New term, new badge, new Quidditch official, new responsibilities, anxieties and general sports based freak outs. But first! Time to meet the new Quidditch lady. Derry hadn't wanted to disturb her during the feast - and she'd been busy talking to her friends and encouraging first years to quidditch-ify themselves. Buuuuut now was as good a time as any to meet her, sooner rather than later, yes? Especially since she was going to be starting try outs soon and... phew. Just... big deal.

So Derry ran down to the Quidditch pitch and knocked on the office door enthusiastically. Let's do this.

New Quidditch official.

Ella had mixed feelings because James was just...amazing and like family because of Max reasons and the blonde still wasn't okay with how she'd left. No goodbyes were sometimes harder than having to say them so yeah. ...But anyways, time to meet the new official and introduce herself.

Wandering up to the office door, Ella noted Derry and gave her a small smile. Seemed they thought alike. "I never congratulated you properly, I don't think. Congrats on your badge." Oh and the red head had knocked, yeah? That meant Ella could just sort of wait with her. Maybe.

Tobias hadn't been listening during the feast, having been so ready to get his bounce on. Point was, he'd zoned out through most of what Headmistress Truebridge had been saying. So naturally he'd missed out on the announcement about the new staff.

So the cheery second year was on his way to the Quidditch official's office, fully expecting to have a chat with the motherly Professor James on his planz for da future.

*BOING^creeeak*

*BOING^creeeak*

*BOING^creeeak*

Yes... the Hufflepuff was on his pogo stick. It was perfect pogo weather and a LOT more fun and speedy way of getting around, so why not?

Seeing two familiar figures up ahead spurred him on, and Tobias enthusiastically bounced until he was only a couple of metres away from Derry and Ella. At that point, he came to a gradual halt and dismounted the pogo stick, deciding to just hold on to it for a while rather than... you know... bouncing.

"Hi there captains!" Toby said brightly to the girls waiting outside the office. He didn't knock, or even look at the door and the nameplate, because logic dictated that SOMEONE had knocked, unless it was commonplace to loiter outside professors' offices. He decided not to pogo while he waited, 'cause the thing kept creaking and it wasn't the most appealing of noises.

It was a beautiful September day and the brand new Quidditch Official was on her way to her office. She had just been for a refreshing morning stroll through the grounds and when she turned the corner into the corridor, she beheld three students--and a pogo stick? Stranger things have been known to happen at Hogwarts, I suppose.

"Good morning," she said cheerily, projecting her voice down the corridor as she came closer. "I hope you three haven't been waiting very long. Come in, come in." With a tap of her wand, the door unlocked with an audible clicking sound and it swung inward freely. "After you," she said, ushering them in before her. "It looks like we'll be needing another chair." With a second motion of her wand, a sturdy, straight-backed, wooden chair appeared next to the other two.

Leaving the door open behind her, she took a seat across the desk after opening the window to the pitch. "Now. Before we do anything else, I must know who I have the pleasure of speaking with."

Well........................ this was new.

Tobias was kind of surprised not to see Professor James show up and let them into the office and sit down and say hello and all that other stuff. But he wasn't stupid. The way this lady spoke and walked made it clear that she was the teacher who now resided in this office, MEANING that she was the Quidditch official now. Most likely. A quick glance at the door as he entered the office told Toby that, yep, this was no longer James' office.

If it made him sad, Toby didn't show it. He would be kind and welcoming and a big ol' Hufflepuff. He'd talk to Ella or something about James later.

"Good morning!" Tobias replied brightly, if somewhat belatedly ('cause he'd been thinking and stuff) before taking a seat. The magic seat. The one that had been conjured. 'Cause it was special. "It's cool, I've only been waiting a couple minutes," the boy added as he leaned his pogo stick against the side of his chair/leg, so nobody would trip over it.

Who did she have THE PLEASURE of speaking with? A HAPPY HUFFLEPUFF, THAT'S WHO.

"I'm Tobias, Professor! Some people call me Toby. But most professors call me Mister Tempus. I'm a Hufflepuff. Second year." A somewhat jumbled introduction but that was Tobias all over. Maybe that was obvious.

