell her what crazyness would come to them next term, so she could be more prepared.

Oh! Tortillas in sight!

The closer Preston got to the staff table, the more nervous he became, and he hoped he wouldn't trip in front of all the professors. They were all staring at him, well, at least he thought they were.

He looked up as he got within a few feet of the table and searched for Miss more. He gave a goofy smile finding her two seats to right of the Headmaster.

"M-Miss M-M-More?" He asked softly, hoping he wasn't interrupting her or anything. He shoved his hands in his pockets and bit his lip. "I-I-I have s-s-some-something t-t-to g-g-give you." He told her suddenly becoming more confident as the seconds went by.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets, in his right hand he held the bracelet he had made her. He held it out to her showing the few beads he had found off to her. "I m-m-made th-this f-for you." He smiled. "I-I d-d-don't r-r-rem-remember wh-where I-I found th-th-the t-t-twine. B-b-but I-I f-f-found th-the b-b-beads i-in th-the c-c-common room." He explained the materials he had used.

"I w-want t-t-to th-thank y-you f-f-for h-h-help-helping me." He told her, a few tears forming in his eyes. He wasn't sure why he was getting all emotional and stuff. She was going to be back next term, right? RIGHT?!

Sage was starting to wonder if attending the end-of-term feast was compulsory. He got paid to teach Herbology and not attend feasts, right? Perhaps he could steal a plate and have dinner in his quarters..?

He was busy contemplating this, when a chair appeared right between him and Lily.. making him a tad squished.

That didn't matter though. Because that chair belonged to Lexi who was apparently planning to spend the feast down this end of the table.

... perhaps he wouldn't leave after all.

"Well, this is cosy." His ears immediately burned. Cosy? Whaaat?

Cosy?! She turned to see what the man was talking about and saw Alexia's chair jammed in the middle of him and the nurse. Nauseating! Disgusting and NAUSEATING! What kind of professional would move their seat to sit closer to their... whatever he was to her. This was NOT acceptable. But... she wouldn't say anything. That would only call attention to it. Instead she stayed in her seat and glared at Sage. He would have a hole in his head by the end of the feast from the glaring.

A kindred spirit! Risu had been afraid that he was the only one who did not care too much about the Triwizard Tournament. And here was his colleague, looking as if she were actively against it.

He smiled. "I don't believe I tried the tortillas, but I'm sure they were delicious. The recipe that cannot be, er, mastered by a Hogwarts House-elf has yet to be found," he said, glancing at this feast's line-up of delicacies appreciatively. "Perhaps we can find some today too, I'd love to try them..."

Risu glanced down the table again, but most of the foodstuffs he saw were rather ordinary in their Britishness. It was a cuisine Risu still hadn't got used to, even after two years back in Britain (and several years as a student, long ago). On the other hand, most of the food he'd had at his research position in South Africa had been aimed to provide nourishment, not taste. Taste had always been considered an extra. A luxury that only the fanciest and richest of grant donors would provide for.

He returned to the present, just in time to catch Maya's question. "Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of venturing into Divination," he said with a polite little smile. "A very difficult subject, I've gathered, and not one I know much about." In truth, he did not think much of any kind of fortune-telling, but this was probably more due to Muggle astrology than wizarding Divination. A scientist to the core, Risu nonetheless respected those brave enough to tackle the future in such a way.

"I can tell you all about stellar spectra," Risu continued, "but if you want to know if those spectra mean anything... Well, I can't assist you there. Really, my subject - everyone's subjects, of course - is already almost impossible to stay on top of. I could not include Divination without a madly spinning Time-Turner." He chuckled.

Stepping up to the staff table with the pie in his hands. "Professor, I haven't seen Professor Vindictus anywhere." He wanted to fulfill his part of the deal, he'd made the pie just for him, and now he was gone. Had she hidden him?

"Professor, what did you do with professor Vindictus?" he asked his face contorting with confusion and shock.

