SPOILER!!: ZAAAAAAAANDER :3

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

..... And Zander had thought he was out of his element. But one look at Professor Flamsteed told him that he wasn't the worst off. Normally, this guy was groomed to a T, but uh the man standing before him was completely and utterly well...a mess?

O_______O

AND THOSE EYES. Uh. Zander instinctively took a couple of steps back. And also, started blinking, you know, to encourage Flamsteed to blink some too. This was kind of scary. And Zander didn't like it, he didn't like one--AHHH WHY WAS HE BEING SHAKEN???? ?? ?? ? ! ?

"I-uh-I- Professor? Are you... Alright?" Clearly he wasn't. "... And who is she? ..... And they? Who are they, Professor?" And to say Zander was uncomfortable would be an understatement. He had frozen in complete shock. What was with the shaking??? But GAH. This was Professor Flamsteed. If it were anyone else, Zander would've probably slowly backed out of the room. But he still needed the Professor's advice and he did respect him and all... So there must be some worth while explanation. And hopefully less shaking.

And okay, so yes he had some major problems to talk about, but er, this came first. Professor Flamsteed looked like he was in dire need of a lint roller, and THAT never happened. So yeah, this was most definitely an emergency. "Is there, er, any way I can help you find them?" As long as he wasn't going to be sent to clean up the Astronomy room then uh, Zander would help. There had been too much cleaning going on lately. Forget fourth year Gryffindor, Zander was starting to look like a house elf, you know?

As if he were overacting in a muggle soap opera, the astronomer dramatically push the boy away and stumbled towards the wall. He felt like...like...like how Spock must have felt during the climax of the Wrath of Khan. Dark...it was getting so dark. Space burial...that was what he wanted...

Oh SWEET SOLSTICE, FLAMSTEED! Pull yourself together man!

Without saying anything directly to the Gryffindor, Airey suddenly slapped himself across this face and took three long deep breaths in and out. He was cool. Calm. Collected...

Until the boy asked for clarification that is.

"MY SUITS, MR. ADAIR! MY SUITS! ALL OF THEM! GONE! STOLEN!" he wailed. It was FAR worse than all those terms ago when he had had a single tie stolen. Now it was his entire wardrobe! "AND PEBBLES! SHE IS MISSING TOO! AGAIN! ONLY THIS TIME THERE WERE NO DEMENTORS!"

......?

Did Flailsteed just....? Slap himself... Across the... Face? ....?? What in the name of Merlin was going on??

This was even weirder than the time he pretended to be a pirate during the lesson... Maybe the man really had caught a funky cold after all. Wait until Kevin heard about this. This was weird. And Zander had no idea what to do, so he didn't do anything at all. In fact, the Gryffindor just continued to stand stiffly and watch with an EXTREME look of confusion on his face. Was he supposed to do something? Stop Airey before the man hurt himself even further? Or run away before HE was the one that was hurt? Like, what even?

*JAW DROP*

His suits?!! The man was freaking out 'cause his suits???? And horrible Professor Walton said that Zander needed to sort out his priorities. This was weirder than the lint roller thing.

And who in the name of Merlin is, "Pebbles?... Who is Pebbles? and are you sure that she's not just out for some fresh air or something?" And what did dementors have to do with this? And just-- Zander was BEYOND uncomfortable and confused and Flailsteed had officially gone insane. "I-uh-I.. Professor, why would anyone want to steal your suits?" There had to be some explanation for this. No one else wore suits around here so it couldn't have been anyone they knew.

He'd been meaning to come along and visit his SUPER COOL Head of House for some time, but things happened, and so he was only JUST getting around to it. Now was also a convenient time because he had information. Information that would help the Professor find his missing things... hehehheee...

So with high spirits, Zeke meandered his way over to the Astronomy Tower and approached Airey's office door.

Knock, knock, knock!!!!

Of course, he was never the type to SIT for too long, so he stood idly, rocking back and forth on his heels, swinging his arms. Heheee.

Once he'd caught sight of the posters down on the bulletin board, Toby had wasted no time in heading straight up to the Astronomy tower, with his school bag slung over his shoulder and an almost-anxious expression on his face. The Hufflepuff hurried into the seating area, aiming to go straight over and knock on the door... and maybe hide behind one of these seats until he was sure that Flamsteed was no longer Hooksteed. He was PRETTY sure that Professor Flamsteed was 'back', going by the posters, but... well, y'know.

But there was already someone here, that smart little Gryffindor first year he'd seen around, and it appeared as though he'd already knocked. So Toby stayed a little ways back, exactly equidistant between the office door and the way back out, fiddling with his bag strap, waiting to see if Airey was inside the office. No need in knocking twice, after all.

Lots of fidgeting happening though. Shifting from foot to foot and very slightly bouncing, Toby watched the door.

SPOILER!!: he is such a big baby and Zander is such a trooper XD

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

......?

Did Flailsteed just....? Slap himself... Across the... Face? ....?? What in the name of Merlin was going on??

This was even weirder than the time he pretended to be a pirate during the lesson... Maybe the man really had caught a funky cold after all. Wait until Kevin heard about this. This was weird. And Zander had no idea what to do, so he didn't do anything at all. In fact, the Gryffindor just continued to stand stiffly and watch with an EXTREME look of confusion on his face. Was he supposed to do something? Stop Airey before the man hurt himself even further? Or run away before HE was the one that was hurt? Like, what even?

*JAW DROP*

His suits?!! The man was freaking out 'cause his suits???? And horrible Professor Walton said that Zander needed to sort out his priorities. This was weirder than the lint roller thing.

And who in the name of Merlin is, "Pebbles?... Who is Pebbles? and are you sure that she's not just out for some fresh air or something?" And what did dementors have to do with this? And just-- Zander was BEYOND uncomfortable and confused and Flailsteed had officially gone insane. "I-uh-I.. Professor, why would anyone want to steal your suits?" There had to be some explanation for this. No one else wore suits around here so it couldn't have been anyone they knew.

Airey had regained his wits about him just enough to realize that he was still mildly shaking the boy. Oh, well, that was a little, er, not so good. Laughing nervously, he took a few steps back and then rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. Sweet solstice, was this what it was like to have midlife crisis? He was still far too young to have to go through all that yet, RIGHT?!

HOW DID MR. ADAIR NOT KNOW WHO PEBBLES WAS?!

