Regina led the throng of staff and students from the pathways of the grounds up to the Great Hall. More plates and goblets than usual are laid out at all of the tables, and the enchanted sky was anything but breath-taking tonight as the candles floated above the tables. The Hogwarts headmistress stepped onto the dais, making her way toward her place in the middle of the table. To her right was a chair meant for Meredith, with additional chairs for the staff of Ilvermorny sitting next to their subject counterparts. It was definitely a tight squeeze.

The woman took her seat with a flourish of her wand, causing food and drinks to appear on all of the tables. She figured that their guests needed some nourishment after their long trek across the Atlantic. Right now food and a little socialization was in order. Important IMPS accouncements could wait a little while longer.

The Ilvermorny contingent had made quite an impressive arrival but Kay was less concerned about that. What made her happy was seeing all the students around. It was time for the Brits to put on a display of their hospitality. She followed Regina and the others to the dais. She really wasn't that hungry at the moment. Rather, the woman wanted to chat with the professors that had accompanied the kiddos.

Perhaps now was the chance. The two professors and the Head would be sitting with them. She just needed to be patient. In the meanwhile, Kay watched as the Hall filled up. It would obviously be more crowded than usual but it will certainly be exciting when the selected students were announced to take part in the competition. This was what she was looking forward to!

Haraldur was not comfortable in a huge crowd of people. But he followed everyone, by FOOT and left his broom safely locked in the broomshed. He had a feeling him bringing the broom wouldn't be appreciated. But he did enjoy the thought of flying above everyone, to the staff dais and his seat. Grumpily he shuffled into the hall only to notice his usual seat next to he headmistress was assigned to the Head of Ilvermorny.

He didn't like change. For a moment he stood shifting his weight from one foot to another before finding his newly assigned seat. He nodded to the Headmistress and to Kaysha as he shuffled over to his seat.

Haraldur wore his favorite feather on his head, to greet the newly arrived guests. But he really needed food. Food. Food. Food.

Just like everyone else, River followed the rest of the students and staff to the Great Hall, and up the staff dais where the other staff members and guests from Ilvermorny will be sat. They did have to squeeze in this time and to be honest, River wasn't comfortable with the idea of sitting next to Regina in such close proximity. Actually, sitting close to anyone with minimal room for movement was enough for River to have indigestion.

Anyway.

River grinned at his colleagues who were already present, and quietly took his seat.

Entering the great hall for the first time in forever sent a wave of nostalgia washing over Meredith and she smiled wistfully. "It's good to be back." She wasn't talking to anyone in particular, just felt it needed to be said. Paul understood how she was feeling, right?

"Hello everyone! I'm Meredith Moxley. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Well, the ones she hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting, anyway. The brunette took her seat beside the headmistress and gave herself a moment to soak it all in. Students of both schools mingling, the anticipation of the competition looming over them, the excitement of what was to come...it was brilliant! Well, she thought so anyway, as she poured herself a drink and observed the hall.

Yes, all the details about his poncho were given. Where he'd gotten it, what it was made of, was it ECO-FRIENDLY (yes) and all that FUN STUFF. He was starving, too. It was like..having his best bud back! "You're lot seem very happy to be here!" The students..not those two professors. They did NOT seem excited. Merlin, Moxley must have been a breath of fresh air over there. Hmph.

"Yes everyone! MEREDITH MOXLEY." The wonderful headmistress. She and Regina were so different. Both EXCELLENT. Paul had no qualms with Regina; she was a good headmistress in a DIFFERENT way than Meredith had been. "Sit sit, Mer." And food had appeared, and Paul was SO glad no speech would make them wait for food tonight!

"Regina...will there be music at some point tonight? For...DANCING?" iT WAS A CELEBRATION WASN'T IT?!

Hirsch had put about as much effort into his appearance as he did with the feast at the beginning of the year.

As in, very.

With a suit on and a Ravenclaw badge pinned to his chest, the Defence Professor headed into the Great Hall and up towards the dias. He didn't miss the number of extra plates and seats that had been placed around the hall to accommodate the guests nor did he miss the way the staff table looked as it was going to be a tight squeeze.

But, right now, as he neared close enough to the table, his eyes found one Meredith Moxley and he couldn't help but flash her a wide smile. Her mere presence brought back memories, especially of his interview with her and that entire year that followed. "Meredith! Good to see you again. I hope you haven't forgotten about us," he said, giving her a cheeky grin in the process.