Still facing Lily and giving her best friend a playful grin, Lexi heard Sage speak up and mention how cozy their new seating arrangements were. She turned her attention to him and nodded in reply. "Mmhmm, this is exactly where I want to spend my final day of the school term," she declared, looking from Sage to Lily and then back again. "I don't know what I'd do without the two of you."

She sort of lightly laughed and then glanced down at her plate. She didn't want to get too emotional right up here at the staff table and in front of the entire student body. "Oh, Sage!" Lexi exclaimed, her face suddenly brightening up.

"Lil can I ask him? To come with us?" she asked her best friend, leaning over and whispering so as not to be heard by anyone else.

This time Lilyan HAD been paying attention to her food, and she missed Lexi's entrance completely. That is, until she was seated between her and Sage. "Oh! There you are! I was looking for you." Indeed.

Now the question was, why were there peas on her plate if she didn't LIKE them? She pushed them off to the side with her fork.

She knew who was talking to her before she even looked, there was really only one person who called her Miss More. Lily put her fork down and glanced at the boy from across the table. "Oh, yes Preston dear."

Awwwww! She scooted her chair back, bumping Lexi lightly (since she was in the WAY!) and made her way around the table to give him a hug. "That's very sweet of you!" Awww.

In all honesty, Nolan was not very hungry. Still, it was his last feast EVER (for real this time, not like when he was leaving his 7th year and he thought THAT was his last feast ever) and he just wouldn't feel right if he didn't make an appearance.

Plus, you know...he might get hungry a little later.

Taking his usual seat towards the middle of the table, he looked around and noticed some people were...not in the right place. Mainly, Lexi. She wasn't next to him! He looked around and noticed she was over by Sage and Lily, and gave that section of the table a little smile and a wave before taking a swig of pumpkin juice.

The elbow space had gone down drastically, and Sage was worried about accidentally giving Professor Welton a few nudges. So looking rather awkward, he tried to remain as still as possible.

That awkwardness seemed to double - no TRIPLE - when Lexi stated that she didn't know what she'd do without him. Well, without him or Lily. But yeah. Uhm.

More blushing.

He was wondering what one was meant to reply to that. Wondering and failing. But luckily Lexi had quickly changed the subject and was whispering something or other to the Healer. And to make matters worse, he was pretty sure he could feel Hecate giving him one of her infamous death glares.

Women.

THERE. Ellie spotted him, she did. And she marched her little self up to his seat.

"Reyn!" She exclaimed when she arrived. "Explain." The girl crossed her arms. This was a demand. HMPH. She began to tap her foot too. For emphasis.

Nolan had just decided that he was, actually, a bit hungry, and took a GIANT bite of his bread roll when someone walked up to the table and yelled at him, causing him to choke just a bit on his bread roll. Coughing and looking up at her through teary eyes, he blinked a few times in confusion. Explain? Explain what?

Oh wait. They knew he was leaving. He'd told them. DUH.

"Oh, hello Ellie," he said, coughing a few more times and wiping his blue eyes from under his glasses. "I'm afraid it's not a very thrilling explanation...I'm leaving for personal reasons. It's just my time to leave, but I assure you, whoever takes up the post after me will surely make the class just as interesting for you!" he assured her.

Well ok. He DIDN'T know that for sure. But Divination people were all cool in his opinion. So therefore, he'd totally expect his replacement to be just as enthusiastic about the subject as he was. Tate wouldn't hire someone boring for that post. He was sure of it!

Vindictus was hiding behind the Daily Prophet - the popular newspaper was open and propped up so that he could read the sports section AND eat.

He thought he heard a student say his name, but he ignored it - the European Cup news was much more important at that moment.

She turned to the pie bearing boy and said "I chopped him up last night and threw his pieces into a cauldron and made fungus and callus remover..." She said completely seriously.

...

"What kind of question is that! He's over there..." She said pointing at the paper. "At the Headmaster's right, as usual."

"Professor Vindictus?... Professor Vindictus?! Maximus! There's a student for you." She said, sending a small silent fire spark to hit his newspaper.