"Pebbles is my pet rock," he explained while mildly holding back a whimper because it was VERY hard to talk about her right now. SECOND time she had gone missing. SECOND TIME! He was back to looking just a bit rabid now. "I don't know, Mr. Adair. But several terms ago I had a necktie stolen from my office, so clearly I own very desirable articles of clothing."

Taking a few more long deep breaths in and out, he was able to reason out that the Gryffindor had no information for him - a massive disappointment to be sure - and that his frantic antics (including the shaking) was not going to make said information magically appear.

"So..." Ahem. Just going to clear his throat over here... "What...er...brings you here..." Ahem.

SPOILER!!: Zeke & Toby!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

He'd been meaning to come along and visit his SUPER COOL Head of House for some time, but things happened, and so he was only JUST getting around to it. Now was also a convenient time because he had information. Information that would help the Professor find his missing things... hehehheee...

So with high spirits, Zeke meandered his way over to the Astronomy Tower and approached Airey's office door.

Knock, knock, knock!!!!

Of course, he was never the type to SIT for too long, so he stood idly, rocking back and forth on his heels, swinging his arms. Heheee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Once he'd caught sight of the posters down on the bulletin board, Toby had wasted no time in heading straight up to the Astronomy tower, with his school bag slung over his shoulder and an almost-anxious expression on his face. The Hufflepuff hurried into the seating area, aiming to go straight over and knock on the door... and maybe hide behind one of these seats until he was sure that Flamsteed was no longer Hooksteed. He was PRETTY sure that Professor Flamsteed was 'back', going by the posters, but... well, y'know.

But there was already someone here, that smart little Gryffindor first year he'd seen around, and it appeared as though he'd already knocked. So Toby stayed a little ways back, exactly equidistant between the office door and the way back out, fiddling with his bag strap, waiting to see if Airey was inside the office. No need in knocking twice, after all.

Lots of fidgeting happening though. Shifting from foot to foot and very slightly bouncing, Toby watched the door.

There were definite dark circles under the astronomer's eyes as he slowly opened the door to see who it was that had come knocking. He WAS sleeping, mind you, but having his daily routine in complete and utter disarray without his essential suit of the day and morning stroll with Pebbles...well...he was a man of selective scheduling. And his scheduling was off. His order chaos was complete discord now. AND IT WAS AWFUL!

Swinging the door open, the professor peeked his head out to see Mr. Tempus and Mr. Zeke waiting.

"Good day."

And that was all.

Oh. Oh boy. Airey did not look... uh... well.

Toby took half a step forward when the Astronomer came into view, and tried not to look TOO anxious/concerned/anything like that. In fact, he was going to act as natural as he could for now. Yup.

"Professor Flamsteed," Toby said, already failing in his objective by subconsciously avoiding addressing Airey any less formally than that. Okay, so he'd try and get straight to the point before his concern took over. "I, uh... I saw your posters and I-..." No, it was no use, the Hufflepuffness was strong within him today, and he took another step forward. "Are you okay, Professor?"

He'd offered the Puffer dude a brief smile while he waited... or they waited?... he was waiting too, right?

Meh...

Waiting didn't happen for long anyway, which was good, because he had IMPORTANT things to discuss, and judging by the looks of the Professor... he's like some good news, or well, NEWS. It was all good, no? Heh... heh...

Zeke stared blankly, not having the opportunity to address the Professor when the Puffer boy just casually intervened in conversation first. HE had been the first one here thank you very much. But he'd made a good point, kinda. "I saw them too, Professor," he nodded vigorously. "And I know where your suits are, or... knew where they went... kinda." It was a complicated story, wasn't it? Did the man remember anything of it? Probably not.

HIS POSTERS!? THEY HAD SEEN HIS POSTERS?!

The usual twinkle reappeared in his blue eyes and his posture straightened. "Did you really, boys?" he manly chirped as he suddenly threw himself at the ground so he was kneeling before them...almost in begging position. No, no almost. He essentially was. Eagerly begging for more information.

Wait...what had Mr. Tempus just called him?

Staring at the Hufflepuff for a few long moments, the astronomer was ... confused to say the least. "I suppose you could say that I am alright. A bit confused...but otherwise fit as a fiddle. Everything alright there, Mr. Tempus?" Was he still in a bit of a rut from earlier in the term? While it was students' choice as to which name to refer to the professor, it was....unsettling when they suddenly changed names on him.

But about his suits! "Where did you see them, Mr. Zeke!? WHO DID IT! Give me a name!" SO HE COULD THROW THEM IN AZKABAN! Or, well, if they were underage then they could just serve detention for the rest of the term.

Uh, well... okay, Airey.

Toby sort of blinked at the man now kneeling before them. This sort of behaviour seemed so... weird, yet so much more like Flamsteed. The Hufflepuff nodded, and acted like nothing was out of the ordinary with the, uh, begging professor, and actuallu smiled a little. First smile all day, now that he thought about it. Wow. Bad form.

"Uh-huh, yep, I'm fine. Yeah." Good good, very good. Except Airey had mentioned feeling confused and it didn't take a genius to work out why. The part of Toby that liked to help people wanted to offer to try and fill in the blanks for Professor Flamsteed, whereas another part of him was insisting that he should not bring the Hook stuff up at ALL, that he should just ignore it entirely. An intense internal dilemma took place as the Hufflepuff tried to decide which would be the best course of action.

Amidst this cerebral to and fro, Toby wondered if he should just go ahead and reveal what he had brought with him, but in his hesitation the issue of the suits had been brought up by the Gryffindor boy. Airey seemed understandably gripped by this subject, so Toby decided it would be best to wait until after they knew the fate of the outfits before revealing his little piece of information. If the Mr. Zeke kid had found the suits, Toby would top off the happiness with a reunion, and if it was bad news, then information on Pebbles would be sure to cheer the Astronomy up a little, right? ... Right?

So Toby kept quiet, and waited to see what the Zeke boy knew, his own interest piqued, though he wasn't sure if this would be good news at all. With this in mind, Toby fiddled with the strap of his bag and shifted from foot to foot again.

Zander was quite relieved when Flamsteed let go, but er... Still a bit shook up. He blinked a couple of times as if getting a better look at the man would confirm that none of this was actually happening. How come he was acting even stranger than usual? Something weird must've definitely happened. He'd definitely be running off straight to Ethan and Simon after this. Maybe they could do some of their detective work to figure out what was going in with Professor Flamsteed. Just, weird.