Derry beamed happily at Ella - she decided she was allowed to be happy when she was congratulated by people so long as nobody who didn't seem to think it was her badge were around - and glanced down at her badge. "Yeah, thanks!" she said, feeling in some sort of a cheery mood today. "Kind of a surprise really." Kind of. Ha. More like Biggest Surprise Ever.

She was going to say something else when she was interrupted by that bounce!creak... it sounded familiar... Derry turned her head to seeeeeeeeeeee...
Toby. Of course. Who else. "That pogo stick really doesn't sound safe, Toby..." she said as came up to them. "You should get it oiled... maybe the groundskeeper will help." Because she didn't want him hurting himself. She liked Toby. He was her favourite.

And then there was another voice... not coming from inside the office. Meriln, it was going to be some sort of party in there if anyone else was coming to visit. But a quick glance around told her that this wasn't a student... Oh! Right! The new Quidditch lady! She seemed nice already, that was good. It relaxed Derry a little... So she went into the office and took a seat. Offices were so strange... they were all really different... not like the offices at her old school. They'd all been plain and boring and covered in timetables and paperwork and full of angry teachers who pretended to care about bullies when really they just hated that you had an excuse for bad grades.....

ANYWAY. "I'm Derry Ferrier, Professor." she said with a bright smile. "I'm the new captain for Slytherin team, so I thought I should introduce myself." Good, yes? Cause Quidditch. Yep.

"You're welcome!" Derry was a ridiculously good player and she was smart, that much was obvious. It wasn't a surprise to Ella that she'd been picked, even if the girl hadn't been at the school that long. She just hoped no one was giving her a hard time about it. Competition or not, there was enough stress being captain without that kind of stuff. "You'll be great." She said reassuringly.

And then there was a Tobias on a pogo-stick as if he needed any extra bounce. She approved of the bounciness, by the way. The blonde grinned at him and added, "And when it does get oiled, you owe me lessons." Nodnod. And then she could keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't bounce his way into the lake or detention.

The look of surprise on Tobias' face didn't go unnoticed when the Quidditch official arrived. The blonde made a note to talk to him later and smiled kindly at the woman as she invited them into her office. She followed the others quietly and took a seat, waiting her turn to introduce herself. She felt nervous though she had no real reason to. Meeting new people, adult people, could do that to a person.

"Hi, I'm Ella Bishop, the Hufflepuff Captain." Nodnod. "It seems Derry and I had the same thought. I wanted to introduce myself to you as well and to say welcome." To Hogwarts, that is.

Once they were all inside and seated the introductions began. Of course she didn't feel the need to tell them who she was. They had all been at the Feast and her name was on the door, so there was really no need. Tobias slash Toby, Ella, and DAIRY. What a peculiar name! She was really going to struggle not to picture the head of a cow on this girl every time she saw her.

"Well Tobias, Ella, and Dairy." Don't laugh, don't laugh! "I'm glad to see you all here today. Have you three had breakfast?" Without waiting for an answer, she waved her wand and a plate of scones appeared before them. From inside the desk Tiara brought out a tea service. After pointing her wand into the tea kettle, she said "Aguamenti," and then proceeded to set the water to warm. "Tea should be ready in a moment."

"Now. Mister Tempus, I don't believe I caught the purpose for your visit. What may I help you with?" The other two could wait, they were big girls. Besides, this boy looked like he was ready to cause destruction from that toy of his, and she didn't want it to be in her office.

Oil the pogo stick. THAT was a stroke of brilliance. And the Groundskeeper DID see like the best person to see. Toby grinned at the two older girls and gave them a DOUBLE THUMBS UP to show he took that advice on board. "Sure thing!" And the lessons for Ella too. Tobias would keep his promise.

...

Breakfast?

THAT... was a very good question. Tobias wasn't sure; he hadn't sorted out a daily schedule to follow yet and he could barely remember the things he was doing 10 minutes ago, he had so many thoughts and stuff flying through his head. It was hard to keep track, you know?

