It was with luck that it had not snowed today yet despite the cold weather so Dorian was still seated against his favourite tree near the Entrance Gates after his meditation. Usually, he would spend his free time fishing on a boat on the Lake but with the new rules he doubted that he had the luxury.

Instead, he had chosen his second favourite spot to relax. Far away from the castle but still within reach. He let out a sigh. Ever since he and his House mates had found out that Professor Stewart was gone, he felt gloomy.

Checking his watch to see the time, he realised he still had some time before dinner was served so he leaned forward and opened up his bag to pull out his DADA textbook.

His worst subject. But that was why he wanted to read the textbook more. If he got more knowledgeable about the theory, perhaps he got better with the practical side as well.

The chill in the air was refreshing. He could almost smell the impending snowfall and the frozen ground was crunching under his feet as he walked towards the Entrance Gates. It was his new afternoon routine to walk the grounds. He was far less likely to have to take house points away from a student if he didn't see as many, plus it made it appear that he was monitoring the area and keeping the headmaster happy.

As he approached the gates, he noticed a young man sitting by a tree. "Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Katharos. I trust you are on your best behavior out here alone this cold afternoon." He really did hope the Ravenclaw wasn't up to any mischievous activities. Having to switch to strict professor mode would ruin his afternoon walk.

Dorian stopped reading his textbook the moment he heard the ground crunch nearby. He had always had a heightened sense of hearing and during this term it had almost doubled because it was like walking on egg shells with the new rules. He looked up and turned his head towards the sound and when he saw that it was one of the Professors he practically threw his textbook on the ground beside him and got up from his seated position so fast that he nearly stumbled over.

"Hi Professor...." this was awkward... At the question, the Ravenclaw nodded his head quickly "I am." he said. He tended to stay away from trouble as much as possible. He had already lost five points before and he did not want to lose more. "I ...usually come here to do some meditation or to read. I like the fresh air and not many people come here so its nice and quiet" he said and stooped down to pick up his DADA textbook and dusted it before holding it up to his chest. "That isn't against the rules, right?" There were so many ridiculous rules now that he wasn't even sure anymore. "But, what are you doing here?"

He watched the poor young man fumbling to get to his feet, book flying to the side. Noticing it was a textbook, he instantly relaxed. "I didn't mean to startle you. Please have a seat. No need to jump to your feet out here." He hesitated for a moment, trying to remember if there was indeed a rule about standing in a professors presence out on the ground. Either way, it was ridiculous. It was one thing to be more orderly in class, but it was clearly free time and the Ravenclaw was studying.

"This is an excellent place to do some meditating, and studying, as long as you don't let yourself get too cold. Maybe a bluebell flame, if you plan on staying out much longer?" Foster rather liked walking in the cold, but just sitting would be a bit uncomfortable. "And, no, as far as I know, studying outside isn't against any...current...rules."

Foster looked around the area and took a deep breath of the cool air before answering. "I'm simply out for an afternoon walk of the grounds. Trying to enjoy the weather before the next snow storm hits." He looked closer at the young man's book. "I see you are studying Defense Against the Dark Arts. How are your lessons going so far this term?"

Even if he was allowed to sit down, the Ravenclaw kept standing. Sitting down in front of an adult felt wrong to him unless the man sat down himself. "I'm okay, needed to stretch my legs anyway...." he said as an excuse.

"I'll keep the bluebell flames in mind but i'm used to the cold so i don't think i'll need it at the moment" besides, when the snow really started to fall he would spend his time in the warm comfort of the library or in the common room where it was warm. He did appreciate the thought though, not many nice professor's were left at Hogwarts.

.....Isn't against current rules. Dorian snorted lightly at that. He could not help it. He bet there would be a notification up soon about this matter. But he didn't say anything about it and instead only nodded his head.

Had this been last year or any year before this one, the Professor's comment about simply enjoying a walk would have been a normal thing to hear. Now however, the Ravenclaw raised his eyebrow slightly and was tempted to ask whether he was out for a walk for himself or because he was patrolling the Grounds because the Headmaster had ordered it. He could totally see him give that order. But again, he decided to not speak his thoughts. He wondered in how much trouble he could have been all year if he did not think before he spoke. "Do you take walks every day , Sir?" he asked. "If you do you should atleast walk thirty minutes. It is really healthy, like you'll strengthen your bones, it sharpens your brain and memory and it reduces sickness and many other benefits" he said enthusiastically.

