Professor Dainsie walked up along the Gryffindor house table, pausing along the whole length to talk to students and hoping desperately there would be no dancing involved with the feast. After spending about 10 minutes mingling, she made her way to the staff table to take her place. She sat down sending more smiles and winks at the students and awaited the official ending of the term from the Headmistress.

Professor Light hurried to the table, clipping up her hair as she ran, and tucking her wand behind her ear. Breathing slightly heavy, she made it to the Great Hall and rested for a second.

Rule of Life: Never be late for food.

Professor Light entered the Great Hall for the last time this year. Time seemed to fly so quickly... she could still remember her first day, at the start of term feast, feeling so new and not knowing anyone. Now she looked along the staff table and was able to name all of the professors. And quite a few of the students for that matter.

As she made it to the head table, she took a seat towards the end of the long table and looked out along the hall.

I can't wait for the feast to start!

Professor Lainey arrived with a paper bag in her hand. She took her seat by Rae and sat quietly, wandering if the entire school thought of her as an even bigger laughing stock now. Lainey sighed and opened her brown paper bag and took out the food she'd prepared for herself. It'd be a long time before she tursted House Elf food again.

Professor Opteryx joined his fellow staff members at the table after watching the activities of the students. It was a surprise to him that the term was over already. Oh well. Time flies when chaos abounds.

He cast a look at Professor Lainley, whom he'd thought as rather...unstable before, but now he knew it was no fault of hers as Lainley had fallen victim to the Love Potion first.

"You know, Professor Lainley, I think it's all safe for human consumption," he said with an understanding smile.

McAiken entered the hall. He walked to the staff table and took a seat. He had not spoken to Lainey since she had left the hospital wing. He knew he should but he felt she needed time to pull her thoughts and feelings together afraid being under the potion. What he really wanted to do is take a seat beside her and hold her hand. He didn't care if he would appear under the potion himself. This term had be difficult for him. He reached for the mulled wine and pour some in his goblet, then drank deeply from it. He refilled his goblet and waited.

"That's easy for you to say," Lainey laughed awkwardly, munching on the apple she'd charmed several times to remove any possible potions that my be lurking in it. She saw Professor McAiken out of the corner of her eye and turned a couple of shades of red. She hadn't appologized to him yet. Lainey knew that she just couldn't. She adjusted herself so that she couldn't see him before speaking to Professor Opteryx again. "It's just like that plaque in the halls say, 'Constant villigence!'" Lainey laughed again, though more at herself than anything else. She'd lost her edge since her Auror days, that was for sure.

Fox wandered in carrying a book, and looked around a little bit. He sighed and found himiself a seat at the table. Fox took a drink of his water and began flipping through his book waiting for the festivities to begin.

Professor Branxton stepped into the hall and looked around. Professor Lainey was already seated beside Cassandra. Doyle wasn't sure he wanted to be so close to her, despite knowing she was cured and telling her they would act as if nothing had happened. He mentally shook himself for even thinking of such a childish thing and stepped up to the table, taking a seat beside Cassandra. "Good evening, Headmistress, Professor Lainey," he greeted them before pouring himself a drink from a flask he had brought. It wasn't that he didn't trust the available libations, he was just in need something a bit stronger.

Headmistress Rae glanced at the students sitting across the hall and then back at her troubled staff sitting at the table with her. It had seemed the term was going so well... but this was an emotional disaster that was just as dangerous to their sense of community as anything else that could have happened. She stood and raised her glass.

"Our term is coming to yet another close, and I want to congratulate you the students for an excellent term. The house point race was furiously paced, but in the end, there can only be one winner of the house cup. Congratulations to Gryffindor for a job well done. Congratulations are also due to Slytherin for winning the Quidditch tournament this term. To all four houses... we salute your efforts and we all know that the real goal here is education... and you have all been successful in that respect.

"I know that we've had an odd term, and it is only fair to tell you all that has happened. Many of your professors and housemates were infected this term. You may have noticed their odd behavior and actions. We have only recently learned that there was a love potion administered through strategically placed cookies placed in my office. The love potion was put there by a misguided, and unnamed, individual who believed they were doing us all a favor by bringing more love to the school. The lesson we can all take from this is that while love is VERY necessary in our school... and I mean love for our fellow witches and wizards and love between houses... that love cannot be faked or forced. I hope we can all take this individual's goal to heart, even as we learn that their methods were wrong.