OOH SCONES. Whether or not he'd already eaten, Tobias DEFINITELY wanted a scone. He reached forwards and picked one up, assuming that the food appearing had been an offer of sorts.

Mister Tempus? Thaaaaaaaaat would be him!

Before he took a bite or anything, Tobias responded to the new professor. "Okay, well... you see," he started, fidgeting in his seat as he always did and looking from the scone to the professor. "I guess it's kind of... advice? I was on the Quidditch team last year, right, and I kind of... totally loved it. I'm hoping to make it onto the team this year, too. Also, I decided that I was going to try and become a professional Quidditch player when I leave school." He stopped to take a breath and avoided looking around at the two captains he was sat with, or even the official, and instead looked at the pictures around on the walls that he'd just noticed. "I was expecting to see Professor James here, because she's seen me play and would know if it's a dream worth going for with how I play. But I kind of need to know what stuff I need to be doing to try and go pro eventually. My grandfather says it's important to start preparing yourself early, especially in sports."

Tobias stopped then, and went to take a bite from the scone. Then he seemed to remember something and quickly added, "I practice my flying everyday, and other exercising. But... I'm focusing on the academic stuff too, because not everyone gets to play professionally no matter how much they want it, and a lot of people need to get a job after Quidditch." Another pause. There was a lot to take in, he supposed, but Tobias was so passionate about Quidditch (which was why he was so nervous about tryouts) and he couldn't help but go on and on about his plans when he had the chance. He looked slightly apologetic and fidgeted even more. "So... do you have any advice?"

Aaaaaaaaand he finally took a bite of the scone.

MY this boy was a talker! Tiara did her best to follow everything he was saying, which was quite a lot. When he finally signaled that he was finished by starting in on his scone, she gathered her thoughts and attempted to hit every point he'd brought up.

"Well. I'm glad you discovered the joy of Quidditch!" Clearly she shared the same enjoyment if she was the Quidditch Official. "You're right, I haven't seen you play. But I plan on viewing some of the tryouts from here in my office," she indicated the window behind her, "so I will try to make special note of your abilities. Your grandfather is quite right, it's good to start preparing for things earlier rather than later, and I'm impressed that a young man such as yourself has already started seriously considering his career aspirations!" She gave him a warm smile.

Actually, it sounded like he had things under control already. She wasn't sure what he had been hoping to hear from her predecessor, but Tiara's own life experiences could help Tobias. "When I was your age, I wanted to become a professional gymnast and be in the Olympic Games." Did he know what those things were? Tiara wasn't sure how connected he was to the Muggle world. "I was so devoted to the sport that I neglected my schoolwork and social life. Then I had a bad fall that ended my chances of making the Olympics." She shuddered slightly at the memory, but steeled herself and continued on.

"I had nothing left to fall back on. Now, I was fortunate enough to still have a place open at Hogwarts, though I had declined three years previously. But I suppose the moral of my story is that you're exactly right - you should definitely not neglect your school work." Spoken like the true Ravenclaw that she was. "Fortunately, Quidditch at Hogwarts seems to bring with it camaraderie, so you don't have to worry yourself about that aspect. My advice is this: keep an open mind. Don't get so stuck on being a pro in Quidditch that you miss another opportunity to do something else, to pursue some avenue your education unveils for you." Was he tired of her talking yet? Hopefully not. "As for the actual Quidditch improvements, my advice is always to master the fundamentals of your position and practice them every day. The players who do that - no matter which level they play at - are always the best all around." Were the Captains listening as well? They could translate that into a practice regimen.

She had probably given him too much to think about.

Gosh, this SCONE. Tobias came to the conclusion that he MUST have skipped breakfast or something, because the scone tasted as good as when you first eat when you're absolutely starving. Or maybe it was just that good. He listened to Professor Tyner as she spoke.

So she'd keep an eye out? AWESOME. That was bound to help. PLUS she seemed to approve of Toby's plan so far. The Hufflepuff was sad to hear about the fall when she was training to be a gymnast (that explained the photographs though) but his brain always defaulted in trying to find a bright side, and the bright side in this case was QUIDDITCH.