Dorian looked down at his textbook in his hands and then his face fell. With a heavy sigh, the Ravenclaw looked up and shrugged his shoulders. "Stressful..... I was always bad at the subject but when Professor Hirsch taught it i felt like i could always go to him if i needed it" not that he asked for help or extra tutoring lessons but he KNEW the option had been open. "But...." he thought for a moment because the subject was being taught by the Headmaster now and one wrong word could result in points loss. "Now that the new Headmaster is teaching the subject, i'm far to nervous to even ask for help" the man's icy stare alone send a shiver down his spine. Yes, Dorian was afraid of the man. "NOT that he's a bad teacher!" he shouted all of the sudden in slight panic. "He's very knowledgeable and ..and..." Scary, intimidating, powerful. Everything that Dorian wasn't. "I don't want to be seen as incompetent so i read the textbook as much as possible so that i can at least answer the theory questions...stupid right?" he laughed hollowly. "I'd talk to my Head of House about this but she's gone as well..." This year was definitely stressing him out more than usual.


"sorry about that...i don't know why i said all of that" He put his hands in his robe pockets and his fingers touched the wrapping of a sherbert lemon candy. "Uhm, do you want one, Professor?" he asked as he held one up.

He nodded as Dorian spoke of being used to the cold. He assumed most from the area were used to the weather. “I do take walks most days, though not the same path each time. I particularly enjoy being outdoors this time of year. Before too long, I will need to take the greater part of my walks around the castle. While I too enjoy the brisk air, once the snow and ice appear, I’m happier indoors.” He wrapped his cloak around him a bit tighter. The heat he had generated from his walk had dissipated. Foster couldn’t help but grin as Dorian told of the health benefits walking brought about. “Yes, thank you, I will try to keep it at a thirty minute minimum. A healthy heart and mind should always be a top priority.”

His heart ached for the young Ravenclaw. No student should be made to feel that way, or like they can’t ask for help. He steeled himself as much as possible, desperately trying to keep all emotion off his face. He knew he couldn’t let Dorian know that he too wasn’t fond of the new headmaster. His like or dislike of the man made no difference to the fact that he was his new boss.

He stopped cold at Dorian’s words, remembering that the young man’s Head of House was Professor Stewart. The very Professor Stewart that was no longer employed by Hogwarts. “You have had a change in that area as well.” Without guarding his words he continued. “That should not have happened. There was no reason at all to fire that extraordinary woman.” He stopped himself before a flood of emotion could pour out in words that shouldn’t be shared with a student.

Foster took a deep breath and gathered his composure. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized just how much he missed Professor Stewart. She had become the sun in the clouds of the new leadership. The bright light guiding him through each day. He cleared his throat “Well, if you don’t feel comfortable going to your new Head of House or the headmaster for help, you are always welcome to come to my office. I must confess that Defense Against the Dark Arts was not my strongest subject, but I’m more than happy to study with you.”

"Yes, thank you. That's very kind of you to offer." He reached out and took the candy. "And, it's quite alright for you to share whatever is on your mind. Anything that is said stays between us." The young Ravenclaw deserved to have someone he could talk to without fear of losing house points or being sent to detention. As far as Foster was concerned, as long as Dorian wasn't planning some sort of massive destruction of the castle or harming himself or another student, there was no reason for anything that was said to go further.

Dorian smiled. It wasn't everyday , especially these days, when his tips would get noticed. And even if the Professor only said he'd keep the thirty minutes walking in mind it still felt good that someone at least listened. "You must know the castle very well then" he said. "I'm curious, did you go to Hogwarts as a student, Professor?"

Although the Ravenclaw could see that the Professor was trying his best to stay calm, the way he spoke about Professor Stewart getting fired made him realise that he missed her as well but tried to keep it cool. So Dorian said nothing about it and just nodded his head. But then he let out a small laugh. "You know, i used to be afraid of her" he admitted and shook his head because it was ridiculous now. Of course, it had been in the time when she acted ...strange.

But now he wasn't afraid of her at all and he even wished that she'd come back soon but as long as the current Headmaster was still here, the chances were zero percent. Seriously, what had the Board of Government been thinking appointing that man? At first, Dorian had liked the change. He truly thought that Hogwarts was changing for the better witht he new rules. But firing a capable professor just because she did not meet the Headmaster's increasingly ridiculous rules made him feel guilty of even having thought of Hogwarts getting better. And for the first time, the fourth year was very glad that his father was not part of the Board of Governors anymore.

