Derf was actually a little thankful when Penny spoke again - something unrelated to the suspicious happenings at the staff table - only the conversation was being cut short because, well, who was he to judge and stuff when nature called. "Oh, um...okay," he nodded. "Try to hurry back? I, er, reckon a speech is going to happen soon."

....a speech of SOME fashion since there was now an envelope being handed over. And now the sixth year's eyes were FIXATED on the Headmistress and, well, whatever expression she was going to wear upon reading whatever was on that parchment.

Wee though...that was kinda cute. Though he still preferred the word 'secrete'.

Which...he reckoned couldn't be anything good since the bloke who had flanked the letter giver was now sitting down in the Divination seat. Or, well, at least the subject was going to be taught? "Maybe it's just a letter of appointment? For the, er, Divination professor?" he suggested to Charlie. Someone found last minute and there was the proof that it was all Board of Governors approved and stuff right there on that parchment?

"....I think it has to do with BOTH," he ended up whispering to Daisy, his eyes briefly looking at his co-prefect and then back over towards Lex. Both blokes looked terribly grim - though really, that stern expression was one that he was sorta accustomed to in being educated by Professor Noble...so he wasn't TOO shook up by that. "....whatever it is...looks serious."

Believe it or not, Maddie Kemp had been sort of quiet so far. She could NOT find Emmalyn for the life of her, and even Nettie didn't seem to be around. Where WAS everybody? She was just about to shrug it off and go find somebody else to spend her time with, when two unfamiliar people at the staff table caught her eye. New adults at the Start-of-Term Feast wasn't that unusual. Since she'd been here, they'd had quite a few staff changes. This seemed different, though.

Why was that one man pointing a finger at a chair? And what was that he gave to the Headmistress? Come on, people! That had been a long train ride! She was ready to EAT! They could catch up with their pen-pals later on! Maddie frowned and sunk further into her seat. That chocolate frog she'd eaten hours ago had done nothing to fill her up.

Hearing Derf's whisper to Daisy, Maddie sat straighter and looked his way. "You think it looks serious?" she asked, not even trying to whisper.

Kimi looked up at the staff table and was wondering what was going on because he was ready to eat and from the looks of things food wasn't going to come anytime soon he was glad that Derf had given him a chocolate frog because it was the only thing that was keeping him going at the moment

So it was feast time and she had spent a lot of time thinking of the train. What Chloe came up with was that the hat was wrong last term and so were the professors. The hat should have never put her in her daddy's house, Ravenclaw was just so amazing and she was failing that house. She wasn't smart enough for it and she certainly should have probably failed year one after she couldn't even help fight with the attacks.

With a plan in place she walked into the Great Hall and headed straight for the Hufflepuff table. Her mother's house, that seemed a better fit from the stories her mother would tell. She knew her mother was smart, but from what her mother said she felt she could learn from the badgers and they would be accepting even if she was dumb. She knew that Ravenclaw might be as well, but she was ashamed at how bad she did last term and was afraid to face them.


"May I join you?" She glanced at a boy that seemed to be friendly looking, maybe he wouldn't even notice her Ravenclaw robes. She could change into someones spare Hufflepuff when they weren't looking later.

Lex kept her gaze on the two mysterious men who had made their way to the staff table. She narrowed her eyes. "D'you really think they're teachers?" she asked Derf and Daisy, glancing at Charlie as well. "I mean, I suppose they could be. But... they're awfully late, and... something seems off."

Just as she said this, she shuddered. "They don't seem friendly at all," she continued. Not that she should judge a book by it's cover. But there seemed to be something odd going on. These men gave her an uneasy feeling. Lex hoped her instincts were wrong.... The last thing she wanted was to feel unsafe at Hogwarts.

She took her eyes off the men and glanced around at her fellow students. Everyone's expressions ranged from innocent curiosity to concern... And the more that Lex wondered what was going on, the more uneasy she felt. She stared at her hands, which were folded in her lap, shaking, as she bit her lower lip nervously.

"Don't worry about it, Lex," she whispered to herself. "You always worry too much about nothing." But a knot had formed in her stomach. Despite how hungry she had been just mere minutes ago, she had now lost her appetite.

Cal sat and munched on his trail mix as the table started to fill with upper classmen as well as new first years. He was minding his own business and trying to din out the noise that was beginning to take up all the unoccupied space in the Great Hall, when a female voice caught his attention. Mainly because she was asking him in particular.. How he knew this?.. He had sat as far away from the others as possible, so as to avoid the conversation about new professors and professors that are no longer here.