Pet...... Rock? "Well, erm... Professor, maybe this is a sign... Maybe it's uh, outerspace's way of telling you to buy a new pet?" he suggested lamely. "LIKE A CRUPPIE!" And then Flamsteed could help Zander get one and keep his over the summer so that his parents wouldn't find out. And that way Flamsteed's cruppie wouldn't get lonely because he'd have Zander's cruppie to play with and it'd be perfect. But still.............. How come pet rocks were real things? Who'd want a rock? They didn't even do anything?

O_____________O

Okay. That look was back. Flailsteed was looking at him in that scary way again. And Zander was back to being confused. "I'm sure they're not lost..... I'm sure they'll turn up sooner or later, Professor." Like one time, Daniel had borrowed all his socks. And of course, Zander was really confused at the time, but he got them back after a week, and okay so they were all dyed pink, BUT the important part was that they weren't actually missing after all. So it wasn't something to freak out about. Unless someone was really turning all the suits pink because that's probably worth freaking out about.

...... The next bit threw him off guard a little. All that Flailsteed confusion had momentarily distracted him from the real reason as to why he had showed up in the first place. And well, come to think of it, what did bring him here? "Well.... I guess I just wanted to know... H-has the sorting hat ever been wrong?"

.......

The Professor was NUTS. And weak. Because only weak people fell to their knees, he needed to be strong again, to be a leader again, like his life path number had said. "The courtyard, Professor," he answered all smiles and nodding. Did the man forget? CLEARLY. Dude was nuts. NUTS. "I think you did it? I saw the box and went to investigate, you were with it... and Professor Romanos too... and then you er... wanted me to take you to a tree thing."

...

....

And that was a story for another day. Having given the Professor all the intel he had, he was now here to fulfill his own agenda. His house points. The ones that he'd earned and not deserved to have TAKEN from him. Stupid lady was taken away by his mum anyway. Heh.

But, what was the Puffer here for? Could he wait? Could they all just WAIT?

SPOILER!!: Toby & Zeke!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Uh, well... okay, Airey.

Toby sort of blinked at the man now kneeling before them. This sort of behaviour seemed so... weird, yet so much more like Flamsteed. The Hufflepuff nodded, and acted like nothing was out of the ordinary with the, uh, begging professor, and actuallu smiled a little. First smile all day, now that he thought about it. Wow. Bad form.

"Uh-huh, yep, I'm fine. Yeah." Good good, very good. Except Airey had mentioned feeling confused and it didn't take a genius to work out why. The part of Toby that liked to help people wanted to offer to try and fill in the blanks for Professor Flamsteed, whereas another part of him was insisting that he should not bring the Hook stuff up at ALL, that he should just ignore it entirely. An intense internal dilemma took place as the Hufflepuff tried to decide which would be the best course of action.

Amidst this cerebral to and fro, Toby wondered if he should just go ahead and reveal what he had brought with him, but in his hesitation the issue of the suits had been brought up by the Gryffindor boy. Airey seemed understandably gripped by this subject, so Toby decided it would be best to wait until after they knew the fate of the outfits before revealing his little piece of information. If the Mr. Zeke kid had found the suits, Toby would top off the happiness with a reunion, and if it was bad news, then information on Pebbles would be sure to cheer the Astronomy up a little, right? ... Right?

So Toby kept quiet, and waited to see what the Zeke boy knew, his own interest piqued, though he wasn't sure if this would be good news at all. With this in mind, Toby fiddled with the strap of his bag and shifted from foot to foot again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

SPOILER!!: Airey and Toby

.......

The Professor was NUTS. And weak. Because only weak people fell to their knees, he needed to be strong again, to be a leader again, like his life path number had said. "The courtyard, Professor," he answered all smiles and nodding. Did the man forget? CLEARLY. Dude was nuts. NUTS. "I think you did it? I saw the box and went to investigate, you were with it... and Professor Romanos too... and then you er... wanted me to take you to a tree thing."

...

....

And that was a story for another day. Having given the Professor all the intel he had, he was now here to fulfill his own agenda. His house points. The ones that he'd earned and not deserved to have TAKEN from him. Stupid lady was taken away by his mum anyway. Heh.

But, what was the Puffer here for? Could he wait? Could they all just WAIT?

Ah yes, well, that was certainly good news that Mr. Tempus was alright. Although he wasn't entirely convinced that that was all. He could sense from the Hufflepuff's body language that there was more - whether that was in regards to his apparent state of 'okay' or if that was on different topic entirely was all up in the air.

Nodding his head before ALL UNDIVIDED ATTENTION was on Mr. Zeke, he edged forward on his knees and took hold of the boy's robes eagerly. "THE COURTYARD!"　he exclaimed, head through back in hallelujah praise for this little bit of information. Wait...Gryffindor first year say what? HE had...on, well, hold on a second. The astronomer wasn't daft enough to not be able to put THOSE pieces together. "I will disembark immediately to retrieve them!"

He then leaped to his feet and took an immediate step towards the corridor when he stopped. Sweet solstice how selfish of him!

"Would you two care to come along?" he asked with a triumphant grin. "Or, er...did you both come here needing assistance that only the Astronomy Tower can provide?"

SPOILER!!: shhhh it's okay <33 *pets Zander*

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Zander was quite relieved when Flamsteed let go, but er... Still a bit shook up. He blinked a couple of times as if getting a better look at the man would confirm that none of this was actually happening. How come he was acting even stranger than usual? Something weird must've definitely happened. He'd definitely be running off straight to Ethan and Simon after this. Maybe they could do some of their detective work to figure out what was going in with Professor Flamsteed. Just, weird.

Pet...... Rock? "Well, erm... Professor, maybe this is a sign... Maybe it's uh, outerspace's way of telling you to buy a new pet?" he suggested lamely. "LIKE A CRUPPIE!" And then Flamsteed could help Zander get one and keep his over the summer so that his parents wouldn't find out. And that way Flamsteed's cruppie wouldn't get lonely because he'd have Zander's cruppie to play with and it'd be perfect. But still.............. How come pet rocks were real things? Who'd want a rock? They didn't even do anything?

O_____________O

Okay. That look was back. Flailsteed was looking at him in that scary way again. And Zander was back to being confused. "I'm sure they're not lost..... I'm sure they'll turn up sooner or later, Professor." Like one time, Daniel had borrowed all his socks. And of course, Zander was really confused at the time, but he got them back after a week, and okay so they were all dyed pink, BUT the important part was that they weren't actually missing after all. So it wasn't something to freak out about. Unless someone was really turning all the suits pink because that's probably worth freaking out about.