"And so... as you prepare yourselves for your trip home tomorrow... first lift your glasses and we shall toast Hogwarts. To Hogwarts, our home away from home, a place where we can truly be ourselves and grow to be whatever it is we are destined to become." She raised her glass and took a sip before taking her seat and filling her plate.

Professor Opteryx was about to reply when he realized Professor Branxton appeared to be thinking on the same lines.

"Well then, suit yourself," he shrugged, picking up his goblet and swirling the contents about gently. "I'm glad that the mystery was solved before the term ended. It's not like this was the worst that's ever happened around here after all, I would suppose..."

A particularly round owl flew over to the staff table. It had twin amber circles for eyes, that were a little mad and an adorable wee round beak sticking out from the grey feathers. The owl came to a shaky halt before Fox, landing, unfortunately, on his plate. One foot stuck out with a letter tied to it, Boreas bent down to nibble off the bits of food stuck to him.

The letter looked like a drunken spider had attempted to tapdance over it. On closer examination, the Runic markings were actually words. If Peony had actually passed up any Arithmancy homework, Fox might have recognized the writing.

'Dear Fox' just hadn't sounded odd, to say nothing of dangerous, considering recent events. Finally, there hadn't been much of a header at all. Just a 'To Fox' scrawled on top.

Erm. Right. This is Peony Tan (please don't throw the letter away right now). I wrote to apologize for my - there was a good deal of rubbing here as if each adjective had been erased in favor of one more... extreme - unbelievably, completely, utterly, ridiculously - unable to find a suitably bombastic adjective to describe the well of shame, Peony had resorted to -lys. stupid behaviour. I hope I haven't caused you any trouble over this, and er - I'd also like to thank you for your... behaviour. Thank you so much for getting me into the Ward. And, er, I heard that I - Peony's courage had failed her here - well, I don't have rabies but I do know someone who is really good with Obliviate and of course I'll pay for any psychiatry needed.

After she paid for her own of course. Peony had thought about adding a bit that went 'You're a great teacher and I wish I could still be here next year for your classes' but since the latter was a monumental lie (she hated Arithmancy) and the former might be taken as a little too familiar, she had ended up rubbing it out. The letter had taken nearly all her eraser.

It was the only thing she could do, to apologize for all the trauma caused - to say nothing of the embarassment.

*A tall, lanky blond boy in a flare bottomed robe with a Stetson brimed cone hat approaches the staff table with flaggon of pumpkin juice raised high.*

"Too the most congenial faculty to grace Hogwarts in many a weary year."

*Downs drink and returnes to Gryf table.*

Professor Dainsie laughed and raised her goblet, sending a smile and a wink at Mickey before downing the contents. He certainly was a character and was infact spending his summer doing Care of Magical Creature work, much to her delight. Letting her eyes wander to the Gryffindor table she watched the happy faces with a hint of sadness.

Fox carefully removed the wrinkled and obviously well eraser-worn note from the owl's leg. He read it expressionlessly, occasionally raising an eyebrow at the owl's complete lack of compulsion at both eating from his plate and landing on it. He nodded politely to the owl and indicated it could go. As the owl flew away it flicked bits of food stuck on its wings towards Fox and his neighboring colleagues. He shook his head and pushed his plate forward, he then apologized to his possibly offended neighbors.

Professor Opteryx flicked a few bits of splattered food from his face left by the round owl as it left, glancing at Fox breifly then at the place where Professor Virohsa usually sat.

"I hope she's not taking it too hard," he murmured to nobody in particular.

*Madame Rowena smiles as she watches Professor Fox read his note that just arrived. Thankfully, the book she was reading was able to block most of the splattered pieces of food. She eases back into her seat and raises her goblet*

"Another term finished, and quite a memorable one at that," she states to those seated around her.

Professor T'Poutine sat down near the end. He sighed and drank down his goblet of juice.

His own thoughts on his future he ignored what was going on around him. He was confident he would be happier at home, although some of the students he would miss.

He slowly refilled his cup and drank it down once more. With a goofy smile, he pocketed his scarf and gazed at the ceiling.

Fox nodded apologetically. "Sorry Professor Opteryx, Madame Rowena," he said as he cleaned himself off. "There was a bit of a misunderstanding with a student," he lied, afterall, he did remember what it was like to be a student...vaguely...he could only imagine the horror of her having discovered she kissed a professor. He cleaned himself off. "So professor Opteryx, how does it feel to have your first post as a professor coming to an end?"