Past a series of lined up armoured suits, whose helmets move as if they were following you, a large stone gargoyle awaits. Intricate etches can be seen on this guardian that keeps unwanted visitors from getting past it. No matter how persuasive or good of a sweet talker you may be, the stoic gargoyle will only reveal a spiral staircase that leads up to the headmistress' office if the password is said. Unless you're one of the few that know the correct phrase to say, you will have to practice patience by sitting on the cushioned chairs placed on either side of the entrance.

Once inside the office, you will quickly realize that everything has been placed with purpose. Curtains have been evenly drawn apart to bring in the natural lighting without there being too much light, and scattered about are lavender candles that never seem to lower no matter how long the wick burns. Books of all kinds fill several bookcases, their titles covering topics from hexes and curses to ancient runes and history. A number of interesting-looking artefacts (ranging from a claw that once belonged to a sphinx, cracked bright red ashwinder eggs, a fossilized skeleton of a White River Monster, and various gems and coins) rest in glass curio cabinets, free of any dust and heavily protected. On a shelf closest to her desk rests a polished gramophone, which is known to play vinyl records of Stevie Nicks, among others, from time to time.

In the centre of the room stands a grand desk and and two visitor chairs. On the desk itself are various frames containing pictures that capture the headmistress' fondest memories: her wearing a Head Prefect badge on the grounds of Ilvermorny, her and several others having just made a great historical find deep within an Egyptian tomb, her holding a newborn clad in a pink blanket with a man's body cropped off, and several more. The remainder of the desk consists of neat piles of paperwork and an intricate golden hourglass, covered in runes, that will begin steadily dropping sand the moment conversation begins, signifying how much time you have left in the office.

OOC: Please post waiting outside of the gargoyle unless your character knows the password or is being accompanied inside by Headmistress Hawthorne or a professor.