...... The next bit threw him off guard a little. All that Flailsteed confusion had momentarily distracted him from the real reason as to why he had showed up in the first place. And well, come to think of it, what did bring him here? "Well.... I guess I just wanted to know... H-has the sorting hat ever been wrong?"

A....sign.......

..............the universe telling him something...........


.........................

You know what that sounded like? A bunch of scientific hokum, so he wasn't even going to entertain the thought and respond to the Gryffindor.

OH FOR MERLIN'S SAKE! WAS THERE SOMETHING IN THE WATER HERE AT HOGWARTS?! Something that only seemed to have influence on Gryffindors? "You are the third Gryffindor who has come to me this term about this, Mr. Adair," he sighed as he gestured towards the sofa in the waiting area for him to take a seat. Unless the boy really wanted to hold the conversation in his office. "I don't know what has got all of yous wands in knots, or what seriously misinformed words are being spewed at you by others...but the Sorting Hat is never wrong. And it is quite low to use someone's sorting as a means to insult another person." Tautologically no anyway. Airey moved his way towards the sofa and flopped down on it. Unless the boy was against sitting out here. He could be flexible. "While I do agree that perhaps students are sorted a bit too early as it is difficult to see how one's choices define us, you are in Gryffindor for a reason and don't you DARE let anyone tell you otherwise."

The astronomer had a genuine sincerity to his tone and eyes - partly because of the sheer amount of practice he had had with this topic. But it was a bit more than that. He despise how it seemed like others at Hogwarts were trying to fix Gryffindors, HIS Gryffindors now, into a neat little box of what a Gryffindor should be according to their understanding...not what a Gryffindor was. That, and how Gryffindors were doubting their choices.

His robes... Professor Nut was on his robes!!!!! ...... WHAT HAD BECOME OF HIM?!?!!? Poor pooooooooooorrrrr Professor Airey. Zeke felt BAD for him. So bad, that he pat the man on the shoulder. Pooor pooorrr Professor Airey.

The sudden exclamation at his information was... not expected, but it brought a GRIN to his face. This was more like the man he knew. Loud and full of purpose. The whole disembarking thing though, went over his head. What was he disembarking from exactly???

But sfisfhishfsofjwos!!! DON'T GOOOO! Zeke's eyes grew wide, seeing his opportunity slipping past him. So naturally, given the opportunity to tag along, he took it. "I'll come!" he jumped, stepping up after his Head of House. "I need YOUR assistance Professor... it's about my house points, the evil Arithmancy lady took them for no good reason at all, and I want them back!"

They were HIIIIIISSSS house points, fair and square.

SPOILER!!: ZEKE!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

His robes... Professor Nut was on his robes!!!!! ...... WHAT HAD BECOME OF HIM?!?!!? Poor pooooooooooorrrrr Professor Airey. Zeke felt BAD for him. So bad, that he pat the man on the shoulder. Pooor pooorrr Professor Airey.

The sudden exclamation at his information was... not expected, but it brought a GRIN to his face. This was more like the man he knew. Loud and full of purpose. The whole disembarking thing though, went over his head. What was he disembarking from exactly???

But sfisfhishfsofjwos!!! DON'T GOOOO! Zeke's eyes grew wide, seeing his opportunity slipping past him. So naturally, given the opportunity to tag along, he took it. "I'll come!" he jumped, stepping up after his Head of House. "I need YOUR assistance Professor... it's about my house points, the evil Arithmancy lady took them for no good reason at all, and I want them back!"

They were HIIIIIISSSS house points, fair and square.

"STELLAR!" he exclaimed as he threw the young Gryffindor a salute. The astronomer knew that he could always count on Gryffindors to join him on these sort of little mission, quest, things. Eh, whatever it was. Wasn't as though they were about to go walking into a dragon's den or 12 year mission to go where no one has gone before. Just a trip down the moving staircases and to the courtyard to pick up his suits.

He was just about to take another triumphant step - Mr. Tempus was coming along as well, yes? - when Mr. Zeke spoke again. "Come again?" he said as he retract his step and spun around on his heels to face the boys again. "The same Arithmancy professor that was just arrested not too long ago?" Not that his answer really would change all that much. "Under what pretenses did she take these said points for?"

Ah. OKAY. Good news from the Zeke kid then, so that was always good. Toby smiled a little more 'cause Airey DID seem pleased. And... eager to leave to get to the courtyard. So... maybe Toby would wait until another day to bring up certain Hook things. Yeah.

But of course, there was still one order of business to take care of.

"Actually, Professor, I've a few hours of studying still to get done today. But, well... I thought you'd like to see a certain someone again..."

And Toby finally reached into his schoolbag and carefully lifted out the one and only Pebbles, still dressed as Tinkerbell and with some stray tinsel caught on her outfit. Toby carefully picked that off and held her out to the Astronomer to finally take back.

...

"I've been taking good care of her, I promise."

It was comforting seeing Professor Airey STOP and pay him attention for this. Cause it was STUUUUPID. So lame. Not cool. Poor form. All of that stuff, and he'd kept it to himself for long enough, but justice needed to be served! And it was convenient timing with her gone now. And then there was that. She was a criminal, and what she did to him was criminal.

"The same one," he confirmed with a stern nod. Evil witch. The cooolest thing about all that was his mum came to arrest her. Hehehee. That was EPIC. But alas, reasons. REASONS. Where to start? "Well see, we had to have names and birth dates of people we admire, and I didn't have your middle name, so I asked her if she knew it, and that's when she took TWO points from me for disrespecting you by calling you Professor Airey instead of Professor Flamsteed... AND THEN... when I tried to reason with her and tell her that you let me call you that then she took ANOTHER two points for talking back!!!"............. Did he see how unjust that was? Did he? Did he?!

Puffer boy was practically forgotten until OH LOOOK! He had Pebbles!

Hehehe. All's well that ends well.

Zander was a bit taken aback by the sigh, not gonna lie. Maybe he made a mistake coming here to ask for Flamsteed's help. Maybe he should've just sulked by himself. If only Beautiful Bentley were here. She never sighed when he went to her office. But once the man started speaking, Zander lifted a brow. "The third?" he questioned softly, "Is Professor Walton just anti-Gryffindor?" Zander knew it had to be him. He was probably telling all the Gryffindors that they didn't belong. Except.... It probably wasn't. And Professor Walton wasn't the only one who had told him that stuff before. That he was undeserving. That he was a disgrace.