The others that were already seated there all received a dimpled smile from Hirsch before he moved to sit down in his respectful place between Laurel and Gaston. Since neither one of them were here, he sat and looked over at the students, particularly those Ilvermorny students who..... were playing music?

Well. That was one way to make an entrance.

The hall was quickly filling up like a beehive, the swarms of students buzzing everywhere. And there was the queen bee, Regina Hawthorne. Melanie did her best to remain composed as she squeezed Duncan's arm with hers. "There she is," she whispered in his ear. The rest of her sentence was, thankfully, drowned out by a passing gaggle of giggling girls; it hadn't been nice or appropriate.

"Looks like we need to separate." She gestured at the empty seats. Where was she supposed to sit? Was she supposed to sit by the other History professor? Moxley had explained in great cheerful detail about how things were done at this Merlinforsaken school. Though, the Great Hall was impressive. The limitless ceiling opened into the Heavens, washing her skin in a bronze glow. "You sit by the Potions," she said, eyeing the length of the table and assuming the order was alphabetical. If it wasn't alphabetical, then the order was illogical, and Melanie had no time for that. "And that will be Ciara," she whispered. "You replaced her," she smirked. She liked Ciara enough, but having her brother working with her was much more her speed. The twins had hardly been separated, sans that time he spent time in South America. The audacity of her brother!

"Which leaves me in the other empty seat." Next to a young, innocent-looking cookie cutter of a woman. Brilliant. She kissed his cheek and let go. "Try not to woo all of the woman, brother," she smirked, her eyes twinkling. "None of them are your type. Be nice."

She then took her seat, ignoring Regina's presence.

With the students filtering into the hall, it was safe for the two Williams twins to make their way to their own seats which, he realized as he followed Mel, was up where all the other adults were seated. The walk was long but it let him catch up with Mel as well as eye up the aesthetic of the place. The word 'old-fashioned' came to mind almost immediately. There was a sense of elegance about the place, he wasn't going to lie, but just how far back in history were they? Where were the developments? The modern style?

Whatever. The ceiling was a pleasant sight.

When Mel squeezed his arm, he diverted his attention towards her and her words. The signature smirk adorned his face as his eyes found this Regina woman and he let out a snort. "She's got nothing on you." He eyed her up and down as best he could. "You could send her packing if you play your cards right." Or play with her emotions.

Separate? Duncan immediately scowled. The twins didn't separate. Ever. But now, he was going to have to deal with the presence of some women who, as Mel had so blatantly put it, weren't his type. This wasn't going to be fun. The only bright side to this arrangement was that he could see, first hand, just how good this Ciara claimed to be.

The Potions Master snorted. "I can tell, you don't have to tell me that." A look was all it took. A simple, innocent look. "I don't think they're strong enough to handle this hunk." No, he liked a challenge and he didn't think he was going to get one here so he wasn't going to bother. But let them try, instead.

While Mel left to sit in her seat, Duncan strode towards the other empty seat near the spot where Hogwarts's Potions Mistress was due to sit and sat down. Sat and observed. Be nice, Melanie had said. The first step was to smile at the others sitting there, something the Potions Master didn't do often. Don't get used to it.

Eyes were on everyone as the woman poured herself a goblet. As she watched Hogwartians and Ilvermornians alike enter the hall, she wouldn't help but make comparisons and make conclusions that she already knew subconsciously. While both student bodies had an aura of excitement about them, she could see, plain as day, how they were displaying that excitement. Hogwarts, for the most part, was being rather welcoming, collected even. Then there was the loud and proud clan of Ilvermorny. Regina honestly had missed them, but had grown quite fond of her Brits.

A courteous smile was given to the staff members who were taking their seats beside her. It was no surprise to Regina that Kaysha would be the first to arrive, followed by Haraldur (what, no broom shenanigans today?) and River. Then the seat beside her was taken by Meredith, and that reminded her to give Haraldur an apologetic look for having to scoot him down a seat even though it was only logical for both heads of the school to be front and centre.

"Hogwarts seems glad to have you back," the American woman whispered in response to Meredith's nostalgic comment. She was sure the same feelings would have flooded her heart had it been the other way around. It was already nostalgic enough for her, seeing so many of her former students standing and sitting right there before her own eyes.

There was no time for her to get nostalgic though. Paul Myers had entered the room. The smile on her face faltered a bit, but she managed to keep it in tact though she wanted nothing more than to set the man's poncho on fire. She was about to turn and greet the ever-handsome Roderik, but the old man demanded her attention.

