Staff Table
 

The Baron saw an empty chair that usually belonged to the Astronomy professor, and floated towards it. He was going to spend his time here. Yup. Right here.

to le Baron
 

♪ ♫ we're the exceeeeeption.. the only exception.. ♪ ♫
 

Walking up to the dais where the staff table stretched out, still empty save for the headmistress and a ghost, Louisa was struggling with the pouch attached inside her robe. She shouldn't have sewed it in herself, one of the house-elves would've been ecstatic to do it for her - and do it right too. By the time she was standing in front of the woman and the ghost, her robe was almost inside out and apparently the small pouch refused to remove itself. EH, whatever. She reached in for the brooch and got it out.

"Hello headmistress... Baron." A nod at each of them before Louisa slid the cursed piece of jewelry across the table and toward the woman. "I think this still belongs to you." Louisa would've tried blasting it if it was hers. "I hid it with me when Isfret showed up at the library and then things were... - well, I didn't get the chance to give it back before now." Coz BOOKS were on fire! That was enough reason for anyone to get traumatized and forget stuff.

Gemma clicked up through the tables of children...she was relieved to see everything back to order in the Great Hall...the tables and smiling faces were so much more becoming than the sleeping bags and such...

She smiled as she walked down the aisle...o how she loved her job, even if it was life threatening some terms...she wouldn't want it any other way.

Finally, she reached the Staff table and glanced down to the empty chairs of the other two professors...she let out a little sigh...she was grateful it wasn't her and then she realized a ghost in one of the chairs...she cocked her head to the side and was relieved to see it was only the Bloody Baron. She gave the ghost a little wave and then headed to her seat waving at the Headmistress as she went.

The Grey Lady floated in smiling at the students, she headed straight towards the Staff Table when she saw the Baron sitting in one of the professors' chairs. She wasn't very happy with him..she knew that the chair belonged to one of the professors they had lost within the last few weeks.

She floated up to him and put her arms across her body, "Baron, I don't think it's very appropriate for you to be sitting there..." she said a little flustered.

Baron, Grey Lady
 

Sir Nicholas floated up to the staff dais after his little stop at the Gryffindor house table. Satisfied that his lions were well all things considered he headed up to talk to the Headmistress like they had ALL decided. Floating past the other tables Sir Nicholas smiled and waved to the student's that greeted him.

The Grey Lady and the Baron were already hovering by the staff dais. He floated up next to the beautiful Lady just as she called the Baron out on his choice of seat. Sir Nicholas shook his head and agreed. "Baron, please show some respect. The student's are mourning the woman that used to sit in that seat as well as the Headmistress and her staff. Let's not stir more emotions."

Gemma and a little Headmistress and Head girl
 

Gemma glanced up to see her neighbor joining the party, "Thank you Leobald...you don't look too bad yourself..." she said with a wink. She took a quick drink and then asked, "I've been thinking about you..." she said realizing how odd that sounded and then she quickly continued, "you know since the fire and all...how is everything in the ol' book room? Is everything salvageable?" she asked intently.

Sophia paused at the entrance to the Great Hall and looked at the staff table. Why did she have to be seated on the side where all the dead professors used to sit and to top it all off ghostly reminders of the term. Lovely..now she'd have to scoot past ghost to get to her seat. At least she wasn't the first to arrive, The headmistress was there..and oh she loved that dress..it was nice and so was Gemma, Medea and Leo...ah Leo. He was looking pretty down, too bad she didn't sit next to him. After the feast she'd try cheering him up, right now she wanted to sit and have a glass of water and student watch. It wasn't too late to take some last minute points after all.

Pulling her slivery sparkling robes up over her black dress, she shift pass the ghost and took her seat.

"Good evening." She announced to the table.

More headmistress in the end :3
 

Mhmm. Louisa nodded understandingly her eyes still lingering on this piece of jewelry. The red-haired woman sounded sad though when she said it. "I'm sorry. I hope it wasn't something special… like the plant." She mainly said this to be polite and considerate, losing a man-eating plant was something to congratulate people NOT console. Heh. But yeah, poor woman she lost her plant and her brooch all in her first year as a headmistress… it felt like the two redheads connected in that way.

A nice last term. She had to grin, with sad eyes at that. "I don't think 'nice' is one of the words I'd use." Her first year was nice. "It was challenging, adventurous and lived up to my expectations of being a very unique term." Which beat nice in her book.