He glanced over his shoulder to see a second year Ravenclaw asking to join him.. " Ummm…", he somewhat grunted as he considered her for a moment. " Alright. Have a seat..", Callum said as he gestured to the spot beside him. " Ya know?.. You're at the wrong table, right?.. Not that I mind or anythin'. You in the house too?"


Truth was Cal was sure the Sorting Hat was going senile after plaing him in Hufflepuff last term.. He had even spent half of last term researching how to destroy and replace that manky chapeau. In short... He had a bone to pick with it..

She might have went real defeated real fast when he fully called her out on being at the wrong table as quickly as he did. "I... am not at the wrong table. I had to borrow my dad's old robes because I lost my Hufflepuff ones. I didn't want to come to the feast with no robes at all. So I thought this was better than nothing. I'll be changing as soon as he can owl me with new robes."


Taking a seat she looked around, "Who is that and why is the headmistress leaving?" That was really strange, but maybe she had to go to the loo or something, thinking about it Chloe felt she could use the loo herself, but she'd hold it until the feast was over or until she had to leave to go hide or something.

"So how was your summer... Ummmm" She knew his name from classes and she had to pretend to really know him since they were housemates now, but a name wasn't coming...


oh.. oh what is his name.

" Oh.. Sorry.. My name's Callum.. But ya can called me Cal.. Since it's easier to say and all.", he said, introducing himself. [B]" I only meant that if ya weren't a badger, but knew ya were one even though the Hat sorted ya wrong, that it's okay if ya sit here with us.. Not yur fault you should be over here with us.. "[B], Cal added as he offered her some trail mix.


He shrugged at her question.. Honestly, he had been trying to block out everything going on around him and waiting for the food to appear. I dunno.. I suppose we'll find out when he starts to speak.. Looks like it'll be another mad term at Hogwarts", he answered with a sigh. " Eh.. It was summer.. I spent the majority of it in the outdoors with my fox, Radar.. What about you?.. Yur summer good? "


Might as well converse with someone that appeared to be improperly sorted like himself.

He heard Maddie, but all he could offer was a small nod of the head because his attention was still very much fixated on the staff table. Though he did briefly turn his attention back to Lex. "Professor Noble isn't exactly a pygmy puff either," he pointed out gently. Especially after having someone like Professor Myers for Head of House before - the contrast was striking, you know? "They just, you know, have a presence that demands respect..." He was trying to look for a silver lining here, the sun tattoo on his shoulder a reminder of that, but still something was not sitting right in his stomach.

And then there was a confirmation of that unrest in his stomach. Movement out of the corner of his eye in which the Headmistress was standing, silently, and............WAIT. WHERE WAS SHE GOING?

Derf's instincts were to ask just that when the deep voice of one of the unfamiliar men caused his insides to knot as they were instructed to stand. Well, Derf was ALREADY standing so he was obviously obliging to that request.

Happy? This bloke was happy? He could...maybe look it a bit more. Clap his hands? Stomp his feet? Then again, who was he to judge from where he sat in the audience, though the stern tone certainly indicated the opposite. Headmaster Scrimgeour...well...that explained the lion-like appearance then. Derf's eyes then flickered over to this Professor Fletcher who...did not look the sort to write instructions in the sand, so at least there was that. Though did this mean Professor Vance had been fired before term had even began? He did not know otherwise and, well, since the Headmistress had ... right here on the spot...maybe?

Though it begged the question to Derf of why NOW? Which naturally meant that the conspiracy theories were swirling in his head. Making an example of her, surely that was the reason why they waiting until the feast...in front of EVERYONE...to do this. And as the man spoke on, his suspicions were only confirmed. There will be no need to question or go against the changes .... They were about to enter a dictatorship. Sure, he had found the Headmistress prickly and...not particularly paternal when it came to the emotional instability of her students - contributing to the sixth year's over all distrust of the staff at Hogwarts - but he was not in favor of public humiliation and spectacle.

And that was what this was.

Derf's body gave a bit of a jolt when the man snapped his fingers, that metallic quality seeming to echo in the tense air that had overcome the Great Hall - where was the Fat Friar when you needed him for a bit of cheer? - and his eyes widened. "....he had a metal hand..." the blonde whispered, staring a bit too much straight ahead as the food finally appeared at the table.

