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of Headmistress Truebridge
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UPMOST was a word, right? Upmost? Eden didn't like the way Truebridge had repeated it back to her. Was she missing a JOKE? The Ravenclaw just flushed and Eden followed the ROYALTY up to her office. Yep. Royalty all right. Eden glanced around and crinkled her nose. "Your office is very...." Disgusting? "Pink." Great. Eden's least favorite color. She tried not to look at the stuff on Truebridge's desk because it meant Eden would have to think of her as a PERSON and not just as her headmistress. That would just be weird. Professors didn't have LIVES outside of school...nope nope NOPE. They most certainly did NOT. Did sense an animal presence? She noticed the fluffy bed, empty, and peered around a bit...she did like cats..or..whatever Truebridge kept as a pet. You never KNEW with her... |
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Either way, she didn't have THAT much to look at, besides Bunz's impeccable decorating taste. All her personal items were facing toward her, just the way she liked them. "So, the two things....?" she prompted the Ravenclaw. |
*can't remember if Eden actually came IN here or not?* Quote:
But no matter, right now. The seventeen-year-old just cleared her throat once more and tried to feel...adult about this. And be professional. AND NOT EMOTIONAL. "Well...I'm not sure which to start with...are you in a good mood, or a bad mood?" Was that appropriate? She supposed it didn't matter, though, and just sighed-"Never mind, never mind! Never mind. Um." Ahem. "I...after recently writing that pet article...for the Quill....realize that the limited amount of pets we're allowed is kind of...well....limiting," she began. "And...I honestly think you should add snakes to the list. Do you KNOW how good of pets snakes are? I have TWO at home--" AT HOME. "And while one of them isn't nice--one of them IS and--AND--she's a great pet, and I just...know a lot of my classmates have snakes and I think there's no reason why a RAT is allowed, but not a SNAKE. Just as docile!" Usually. Usually. |
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Was she seriously ASKING what kind of mood the Headmistress was in? There was NO WAY that was a good idea, EVER. EVER. THANKFULLY for THIS child, Anastasia was too busy staring at her in disbelief and blinking furiously to answer before Eden changed her mind. "I will not add snakes to the list of approved Hogwarts pets. Snakes have never been on the list of acceptable pets in the entire history of this school, and I will NOT add them now." Ugh, snakes. It was bad enough that Cece had adopted one for Slytherin house... Anastasia seriously did not need MORE of those in this castle. Plus... "What if your snake got loose? Snakes can eat wizards, you know. I have NEVER heard of a rat eating a person." |
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Merlin. Was she going mad? Probably. "My CORN SNAKE only eats...what I feed her...and she would NEVER eat a wizard. Ever. Most snakes you can have as pets don't even have the proper equipment to KILL people..." she said, sitting up straight. "But it's okay, Headmistress. It was just a thought....since...they're vastly misunderstood creatures. I thought you'd understand." Ahem. |
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And now she was getting irritated. Particularly with the I thought you'd understand smart remark. Annie was actually grinding her teeth to keep from saying something worse than what was already coming out of her mouth. "You might think yourself responsible because you've been allowed on the Quill staff, but I doubt your capabilities as a pet-owner, Miss McGee. You seem to lack the foresight of a thoughtful and caring owner, just as you lack the foresight to THINK before you speak." She stood then, as she saw her own pet coming into the room, and scooped Gingy up before he'd barely put a paw into the office. The redhead snuggled into her similarly-colored cat's fur and shot death glares at the girl from behind the safety of his claws. "Was there another issue you wished for me to address?" Or could she kick the girl out now? She'd certainly done the minimum required to humor her. |