Music? Honestly? He wanted dancing? Regina, without bothering to hide her emotions, rolled her eyes. It was a welcoming feast, not a party.

She opened her mouth to outright say no, but then she heard lyrics to the most American song one could play. Her eyes darted over to the Gryffindor table, and it was no surprise to her that the source of the music was a Mr. Khalil Jordan. She remembered him very well; talented with Defence and Magical Creatures, though didn't have an ounce of seriousness in him. "Looks like one of my former students is taking care of that for us, Paul." Was he going to go down there and dance with them now? She wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest.

And then there were the Williams siblings. As Melanie walked by, Regina decided that was the perfect time to start playing with her food. As for the brother -- Duncan, was it? -- she at least gave him a polite smile. She would be courteous with him even though he probably had the wrong idea about her thanks to his sister.

Kalen wasn't exactly sure how up to a full on feast he was, crowds and loud kids weren't exactly his cup of tea..

Which reminded him, tea sounded amazing right now. Perhaps that would help calm his nerves and help him get through this feast. If there was no tea, he'd summon some.

He made his way to the crowded staff Dias and nodded as he moved past a few people "Hello, Hello.. Hello. " He said by way of greeting, making sure he said hello to everyone as he settled into his seat and took a breath..

So.. tea?

--------SO LIKE PAUL HEARD MUSIC, AND IT WASN'T HIM HEARING THINGS BECAUSE REGINA HEARD IT TOO.

Paul HOPPED up. "I'll be BACK, Regina, dear, and Meredith, doll!" He blew them kisses and ran off, poncho billowing behind him like a cape.

DANCING. MUSIC. FUN.

Her colleagues were filling up the Dais as were the Hogwarts and Ilvermorny students. Kay smiled back at the staff as they passed her. The jovial Moxley received one as well. Kaysha, of course, had heard a lot about her and had great respect for her. Hello, there! These two were the Professors- Duncan and Melanie- that had escorted the Ilvermorny students. Since they were sitting right beside her, she felt as though it were her duty to give them a warm welcome (Paul had Moxley covered).

That signature friendly smile in place, the Muggle Studies professor said, "Hello. You must have heard this quite a bit already but welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Kaysha Stewart, Muggle Studies professor. I hope that you and the others have an enjoyable stay with us.''

Tristan was finishing tightening his tie as he quickly walked into the Great Hall and headed towards the Staff Dias. He had been dealing with a sick Abraxan and hadn't realized what time it was. Hopefully the poor thing would be okay for the next couple hours, otherwise...well he didn't want to think about that alternative. He knew the gigantic horse would be okay. He just needed to let the potions do their work. Time. Though fleeting, time always healed wounds...or in this case illness.

He quickly took the stairs up to the Dias two at a time, waving and saying a quick, "Welcome to Hogwarts," to Headmistress Moxley, and the Professors Williams. Though...there was something...eh...it was probably nothing. The thought exited as soon as it entered. He was too worried about his Abraxan. "Evening everyone!" He called out to the others that were already seated. "Headmistress," He said with a nod and a smile, until he finally got to his seat, throwing his leather jacket over the back. This should be fun.

He grinned as he watched Paul in his ridiculous poncho run down and dance with the students. He hoped he could be half as fun as Paul at that age.

Gaston thought he would be excited when the Ilvermorny students, but he felt even more sad and sullen than ever. He was happy for the students of both schools - this was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for them - but he just had a lot of other things on his mind right now. Well, that and he saw a few things he didn't like while he was watching the guests' arrival from afar. Never mind, now wasn't the time to think about that. He sighed silently. Time to put on a big fake smile and act fine for the crowd...

The dark-haired Frenchman had a smile plastered on his face as he approached the dais, but his eyes remained dull and lifeless. And if those who knew him looked closely, they'd notice he was looking a little thinner and paler than usual. "Good evening, all," he greeted everyone already seated. "Headmistresses..." A polite nod was given to Headmistress Hawthorne and the Ilvermorny headmistress and a welcoming smile to the two other Ilvermorny professors (Duncan and Melanie). There, cold and detached... just as everyone expected him to act.

