From the Ashes

Who: Bob and William
When: Tuesday, January 26th
Where: The Hospital Wing
What: Making amends. If possible.

Voluntarily walking into the Hospital Wing wasn't generally something William was prone to doing, but Bob did have a point in that they weren't certain yet of what effects the monitoring charm might produce. It couldn't hurt to have a Healer look at it, now that the Kneazle was out of the hat. Besides which, he did genuinely respect Bob's opinion, and going around him had put something of an edge on their interactions.

Bob didn't always take breakfast with the rest of the staff, and when he hadn't today, it had seemed as good an opportunity as any. William waited in the doorway to make sure that Bob wasn't busy with patients before walking in and taking a seat on one of the examination tables. "Good morning, Healer Bryar," he said quietly. "If you're free..." He slid the sleeve of his robe back, undid the button on his shirt sleeve and rolled the cuff to expose the dark gleam of fresh ink. "...I wondered if I might have a moment of your time for that discussion you requested yesterday."

Who: Bob, Z, and William.
When: Monday, January 25th, lunchtime
Where: Library
What: Bob is not a teacher. He knows nothing about Ancient Runes. Who thought this was a good idea again? (Also, William is a Christmas tree.)

It was really time to face the fact that students couldn't be expected to read from their textbooks for the entirety of the school year. If such practices were acceptable teaching methods, no one would bother with school and teachers and it would all just be book work. To that end, Bob had dragged himself into the library to learn a little about Ancient Runes and try to cobble together some sort of lesson plan. Hopefully Beckett wouldn't discover him and toss him out on his ass for eating among the books. Or if Bob was discovered, the librarian would be so offended by Bob's teaching methods that he might volunteer to create lesson plans for Bob? That was a really nice thought, but somehow Bob sincerely doubted it would play out that way.

Who: Staff and TAs
When: Monday morning, January 25
Where: The staff lounge
What: Staff meeting about upcoming bad press

Enough people were present for Brian to start the staff meeting.

“Right, so I know things have been a little hectic-” Brian ignored the snorts and someone’s laughter and continued. “Yes, I know, it’s been fucking insane. You all knew that by the end of your first week and didn’t resign then, so suck it up. Hazards of the job and all.”

He waved his wand and a proof copy of this morning’s Daily Prophet shot out. It zoomed around the room for a few seconds before docilely floating next to Brian. He ignored the paper and its antics.

“I imagine that most of you have been ignoring the letters to the editor and op-ed pieces in recent issues of the Prophet, since no one actually cares about typographical errors and mis-attributed photographs or what barmy wizards think about Ministry polices. Time to start paying attention now.

“Some disgruntled parents and Hogwarts alums have been writing in, mostly to bitch about what we’ve been doing with the school. I’ve got a stack of letters about that on my desk, I’m sure most of you have gotten a few since you started. Someone’s been organizing them in a group, Concerned Wizards of Britain. They’re starting to make more noise and get some attention. They petitioned to meet with me and the Board of Governors this weekend about some of the decisions I’ve made-staff I’ve hired. Obviously, I’m not just going to give in to their whims and Rita Skeeter’s protégé got wind of the story. It’s front page of this morning’s Daily Prophet.”

Brian duplicated his paper and sent the copies whizzing around, one for each person present. One of the headlines screamed

“DO WE TRUST OUR CHILDREN TO FOREIGN WIZARDS?”

Below that, other headlines read:

“Is "Change" a good thing? Does Hogwarts need a new perspective?”

“Must we reinvent our school?”

“Where are all the British professors?”

Brian let everyone take a moment or two to read the headlines and think about them.

“So, the school’s under attack in the paper. Mostly it’s focused around my decision to hire foreign-born staff and keep Professor Saporta as the Head of Slytherin in light of hiring Professor Asher. It’s bullshit, we’re figuring it’ll blow over soon, but I wanted to tell you all before copies start getting distributed in the Great Hall.”

Brian collected his copy of the paper and rearranged his robes slightly. “So, I’ll be in my office dealing with Howlers and letters if anyone needs me. Owl or fire-call me if something comes up you can’t handle.” With that, Brian left the staff lounge.