Though he did not sit, instead he took a moment to scan the Hufflepuff table once more to see how...everyone was taking that. And then his eyes fell on Chloe as she spoke to Callum. And panic set in.

"Psst, Chloe!" he hissed as he hurried on over towards her. "I reckon that bloke will not take to people sitting at their non-house tables...and I don't want to see you get in trouble on your first night. Let me escort you back over to Ravenclaw..."

Standing and sitting on command like they were all trained crups? Yeah...sitting at the "wrong" table would most certainly not go over well.

Cal, she could remember that. Yes, that would be easy to remember. "Oh no, no, the hat never gets things wrong and clearly he didn't since I'm fully in Hufflepuff, yes that's where he put me." Que and odd sort of laughter, forced was more the sound maybe coming from her lips. She looked around knowing that someone especially probably the prefects would see right through it, but if she hid enough maybe she could get away with it for a little while.

Now the bigger questions was going to be how could she snag a robe. Oh goodness Mark had become a Ravenclaw and she wasn't over there to greet him, well she knew he hated Ravenclaws so that was going to be an interesting fit for him.


Looking back to the boy she stopped and turned her head as the man spoke. "Oh no, no that can't be good.... He looks not very nice." She glanced back at Cal, "He seems very strict, this can't be good at all." Though being safe here was important and she did rather feel safer with someone that mean seeming leading, but what was he talking about changing and things. This wasn't sounding good.

"My... my summer was good, yes, I play quidditch in Germany for my little league team. It's always fun. Plus I play with my brother, cousins, and friends." Her summer was a bit more than that with trying to feel better after all the attacks, but he didn't need to know any of that part.

Oh no, no, no, just as she worried, the prefect knew... Nope this wasn't good. "Oh no, it's okay, do you not remember I am a Hufflepuff, I just have the wrong robes on. Yes, my parents are sending me some new robes so I had to wear these for now." Please don't make her go over there.. .

pllllleeeeeaaaaaseeeee

Ummm...okay. Where was the Headmistress going? She hadn't even served the food yet! Maddie's heart sank. Maybe she'd gotten a super important letter about something terrible back home or something...

Them some man ordered them to stand, which Maddie promptly did, but mainly because she was confused and the man looked sort of angry. Wait...wait... "He can't do that!" she said to those around her. "Can he?" But Headmistress Hawthorne had saved the school last year! It hadn't been HER fault the Inferi had attacked them!

WHAT A MORON, this Board of Governors was!

She didn't care about the new Divination professor. He wasn't taking anyone's place. But...wait. Where was Vance? And where was her Head of House? WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE?! If she hurried now, she might be able to catch Hawthorne...wherever the lady had gone.

"Headmistress Hawthorne!" she said, hurrying to the edge of her table. "Headmistress?! Come back!" There was no Emmalyn. There was no Nettie. There was no Vance. There was no Head of House that she knew of. "HELPPPP!"

This was a trend today it seemed, younger students pretending to be something they were not. The first year in the prefect compartment and now Chloe. Which, well, he couldn't really fault them for it since he had done it himself and it wasn't REALLY like any harm was being done and on any other day the sixth year would be more than willing to let it all slide. And, well, honestly sitting with other houses had never seemed like something that should be discouraged anyway.

"Chloe," he voice pleased with her. What hurt about this was her lying to him. She would have been better off telling him why she wanted to sit here instead of her own house table. He was an understanding kind of fellow, you know? Though in the moment he was more concerned with keeping her out of trouble. You know, blue robes REALLY stood out against yellow in the Great Hall.

Thinking and reacting in the moment, Derf removed his wand from his pocket and subtly pointed it at her so it wouldn't be visible from the dais. "Chloe...please don't lie to me...or insult my memory and ability to know my own housemates," he said simply, giving his wand a bit of a flourish to cast a color changing charm (he had become proficient in that one during his whole badge ordeal back in his fourth year) and turn the blue of her robes yellow to match the rest of the table. The Ravenclaw crest looked...quite laughable in yellow, honestly, but at least now from the dais it wouldn't be obvious she was out of her seat. "Okay?" he added with a soft smile, pocketing his wand immediately after.

He would...figure out how to stealthily sneak her back over to Ravenclaw once they were dismissed from the Great Hall and all that. Hopefully.