And following his Professor's lead, Zander made his way towards the couch. The couch that he had coincidentally helped clean last term, but now wasn't really the time to flashback. He had to be present in the moment. He had to know things. The Sorting Hat is never wrong? "Never?" he was uncertain. The fourth year did believe Flamsteed, but how was the guy supposed to know? What if it just made a really, really big mistake with Zander. What if it really meant to say Hufflepuff.... Or what if he just didn't belong at all.

Running a hand through his hair, he thought about the words that the Astronomy Professor had just said. Then, lifting his head slowly he turned to look at the man once more. "But it just seems like everyone is more 'deserving' of Gryffindor," he said using the very word that was used against him. "I'll never be as bold as Kevin or as Brave as Lex, or as courageous as AJ...." It was his turn to let out a sigh, except this was in exasperation. "And on top of all that, how can I prove everyone wrong if they're all trying to tell me that I'm not what I'm supposed to be?" What did the sorting hat see in him anyways? Because whatever it was seemed to be missing from what everyone else thought of him all of the time. Even his own friends told him he wasn't a Gryffindor. It was embarrassing. And Zander didn't really have reason to disagree with them...

SPOILER!!: Toby & Zeke!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Ah. OKAY. Good news from the Zeke kid then, so that was always good. Toby smiled a little more 'cause Airey DID seem pleased. And... eager to leave to get to the courtyard. So... maybe Toby would wait until another day to bring up certain Hook things. Yeah.

But of course, there was still one order of business to take care of.

"Actually, Professor, I've a few hours of studying still to get done today. But, well... I thought you'd like to see a certain someone again..."

And Toby finally reached into his schoolbag and carefully lifted out the one and only Pebbles, still dressed as Tinkerbell and with some stray tinsel caught on her outfit. Toby carefully picked that off and held her out to the Astronomer to finally take back.

...

"I've been taking good care of her, I promise."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

It was comforting seeing Professor Airey STOP and pay him attention for this. Cause it was STUUUUPID. So lame. Not cool. Poor form. All of that stuff, and he'd kept it to himself for long enough, but justice needed to be served! And it was convenient timing with her gone now. And then there was that. She was a criminal, and what she did to him was criminal.

"The same one," he confirmed with a stern nod. Evil witch. The cooolest thing about all that was his mum came to arrest her. Hehehee. That was EPIC. But alas, reasons. REASONS. Where to start? "Well see, we had to have names and birth dates of people we admire, and I didn't have your middle name, so I asked her if she knew it, and that's when she took TWO points from me for disrespecting you by calling you Professor Airey instead of Professor Flamsteed... AND THEN... when I tried to reason with her and tell her that you let me call you that then she took ANOTHER two points for talking back!!!"............. Did he see how unjust that was? Did he? Did he?!

Puffer boy was practically forgotten until OH LOOOK! He had Pebbles!

Hehehe. All's well that ends well.

The professor listened, honestly half expecting some sort of wild tale involving stink bombs and other such joys he had partaken in as a first year, and was seriously disappointed. Not just because points had been taken from Gryffindor for some rubbish reason (hey, point loss happened and if Gryffindors were going to lose any they better be for epic reasons), but because it seemed as though the former Arithmancy professor showed a lack of faith and truth in a student's word. Granted, he himself had not been the trustworthy sort...but it wasn't as though the first year was Mr. Hirase (no offense there, you just have a reputation).

"Well, seeing as she is no longer among us so we can reconcile this properly face to face, I will just have to make an executive decision and reverse this point loss," he said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

Now could they go get hi-----

"PEBBLES!"

It was like a scene from a muggle romantic film - or that one old television show with lifeguards - as the astronomer move towards Mr. Tempus and his pet rock. The thing with slow motion running was that, well, it looked utterly ridiculous in real life. Utterly. But that was precisely what the professor was doing; slowing his motions down dramatically as his grin grew so wide it looked as though it would stretch right off his face.

"OOOOOOOH I COULD KISS YOU!" he exclaimed as he threw his arms around the Hufflepuff and Pebbles for a firm group hug.

And then he realized what he was doing.

...and what he had just shouted out without his professionalism filter and common sense switch.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeer. The rock. He had totally meant the rock. Was that not clear?

...............

"PEBBLES!" he manly squeaked as he plucked the rock from the boy and then proceeded to plant a big ol' kiss on her stone features.

His suits AND his beloved pet back in the same day. It was better that hot chocolate with gourmet marshmallows on Christmas morning. With the exception of this past Christmas morning. Ahem.

SPOILER!!: Zander!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Zander was a bit taken aback by the sigh, not gonna lie. Maybe he made a mistake coming here to ask for Flamsteed's help. Maybe he should've just sulked by himself. If only Beautiful Bentley were here. She never sighed when he went to her office. But once the man started speaking, Zander lifted a brow. "The third?" he questioned softly, "Is Professor Walton just anti-Gryffindor?" Zander knew it had to be him. He was probably telling all the Gryffindors that they didn't belong. Except.... It probably wasn't. And Professor Walton wasn't the only one who had told him that stuff before. That he was undeserving. That he was a disgrace.

And following his Professor's lead, Zander made his way towards the couch. The couch that he had coincidentally helped clean last term, but now wasn't really the time to flashback. He had to be present in the moment. He had to know things. The Sorting Hat is never wrong? "Never?" he was uncertain. The fourth year did believe Flamsteed, but how was the guy supposed to know? What if it just made a really, really big mistake with Zander. What if it really meant to say Hufflepuff.... Or what if he just didn't belong at all.

Running a hand through his hair, he thought about the words that the Astronomy Professor had just said. Then, lifting his head slowly he turned to look at the man once more. "But it just seems like everyone is more 'deserving' of Gryffindor," he said using the very word that was used against him. "I'll never be as bold as Kevin or as Brave as Lex, or as courageous as AJ...." It was his turn to let out a sigh, except this was in exasperation. "And on top of all that, how can I prove everyone wrong if they're all trying to tell me that I'm not what I'm supposed to be?" What did the sorting hat see in him anyways? Because whatever it was seemed to be missing from what everyone else thought of him all of the time. Even his own friends told him he wasn't a Gryffindor. It was embarrassing. And Zander didn't really have reason to disagree with them...

"The third," he confirmed, patting the sofa again.