Eden took Truebride's scolding...in stride. Maybe she wanted to cry a little...or a lot. Maybe she wanted to....run out of there. But she didn't, and she just took a deep breath as Anastasia Truebridge...tore riiiiiight into her character. "I..understand your annoyance with me, Headmistress." She said softly, a little deflated, but still...Eden was proud of herself for not crying. "But I...I'm not sure I can let you call me an incapable pet owner, especially since I got an internship at...a Golden Snidget sanctuary...run by a Tiberius Pryce..he went here....and he was impressed with me, and...I did a lot of good work there, and I DO plan on going to University for Magizoocology. So...I have to disagree with you, Headmistress. Respectfully." She couldn't believe she had just actually stood up for herself...it was...Eden surprised herself. Hmph. "But...as for the allowing snakes issue...well. That's all right. You ARE the headmistress. I respect your answer, and I won't bother you again." Eden's tone had changed slightly. Aaaaand she had crossed her ankles, something she was doing without realizing; sitting properly? WHAT? And..yes. "The other reason is a bit more important, at least in my opinion--and--with you teaching Herbology--" she flushed, and decided to add, "Which is one of my favorite classes, actually, so...that'll be ....fun--" ahem-- "I think you'd...well, I think you care about our grounds...I hope. I just think....that recycle bins would be...really nice for our school." There. She took a deep breath...again. "Because we waste a lot of parchment and...I don't know. We could USE all of that..." Eden's lower lip was trembling because...she did want to cry still. >.< ....."Your cat is very pretty, by the way. I like that he--she--matches your--" and she gestured at her hair, meaning...yes, GINGER cat for a REDHEADED woman. |
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The recycling bins idea, however, was not a bad suggestion. Hmmm. Perhaps she would mention that to her Deputy, see what he thought? SHE, of course, was far too busy to deal with such nuisances, and wasn't going to reward the poorly-behaved child by praising her idea. Instead, she swept toward the back chambers of her office, her nose up up up in the air as she stroked Gingersnapple. "I quite think we're done here, McGee. The door is here. Show yourself out." She pointed her wand at the door so it opened with a bang and then turned on her heel, deliberating snubbing the Ravenclaw AND her compliment about her cat. Bunz out. |
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She thought this part of the meeting had went well, then! Look at that. Eden didn't smile, but she did stand up and nod her head at the redheaded woman. "Thank you for your time--" Eh. It could have gone worse? Eden wasn't sure what to expect..........except........Herbology would be interesting. AHEM. She scrambled out quickly--very quickly. |
with permission ... *ahem* One of the benefits of having a daughter at Hogwarts was that he received useful inside information on the happening of Hogwarts. Like the appearance of new passageways to and from Hogsmeade into the castle. Made this service to the Master must easier to accomplish, especially with the shorter distance to buzz about. People were not usually observant enough to notice the mosquito buzzing through the corridors and even if they had would have thought much of its presence. This particular mosquito was a bit peculiar as it carried something skewered with its snout. Zigzagging into the empty office, the Daily Prophet Editor-in-Chief reverted back to his human form just in time for the some enchantments on some his belongings to wear off. Taking a few moments to look around the office for anything else that may be useful to the Master, his vacant eyes fell on the article hanging on the wall and an eerie glimmer glazed his eyes. Now he knew just the right buttons to push for the upcoming article. Reaching for the documents and a handbook that had fallen to the floor during his transformation, he disposed of them in one of the drawers of the Headmistress' desk and gave the room one last look over before transforming once again to head to his next location with the remaining documents skewered to his snout. |
Ever since a certain first-year had broken into her office in her first term as Headmistress, Anastasia had exercised the utmost caution in setting up the wards around her territory. She happened to be in the back, feeding and brushing Gingersnapple, when she was alerted to an intruder breaking these wards. Quote:
"Who's there?" she called out anyway, casting a nonverbal spell that should reveal any human or animal presence. It revealed nothing. Hmmm. The redhead still proceeded with caution to her desk to look for anything out of the ordinary or out of place, and honestly... didn't see anything, at first. So it was time to start opening and closing drawers then, and moving things around to see if it was just her paranoia getting the best of her, or if there had in fact been an intruder in here just a moment ago... Wards didn't just lie. Her spellwork was impeccable! She just couldn't shake the feeling that someone had just been in here, uninvited. |
By the time Sabel reached Truebridge's office, he was firmly set in his resolve of the things he needed to do. His initial anger had cooled to a chilling calm, and along with the book and paper in one hand, his wand was in his other. He was aware of how terrible of a way it would be to start his first year off as Professor, and so close to Christmas too, but he couldn't quell his concern. This, he needed to do. Even the troubled look of the Headmistress as he got to the top of the stairs and stepped into her office didn't dissuade him. "What did I tell you, when you asked me if I could stand students finding out my most regrettable secret." Hello Professor. How are you? Pleased to meet Mr. Paranoid again? He really didn't care, and his expression, as well as his hold on his wand, said as much. |