......and now he was wondering where Penny was. What if SHE got caught out of seat and elsewhere and...sweet Scamander what a night.

.........and then Maddie happened.

Taking the briefest of moments to rub his face, Derf took off after Maddie and grabbed her in a hug. "Hey...hey...Maddie...it will be okay," he said, trying to soothe her as he stroked her hair and doing his BEST to keep his opinions on things to himself. Though seeing his friend so upset made that hard. "Look...she left quietly and without any fuss...she wouldn't want you to act out and get in trouble your first night here. Let's go sit down, yeah? I think I saw pudding."

Aye, yai, yai, yai, yai....

...and then someone was hugging her, and for a second, she was so confused. There was way too much happening at once, and so she just stood there trying to process why she was at the end of the table and why she was calling for help. Everything came back to her a split second later, and she looked at Derf with a sort of blank stare.

She was honestly fighting an inner battle with herself and trying to decide if she should let sadness or anger win. In the end, neither did, and she returned Derf's hug and nodded into his shoulder. She wasn't sure everything would be okay, but at least Derf was a familiar face.

...and did somebody say pudding?

"Thanks, Derf," she genuinely said, and she was just about to go quietly back to her table, when he brought up Hawthorne. "No," she said, "she'd want me to do what's right, and I don't know what that is right now, but it's not this."

But at least there was pudding, and so she sat down and scooped some into a bowl. What a night.

"Nice to see you again, too!" And at least they were going to be serving food even if they did have to wait seemingly forever for it.

Pretty soon, all thoughts of food were driven out of Archer's mind by the appearance of a rather menacing-looking fellow and his little friend. She watched as the one took a seat beside whom she assumed was the Headmistress, while the menacing one seemed to be handing the woman something. Something that, after a few moments, had her getting up and leaving the hall. "What just...." she started, but before she could even finish her question, it was being answered. The Headmistress had just been sacked. In front of Merlin and everyone. "Cold. That's what that was." Now, she was new here, so she hadn't had a chance to get attached to Headmistress Hawthorne or anything. But, really? Firing someone like that?

And now the new guy, this Scrimgeour, was asking them to stand as a sign of respect. As if anyone could respect someone who was cold enough to fire someone so publicly. "Last time I checked, respect was something earned, not automatically given," she hissed to Derf and anyone else who could hear while getting to her feet. Of course, she wasn't standing out of respect, but to keep from getting trouble her very first night in this school.

The rest of the man's speech left her with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. "That's not ominous at all." That was sarcasm, by the way. So shook was she that she didn't even notice Maddie trying to take off after the departing Headmistress.

Oh no.

Oh no, this was not good at all.

Lex's mouth fell open as Headmistress Hawthorne left the Great Hall and the unpleasant-looking man took her place. This could NOT be happening. As he told the students to stand, Lex did so, almost involuntarily. Her legs were shaking like mad, and her hands still shook as well. This man was Headmaster now?!

She felt sick to her stomach. They couldn't do this. Could they? She wanted to ask anyone around her if this could really be happening, but she couldn't find her voice. However, as Headmaster Scrimgeour continued to speak, it was evident that this really was happening and that this term would be very, very different from her first.

Lex could only hope that this new Headmaster meant well. Still, she worried, as unexpected tears started to fall from her eyes. As the tables filled with food, and they were instructed to sit down, Lex only stared at her plate, trying to stop the flow of tears. She didn't even know why she was crying. Was she sad? Scared? Angry? Maybe a bit of each? She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her robes, trying to hide her tears from everyone.

Kimi had stood when the new headmaster asked them too but he was not happy about the whole fact that this guy had just replaced Headmistress Hawthorne who had left and he knew that she wouldn't be back but he could tell that this term was going to be different and it wasn't that good seeing as it was his last year at Hogwarts

Daisy noticed Ravenclaw Second Year Chloe heading for the Hufflepuff table. She had this story about how she had lost her Hufflepuff robes to which Daisy said quietly to her. "I know you're a Ravenclaw. I saw you get sorted last year. I think it would be best if you sat down at your table."

Daisy had stood up as instructed by the new Headmaster. The words coming out of his month were making Daisy's blood boil. She had found Hawthorne to be an amazing headmistress and Professor Vance had done so much for Daisy in terms of honing her Divination skills. Now, she didn't have any desire to attend Divination. When she was permitted, Daisy sat back down.