Whilst the professor spoke, Tobias mulled over her words and nommed on his scone. He paused for a moment once she was done to finish the biteful of scone in his mouth and then spoke up again.

"For sure, yeah! Other than Quidditch there's nothing I really want to do now. But I know people change their minds a lot, and loads of things can change, so I'm making sure I have as many good grades as possible." Just in case. It wasn't always nice to have the 'just in case' option because it reminded you of the possibility of failure, but it was essential to have, because you never know. "I think you're right. Yeah, don't ignore schoolwork, and keep an open mind." After all, if something else came along that he wanted to do even more, what exactly would he be missing out on for going for that instead? Tobias would still be following his dream.

There was one thing though. "I don't actually have a main position really professor," Tobias added, nibbling at the remainder of his scone a little every now and then. "I kind of aim to be a really versatile player." That's what West guy had said and Tobias thought it sounded like a good idea to carry on with. To be able to be played in all kinds of positions. "Would that be a problem? Is it kind of important to stick with one position?"

Either way, he kept that in mind. Learn the fundamentals and drill them. It was understandable as to why people who did that turned out to be the best players.

Breakfast?

Ella smiled a little when the scones appeared and took one, thinking she hadn't really been that hungry until she saw the food. Funny how that happens sometimes, yeah? "Thank you." It really was quite nice of the woman.

And then it was Tobias' turn to ask questions about Quidditch and the blonde captain listened intently, occasionally taking bites of her scone. He was an impressive kid, Toby was. Ella was really proud to know him and she hoped that Professor Tyner was equally proud when she got a chance to see him on the pitch. He really did have what it took to turn pro, she was sure of it.

He seemed to be taking a sensible approach to all this. She liked that in her Quidditch players. Using their heads just as much as their physical prowess! A novel idea... But back to... Tobias, yes? Yes.

"That is perfectly acceptable if there isn't anything else as of yet. Frankly, I'm surprised you are even thinking about a career after Hogwarts at this point in your educational journey." She meant that in a good way, as a compliment if he couldn't tell. "Your classmates would do well to take a page out of your book about keeping your options open." Was he sure he wasn't a Ravenclaw?

Not one position yet? "That's not surprising. For some reason, Quidditch players seem to have to be more versatile than with Muggle sports." The exception, as she knew well, was of course with gymnasts. "If you continue to switch around a bit for a few years, that will help you develop those fundamentals I referred to earlier." This is the route Tiara had taken herself. "By the end of your time here, you will probably want to focus in on one position to specialize in so you can make a name for yourself and be noticed by scouts." But that part was a ways down the road.

"I suspect I've given you plenty to digest for now. Unless there's something else urgent, I think it's time to address the two Captains." They had been waiting very patiently through Toby's questions. "If that's all, Toby, you're free to go."

Now for the ladies. "Thank you for your patience, ladies. Would you like a refresher on your tea?"

That sounded like... was that... did she mean that as... OH. SHE DID. COMPLIMENTS FOR TOBY. The Hufflepuff beamed and puffed his chest out proudly. YUP. He was thinking ahead. All that junk. Sometimes, like in this instance, Tobias seemed much more mature than other people his age. Whilst at other times he almost radiated a kind of childish energy. It was the perfect mix, if you asked him.

He listened to Professor Tyner's advice and nodded, bouncing his pogo stick against the floor slightly as he did so, because he was just a big ol' fidget. But he was still listening. "Okay, cool. Well, as long as I get on the team for a few years, I have loads of time to test the positions out. So that works out great." SEE? SEEEEEEE why he was starting to sort this out early? It gives you more TIME. And TIME was Tobias' middle name.

Well... actually it was his surname, but not the point.

"That's all, Professor. Thanks for your time!" he said cheerfully. Ella and Derry were waiting, so Tobias stood up to show he was leaving. "And thanks for the advice!" He had a lot to think about. And he wanted to be extra sure he was ready for tryouts, if the professor was gonna be watching.