Gaston squeezed into his assigned seat between Hirsch and Tristan; the addition of the three guests at the table made it extremely close quarters. He nodded toward Hirsch in greeting, and a sympathetic look was sent at Tristan, who he couldn't help but notice seemed a bit worried. He could relate. His head turned as he overheard the Ilvermorny headmistress's introduction. "Nice to meet you, Headmistress Moxley," he said. "I'm Gaston Marchand, charms professor." He said nothing about being the Gryffindor Head of House, though; he didn't want to sound like he was bragging... and besides, the red and gold tie and lion pin he wore must be a dead giveaway.

All he could do was blink dumbly as Paul joined the students at the Gryffindor table and started dancing to the music that was playing. A part of him wanted to roll his eyes along with Headmistress Hawthorne, but another part wanted to applaud for Paul's performance. He decided against doing either and instead focused on the food in front of him. He wasn't exactly interested in eating, but at least it provided a distraction from having to make small talk. Merlin, this night couldn't possibly end soon, could it? He just wanted to be alone!

Laurel had been down by the Pathways with everyone else for the arrival of the Ilvermorney visitors in their beetle. She had then followed along in the throng of students and staff to the Great Hall for the IMPS feast. It was going to be a tight fit up on the dais and Laurel imagined that it was going to get loud and hot before the feast was over.

She headed up on the staff dais after reminding her snakes to be on their best behaviour. She was going to be keeping an eye on them. Slipping into her usual seat inbetween Haraldur and Roderick she cheerfully glanced around the faces of colleagues old and new and murmured "Good evening, everyone!"

Turning her gaze to Roderick she asked "Do you think there will be any students antics tonight?" Aside from the visitors music playing. Leaning towards Haraldur she conversed. "I heard that you created a hot springs spot out on the grounds. Where does the water come form?"

Camilla had been running late. There were assignments that had to be graded and a lesson plan she had been working on. Being so lost in her work the women had lost all track of time and hadn't made it down to the Pathways to greet the arriving Ilvermorny staff and students as she had planned to.

That was quite alright though as she had made sure to look very much presentable by the time she made her way into the Great Hall and towards the Dais. Right away she noticed three new faces (Moxley, Duncan and Melanie) and smiled warmly their way. "Hello, hello, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Camilla Stewart, the Transfiguration professor." Always polite when it came to greetings.

"Hello everyone," Cami greeted with her usual smile as she found her seat at the end of the table. Glancing down the length of the table it appeared that she was one of the only ones that wasn't feeling completely cramped by the extra staff today. Her brown eyes drifted towards the tables that the students occupied and she was pleasantly surprised by the amount of Ilvermorny kids that had come to join them. The Great Hall was buzzing with the sounds of laughter, talking, and was that the sound of music?

Over the din of music and students talking, Hadley's voice rang, loud, clear and definitely jubilant. "MOXXY!!! WHOOO!" Hads wasn't crazy enough to approach the staff dais before Headmistress Hawthorne made whatever speech she had planned this evening, but in hindsight, shouting at the top of her lungs from the Ravenclaw table probably wasn't any better. Oh well.

"Seems so. I'm sure I have just as many critics as I do fans." Orrrr...maybe everybody loved her as much as she hoped they did. It was the latter, right? They totally loved her. The Ilvermorny headmistress glanced at the Hogwarts headmistress and offered a smile. "In any case, I'm glad I got the opportunity to come back, if only for a little while." She was.


"Bit of a vacation for some, I suppose. New location, new faces, new ways to get into trouble..." Meredith glanced at Paul and smiled, shaking her head. Bunch of headaches, those kids were, but she loved them. They kept her on her toes. And just as she was ready to tuck into her food, the brunette's companion was off to shake his poncho. Moxley glanced at Regina and grinned. She had given him the suggestion, after all.

"Forget you, Roderik? Impossible!" Meri chuckled and smoothed back her hair. That MAN, still flirting with her! Poor guy was still harboring that crush, eh? What could she say, she was a BEAUTY! Who could blame him?! "I do hope Hogwarts is treating you well, Professor. I've heard you've got quite the dueling program going on here." Impressive stuff.

Sipping on her juice, Moxley looked around the great hall, trying to see if anyone was getting a little TOO out of hand. So far, so good, luckily. It helped that the Hogwartians seemed to be doing a good job welcoming her lot into their school. Not surprising, considering the way the staff was receiving her. "It's lovely to meet you, Kaysha! We must talk muggle studies when we get a chance. I'd be interested to hear what you're focusing on this term." As she'd held that same position in the past and her excitement about meeting a fellow enthusiast was enough to make her bounce in her chair.