Who: Gerard and William
When: January 3rd or so?
Where: The library
What: Post-traumatic werewolf disorder

With the students returning, there was slightly more to be done in the library than there had been for the last month. William had put the necessary class texts on hold, placed another literature request with the headmaster, and was re-sizing some of the bookshelves to better suit the needs of the collections they housed.

It still wasn't nearly enough to keep him distracted from thoughts of the past few days.

The sight of movement in the doorway made him tense and move half-behind the nearest shelf before cautiously looking out. It wasn't Z, for which he was grateful - Bob had declared him patched up and released him from the infirmary with nothing more than a few dull aches, but he still had no desire to get into another fight. It was, however, someone nearly as unfortunate. Gerard.

Gerard, the secret werewolf.

Who: Z and William
What: The most tragic temporal mishap
When: Saturday, January 2 2010 and The Not-So-Mysterious Past
Where: The library, various corridors

Z marked her place in the battered copy of 'Keystone Spells in Ancient Wards." It was fairly dull reading, but it gave a thorough overview of pre-Christian wards and protection spells. Her stomach rumbled and Z checked the time; well no wonder she was hungry and having a hard time focusing. Dinner was served twenty minutes ago. She collected her notes and gathered the books she wanted to check out.

Z took the leisurely way to the front of the library. She could use the walk and she might run into William more quickly that way. She found him in the reference section doing something vaguely mysterious with a few books.

"William," Z said brightly. "I have books to check out and we both have dinner to get to. I won't take no for an answer-I am a lady and I must be escorted."

Who: Nate, Gerard, William, Jon
When: New Year's Eve
Where: Out on the grounds
What: The hunt

It was freezing outside. Scotland in the dark time between December and January, of course it was. William had a heavy woolen cloak and a warming charm in his winter boots, but even that wasn't enough to cut the cold seeping through his many layers of clothing. He wasn't planning on staying out here long, at least. No more than an hour or two.

Bob's warnings had been frustratingly paradoxical. It would be best to quarantine him away from the students in case anything went wrong, but too dangerous for him to leave the grounds. William had decided on a walk around the outer wall of the castle, footfalls crunching quietly in the snow. It was peaceful out here, and he knew enough charms to avoid frostbite. The moon hung pregnant, full and round in the night sky. He could pick out an abundance of constellations from here, and wished briefly that he'd invited Mikey along for the walk.

It would have been too dangerous, though, if anything went wrong, and too cold, besides. Knowing Mikey, he would have agreed in the spirit of friendship, when he could have been curled up with Spencer in front of a roaring hearth. The potion Gabe had promised to attempt wouldn't be ready for another half-day, at least, so for now William was on his own, walking the grounds outside the castle.

Who: William, Spencer, Mikey
When: Weds 30th Dec
Where: Somewhere about the castle
What: Hey, aren't you usually a little bigger?

Mikey was done with Wednesday.

Two hours ago he had gotten conscientiously out of bed in perfect time for his 9am lesson, trundled all the way through the corridors, tripped on a doorway, splashed coffee on his notes, then found the classroom empty and the only child nearby insisting it was Sunday.

It had been strange, but not necessarily a problem. And really he'd been quite happy to give one glance to the deserted corridors, take the Ravenclaw at her word, and then go back to bed. Getting days mixed up was something he was totally capable of.

No, the real problem was that he'd woken up an hour or so later to an owl from one of his first years wondering why their lesson had been cancelled with no notice. And now, when he left his room, it seemed to definitely be Wednesday. There were children bustling about the hallways, swinging book bags and chatting loudly, and the clock on the second floor was pointing authoritatively to Mittwoch.

Which meant he'd obviously been the victim of a neatly executed prank and his first years - and possibly others - were holed up in a common room somewhere laughing at him.

He sighed, and turned down a less busy corridor to try and concentrate on a suitable punishment. His fingers dragged against the wall and then suddenly he was blinking into sunlight strangely bright for the time of day and his head felt heavy, like he'd been sleeping for too long.