With that, Tobias gave the Quidditch Official a cheerful salute, and then turned to give both Derry and Ella a salute too, before walking out the door.

"Gotta bounce!"

And so he did. The sound of his pogo-stick echoing in his wake.

*BOING^creeeak*

*BOING^creeeak*

*BOING^creeeak*

Gotta bounce

Ohmygosh. Tobias was the most adorable human ever. This was decided right then and there and Ella was gonna have to get him a trophy or plaque or something so he knew that he'd earned this title. One of those sticky Hello, my name is most adorable human ever stickers just wouldn't cut it. Nope.

The blonde saluted her little badger and BEAMED at him as he bounced off, her attention returning to Professor Tyner. "It's no problem, really." She didn't mind waiting and the scones were delicious. Mhm. "More tea would be great, thanks."

Well, he seemed to be a bright young man. "You are most welcome, Mr. Tempus. Any time I am in my office I am available for you to come back." Especially for such a pulled together young man. And to her own surprise, she rose as he left and gave him a salute right back, accompanied by a smile.

Back in her seat, her attention was fully devoted to the Captains. "More tea coming right up, then." She fiddled with her wand and performed a silent Refilling Charm. There, nice and hot refreshments.

Clearing her throat, she got down to business. "So, Ella and Dairy. Tell me about yourselves." They'd already heard a bit of her backstory from what she'd told Tobias, so it was their turn.

Ella smiled a bit as her cup refilled, enjoying the warmth and fighting the urge to sip before it was done. Tea was sort of her favorite, okay? Plus it was helping to calm her nerves. She didn't know why but she felt sort of fidgety now that the attention had been put on them.

Was Professor Tyner calling Derry, Dairy? The blonde blinked and wondered if the red hear would correct her or not. It...sort of sounded similar but yeah. Ella was a bit confused by that. Anyway...

"Well I'm a sixth year, Professor. It's my second term as Captain and I'm also the student yearbook editor." Nodnod. She had Kurumi to thank for that second part. And...was she meant to say more? The blonde wasn't exactly the best at talking about herself so she shifter her gaze from the Professor to Derry, hoping she'd talk about herself now. Ella had some tea to sip.

Right, time to start taking mental notes. Ella, Hufflepuff Captain. Sixth year, second term as Captain. Yearbook editor. "My goodness, do you ever have time for your studies, Ella?" It was a somewhat serious question, but also partially joking. Tiara did actually wonder if she had the time, but she figured that she wouldn't have been given the Captaincy responsibility if she didn't put her studies first.

Well, that was the basics. "What do you like to do for fun, Ella?" She didn't need all the gritty details, but Tiara wanted to get a general idea of what type of person she would be working with.

Ella cracked a smile and shrugged, knowing the Professor was kidding. Or at least she hoped the woman didn't think Ella completely neglected her education to do these other things. "I have a really big planner, Professor." And sometimes she didn't sleep but she wasn't going to say that, obviously.

For fun? She couldn't say kissing the boyfriend, huh? "I like to visit the magical creatures when I can." Nodnod. "And I really like stargazing." With the boyfriend.

Derry had sort of drifted out of concentration, as she was known to do... but it didn't seem like she was the centre of attention right now so it was okay.. hopefully. ... Hang on... did the teacher just call her Dairy..? Her name was short for Derryth. She wasn't a cow. Not all the time.

She thought about this whilst Toby spoke, sipping her tea and frowning slightly to herself. It didn't sound the same did it? Even with her Scottish accent... hmm. In fact, she was so distracted by this that she hardly noticed when attention was directed back to her and Ella. "Oh, thanks..." for the tea. Now... about herself... "My name's Derry... it's short for Derryth..." she said shyly, hoping it didn't come across as rude. "I'm a fifth year and this is my first term as captain..." she added. Erm... did she want more? "I live on a farm near Edinburgh and I only learned to fly a couple of years ago..." Did she want to know what Derry did for fun or was that question just for Ella? ... Conversation was hard...