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These two newest items were, curiously enough, a handbook with the Cult of Walpurgis logo on it and a crinkled-up poster that looked as though it had just been dug out of the pocket of a child. WHY they were in her office was beyond her.... so, would Dakest have answers? She looked up from the items to see him there looking like he absolutely wanted to destroy someone (or something). And, he had similar items in his hand...? What the--- "Why don't you sit down and remind me," she replied simply, quickly, gesturing toward the chair opposite her with one hand and pointing her wand at her teapot with the other. Tea. It was a necessity when one was shaken, and it would be simply unpatriotic of her not to serve some now. |
SPOILER!!: Bunz Sabel was a hairspan away from hexing the poor woman when she moved her wand. A hairspan that was given only because he didn't want to make a mistake. Because he wasn't a child. Because despite his concerns, he wasn't getting a feeling of 'wrongness' to the situation. Just, equal concern. He watched her hand on her wand, noting a slight tremble. Fear, or something else? "You should remember." He didn't move. |
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"For the love of Merlin, Dakest, don't hex me for making tea," the redhead snapped, dropping her wand to her desk with a clatter. See? Unarmed. Aurors these days! "Sit. Let's talk. I see you have something in your hand similar to what I found in my office just now." She gestured to the stack of two oddball items in the center of her desk. "Why they're here, I don't know. You said the worst thing you had done no longer held any weight over you. Is that still true or did you change your mind because of this?" Annie gave the handbook and poster a nudge toward him. |
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Turning, Sabel cast a Imperturbable Charm over the room before stowing his wand. "I..had to be sure." The apology was muttered as he turned back, finally taking stock of the state her office was in. He'd only been in it a few times before, but like him, Truebridge kept a neat and orderly place. It was still visible in the three piles on her desk, though the disarray from concern was evident. Stopping on the opposite side of her desk, Sabel placed his own handful down on the corner, taking the nudged book and parchments and turning them about slowly. "The worst thing I did had, and has, no relation to the Cult." May as well say it. Surely they were both thinking it. His eyes flicked up to her, searching her expression for any reaction to the title. What had been her relation to the Cult, or was it merely by association? Pieces of theories were quickly snapping into place, each less desirable than the last. |
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"That's reassuring," she quipped, nearly smirking at him, but not, because he was, after all, a very tense and hotheaded young Auror man. No, it really was reassuring that this Cult thing had nothing to do with Sabel. She just had to wonder now... "Why do you have the same book I do? Whoever planted these things did a very poor job of it." There was no question in her mind that these items were placed in her desk, and in Sabel's, for a reason. |
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Letting out a breath, he dropped the book onto her desk and leaned back in his chair, scrubbing at his brow as he closed his eyes. "We should get the Professors to check their offices. See if we are the only ones or not." He doubted it was even worth checking Hogwarts for the infiltrator. Could have been anyone. Though the wards weren't set off. Why weren't the wards set off? His gut twisted uncomfortably. "And contact the MLE." It was said quietly, almost regrettably. "As for why they are in my office, I feel it's a simple enough answer." Dropping his hand he stared at the books. "I was a YATI when the Cult was in the ministry, helped to bring them down." In a manner of speaking. Shifting his weight he fished in his pocket and unfolded the article that had come out not long ago. "And there's this." He tossed the wretched thing on the table. She'd seen it before of course, it was the exact same one that had her red circle on it. "Have the feeling that either there might be some damn truth to these lies after all, or someone's aiming to discredit us both, and further these foolish accusations. I doubt these are all there is to this scheme." Perhaps then they shouldn't contact the MLE, but something told him Rainey needed to know. Be it a misplaced sense of duty or otherwise, the man needed to know. Even if he would just laugh it all off and tell him to lighten up. But then why in Truebridge's office? Unless it was because she hired him. Or for the simple fact that she was Headmistress. Removing the head of Hogwarts, now that would be a feat long desired of the underdogs. A grim smile touched his lips at the thought of it. |