By the corner of her eye Louisa caught Mr. Kitridge waving at her and offered him a grin and a wave of her own.

She still had one more thing to say the headmistress when professor Elwood passed by and she and the girl were hugging. Oh? She wanted to see her? Louisa's eyes beamed at the woman. "I've meant to come over again at your office, professor, but I figured you all were bus--" She stopped talking when she realized there was a parchment in her hand.

Huh?

Oh.

Aw!

The Ravenclaw exchanged a genuine touched smile with the blonde and nodded, she wanted to hug her again but with the headmistress sitting here and all -- well, it was awkward not to hug the headmistress as well and by extension the other professors minus Scabior and then the rest of the staff who might not have even taught her and then there'd be too much hugging going on and Louisa didn't want to go there.

"Thank you, professor. I would love to stay in touch with you and was trying to find the politest way to ask without sounding like a stalker." Heh. It was true actually, and maybe THAT was why Callie Elwood initiated this?! She might have foreSEEN this! Louisa liked the mystery around this woman. She also liked her in black. Professor Elwood looked elegant and absolutely stunning with that attire. Louisa knew it was for Burbage (was that her name?) but... it was the truth.

Louisa turned her gaze on the headmistress and her grin faded into a small formal smile, "I… uh.. thank you, ma'am, for entrusting me with such a position of responsibility." She leaned in slightly with what could be interpreted as giving a small bow. Maybe she was indeed bowing! Since no hugs were encouraged. "I want you to know that I did my best." Even if she made mistakes and had her own way of helping the youngsters as in lying to firsties about magical anti-cooties colognes.

She wanted to say something to ALL the professors... but maybe that should wait until after the feast.. and after she got her diploma. It would make more sense.

He looked at his lady, and nodded getting up from the seat.

But when Nick spoke the Baron looked towards him. "Sir Nicholas, I would never accuse you of disrespect. But as you have, I think I should explain. I considered it a seat like any other. Many professors have sat in this seat, many have died that we knew... they don't retire these chairs. Others will occupy them. I have not disrespected her memory. Though it has upset my lady... and I have vacated the seat."

He simply floated behind it, waiting for the Friar.

*clones self*
 

After checking in at the Gryffindor table upon her arrival, Seren then meandered up to the dais.

Bouncing Blueberries.


Yes, people died. And... it was a sad sad time, but did the feast need to look like a funeral procession? Seren was starkly aware that her appearance stuck out like a jagged thorn on a rose. Then again, she'd always dealt with grief in a different way, and this just happened to be it. Be bright, be floral and... get over it internally. No need to bring other people down too.

Casting a glance at the empty seats, Seren took the moment to take a deep breath before making her way around to her own seat.
"Evening... evening," she greeted with a polite bow of the head hoping that nobody would take her appearance as a sign of disrespect.

...

Perhaps she ought to have removed a couple of flowers from her hair and place them in front of the empty seats. But no, that'd be plain awkward.

The Friar floated into the Great Hall and smiled at the students as he noticed his fellow house ghosts already at the Staff Dias. He would of course visit with the Hufflepuffs later, but for now, he must join his fellow ghosts and see what brought upon their sour faces. Yes there were two empty chairs, but as they themselves know, being dead didn't mean the end of the world.

He simply floated behind the Runes and Arithmancy professor's chairs, next to the Baron and sighed. "Upset already, Baron? Dare I ask what has caused such an upset already? It wasn't a member of your house to pass away...."

Leobald shifted around in his seat to find a comfortable position when Gemma spoke. Turning to her he simply said "Thank you." Truth be told he hadn’t exactly paid any mind to what he had put on for the feast. He liked blue so he had put on his navy robes to lighten his mood. But of course Gemma had to bring up the last thing he wanted to think about at the moment, the reference section post fire zone. Drinking some water he responded "I’m afraid most of the books are unsalvageable. They are just too burned."

"If only I had fireproofed the books." Leo muttered half to himself and half to Gemma.

"Good evening Medea!" Leo called out with a wave as he watched the DADA professor take her seat on the staff dais, but on the other side of the table. The staff table was impractical at times he thought to himself. They all had their designated places and if anyone took the wrong seat it turned into a scene like for the late Astronomy professor at the beginning of the year.

May she rest in piece.