As the other professors joined them and introduced themselves, Moxley waved and smiled and generally found that she was liking the group Regina had herself here in the castle. They seemed friendly, intelligent, and they were attractive, which never hurt. "It's so nice to meet you all. Thank you for your hospitality!"

...and then, a voice. A VERY LOUD VOICE, Merlin! Moxley did her best to pretend she found the loud display of appreciation inappropriate, BUT when no one was looking, she looked in the general direction the voice had come from and totally raised the roof. WHAT? She had FANS!

...They all totally still loved her.

Duncan's final words to her before they parted did not go on deaf ears; she simply did not reply. There was no need to. She could feel Regina avoiding her, and Melanie found it interesting. Perhaps she could spare a word or two for her former colleague at some point tonight.

More the students piled into the hall as well as the Hogwarts and Ilvermorny professors alike. It was...crowded, to say the least. The music coming from one of the tables was driving her to insanity; who was that?! Khalil? She stood up from her chair rather suddenly, her glare penetrating his very soul. She almost completely disregarded what the Muggle Studies professor was saying to her - but her question seemed to pick her out of her revery. "I'm sure we will. Melanie," she smiled and held out a hand for the woman to politely shake. "I've never been over here. To Europe, England. This is technically Scotland, right?" she asked. She spoke to the woman, but her eyes were on that music. That embarrassing, awful, old music.

Meredith Moxley and her old Hogwarts companion would be the death of her. He even joined in the dance party. Her thoughts of correcting Khalil and taking away whatever magical tech he was using to blast said music was put on halt; she would feel silly, going to correct them when the deputy headmaster himself wasn't doing so. She shot Regina a glance. Would she feel like Melanie had stepped on her toes in doing so?

"If they get any louder, I will confiscate the thing," she muttered to herself. Leave it to the Ilvermorny students to start causing trouble the moment they arrived at the English school. There were ghosts, too, it seemed, joining the fray. That...sparked an interest in her. "Do your ghosts like being interviewed?" she asked no one particular, just someone on the Hogwarts staff in general should answer, please? "They must be teeming with...history," she eyed the Slytherin ghost in particular. Dragging chains, mopey expression. There was pain, and a story, there.

It was rather exciting having the new arrivals at the castle. Rosalyn hoped that they would all enjoy Hogwarts, though of course she had known about Moxley being a former staff member here. In fact she had taught Kay's subject. And speaking of Kay, she smiled as she took her spot near her best friend. "Isn't this just the most exciting thing, Kay?" This term was going to be a blast and they all need it after what had happened last year? Plus it kept her mind off of other things...

"Hello everyone!" Smiles all round. "Welcome back," she said to Moxley "I'm Rosalyn Newton." Her attention shifted to Melanie and Duncan "I hope that you both enjoy your time here at Hogwarts."

And where was Paul? It took a moment for Rosalyn to spot him, and then she just shook her head and laughed. He always knew how to be the life of the party. Regina had to be thrilled about that.

When even more of her colleagues arrived, Kay gave them an excited smile in return to their greetings. There was Tristan, Gaston, Laurel, Cami and Rose. “It certainly is,’’ she replied with an eager nod to the History of Magic professor. “It’s going to be a very different year than the last.’’ And wasn’t that simply a great change from last year?

Despite all the fuss Paul was making over Moxley (understandably so), the woman still had a chance to say hi. This made Kay happy… happier. “It’s lovely to meet you too, Meredith! I’ve heard so much about you and I hold you in high esteem. I would love that. I’m sure we’ll find time since we have such a long time.’’ That was practically the entire school year.

Kay graciously shook Melanie’s extended hand. “There is no better time for a trip then. Yes, this is Scotland.’’ Oh? Was the music distracting her? The Muggle Studies professor glanced over at the Gryffindor table where Paul and the students seemed to be enjoying themselves. She smiled at the sight and hearing Melanie’s muttered words, she couldn’t help but think that for such a persnickety issue the Ilvermorny professor was getting worked. “Let them have a little fun,’’ Kay said. “They’re enjoying themselves and I know Paul is as well.’’

She cast a glance at the Fat Friar. “You are welcome to ask them questions. I assure you you’re quite right when you say there’s a lot of history there. However, I’m not sure of how much the Bloody Baron- he’s the Slytherin ghost- will tell you. I’m sure Rose wouldn’t mind enlightening you if you’d also like.’’ Kay indicated to her bestie. History was her thing.