Aaaaaaah Andy Pandy. Airey just chuckled and leaned back into his seat a bit. It did not surprise him that the Herbology professor was being a proper stick in the mud about things, especially about Gryffindors. That had probably been the astronomer's doing as a student. The man had been the victim of a fair share of Airey's pranks. "He may be, but speculating about other's opinions and thoughts can drive a person mad," he said with a small shake of the head. "His words wouldn't have affected you so....if you did not believe them."

A notion that was proven by the very fact that Mr. Adair was sitting here right now having this conversation with his Head of House.

Turning his body so that he was half way facing the boy, Airey rested his arms against his knees and pressed his fingers together firmly as he leaned over. His gaze remained on the Gryffindor's face and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Mr. Adair, what can you tell me about Neville Longbottom?" he asked.

And hopefully the boy was alright at History of Magic, otherwise this conversation would turn into a mini lesson first and THEN he could get to his point.

Slightly lifting an eyebrow at the confirmation, Zander almost asked who the other two were. Almost, but he refrained from doing so. Not because he wasn't truly curious or anything, but mostly because he knew that he didn't want Professor Flamsteed telling everyone that he had visited, so the others- whoever they were- would probably want the same thing. That and he already thought he knew who one of them was: Kevin. The third year had some weird ideas when he talked to Zander in the dormitories after the 'not-really-a-detention detention' and the only person who could really do that to the Gryffindor was probably Flamsteed. It was always the Head of House, you know? No one else really ever got to the boy. Props to you Airey, props to you.

But back to the point. 'Speculating about other's opinions and thoughts can drive a person mad'? But that's all the Gryffindor ever did! Speculate. Granted, most of the time he was wrong, BUT not this time. Professor Walton had for a fact said horrible things to him. So it was only likely that he said the same to the others too!!! But the second part caught him off guard. The believing part. And thus, Zander lowered his head in shame. He didn't believe them last year. He tried his hardest not to believe them ever. Except, it was so much harder than it sounded. No one else understood. It wasn't like he was trying to believe.

Neville Longbottom? Zander looked up and met Flamsteed's eyes with his own. What was the Astronomy Professor going on about huuuh?? "Uh, wasn't he an old Herbology Professor, or something?" Was the world trying to tell him something? Professor Bentley.... Professor Walton.... Neville Longbottom? Wait, no! He had heard the name somewhere else too... "Wait, he was the bloke who helped Harry fight against the evil death eaters during the war... But... Professor," Zander still didn't understand. "No offense, but-uh-I don't- why are you asking me about Neville Longbottom?"

.................................................. what.

The slow-mo running from Airey, proper romance romance movie (or spoof romance movie style) was amusing enough, but Toby did his very best to NOT laugh. This was a special moment, and he wouldn't laugh AT Airey, he'd smile WITH him. And that's what Toby did, until...

"Err..."

He has in a HUG with AIREY and PEBBLES. Of all the professors and people in general that Toby ever expected to one day recieve a hug from, Professor Flamsteed was not on that list. Instinct was telling him to hug back, but he was a liiiiiiittle bit frozen in place because of what ELSE Airey had said.

But before Toby even had the time to say 'please don't', Airey had let go and was smooching the rock. Right, okay. Toby could handle that.

The Hufflepuff finally grinned properly up at the Astronomer, glad to see he and Pebbles finally reunited. This happiness? He'd helped make it happen, and that just made Toby's spirits soar.

"Glad I could bring you both back together," he said sincerely, choosing not to mention the professor's apparent lapse in, err... composure. It was cool. Emotional moment. Toby understood, and figured Airey might like to just pretend it hadn't happened. Ahem.

SPOILER!!: ZANDER!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Slightly lifting an eyebrow at the confirmation, Zander almost asked who the other two were. Almost, but he refrained from doing so. Not because he wasn't truly curious or anything, but mostly because he knew that he didn't want Professor Flamsteed telling everyone that he had visited, so the others- whoever they were- would probably want the same thing. That and he already thought he knew who one of them was: Kevin. The third year had some weird ideas when he talked to Zander in the dormitories after the 'not-really-a-detention detention' and the only person who could really do that to the Gryffindor was probably Flamsteed. It was always the Head of House, you know? No one else really ever got to the boy. Props to you Airey, props to you.

But back to the point. 'Speculating about other's opinions and thoughts can drive a person mad'? But that's all the Gryffindor ever did! Speculate. Granted, most of the time he was wrong, BUT not this time. Professor Walton had for a fact said horrible things to him. So it was only likely that he said the same to the others too!!! But the second part caught him off guard. The believing part. And thus, Zander lowered his head in shame. He didn't believe them last year. He tried his hardest not to believe them ever. Except, it was so much harder than it sounded. No one else understood. It wasn't like he was trying to believe.

Neville Longbottom? Zander looked up and met Flamsteed's eyes with his own. What was the Astronomy Professor going on about huuuh?? "Uh, wasn't he an old Herbology Professor, or something?" Was the world trying to tell him something? Professor Bentley.... Professor Walton.... Neville Longbottom? Wait, no! He had heard the name somewhere else too... "Wait, he was the bloke who helped Harry fight against the evil death eaters during the war... But... Professor," Zander still didn't understand. "No offense, but-uh-I don't- why are you asking me about Neville Longbottom?"

Alright, not all that familiar with history then. That would make things a little more time consuming, but certainly not an issue.

"Yes, he was all those things," Airey nodded as he slipped his shoes off so he could set his feet up on the sofa without feeling guilty. One leg nestled comfortably under the other now, he rocked back so his back was pressed against the padding. "Some history books, including Hogwarts, A History, describe him as one of the, if not the, bravest of Gryffindors during the final battle. But are you familiar with how he was perceived during his early days at Hogwarts?" Perhaps read one of the student memoirs? There was quite an impressive one written by Hermione Weasley in her later years. Airey had taken a special interest in her story due to her muggleborn background, so he naturally had a copy back in his home.

"He was a lot like you, Mr. Adair. Not exactly the same as everyone is different. Neville Longbottom was mostly a shy, clumsy, terribly introverted during the beginning of his time at Hogwarts. He was constantly being told by his own family, his grandmother, that he was not good enough or living up to his parents' accomplishments or those expected of the House of Gryffindor." Was he seeing where this was going? Surely a bright young spirit like Mr. Adair could figure the pieces of this puzzle before he had to say too much. "And now look at what he is known for. The key thing is, Mr. Adair, the thing that separates a Gryffindor from others is perserverance. The unwillingness to give up when others show doubt or try to fit your square shape into a round peg."