Having been lost in thought, Dorian looked up at the Professor at his offer and then just blinked. Wait...what? He could help? "That be awesome!" he said, excited again all of the sudden. "It's not so much that i need help with studying..." he pauzed for a moment and looked at the trees on the left of him. It was kind of embarrassing to say but if he did not ask for help, he'd get nowhwere. "Can you do a shield charm?" he realised it was a dumb question but did not care at the moment. "I want to learn it...properly i mean. I can make one but it isn't powerful enough and i've seen younger students making better shields than i do and it's frustrating" could he tell that he was frustrated about this fact? Because he was.

He sighed to calm down before he continued. "The only reason i survived the Inferi attack last year was because i'm a fast runner but i want to be able to defend and help others and not run away all the time..."

But even when he said all these, something was bothering him. He waited until the professor had taken the candy and he unwrapped one himself as he tried to center his thoughts. "Won't you get in trouble though?" he asked. "I mean, i don't want you to get fired because of me.." this was all confusing. Was allowed to get help or should he man up and figure things out himself?

Ugh he was getting a headache.

He smiled at Dorian, “I’m learning as much about the castle as I can as quickly as possible. I make it a priority to know my surroundings as well as I can.” Just the information gained from the portraits alone was more than he could have ever learned from books about Hogwarts. “No. I was not a student here. I attended Ilvermorny, and taught there for many years, before coming to teach at Hogwarts.” Foster realized that he never did get introduced to the students due to the events at the start of term feast. Then, there was never really a good time to discuss his background during a lesson. There was no way the young man could have known where he had attended school.

Afraid of her? Foster was having difficulty imagining such a lovely woman and brilliant professor being scary. Professor Stewart was the first person to welcome him and to show him kindness, even when she had no idea that he would be working with her. “I’m glad to hear that your fear is in the past. I’m hopeful that the current situation we are in will work itself out and Professor Stewart will return.” He had to hang on to that hope. At some point, hopefully soon, the Board of Governors would realize what a grave error they had made.

Dorian was going to let him help and that made him very happy. “Splendid. We should get started straight away.” He listened to what was work was needing to be done, thankful to hear it was a spell that he was actually proficient in. “I am happy to help you with your shield charm.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small pad of paper. “Let’s set up a time when you can come to my office and we will work on the charm, without an audience.” If the young man was anything like him, having onlookers while trying to learn or perfect a charm only added to the difficulty. “Would tomorrow afternoon work? After your last class, but before dinner.”

Foster listened as he told of the inferi attack. “I can understand your want to stay and defend or fight, but running away to safety takes courage as well. Many men, far older than you, would have frozen with fear. You were able to get to safety which allowed the professors to defend the school without worrying about protecting you as well.” Dorian had saved his own life and allowed the others the opportunity to save even more.

He opened the offered candy and popped it into his mouth. The lemon made his cheeks pucker for a split second. It was his favorite thing about sherbet lemons. He waved his hand “No need to worry about me. I’ll happily deal with any consequences, should they arise.” He’d ever been one to worry about the what ifs. “You leave the headmaster to me and let’s take care of what you need. That is why I’m here. The health, well-being, and education of students are my top priorities.”

Ilvermorny?!

Dorian's head whipped up so fast that he hurt the back of his neck but he ignored the sudden pain and unconsciously rubbed the area. "That ís so cool!" he exclaimed. "I wanted to go there after my second year here..." After his possession at Dufftown he had wanted to leave Hogwarts. "But my father was against the idea" he ended with a sigh. Perhaps it was because his father had been a Board member at the time and he thought it might have looked weird if he let his child get out of the school he had been fighting to protect. "Which House were you in? I'd so be in Horned Serpent although i wouldn't say no to Pukwudgie either i think" he wondered how his life would have been had he transferred two years ago. "Why'd you stop teaching there?"

Wait, start the training right away?

