He'd had a rough day, thank you mad 'friend' that thought it might be a good idea to capture and keep as a pet a five Xs rated creature, and Jared found it surprising that he had been able to get here in time for the feast.

Sweeping into the Great Hall before the students could arrive, the Charms Professor took his place at the staff table only a few moments before the place began to fill up, students spilling in, and spared the interesting ceiling a glance. Hogwarts, he'd seen before [though not properly] and the amount of charms that helped hold it together, pleased him.

Chad wiggled in his seat, twiddling his thumbs mindlessly in an attempt to keep himself from outright bouncing about. Bounce. Aaaw, the little kiddos were starting to come in! So small, how cute. Chad poured himself a glass of water and then started to drink it, looking around the hall.

Lilyan was still thinking of Hawaii as she sat in her seat, hands folded in her lap. The warm, warm sun. Sigh, she was going to miss it, and she was already dreading the cold winter that would come soon enough. TOO soon.

Would it be too much to ask to move the school? Heh.

It should come as no surprise to anyone, but one Headmaster Gaellen Tate was feeling cranky. It was simple math, easy enough for a Muggle to perform: feast = cranky pants Tate.

He watched the students file in before leaning to his left and glancing waaaaaaaay down the table. Where was everyone?

Sylvie carefully slid into her seat and folded her hand upon her lap. Glancing up to span the tables before her, she noticed the students starting to arrive. Yes, it was that time again and she could feel the excitement that some of the students had about returning to the school. It did make her smile a bit.

Lifting one hand from her lap, she reached for her water, sipping it as she continues to watch the incoming students and their faces.

Another year has begun. Josephina sat perched in her usual seat - second from the end - and gazed mostly right at her fellow staffers, giving them a small welcome back smile. Except that there were a couple new faces when she looked that way... Oh wait, she knew Lily, the nurse. And um ... yea, that was it.

Sadness swept over her as she realized she'd be without Davina this year... Of course she only got to work with the Runes professor for one year, but she developed a rather close kinship with the blond. She would just have to find someone else to take Di's place. And somehow she had a feeling that she and Jeremy would be butting heads this term. Sighing, her hazel eyes flickered over the masses of students taking their seats and chattering with old (and new) friends. It was always so pleasant watching the students just enjoying themselves at the opening feast, without any stress except for what awaited the next day ...

Jared had, having nothing better to do at the moment, decided to examine the ceiling again. The charmwork that caused it to reflect the sky outside, though basically simple, had to be quite powerful to last as long as it did - at least, so Jared thought because he doubted the Headmaster re-cast it every day. That'd be too much of a hassle. Surely, Tate had better things to do?

Movement made him look to his right, and he gave the young professor that had just sat down a polite nod. Most of the other professors had seats too far off to converse easily. Jared didn't mind. He had sufficient time ahead of him to get to know whoever interested him enough to make the effort of introductions and conversation.

It was in his usual manner that Ikenna Gevrik calmly, quietly and unassumingly appeared in his seat at the Staff Table, directly next to Headmaster Tate in what should have been the Deputy Headmaster's chair.

He smoothed out his tie and folded his dark hands in front of him, leaning forward just slightly so that his deep eyes could roam down the length of the table in search of certain faces. His expression remained neutral, pleasant, even, as he looked past Gaellen Tate and noted the man's obvious unease. Excellent.

Ah, there was Lilyan, and Josephina. He had previously researched the rest of the staff's backgrounds and histories, of course, and was now relishing the opportunity to match a name to a face. Now he could do the same if only there were fewer students or more Ghosts....

The mysterious man settled back into his seat with just the faintest smirk.

Max emerged from a hidden entrance behind the dias (he was detained due to a heated fire discussion with his bossy know-it-all older brother, Rex) and saw an unfamiliar person seated in HIS seat. The nerve of the person!

He walked up behind the chair and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, you're sitting in my seat," he stated rather calmly at the stranger.

If the man were smart, he'd move.

"Maximus Orion Vindictus." Gevrik spoke politely but did not budge from his current position.

The chair was sturdy. It suited him.

"I did not happen to notice your name inscribed in my seat," he corrected the man with a certain hint of humour in his tone. "But I do believe that is your seat, over there."

Ikenna seemed to gesture toward the end of the table where the flying instructor's favourite chair, usually seen residing in the corner of his office, was currently floating and rotating so that all present could see the name handsomely emblazoned on the chair's backing.

Magic. It happens.

Chad stopped drinking his water and wiggling in his seat long enough to watch the interaction by some man he didn't know and some other man that he...well...didn't know. Looked familiar, though...

Chad's eyes then followed the man's gesture down to the floating chair.

Bummer.

Max looked and shook his head. This idiot knew his full name but that didn't surprise him because he was a famous retired professional Quidditch player.

"No, you're mistaken. As the Deputy Headmaster of this school, I sit directly to the right of the Headmaster. I suggest you stand up and move over one seat," he said calmly but his jaw twitched as he spoke.

Jared could not identify the man that had taken the seat next to the Headmaster, and that might have bothered him under normal circumstances - he had been pretty sure he already had the names of all the professors teaching at Hogwarts this year - but for now, he let the feeling pass.

Free entertainment. Excellent. Jared kept back an almost amused smile as he sat in his chair.