He paused for just a moment to wiggle back and forth to help his muscles relax a bit more. "You know, Mr. Adair, stellar luminosity is determined by two factors. Size and effective temperature. There are an infinite number of numerical combinations possible and yet despite those differences...a star is still a star."

SPOILER!!: TOBY!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

.................................................. what.

The slow-mo running from Airey, proper romance romance movie (or spoof romance movie style) was amusing enough, but Toby did his very best to NOT laugh. This was a special moment, and he wouldn't laugh AT Airey, he'd smile WITH him. And that's what Toby did, until...

"Err..."

He has in a HUG with AIREY and PEBBLES. Of all the professors and people in general that Toby ever expected to one day recieve a hug from, Professor Flamsteed was not on that list. Instinct was telling him to hug back, but he was a liiiiiiittle bit frozen in place because of what ELSE Airey had said.

But before Toby even had the time to say 'please don't', Airey had let go and was smooching the rock. Right, okay. Toby could handle that.

The Hufflepuff finally grinned properly up at the Astronomer, glad to see he and Pebbles finally reunited. This happiness? He'd helped make it happen, and that just made Toby's spirits soar.

"Glad I could bring you both back together," he said sincerely, choosing not to mention the professor's apparent lapse in, err... composure. It was cool. Emotional moment. Toby understood, and figured Airey might like to just pretend it hadn't happened. Ahem.

Airey began to snuggle his pet rock against his cheek, taking of the slight addition to decoration on her, and threw Mr. Tempus another sparkly-eyed thankful look before speaking. "I am eternally grateful to you, Mr. Tempus. I know it isn't much, but take 10 points for taking care of Pebbles all this time," he said, eyes still definitely sparkling. "And a favor, whatever it may be. I owe you one of those as well."

His gaze then shifted to his shoes briefly. "I heard that...I threw her," he mumbled. "I hope not at you." Which was sort of the beginning of an apology. He just was unsure of how much of an apology he owed people. His recollection of things was a bit more...positive than others seemed to describe. Save for Miss Cambridge. She seemed downright giddy and amused by the whole thing.

Oh. Guh. Points. TEN points, too. And a favour. Toby gave another forced, awkward little smile at that, because he wasn't sure he really deserved those points at all.

"Thanks Professor," he said anyway, noticing how Airey's demeanor had changed. Toby worried the inside of his lip as he considered Airey's words. Well... that was one thing at least. Nobody had been the target of a rock attack.

"No, not at me," he quickly assured the Astronomer with a shake of his head. Okay, he couldn't leave Airey in the dark about what happened; Toby couldn't imagine what it must be like to totally blank on a lesson like that and have to deal with everyone else knowing what you'd said or done. Didn't bear thinking about. "Just... across the room. But, uhh... you, or, well... whoever 'you' were... I mean... there was talk of making some of us walk the plank, and the plank turned out to be the window. And you had this... hook. And you... said... stuff."

Toby shifted awkwardly, skirting around the topic of just what specific 'stuff' was said. He bit his lip again and paused before suddenly...

"I'm really, really sorry, Professor. It was my idea to lock you in the closet. Just until we could... could get the Healer or a Professor or someone to help. I was... really worried."

GUILT. GUILT. SO MUCH GUILT. Guh. Tobes was feeling it.

The Hufflepuff stood there, feeling guilty and awful AND even worse because of admitting OUT LOUD to TWO PEOPLE that he'd felt something NEGATIVE, and figured that if Airey got angry and shouted at him and took back everything then he would totally accept that.

Zander honestly had no idea where the Astronomy Professor was going with all of this... But, he couldn't help but be a little proud that he had sort of known who Neville Longbottom was- History of Magic had never been his best subject so this was comforting. Wasn't a TOTAL failure. Wait.... Did Flamsteed say bravest? The fourth year tilted his head a little questioningly because well, wasn't Harry Potter the bravest one? But before he could ask, the Professor had asked a question of his own. Zander shook his head because really he never thought to look into any famous person's time as a student. It'd be a lot of research and Zander wasn't really willing. Learning the more recent facts was hard enough.

But again, Zander had no idea where the Professor was going with all of this. And as if the man had read the boy's mind, an explanation soon followed. Neville Longbottom? Was a lot like-- Really?! Instinctively, the Gryffindor leaned in a little closer. Could that possibly be? Neville was a hero and if anything Zander was at most, a sidekick- Even Kyroh said so. But Zander kept listening. Never mind the fact that Airey had just called him shy, clumsy, and basically a loser like the "old" Neville Longbottom. The important thing was that Neville wasn't always a hero? Now THAT was weird.

The fourth year stayed quiet for a while. Listening carefully. Oddly enough, someone was actually starting to get through to him. Maybe Flamsteed was making it all up... But... It was enough to quiet Zander down and get him to listen. And that was really all he needed. And of course, it's no Airey speech unless there's a space analogy. Typical. But this one, well, it actually kind of made sense. Kinda??

After a minute of deep thought, the Gryffindor finally looked back up at the Professor, with a trace of a grin making itself the slightest bit evident. "Do you think Neville Longbottom ever had doubts?" If Neville was just as awkward of a kid as Professor Flamsteed had described then maybe you didn't have to be a Kevin Hirase to be a Gryffindor. Maybe you didn't have to be an AJ Valentine or an Alexa Cambridge. Maybe sometimes it was okay to be Zander Adair of Gryffindor House. Ever since his first year, he had felt undeserving of the house, but maybe it wasn't as round peg- or whatever that was supposed to mean- as he had thought.

You know what Zander was going to do once he left this office? Go to the library. Wait what? Yes, to the library: to check out a book about one Neville Longbottom.

SPOILER!!: TOBY!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Oh. Guh. Points. TEN points, too. And a favour. Toby gave another forced, awkward little smile at that, because he wasn't sure he really deserved those points at all.

"Thanks Professor," he said anyway, noticing how Airey's demeanor had changed. Toby worried the inside of his lip as he considered Airey's words. Well... that was one thing at least. Nobody had been the target of a rock attack.

"No, not at me," he quickly assured the Astronomer with a shake of his head. Okay, he couldn't leave Airey in the dark about what happened; Toby couldn't imagine what it must be like to totally blank on a lesson like that and have to deal with everyone else knowing what you'd said or done. Didn't bear thinking about. "Just... across the room. But, uhh... you, or, well... whoever 'you' were... I mean... there was talk of making some of us walk the plank, and the plank turned out to be the window. And you had this... hook. And you... said... stuff."