The Ravenclaw looked around him and although the area was void from any onlookers for now, he had the feeling that people would start gathering the moment they saw the flashes or even alert the Headmaster and his henchmen. But then he visibly relaxed at his next set of words and the fourth year nodded his head. "okay, sounds good" tomorrow after classes before dinner. Mental check done. "I must warn you though, Professor Marchand helped me with the summoning charm once and i nearly blew up the Bistro so please don't get mad at me if you don't have an office anymore" he laughed but at the same time he wasn't laughing. "But i can do that charm now so ...yay?"

His laugh vanished and was replaced by a small scoff, which he a second later hoped had not been too audible. "Why do people keep saying that?!" he asked, his voice rising in frustration. "I don't run away because i'm brave enough to do it, i run because...." he let out a deep breath to calm himself. "It isn't bravery, it's instinct and i want to get rid of it" He was tired of being the helpless one who needed to be protected. He wanted to BE the protector. Especially now he got older. It was embarrassing to have younger students than him trying comfort him.

Although the Professor had agreed to help him with his shield charm and had assured him that he would deal with the consequences should they arise, there was still a uncomfortable gnawing feeling in the back of his head. But for now , he would trust the Arithmancy Professor.

Gustave sniffed the cold air as he looked around, his blue eyes seemed almost icy as he stared at the castle with a slight sneer on his lips. He was looking forward to his stint as the Astronomy teacher as well as the Slytherin head of house. He had heard what the previous Professor had done in order to get himself fired..

Pathetic, over a few drinks?

A slight sneer settled over his cold features, lets hope none of the students here expected him to weak. For most definitely would not be.

He adored rules and could care less what people thought..

This was going to be fun.

Chase was walking past with books tightly clutched to his chest and then saw a strange man enter the premise. Erm... He stopped in his tracks and eyed the man, wondering if he should notify another Professor. Now he had no choice but to interact. He cast his eyes to his feet before glancing up at the sneering man. LE GULP. He didn't like the look of this guy. NO. NOT. AT. ALL.

"Excuse me, sir.... " See? He could be polite. Shuffling awkwardly now though.... Stop shuffling. Hold your ground, Spenley. "I hate to be rude but I'm afraid I do not know who you are... Are you here to see our Headmaster?" he asked with a curious look. Had to be on his best behaviour and best guard.

Hopefully he hadn't incurred the wrath of whomever this sneering man was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gustave Le Roux

Gustave sniffed the cold air as he looked around, his blue eyes seemed almost icy as he stared at the castle with a slight sneer on his lips. He was looking forward to his stint as the Astronomy teacher as well as the Slytherin head of house. He had heard what the previous Professor had done in order to get himself fired..

Pathetic, over a few drinks?

A slight sneer settled over his cold features, lets hope none of the students here expected him to weak. For most definitely would not be.

He adored rules and could care less what people thought..

This was going to be fun.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watson

Chase was walking past with books tightly clutched to his chest and then saw a strange man enter the premise. Erm... He stopped in his tracks and eyed the man, wondering if he should notify another Professor. Now he had no choice but to interact. He cast his eyes to his feet before glancing up at the sneering man. LE GULP. He didn't like the look of this guy. NO. NOT. AT. ALL.

"Excuse me, sir.... " See? He could be polite. Shuffling awkwardly now though.... Stop shuffling. Hold your ground, Spenley. "I hate to be rude but I'm afraid I do not know who you are... Are you here to see our Headmaster?" he asked with a curious look. Had to be on his best behaviour and best guard.

Hopefully he hadn't incurred the wrath of whomever this sneering man was.

He had made quick work of finding a replacement for Kennedy. The night the former Astronomy professor left, in fact, was when Scrimgeour had sent an owl to someone he knew had a good reputation and was a follower of rules. Needless to say, the headmaster was quite pleased that Le Roux had accepted the offer.

Speaking of Le Roux, the man was bound to arrive outside the gates of the school at any moment. The old man made his way out of the castle, embracing the biting cold, and followed the path that would take him to the gates of the school.

His eye narrowed at the Gryffindor that was already there. Shouldn't he have been inside studying? And ... was he speaking to Le Roux?

"Mr. Spenley," Scrimgeour's voice sounded, sharp and cold. "I believe when someone is at the gates of the school, it would be wiser to first notify a professor rather than immediately start speaking to a total stranger and prodding into their business. Ten points from Gryffindor."

The headmaster casted a look at Le Roux. It was a good thing that there was another man who valued structure and rules in the school. There was still a lot of work to be done.