She now heard sobbing and her heart broke as Maddie began to get understandably distressed. The Prefect was about to console her friend but paused as Derf pulled her into an embrace. When he let go, Daisy wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder and said quietly, "We can't show those two men up there how upset we are because they would use it against us."

At Sterling's words, Daisy nodded glumly. What a lousy way to begin the year.

Oooookay.

What the heck had she missed?! Penny came rushing back in... to a rather tense atmosphere. One that did nothing to help quell her anxiety whatsoever. Glancing around she slipped into a seat at her house table and kept her head down. At least there was food, right?

After shoveling a forkful of potatoes in her mouth and chewing quietly the Hufflepuff glanced back up at her housemates. "Um... hey... what happened when I was in the loo?" Her eyes instinctively moved to the staff table as she speared a few more potato bits with her fork. Stress eating seemed like the thing to do right now.

Bernie was in awe of everything that was going on in this great Hall. He had been sorted into Hufflepuff and it was insane. Everything form the letter to the journey here to the sorting was just a whirl wind and a blur. He still was expecting them to him to pack up and go home that this was all a mistake.

Bernie sat at the table by himself looking around. He was a little shy and bashful, it was going to be hard for him to make friends. He didn't understand how people could be so out going. Plus he was far to busy looking around at all the magical things happening to pay much attention to the people.

Oh thank Merlin...at least Maddie was easy to calm down. The power of a hug, right? So, really, he was proud of her in the moment...because he would have been anything but this back when he was her age. Likely would have shouted and gone full blown badger boom like he had on Healer Reed, to be honest.

Releasing her from his hug, Derf watched as she returned to her seat and got to eating...just as Penny returned from the loo. "We have a new headmaster," he said somewhat gravely. "He sacked Hawthorne right in front of us. She left gracefully though...so...we gotta respect her..." In case, you know, Penny might react the way Maddie had. He gave her a quick glance over his shoulder, the sort that said he could elaborate LATER when they weren't, you know, right under their stares from the dais. "Let's eat now though, yeah?"

And he sighed at Daisy, not disagreeing with her but...in all honesty...not wanting to add fuel to the animosity fire already brewing inside everyone.

Sliding back into his seat, beside Archer he couldn't help the dry chuckle that escaped his lips. "At least...we have an idea of what we are getting into," he sighed as he poured himself some pumpkin juice. "Ministry meddling in Hogwarts...loads of history in our own textbooks to reference and draw from...not to mention we can keep up with the current Ministry climate through the Prophet and our parents."

But for now? For now...Derf was just going to focus on his meal.

[ some time laaaaaaaaater ]

The feast seemed to drag on, but eventually the time to head back to their dorms arrived and Derf rose from his seat. He immediately looked around for Chloe because, well, they needed to sort out how to get her back to the Ravenclaw common room and he NEEDED her to stick with him so he could maneuver that transition easily. He had ideas, using his Chloe for example, to help with all that.

"FIRST YEARS AND TRANSFERS! IF YOU WOULD ALL FOLLOW ME I'LL BE ESCORTING YOU TO THE COMMON ROOM!" he announced, his slightly faded blues finding Bernard for a moment with a gentle smile. Let them all just get to the common room in once piece and then he could, well, let the events of the night finally sink into his skin and thoughts.

Walking backwards down the aisle between the Hufflepuff table and their neighbor, the sixth year waited for the first years and transfers to form a group in front of him and then began making his way out of the Great Hall. Departing soon after.

Cal about giggled out loud when Chloe tried to play it off like she was a badger.. First of all he remembered her from last term, secondly.. He didn't mind at all that she wanted so badly to be in Hufflepuff.. He had hoped to be placed into Slytherin last term and instead was sorted as a puffer.. Much to his dismay.

" Ya could borrow my extra uniform if ya want.. Til yur folks send ya yur Hufflepuff robes. ", he replied with a grin. Sure, he knew she wasn't a real housemate, but he had to give her credit for commitment to her ruse.. And she did look positively desperate to be in his house..



And then the Prefects came and ruined it.. He was actually enjoying his conversation, People!!! And Callum, formerly known as Reese, didn't talk to hardly anyone! URGH! How RUDE!


" Why can't ya just do a colour charm and change the colour of her robes for 'er, Derf?.. Don't make her move now.. The new Headmaster is already speakin'.. Just let 'er stay, huh?", Cal tried to reason with his prefect.." It'd be embarrassin' to have to move now! "