If Leo could have chosen where he sat at the table it would probably have been next to his best friend Sophia. As if she had known he was thinking of her Sophia showed up in sparkling robes to the dias. "Good evening Sophia!" Leo greeted her. "Nice dress." He knew he could count on her company after the feast with some more book cleaning.

Where some of his female colleagues went for colourful dresses Calista showed up in a black dress as a way to show respect for the two staff members they had lost this term. Looking over at her he inclined his head a little. "Good evening Calista. Thank you. It still hasn’t sunk in yet that the entire library could have burned up if we hadn’t managed to stop the fire from spreading." Leo responded thoughtfully.

"You would do that for the library? I'd be grateful for any books that I can get to fill up the gaping holes on the shelves." He meant what he said. Any books anyone donated would be welcomed with open arms.

"Good evening Seren!" Leobald greeted sort of speechless as she slipped into the second seat to the left of him. "I like the flowers. What kind is it?" he asked to make polite conversation as they waited for the speech.

Isabelle wasn't really in the mood for the feast. Yes her former house had just won both cups, a good enough reason to be cheerful, but so many things had happened to keep her from that cheer. The two empty seats down the other end of the table were testament to that. No, she hadn't known Tristan or Marion that well, hardly at all in fact, but they had been her colleagues and the fact a man-eating plant had gotten hold of them slightly dimmed her mood.

Not to mention the fact Max was leaving. That man had been there since she'd started working at Hogwarts. He was an institution. Part of the furniture. Just - THERE. And now he wouldn't be. Sad times.

It was nearly a black day all round. Hence the reason she was dressed as such. With a sigh Issy climbed the steps to the staff dais, nodded her head, and offered a less than cheery "Good evening all" to her colleagues seated already. And the ghosts. They got a nod of the head too.

Perhaps she'd feel more talkative after a drink. Water would have to do for now though, seeing as the feast hadn't started properly and the table was empty save for the goblets and cutlery. Filling hers up, Isabelle swished it around a bit, before taking a swig. Hmmm.

It wasn't a moment later did Sophia join them; more specifically, the seat right next to hers. Noooo, Medea didn't just take a sip of her water only to move it to the other side of her plate, away from the Charms professor. Ahem. Nope. "Good evening, Sophia." she said quietly in return.

Thankfully, the awkwardness she felt, having been increased by a thousand once Sophia had sat down, dwindled a little when Callie arrived. "Impatient for it, really." she mustered up a smile. Although, unlike her friend, she finished marking homework and whatnot earlier than she'd anticipated. What had she been doing? "Drawing." Like usual when she had a lot to think about or upset.

Putting down her spoon, since she had company to keep her attention now, Medea leaned towards Callie a little, voice lowering. "You know, my offer still stands. If you...need somewhere to go."

Leaning forward a little more and looking past the line of Professors, she smiled over to Leo, giving a small wave of her own. "Hello Leo!" she called back. Goodness, she'd have to go and see how the library was coming along before leaving the castle. Perhaps give some last minute assistance.

Sitting back in her seat, it wasn't hard to notice the...bright colors. Nor the fact that Josephina was just standing there, though the reason why didn't sink it until a moment later. At least, she thought the reason was...the reason she was thinking of. Oh Merlin. What a situation that was...

Waving towards the Arithmancy professor, in hopes of getting her attention, Medea gestured to the small space between her and Callie. Hmmm? Scoot her chair over here? They could make room.

Vindictus arrived late as usual and he scowled at the sight of the decorations in the Great Hall. I'm leaving and they use THESE hideous colors! I swear someone tampered with the Hourglass. Maybe I could stay one more term and find out who the culprit is. Ravenclaw deserves to win because I said so! He made it to HIS seat to the right of the headmistress and plopped down.

"I'm not a fan of the decor, Annie," he grumbled. "Blue. The color must be blue . . . and bronze. Not bleh!"

"No, dear Friar, it is over now. Water under the bridge. And let me be the first to congratulate you on your house's win..." The Baron said with a nod to the ghostly round figure. The only reason why his house hadn't won this year was the simple fact that the Head of House was ill... Now she wasn't there.

Vindictus looked back and forth to see if anyone was watching him. Of course, the students would see him but the other adults weren't paying attention. He reached out his arms as if he were stretching and quickly swiped Annie's water goblet off the table, and placed it under the table.

The quick motion made something in his robe pocket move.