Goodness, Dairy did seem to be a flighty one. She had hardly said a word during the whole of her time in Tiara's office. At least Ella could carry a conversation. "Indeed? I suggest a Featherweight Charm if you haven't already, then." This comment was followed by a nod.

Ah, so a creature girl. "Professor Roman will no doubt enjoy the extra help around the animals, then. Excellent, excellent." Plus stargazing? "You are an outdoors type of girl, I see. Creatures, stars, and Quidditch. Perhaps a move to a warmer climate is in your future, dear, but I suppose I shan't stray into Professor Elwood's territory."


Dairy short for Derrith? How interesting! Wait.. maybe she was not quite getting that brogue down. Maybe it's with an E? She would have to listen more closely next time and stick to her surname for now.

"Well, Miss-" she consulted her parchment out of the corner of her eye-"Ferrier. The fifth year is a challenging year for coursework without adding Captaincy on top of it. Just as with your peer, I expect not to hear that your academics are suffering due to sport."

Really, a farm? A dairy farm, perhaps? That could explain things. Likely sheep, that's all they have up there. But that was a digression. "Do not look at your recent discovery as a handicap to your position but rather an advantage. You must be a truly superb candidate if you were still selected for this position despite your relatives newness."

"Now girls. Is there anything specifically I can help you with? Practice schedules, logistics, broom servicing..?"

A featherweight charm was definitely something to consider. Ella smiled and nodded her head at the suggestion. "Thank you for the tip, Professor." Because she actually hadn't thought of it.

"I hope so. I still want to go pay her a visit as well." Along with Botros and perhaps Professor Airey. She had a lot of people to talk to, it seemed. The blonde grinned at the prediction and shrugged. "Who knows. You might be right about that." Because Ella still had zero idea what she wanted to do with her future so anything was possible.

As for Derry, Ella smiled a little as she talked about living on a farm. The seventeen year old would have loved to grow up around animals and was envious that the red head had had that experience. She sipped on her tea and listened as the two chatted more, her mind drifting to Quidditch and upcoming matches.

Oh. More questions!

"Nothing for me, Professor. I just wanted to introduce myself, really." Although if the woman had any suggestions on what Ella should be doing better, she'd listen.

Tiara nodded curtly. "You're welcome, Ella." Polite, this one was. What a refreshing break from the prima donna types of the professional circuit! Pompous fools, half of them. This would be a breath of fresh air, she could already tell.

Ah good, she was planning on visiting Melanie. "I think I shall have to follow your lead on that front. I have not had the chance to acquaint myself with our Care of Magical Creatures professor." Or any other staff members, come to think of it. "And maybe you can follow me up to the Divination Tower. I should get to know Professor Elwood as well." Maybe she could help with this confusing love question...

After turning her attention to the Slytherin Captain for a span, the Quidditch official brought her focus back to Ella. "Well if that's all, dear, then you are free to go. But of course, feel free to stay longer if you wish." She smiled encouragingly to emphasize that they should not feel rushed.

Challenging coursework. Yep. Derry knew that... and she was absolutely dreading it. As much as she liked to sit with her nose stuck in a book, she wasn't particularly good in studying the things she had to. But she was going to have to get round that somehow... She nodded, knowing full well if she didn't get better grades that she had last year that there would be no more Quidditch for her. Her father had made that much very clear. "You wont, professor."

Derry didn't look at her position as a handicap. She knew she was good... she wouldn't have made the team otherwise. What got to her was that everyone seemed to think that West deserved the captaincy more than she did. And if she was honest with herself, so did she. It was this that pecked away in the back of her mind and made the whole thing seem a little sour... but jealousy and resentment were ugly emotions. So she pushed the thought away.

"Actually... I was wondering if you had any tips on..." Derry paused for a second to think about how to word it. "Keeping attention I guess. I mean.. I don't really have any leadership skills..." Embarassing to admit, maybe, but she really had no idea how she was supposed to go out onto the pitch, command attention from people who'd been playing Quidditch longer than she had - probably all their lives - and not feel like they were all judging her...