Toby shifted awkwardly, skirting around the topic of just what specific 'stuff' was said. He bit his lip again and paused before suddenly...

"I'm really, really sorry, Professor. It was my idea to lock you in the closet. Just until we could... could get the Healer or a Professor or someone to help. I was... really worried."

GUILT. GUILT. SO MUCH GUILT. Guh. Tobes was feeling it.

The Hufflepuff stood there, feeling guilty and awful AND even worse because of admitting OUT LOUD to TWO PEOPLE that he'd felt something NEGATIVE, and figured that if Airey got angry and shouted at him and took back everything then he would totally accept that.

Airey threw the Hufflepuff an enthusiastic salute, one he thought was the last for the time being as there were suits that needed to be collected, and was relieved to hear that he ha dn't thrown Pebbles at Mr. Tempus. At least that was something positive he had heard about the whole ordeal. Again, conflicting stories and sentiments about what had happened. He could only remember tingly feelings. Warm tingly feelings and...and fuzzy memories really.

Wait...Hufflepuff say what?

Windows? Oh SWEET SOLSTICE! He really could have killed someone! And he thought that the ice cream had been his worst hour at the school thus far...but this. This was a whole new level of...something...

Only why did he still get all man!giggly when thinking back on his dreamlike reality?

On the bright side...at least now the mystery of how he had gotten into that closet was entirely clear now. Miss Cambridge hadn't name dropped anyone.

"Mr. Tempus," he said, his voice unusually firm and quiet. I could have killed someone. "You have absolutely nothing to feel remorse about. I was the one who put you and your classmates in an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation. As an educator, I am ashamed." Among other things.

He took a step towards the young man and placed a firm, but comforting, hand on Mr. Tempus' right shoulder. "You did right, Mr. Tempus. Even if once I...er...returned...I was not particularly fond of my surroundings."

Now, was the Hufflepuff done telling the astronomer stories that made him want to plank under the sofa?

SPOILER!!: ZANDER!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Zander honestly had no idea where the Astronomy Professor was going with all of this... But, he couldn't help but be a little proud that he had sort of known who Neville Longbottom was- History of Magic had never been his best subject so this was comforting. Wasn't a TOTAL failure. Wait.... Did Flamsteed say bravest? The fourth year tilted his head a little questioningly because well, wasn't Harry Potter the bravest one? But before he could ask, the Professor had asked a question of his own. Zander shook his head because really he never thought to look into any famous person's time as a student. It'd be a lot of research and Zander wasn't really willing. Learning the more recent facts was hard enough.

But again, Zander had no idea where the Professor was going with all of this. And as if the man had read the boy's mind, an explanation soon followed. Neville Longbottom? Was a lot like-- Really?! Instinctively, the Gryffindor leaned in a little closer. Could that possibly be? Neville was a hero and if anything Zander was at most, a sidekick- Even Kyroh said so. But Zander kept listening. Never mind the fact that Airey had just called him shy, clumsy, and basically a loser like the "old" Neville Longbottom. The important thing was that Neville wasn't always a hero? Now THAT was weird.

The fourth year stayed quiet for a while. Listening carefully. Oddly enough, someone was actually starting to get through to him. Maybe Flamsteed was making it all up... But... It was enough to quiet Zander down and get him to listen. And that was really all he needed. And of course, it's no Airey speech unless there's a space analogy. Typical. But this one, well, it actually kind of made sense. Kinda??

After a minute of deep thought, the Gryffindor finally looked back up at the Professor, with a trace of a grin making itself the slightest bit evident. "Do you think Neville Longbottom ever had doubts?" If Neville was just as awkward of a kid as Professor Flamsteed had described then maybe you didn't have to be a Kevin Hirase to be a Gryffindor. Maybe you didn't have to be an AJ Valentine or an Alexa Cambridge. Maybe sometimes it was okay to be Zander Adair of Gryffindor House. Ever since his first year, he had felt undeserving of the house, but maybe it wasn't as round peg- or whatever that was supposed to mean- as he had thought.

You know what Zander was going to do once he left this office? Go to the library. Wait what? Yes, to the library: to check out a book about one Neville Longbottom.

Airey tapped his chin with his knuckles for a few moments, selecting his words carefully. Pep talks were HARD, okay? And students tended to be a little more sensitive than he was delicate, so that was an additional layer of complications.

"Doesn't everyone, Mr. Adair? To some degree or another? It is simply in human nature to do so, and to say that they do not and never will experience such a thing...well...it is my conclusion that they are in denial. Almost everyone has serious moments of self-doubt at some point in his or her life." He paused for a moment to wet his lips and clear his throat as repressed memories resurfaced. "I suggest that perhaps you go to the library and look up Mr. Longbottom. His biography should be in the History section I believe. From Mandrake to Mimbulus Mimbletonia: The Neville Longbottom Story by....Abigail Pittiman." He was fairly certain that that was the title of the book. It had been a while since he had read that particular text.

Not since his, er, temporary leave of Hogwarts his second year.

Gah. GAH.

Toby chewed harder on his lip as Airey spoke again, certain he'd never heard the guy speak that... well, that seriously before. But as the Astronomer went on, Toby felt as though a massive weight had been lifted, as though there was a sort of literal shift in him, and he somehow felt significantly better. Well, apart from when he thought about how Airey must be feeling. But, selfishly enough, knowing his professor wasn't angry at him just... made a big difference. Toby felt his features relax into more of a smile, and stopped worrying the inside of his lip.

"It wasn't your fault, Professor. I don't think anyone blames you or holds it against you at all, not since stuff's been happening to a bunch of other folk." Clear memories of Lex as Maleficent, and those other kids as Aladdin and Peter Pan were vivid in his mind. "I know I don't."

Much better. Toby was feeling sooo much better, and smiled properly up at Airey when the man placed a hand on his shoulder. He'd done right. It was okay. Airey wasn't upset with him. Huzzah.

"Well," the Hufflepuff replied, already visibly much more relaxed than he had been at the start of this whole interaction. "I'm glad I did something right in there, that's for sure." If Toby had been planning to tell Professor Flamsteed what had been said as Hook, all thoughts of that were gone from his mind. No need to make the guy feel any more guilty than he already did. Toby knew what misplaced guilt could do to a person. "Shall I let you get to your suits now, Professor Airey?"

Much more relaxed now. Yup.