Who: Spencer and William
When: Mid-morning, December 28th
Where: The library
What: Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff

Movement caught the corner of William's eye, and he turned automatically toward the motion without thinking. The source of the distraction turned out to be Pearce-Parson, a third-year Slytherin (the worst year for that House, or so William had come to be convinced, although it was a close race), who, as William watched, stuffed something - a note? a list? Merlin forbid, a page from a book? - inside the library wall before plugging the gap. The boy looked over his shoulder as he fitted the stone into place, clearly nervous about his subterfuge being discovered, but he was looking in the wrong direction.

William took a step forward to reprimand him, and stopped again, abruptly dizzy. There was something in the way the light fell on that side of the room...too bright, perhaps, the shadows shorter, not quite right. It didn't make any sense, and when William blinked and shook his head to clear it, he opened his eyes to find everything as normal and Pearce-Parson gone.

He took the remaining steps over to the wall and smoothed his hand over the cool stones. This was the spot, he was certain of it. This was the shape of the stone, but when William pried at it with his fingertips, it wasn't even slightly loose. Nor did he remember it being so, or any of the other stones, although he couldn't say he made a habit of checking. Even so, he'd thought he would have noticed.

He tapped his wand around the edges of the stone, chipping at the masonry until it was loose enough to slide free of the wall, mortar crumbling to dust over his shoes and the carpet. Nothing. There was nothing there. No scrap of parchment, not the slightest sign of disturbance beyond what William had caused. He frowned, and looked around again. No sign of Pearce-Parson. William hadn't even known he was here in the library. He must have slipped in while William had been looking for a treatise on magical applications of woad. Strange, that.

Who: Gabe and William
When: The wee hours of December 31st
Where: Gabe's rooms
What: Blood magic and dreams

William hit the bookshelf hard. He moaned into Gabe's mouth, already pulling at the heavy encumbrance of Gabe's robes to get to the skin and muscle beneath. Gabe's hand was around his throat - oh, he knew this dream, this memory, knew it well - and he squeezed as William pushed up against him, panting. William's head dropped back against the shelf and he inhaled raggedly, spots dancing in front of his eyes at the lack of oxygen, his hips still rocking forward, riding the bulge beneath Gabe's robe. "Don't stop," he gasped, afraid of the moment Gabe would pull away and leave him here, aching and incomplete.

The library swirled into gray around them, resolving into his rooms, candlelit and shadowed. His rooms, his bed, his door which Gabe currently had him pressed up against; much better for their purposes, certainly much more convenient than a library shelf. Gabe's hand tightened around his throat, and there was a strange sibilant hiss in his voice when he answered, "Oh, I won't." William opened his eyes and saw Gabe smiling, sharpened snake's teeth gleaming and a droplet of bright blood dripping from one pointed fang. William choked at the pressure, lungs screaming for air, twisting to get away in vain as Gabe leaned closer and hissed, "This is payback."

William woke up. It took a while for the room to distinguish itself from the darkness of night, for his eyes to adjust and his heart to stop pounding. He was soaked with sweat, one hand clutching the damp sheet covering his mattress. He got out of bed and set the candles alight, trying to chase away the lingering shadows and sick feeling left from the nightmare. He would have a cup of tea. Do some reading, visit the bath, maybe head down to breakfast early if he was still awake. Falling back asleep right now seemed impossible, with the memory of suffocation crowding in on him in his silent room. He could breathe perfectly fine, he told himself. It was just a dream. He could always go to - not to Gabe, he would ask too many questions - but to Bob, ask about a dreamless sleep potion. Bob had told him...had said...

Standing, William Summoned his night robe from the closet and belted it tightly around him. His hands shook slightly when he tied the knot, but it was just the claustrophobia of the room, the lateness of the hour, the idea that...

He grabbed the stack of parchment and headed for the dungeons before he could talk himself out of it. There was someone he needed to see, whether either of them liked it or not.

Who: Gabe and William
When: Late night, December 29th
Where: Primarily Gabe's rooms
What: Returning a lost belonging

William was re-shelving his last stack of books for the night when a flicker of motion caught the corner of his eye. There was nothing there when he turned, which led him to suspect it was one of the older students sneaking around trying to gain access to the Restricted Section. He frowned, waiting a moment longer, and then reached up to slide the final book onto the shelf and saw the flicker again. Much closer this time. A few inches from his fingers, in fact.