Moving past Spenley, Scrimgeour took out his wand, quickly undoing the enchantments on the gate. The gate swung open, creaking as it did, just enough to allow Le Roux passage, and he held out his metallic hand to shake.

The still quite small blonde had only been a little way off, looking longingly through the school’s metal gates….wait Chase was there -- and a person was BEHIND the gates? Tucking a section of hair behind her ear Beth simply made her way over.

Calm, steadying breaths may have been needed…for reasons.

”Hello Headmaster Scrimgeur,” she gave him a cool almost robotic smile, before turning toward the stranger and giving him an appraising look…who was this? In the time that it took for her to look Scrimgeur had docked points from Gryffindor.

”Hey Chase…just whom I was looking for – I was wondering if you could help me with some…” she paused and gave Scrimgeur and the unknown man a fleeting glance. ”of my Arithmancy work with me?” she was giving him that let’s just get out of here look, a look so unknown and bewildering when given by HER…maybe they could just hide by one of the copse of trees near the gate and eavesdrop.

SPOILER!!: Scrim and Beth

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julian Scrimgeour

He had made quick work of finding a replacement for Kennedy. The night the former Astronomy professor left, in fact, was when Scrimgeour had sent an owl to someone he knew had a good reputation and was a follower of rules. Needless to say, the headmaster was quite pleased that Le Roux had accepted the offer.

Speaking of Le Roux, the man was bound to arrive outside the gates of the school at any moment. The old man made his way out of the castle, embracing the biting cold, and followed the path that would take him to the gates of the school.

His eye narrowed at the Gryffindor that was already there. Shouldn't he have been inside studying? And ... was he speaking to Le Roux?

"Mr. Spenley," Scrimgeour's voice sounded, sharp and cold. "I believe when someone is at the gates of the school, it would be wiser to first notify a professor rather than immediately start speaking to a total stranger and prodding into their business. Ten points from Gryffindor."

The headmaster casted a look at Le Roux. It was a good thing that there was another man who valued structure and rules in the school. There was still a lot of work to be done.

Moving past Spenley, Scrimgeour took out his wand, quickly undoing the enchantments on the gate. The gate swung open, creaking as it did, just enough to allow Le Roux passage, and he held out his metallic hand to shake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimist.Prime

The still quite small blonde had only been a little way off, looking longingly through the school’s metal gates….wait Chase was there -- and a person was BEHIND the gates? Tucking a section of hair behind her ear Beth simply made her way over.

Calm, steadying breaths may have been needed…for reasons.

”Hello Headmaster Scrimgeur,” she gave him a cool almost robotic smile, before turning toward the stranger and giving him an appraising look…who was this? In the time that it took for her to look Scrimgeur had docked points from Gryffindor.

”Hey Chase…just whom I was looking for – I was wondering if you could help me with some…” she paused and gave Scrimgeur and the unknown man a fleeting glance. ”of my Arithmancy work with me?” she was giving him that let’s just get out of here look, a look so unknown and bewildering when given by HER…maybe they could just hide by one of the copse of trees near the gate and eavesdrop.

TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR JUST FOR TALKING TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING? YA GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, DUDE?!

Chase fought his hardest to control his emotions and somehow managed to school them. It hurt him not to say a sarcastic comment in response. PHYSICALLY HURT. Ugh.

At the thought of losing more points, he stayed quiet and looked down at the ground as if he were ashamed or embarrassed for not doing what Scrim had suggested. "Apologies Headmaster. It shall not happen again. I shall make sure that I find an adult before talking to a stranger. How careless of me," he spoke and then paused when Beth came onto the scene.

Sheesh. He had never been MORE happy to see a friendly and NORMAL face. Beth. Thank MERLIN. He could have jumped for joy, but, instead smiled at her. Oh right. He had offered to help her. "Yes, sorry about that Beth! We should go work on that assignment." He turned to Scrim and nodded his head (as if bowing slightly)."I should leave to go study with Beth. Apologies again...."

Then the boy walked away. Hopefully with Beth in tow...