Ikenna almost disliked public brawls as much as he disliked Quidditch cretins like the Vindictus siblings.

"Your suggestion has been heard."

And he would not be moving.

Gasp.

No he didn't!

"Perhaps you need your ears cleaned out," Max immediately blurted out without thinking.

Ikenna was amused now. So this was what it was like to work with children.

"Perhaps it is time for you to retire, Maximus Vindictus, and perhaps the same could be said for your brother as well."

It was now that Gevrik chose to turn his head and fix his steely gaze on the aging man. "Think about that one for a moment. You were a Ravenclaw, at some point in time."

They were few children that came to school already furnished with brains, yes?

"Retire isn't in my vocabulary. Besides, who in Merlin's Beard are you?" Max asked and folded his arms across his chest. "Did I crush your head with a Bludger ten years ago? If I did, then the mediwizards must have replaced your missing grey matter with a bunch of hot air."

Chad made a slight 'really?' face before turning back to his glass of water that was becoming more and more interesting. He knew there were kids here, he had just not been aware that they were allowed to sit at the table.

Speaking of children...merlin, there were a lot of them. He looked out at the crowd. He would need more candy for him them.

Hi i'm joey starr she said with a smile.Later i'll be at your house. i need help learning something if you will help or know how.Smiled will welcome to hogwarts professor.

Due to, well, not really an unforeseen issue, but an issue nonetheless (Bowie had decided now was the time to be clingy and she had only just extricated herself from the crup puppy), Renée was a few seconds late to the feast. At least she managed to slide into her seat before it seemed too much happened. Other than the students arriving, but as she glanced down the table she noticed her seat hadn't been the only one empty. Hmm, she thought, before sending a raised eyebrow look at Vindictus and the man he had been arguing with. Over a chair. She hadn't been late enough to miss that, and it was really quite amusing. Even if the other man was just the slightest bit, well, creepy. Part of her wasn't surprised at anything like that from Vindictus, but the other man was new. There was just something about him that both piqued her interest and made her want to keep her distance at the same time. At least she had several seats between herself and those two, even if she was still curious.

She should have tried to do a reading before she'd gotten here. maybe then she would have known what was going on. People taking the deputy headmaster's seat and all. Instead, it seemed she was going to be just as confused as the other professors sitting near her. Resolving that some mysteries would just have to wait to be solved, she reached forward to take a glass of water. Eventually something would happen to distract everyone from the chair fracas. Hopefully.

Eh? Jared had been enjoying the on-the-house entertainment being provided at the staff table, when a girl came up to him and said something that caused him to picture a jaw-drop.

"My house?" He chuckled lightly, putting down his spoon, the action carrying his customary touch of natural grace. "Do you mean my office, Miss Starr?" Trust kids to make mistakes like that.

Help? He'd have to think about that one. Jared had been around enough danger and nonsense to know not to rush into arguments or agreements. "Let's see... you can drop into my office after the feast or tomorrow evening, and I'll see if I can."

The arrival of the student was followed, almost immediately, by that of another professor. Miss Bishop, if Jared had his facts correct - and goodness knows he did not doubt that. The Charms Professor realized, both immediately and unconsciously, that he'd have to sit next to her almost every day, and that gave him enough reason to lightly incline his head in her direction.

"Miss Bishop, if I'm not mistaken?"

Renée, after sipping a tiny bit of water from her glass, had decided to simply look out at the house tables and watch the students interact with each other. It made her remember when she'd been down there, and besides, there really was no need to continue to pay attention to the shair incident, even if it was Vindictus involved. It was just too bad that there didn't seem to be much else happening at the staff table currently. Even students coming to investigate the new professors would be welcome, as at least it would be something to do until the speech.

Glancing down for a moment, she frowned slightly as she saw Bowie had left some loose hairs on her robe, and in brushing them off she noticed the professor sitting next to her inclining his head in her direction. The Charms professor, if she wasn't mistaken. Another newbie like her. Glancing at him as he spoke, she gave him a smile. "You're not mistaken," she said with a bit of a laugh. "And you would be . . . Mr. Descoteaux," she added, only a bit impishly. Even if she hadn't decided it would be good to know the professor's names before she'd come into the hall, it wasn't that hard to get his name from him, since she was looking at him. And since he'd gone with the formal approach, she'd return it.

Yeah that's what i meant,sorry getting use being back she said with a laugh.okay i'll be there i bet you could help she said with a smile its okay if my cousin comes and with me it kinda will help him understand my caution.

"I'm glad. I don't like being mistaken." Jared smiled, a lighthearted half smile, [once again and unconsciously] analyzing her tones. She seemed like a bright - though not unnecessarily bright - type. Easy to talk to. He could value that in a person.

Mr. Descoteaux? "It's Jared," he corrected, out of habit. Nice, simple and informal. Though, of course, she could argue he'd been formal in his approach but, then, he had felt that would sound more polite. "Your subject is... divination?" He could be mistaken. Stranger things have happened, after all.

"That's fine, Miss Starr." Jared gave the girl a polite, though slightly detached, smile. Too soon to bet on the outcome, in his opinion, but he did not say that out loud. "If you feel your cousin might have something important to contribute to the visit, of course."

It did not bother him, either way. Though how like him to have his foot in something that could be called almost enigmatic, already. He'd only been here for half an hour, if not less.