The mysterious intruder wasn’t a student, it was a snake. A hooded cobra, specifically. And one that was either Disillusioned or Chameleon Cloaked, judging by the way it faded in and out of sight. “Hello,” he said cautiously, voice low. He wished he could speak Parseltongue, but tone of voice was the best he could do. Back in second-year, he and Andrew had spent several weeks attempting to learn the basics from a recorded spoken-words book, but that had been long ago and they’d never really mastered the art. It was a difficult language to get the hang of, when everything on the recording sounded almost exactly the same to their ears.

The snake either couldn’t read his tone or didn’t care, because she coiled warningly, head rearing back. William froze, keeping very still as he watched it for signs of aggression. He would be able to get to Bob in time if it were merely a case of snakebite venom, of course, but this was no ordinary snake. William could feel the tingle of magic flickering dangerously along with its forked tongue.

“Right,” he said slowly. “Just let me…”

A conjured mouse was probably less satisfying to a cobra than a real one, but debatably more ethical to produce, and certainly quicker in a pinch. The snake made reasonably fast work of it regardless, while William stood at a careful distance and watched, his wand moving in deliberate, measured circles. The snake moved more slowly as the temperature dropped, relaxing into well-fed torpidity. It didn’t react with alarm when William edged forward, so he hooked it gently with his wand and let it curl sleepily around his arm.

“No biting,” he told it. He couldn’t remember the name that had been on the notice, but he had no doubt where this particular magical minion belonged. Apparently they were off to visit Gabe.

Dear Scrabble Team 'Skipped A Few Classes in Primary School',

There is no such thing as a netbook in the English or Latin languages. To give you the benefit of the doubt, perhaps you meant notebook, and one of your intended letters inconveniently fell off the board and the word rearranged itself into incomprehensibility. Possibly you were thinking of a neti pot, but while those are currently in existence (albeit not as a solitary compound word), neti books almost certainly, to my knowledge, are not. No one in their right mind, flexible Indian yoga practitioner or not, would attempt to use any sort of book in such a manner.

Your score has been penalized accordingly.

P.S. If this has anything to do with the Worldwide Spiderweb, please remember that Muggle slang has no place in civilized Scrabble games. Do try to spell with some decorum.

Who: All staff and teaching assistants are invited
When: The night of Thursday the 24th, after the great caroling expedition
Where The ballroom
What: Staff Christmas Party

The swimming pool has been frozen for skating and other icy ventures. There is a small ski ramp that the headmaster had installed for the occasion after seeing a Muggle moving photograph depicting the joys of sliding down a mountain on enormous wooden shoes. He's dubious, but the Muggles seemed to be having a good time, and he thought it might lead to further bonding.

There is light, fluffy snow falling over the newly-made ice rink, and over the holiday tree from the Forbidden Forest also enjoying the party in one corner of the room. The decor is red-and-white striped peppermint, with Chilly Icicles and other delicious candy treats scattered throughout the ballroom. Among the refreshments provided are egg nog, hot cocoa, cookies baked with love and inexperience by the younger students, and enthusiastically flaming plum puddings. Beware the fruit cake; the trasgu cooks mixed up a few of the ingredients when collecting the necessary assortment of candied fruits.

There is a green shadow on the ceiling in the far corner that looks suspiciously like mistletoe. Schechter has given up on trying to control the stuff. It's a harmless tradition, after all, and everyone here is an adult.

Stockings are on the wall and the kids are in bed. Have an awesome time.

[left beneath the miniature holiday tree in the staff lounge (although not too close, because the angel on top has a sword and isn't afraid to use it) for Nate Novarro, from his Staff Secret Santa]





Note attached:

To Mr Novarro, with warmest wishes for the holiday season.

I purchased this device from an antiques shop in Belfast. It was invented by a Squib during the European Inquisition of the 15th century to measure magical energies produced during the casting of spells by witches and wizards. There was not much call for such a thing even then, so it was never popularized and apparently very few remain extant. I thought you might find it of interest in your studies; or at the very least, as a reminder that the unknown may yet be quantified, and all that is wondrous still lies within the realm of discovery.