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"We might as well call a staff meeting, at this rate," she finally spoke, setting his cup of tea and her little sugar pot at reach for him and settling back with her own teacup. "Can I put you in charge of contacting someone trustworthy within the MLE? Surely you still have some decent contacts there... I wouldn't go for this Rainey bloke though....." There was something off about him, though of course she didn't believe a word the Daily Prophet was printing anymore. "My question is about who is behind this. And why. Why now? Why, out of the blue, start to discredit you, and now me by association? I have no links or ties to this Cult business. I wasn't even in this country when they took over the Ministry and all that." She waved her hand at the posters and handbooks which seemed absolutely ridiculous now, then looked up at Sabel. "You must have some suspicions." Go on, Sabel. |
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Picking up one of the posters instead of the tea, Sabel let his eyes trail over it until it reached the wretched logo at the bottom. "Rainey laughed it off when I confronted him about the article. Said it was a pile of Hogwash, which it is. Could be someone's just trying to pull our legs on account of the original article. Make us twitchy." Congratulations. It was working. And why? "But none of my wards were tripped." And for an Auror, that was saying something. "As I'm assuming none of yours were." Which was also saying something. "Which means it's not clumsy. And, likely that it was a planned effort." As much as he wanted to burn the parchment, he placed it gingerly back on the desk. Evidence. They needed evidence. "Could be the Cult is actually coming back. I was....warned a storm was brewing, from someone who was around at their time. And the Headmaster of Hogwarts was of equal interest to them at the time of their ascension in the ministry. What better place to foster the seeds of their revolution, than in the minds of those young and malleable?" He dragged his hand down his face again. "Or it's a cover for something else. A red herring." Which, was almost more concerning than the idea of the Cult returning. "Problem is, we won't really have any know until we see some evidence of this somewhere. If it's a warning, we likely won't hear of it until they make their move. If it's to make us twitchy, I'll doubt we'll see any fruits. If it's a cover or a ruse, I can bet we'll see another article like this one." His eyes went to Truebridge, narrowing slightly. "At the moment, the only ones who know about this are you, myself and whoever planted these." Which, was why a staff meeting was a bad idea. Which was why contacting the MLE seemed like a bad idea. But then, they couldn't really face it on their own, could they? Farce or not. Sabel let out another breath and went to scrubbing his face again, feeling a lot older than he ever had before. The pictures..... "And you do have a link. You have me." |
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She took another sip of tea. "What if it was a student? Have you considered that angle?" The Headmaster part... well, that was something that hadn't occurred to her yet. Coupled with the warning he had received, it was a good point. And she did want to talk this over with the rest of the staff; she wanted to get their perspectives, see if this had happened to anyone else. But at the same time... "You're right, of course. This could just be a small symptom of a number of things." She sighed deeply and picked up one of the handbooks. "I should keep these in my office. I don't want more articles coming out about you." She wanted to keep him on staff, actually. "Are you sure there's no one you could contact in the Ministry, for appearances sake, about these documents and alleged office break-ins? Even if things DO go sour in the papers?" And Annie even had a cousin at the Prophet, maybe Tori could do something useful for once in her life. Best not mention her yet though. |