Foster couldn't help but smile. Dorian's apparent excitement over Ilvermorny was a warm welcome to his stressed heart. "I'm a Horned Serpent. It is a fine house and I wouldn't trade those days for anything." He nodded. Pukwudgie was the house of several of his good friends, including his former fiance. He wasn't sure how to answer the second question. The truth was he couldn't stand to be around so many reminders of the love that left him. Every part of Ilvermorny reminded him of Jenny and he knew he would have never been able to move on if he had stayed. It was far more information that the young Ravenclaw needed. Sad tales of broken hearts were best saved for adult ears. "I'd always wanted to teach at Hogwarts. The professors here have quite the reputation and I am honored to be a part of such an outstanding school." What he said was true. He had always wanted to teach at Hogwarts. Before Jenny left him, it was always his wish to be a guest lecturer, not a full time position. After Jenny things changed. When the position opened and the offer came, he was more than ready to take it.

"Outstanding." He tried his best to not grin as Dorian spoke of his mishap in the Bistro. "Not to worry. Messes can be cleaned up and broken items repaired or replaced." There was absolutely no need for the young man to worry about such things. Any damage that could possibly occur would happen by accident and he wasn't about to get upset over the damage of things. Things were replaceable, a student's confidence and skill were far more important.

Foster put his hand up to wave off any misunderstanding. "I didn't mean to upset you. Not at all." He felt bad for pushing on what was apparently a very sensitive subject. "I hear what you are saying and I only wish to help. That is, if you will allow me." He wanted to tell Dorian of the grown men, the talented wizards that would freeze at the first sign of danger. The men that couldn't even run to save themselves. However, he was sure it wasn't the time to do so. "When you come to my office, I have a book on my shelf about meditation that I would like to lend to you. Sometimes those fears are so rooted into our instincts that we need to focus our minds in to set them free before we can move forward."

Gustave’s cold blue eyes seemed extra icy as a student addressed him, and he seemed to look right through the boy for a moment, the sneer still on his face as Scrimgeour finally came on the scene and took point from the overly friendly boy.

“I can see why I was needed.” His softly French accented voice was meant only for the headmaster.

He quickly slipped through the gates as they were opened for him and grasped the man’s icy hand in a stem handshake. He was paying little to no attention to the other smaller student who joined them.

“Do things like this happen often?” He asked as he turned a disdainful look down at the two students who were talking to the Headmaster without being spoken to first.

Shameful. He pulled his cloak tighter around him and squinted up at the Castle.

"I get it. I wouldn't want to trade Ravenclaw for anything else" he said. "It was the House i was hoping to be in prior to coming to Hogwarts. My dad thought i'd be in Slytherin like himself, he was a Prefect while at school by the way" important information that was because Dorian was always proud to mention that. "though i think that was just wishful thinking" Outstanding school. Dorian tried his best not to snort at that. Hogwarts was an outstanding school alright, it was outstanding it was still standing up that with all the things it had been through for many years.

Eeeeh right... Things in the magical world could get repaired with an easy flick of the wand. How he forgot about that sometimes was amazing. "i'll try my best to prevent making a mess though" he said.

Checking his watch, Dorian missed the Professor's hands waving after he had gotten frustrated by himself for being absolutely useless in dangerous situations. He did hear him though and he looked back up. There was still some time before the curfew clock went off. "I know you want to help, i'm sorry for getting agitated earlier, Professor. It wasn't my intention to be rude"

A book? Dorian looked curious again. He did not know that he had a book about meditation. Of course he wouldn't, he'd never been in his office before duh. "I have no idea what you mean by letting go of my instinct fear before i can move forward but i'd like to read that book" he stooped down and picked up his bag, placing his Defence Against the Dark Arts book inside of it, zipped it back close and hoisted it over his shoulder. "Dinner will start soon. I don't want to be late..." he had no idea what would happen if he failed to be in the Great Hall when dinner started but he bet it involved points loss from one of the not pleasant Professors.

Foster listened to Dorian speak of his house and his father. He hand't known of his father's house or that he had been a Prefect, but he could see the pride on Dorian's face. "I wouldn't be surprised to see you follow in your fathers footsteps and become a Prefect. I believe you would make an excellent student leader."

He shook his head. "I know you will try your best, and I didn't take your actions as being rude. Not one bit." He hated how all of the new rules were making the students over cautious with their words and actions. Kids needed to be able to express their feelings, to feel their feelings, or bad things were going to happen.

"Please don't let me keep you from dinner. Stop by my office when you have a chance, and we can work on your charms and you can pick up the book." He stepped back a bit to allow Dorian room to gather his things and feel free to leave. "It was a pleasure getting to know you better, Dorian. I'll see you back at the castle."