Happy Christmas.

Mr Beckett,

If you could stop by the hospital wing sometime in the next few days, I have something I wish to discuss with you regarding the blood tests I took last month as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Healer R. Bryar

Who: William and Victoria
Where: The castle library
When: Afternoon of Tuesday, 22 December
What: Library inspection, er, orientation

It was Tuesday afternoon by the time that Victoria forced herself to visit the library. It wasn't that she was afraid of the library; there was no reason to be. It was more that she'd spent many (relatively) happy hours in the library as a student, especially in her final years at Hogwarts. Having heard about how things had gone at Hogwarts during the last war, and having seen the state of other parts of the school, Victoria was reluctant to see what the war had done to her old sanctuary.

Victoria made her way up to the fourth floor from the dungeons, slowly walking down the corridor and past the long landscape painting. In her hand was a list of tasks she had to complete: books she had to review and check out, journals to request, and a reminder to file her signature so her students could read books in the Restricted Section. She pushed the library door open with the other hand, and peered briefly inside before stepping all the way into the chamber.

December 24th

Spencer,

Please come to the library at your earlier convenience; your expertise is required. You might wish to announce yourself at the door as well, particularly if you are a traditionalist or if Mikey accompanies you or of a superstitious nature. There are wards on the door in case you forget, so please don't be alarmed by the chorus of handbells that may arise should you enter without declaring yourself beforehand.

Sincerely,
William

WHO: Gabe and William
WHERE: The library
WHAT: Conversing. One on one. Hey, this is a big step for them.
WHEN: 24th December. Shortly after William intellectually broke up with Gabe by owl.

( Gabe's windowledge was hot owl real-estate. )

December 24th, 2009

Professor Saporta,

I would like to thank you personally for taking the time to aid my research into non-toxic Dark magic warding potions. Your expertise has been invaluable, and I appreciate all of the suggestions you've made to guide my area of study. You have been very generous with your time, but I realize you have a busy schedule and little spare time to devote to the extracurricular projects of others. At this time, I plan to continue my research in partnership with another staff member so as to not presume further upon your goodwill. Thank you again for your munificent assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,
William Beckett, Hogwarts Librarian

Who: Everyone is invited to attend
When: December 20th - December 21st
Where: The Great Hall, Entrance Hall, and Courtyard
What: Yule Vigil

On the longest night of the year, all lights in the castle will be doused with the exception of one main bonfire in the Great Hall, which will burn throughout the night. The vigil is a time for reflection on the past year, preparing to face the new year to come. Those who keep it will not sleep until after they watch the sunrise.

Since this is an all-night event, feel free to start multiple threads and jump around as you wish. It's a good time for telling stories, remembering lost friends, making amends, setting new goals, and resolving to change for the better. No one is required to attend or to stay for the entire night if they do not wish to do so.

The bonfire is in the Great Hall, but the doors are open to the Entrance Hall, which will spill enough light outside that people can mingle there. The Entrance Hall is an easier place to have more animated conversations without disturbing the solemnity of those gathered in the Great Hall to reflect in the firelight. The Courtyard is lit by the moon and stars, and is a good place to go for those who feel the desire to commune with nature, or who need a breath of fresh air.

Who: Frank and William
When: Sunday, December 20th
Where: The kitchen fireplace, from thence to other parts of the castle
What: Greeting the new professor

When Headmaster Schechter had asked him to stop by the kitchen to greet the newest member of their staff, Professor Iero, William had experienced a brief moment of 'Frank? Frank Iero? Teaching?'

It had passed, though, quickly because he'd become aware of the half-smirk on the headmaster's face watching him stumble, and William had agreed that yes, of course he would, it was no trouble at all. It wasn't, really, although he did have to pick his way through the trasgu, a select few of which were in high temper and breaking crockery all over the kitchen floor. William carefully negotiated the slick puddles of spilled water, picked up a trasgu-pilfered bronze relic from the History of Magic classroom to return as soon as possible, and waited just to the side of the fireplace for Frank to appear.