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"Figured a student might be liable to play jokes on us. I haven't been here long enough for any of them to hate me, though I can't speak for you." He wanted to smile, but couldn't work his lips in the proper way. "Unless it's a student working through a begrudged parent." Low, Dakest. Very low. It was at this point that he decided it was best not to ask an Auror for suspicions. Too many of them, too many scenarios. Not enough evidence. His eyes went to the handbook. "I wouldn't recommend keeping anything that was planted. Could be charmed to relay information." Like this exact conversation, how lovely. "And at the very least if someone catches you with it, it'll be sure evidence against you that you can't argue. And any memory tests?" He shrugged. "You can't prove how it got here. Just that it was here." Scrubbing his neck, Sabel shifted forward to poke at his tea mug. "The articles will come out one way or another. If this gets to the press, there's little we can do to change it." The photos...no, they would be to safety by now. He hadn't told Truebridge, but she didn't need to know. No one needed to know. "I'll contact the MLE." He said at last, turning his hands once more to the book to flip through it. "Perhaps I should work up a letter of resignation as well..." Perhaps an early retirement was in store. Regardless of if it was a farce or not, it was getting wearing, having such things follow him around. Worrying about them. "Are you sure you can't think of any reason why this would be in your office?" The book got a hateful nudge. Was she telling him everything? Could she trust him enough to do that? |
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"I don't think it's either of those, actually," she shook her head. "When students sneak around, a mess always follows. Especially if they're sneaking into the Head's office; they can't resist leaving a calling card. And unless I missed something..." and she had certainly overturned her entire desk area, plus poked at the portraits hanging around, "this was not the work of a student. This was some kind of weird adult with an agenda to push." Charmed to relay information... dammit, another angle she hadn't even thought of. "This is why I hired you," the Headmistress cracked a brief, sardonic smile. "Well I can't send it back with you and I can't get rid of it until you contact your person inside the Ministry..." She tossed her copy of the Cult book back on the desk. "So I'll keep it out of the way and out of anything interesting until that time." Regarding the press, well, "I'll see what I can do to stop them. But you--- you will NOT be resigning, not over this, and not EVER if I have a say in it." She sat up and gave Sabel her sternest look yet. "You're the best hire I've had in years; don't tell the others I said that. It's one thing to teach the students of Hogwarts and it's another to actually reach them. We need someone who can do both, especially in your position, especially now more than ever. This is the best place for you and I won't have you leaving just because things are temporarily tricky." Any questions, Dakest? He'd best not. Annie again shook her head at the question about the Cult. "No. I mean, my husband was in Az--- no, you know, that's completely unrelated to this. I'm not scared of some ridiculous propaganda that looks like it was written and colored in by a small child. You shouldn't be either. Your reputation is strong with the people who matter and I know you won't like this, but forget all the others. You keep doing the right thing, Sabel, and you'll come out on top in the end. If things aren't all right, then it's not the end." She held her chin up proudly and took a long, finishing sip of her tea. She felt like she'd just given quite the pep talk, for her. |
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The first sip burned his tongue, causing him to run it along the top of his mouth with a grimace. "I'll reach out to them as soon as we are done here." As soon as he had all his ducks in a row. Or chickens. Or whatever it was wizards and witches counted. And then, all at once he felt like he was a student again, sitting across from the Head of Hogwarts. He was just missing his Gryffindor colors, and standing, he should be standing. What started out as a wide-eyed blink, turned into a chuckle and then full out laughter. And no matter how hard he tried to school it, it wouldn't stop. He'd blame it on a lack of sleep and overabundance of stress later, but for now, the Headmistress's words were endlessly amusing. Best hire? Her husband was in Azkaban? Propaganda colored like a small child? It was the last one that did him in. The most ridiculous of them all. "I think you should sign that on a thank-you card for them." Finally, he got enough air back in his lungs to force out a full sentence. The grin, took longer to fade and was only helped by another sip of the tea. Cooled slightly now. As was his amusement by her final words. He really did feel like he was sitting across from the Head of Hogwarts, and his smile turned into one of genuine appreciation. "My desire to leave is not out of concern for myself." She deserved to know at least that much of his reasons. "But, all the same, thank you. They did well in selecting you as Headmistress. One of the best pep-talks I've had in a long time." His smile said the rest. He was grateful. He'd stay. He trusted her. He felt, and hoped, they had each other's backs. Another sip of tea and an off-handed question. "Who's your husband?" |
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