Although he'd been forced to give his usual seat to the Headmistress of Ilvermorny and was squished tightly together with the other member of staff, he enjoyed this feast. Why? Because of the food.

"Headmistress Moxley." He nodded to the new lady at his left. Apologize for the close quarters. Don't mind the feathers etc etc. "Forgive me." Huff, puff and some more huffing. He was a large man. A large man who was being squeezed into a tiny little seat. "I trust your journey went well?" Huffety huff.

The groundskeeper also casually eavesdropped on the conversations around him. He simply nodded to the two Ilvermorny twins. "Evening." There were already too many names for him to remember. Too many of them. He'd only just gotten all of Hogwarts' staff names right including the students. That was a lot of names, mind you. That was a lot of late hours studying in that hut of his or soaring around in circles on the pitch.

He noticed the young librarian arrive and gave him a look. He didn't look his usual calm self. Haraldur frowned at him, mouth full of food as he leaned over the table. "Easy does it, Mr. Kalen." Ah, young Mr. Kalen and all his nerves.

Then his lady on his right adressed him and he cupped his hand over his ear to hear her properly. One because he was slightly going deaf and two, the kiddies were loud. "I did, Miss Vance. It's quite a life saver, I'll tell you." He took a sip from his goblet and smiled at her. "The groundwater derives from the earth's crust, miss. It's heated geothermally." Which worked because as far as he knew there were no active volcanoes in the close proximity. Which would be bad... Very bad. BUT, the fact that no students had been scalded or you know, died had proved him right. Heh.

Aaaanyway, speech Reggie?

It was hard not to notice the sound of the music playing from one of the student tables. It was similar to the stench from a particularly awful potion; as much as you wanted to ignore it, you just couldn't. There was a large crowd gathered there, including the overly enthusiastic and very poorly dressed Professor (Paul), and at the very heart of this unruly behavior was none other than Mr Khalil Jordan. Duncan closed his eyes and sighed deeply. The conversation that was going to follow wasn't going to be a nice one. He hoped the boy realized this.

As he tried to ignore the Spanish tune blasting in all directions, Duncan looked towards the first person to talk to him. A name wasn't given from this man (Kalen) so he was left to to come to a few conclusions of his own: a) the man thought he was above basic introductions or b) he was too nervous to give introductions in the first place. Nervous seemed to fit in well so he was going for that option. "Hello. Duncan Williams, I'm the Potions Master at Ilvermorny." Nice.

The smile from Regina hadn't gone unnoticed and was met by a cool look of his own. That was all.

The next greeting was more elaborate and satisfactory and from a woman, no doubt. Duncan first looked this Kaysha up and down before giving her his best, sweet smile. "That is nice of you, Kaysha." No, not his type. Far too nice and sweet. "The name's Duncan Williams. I teach Potions." How often was he going to have to do this? He didn't think he could survive a whole evening of smiles and polite talks about whatever it is Brits liked to talk about.

Next came a series of nods, small smiles and "Hello,"s for three men (Tristan, Gaston and Haraldur) and a woman (Laurel). He didn't know their names and wasn't in a hurry to find out either. If they didn't want to say it then he didn't care.

There was another woman greeting him who, just like Kaysha, gave off the overly polite vibe. Back in the States, Brits were known to be the polite cousins of the loud Americans but Duncan liked to believe that they had a kick in them. That they were a soup you thought would be bland but had a bit of flavour at the end. But now that he was on this side of the ocean, he was starting to believe the stereotype.

Anyways. Camilla, was it? "Nice to meet you too. The name's Duncan Williams and I teach Potions." That was all she needed to know.

His theory was proved to be right as he was greeted by another female who gave off that polite vibe that the others were giving off. Or were they under strict instructions to be hospitable? "Hello, Rosalyn," he said, giving her somewhat of a smile, "I'm Duncan Williams and I teach Potions." There.

When no other greetings came, Duncan finally started to tuck into his meal. There were no tacos and no deep dish pizzas, only sausages, mashed potatoes and what appeared to be some sort of gravy. He eyed the liquid content carefully before deciding to give it a try. It was possibly one of the few items of food he recognized on the table and thereby knew what to expect. But since the south was known for their good gravy, he was going to do some serious judging of this British gravy.

Impress him, British food, otherwise the hot sauce was going to make an appearance.