The office of the Department Head of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes lies smack bang in the middle of level three; the main doors led to the reception area, through which access to the main work areas was possible, and a smaller door opened out into the main internal corridor, with the break room and conference room across that hallway, and the bathroom to the right if you happened to exit the office from this smaller door.

The office itself is large, with a sizeable desk positioned opposite of the door by one of the large windows so that Aron can both see those who enter the office right away and still catch a glimpse of the great outdoors. On his desk, besides paperwork organized in various stacks and folders, is a framed photo next to a potted poppy that he brought up with him from his former position in Magical Law Enforcement.

Several comfy, but not too comfy, chairs sit on the opposite side of his desk for anyone who has official business with the DMAC Head. Scattered around the office and up against the walls are a variety of potted plants Aron had importanted from his hometown back in Australia. Opposite of the large windows on the opposite side of the office is an arched table with several chairs facing presentation board where small meetings and presentations may be held. In another corner of the office lies a fireplace with a limited connection to the floo network. Beside the fireplace at an angle facing towards it is a large comfy looking couch where Aron tends to get work done after office hours.

Please knock before you enter. Aron is not fond unannounced entrances when he is working.

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OOC: Please read the thread description before posting here! This isn't strictly a public thread, but anyone is welcome to have their character knock on the door, assuming they come through the reception first. The office can be used, with permission from the Department Head, for division meetings if the conference room is in use, or if a smaller, more intimate setting is required.

Zach stood tall and fixed his robe before the door of the Department Head of Level 3.

He knocked on it and cleared his throat... He checked his watch to make sure that he is not late for the appointment.

Grumbling to himself about how the floo network picked the absolute WORST time to malfunction - HE HAD A WIFE ABOUT READY TO POP OUT A BABY, OKAY?! - Aron sat at his desk looking over some paperwork when he heard the knock at his door. Oh, right, he had an appointment with someone from Level 1. Merlin help whoever it was if they had come to discuss the lab explosion. He had had enough inquiries about it already.

"Come it," he called, not bothering to get up from his desk. He had work to do and hopefully these actions were a nice indication that the Australian had no time to dillydally like a daisy.

Zach opened the door and smiled. He walked in and moved towards the table with good composure and confidence. He extended his hand and said,

"Good day, Mr. Hawthorne. I am Zach McMillan from the office of the Minister." he said with a big smile. The kind of smile that means business.

He looked around the office and tried to familiarise himself to the new atmosphere. He rarely drop by the office of the DH of any level and now is the chance to do so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan arjay

Zach opened the door and smiled. He walked in and moved towards the table with good composure and confidence. He extended his hand and said,

"Good day, Mr. Hawthorne. I am Zach McMillan from the office of the Minister." he said with a big smile. The kind of smile that means business.

He looked around the office and tried to familiarise himself to the new atmosphere. He rarely drop by the office of the DH of any level and now is the chance to do so.

"Ashburry-Hawthorne," Aron corrected with a raised eyebrow. Should at least get the Department Head's name correct when you make an appointment, no? Expression less than amused, he gestured towards one of the seats opposite him at his desk. "What can I do for you, Mr. McMillan?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ashburry-Hawthorne." he said. He didn't intend to offend anybody, and he never imagined that people would be very protective of their surname, but no matter, he's purpose here is business.

"I'm here on behalf of the Senior Undersecretary. We were just wondering if we have made any decision on the Liaison position for the department, yet?" he said in a very plain and calm voice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan arjay

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ashburry-Hawthorne." he said. He didn't intend to offend anybody, and he never imagined that people would be very protective of their surname, but no matter, he's purpose here is business.

"I'm here on behalf of the Senior Undersecretary. We were just wondering if we have made any decision on the Liaison position for the department, yet?" he said in a very plain and calm voice.

Giving his visitor a firm nod, Aron leaned back in his seat a bit and listened to his inquiry. Wait...come again? His liaisons? Clearly there was a breakdown in communication while things were transitioning into the hands of the new Minister for Magic. A VERY severe one considering that the liaisons for his department had been assigned long before he had come to be the Head.

"Well, you can report back to your superior that the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes has had two liaison assigned for years now, Angela Dawson and Natasha Warrington."

Really? This was what the man had requested an appointment for? Because the Minister's Office was unorganized?

Zach felt a little bit shamed about the result of this meeting. He cleared his throat and said in a mild tone.

"I am really sorry, sir." he said. "Because of the ruckus with the change of government, the Liaison Supervisor is missing in action." he said in an apologetic tone.

"I am really sorry." he said standing and was about to say goodbye.

"I must be leaving now, sir. I am sorry for wasting your precious time." he said and waited for the acknowledgement from the other party.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan arjay

Zach felt a little bit shamed about the result of this meeting. He cleared his throat and said in a mild tone.

"I am really sorry, sir." he said. "Because of the ruckus with the change of government, the Liaison Supervisor is missing in action." he said in an apologetic tone.

"I am really sorry." he said standing and was about to say goodbye.

"I must be leaving now, sir. I am sorry for wasting your precious time." he said and waited for the acknowledgement from the other party.

Interesting choice of words, but Aron would throw the man a twig and not say anything. Also made him wonder if his was the only department that had files in need of a serious update. Looked like the new Minister and Senior Undersecretary had their work cut out for them.

"In the future, may I suggest the use of flying memos for this sort of business?" he said with a small nod towards the door. Don't let it hit you on your way out?

Gabi marched ahead of Aron, knowing exactly where she was going. This was her former level, after all, and even though she'd never actually been Department Head here, she at least knew where the office was. She was also upset that no one had dealt with this problem earlier as she had instructed. That was just what she needed in a crisis - employees who dropped the ball.

"So, what exactly is the problem again?" she asked, stopping outside the door and waiting for him to open it. It WAS his office after all.

Aron felt slightly awkward FOLLOWING her through HIS department, but he really just needed to forget that and his man pride and just be grateful that she was going to personally look into the issue. "Last time I tried using it to the one of two places it should be hooked up to I ended up in Frankfurt," he said as he rubbed the back of his next and set three mugs of warm coffee on his desk. One for her and two for him.

I had been quite the week already.

"I haven't tried it again since, well, I don't fancy being shouted at in German again."

Gabi managed a smirk and chuckled. "Well, lucky for you, if this happens again, you've got a German native with you," she told him. Alright, now onto the issue at hand...

To be honest, Gabi was still learning all this transportation stuff. She'd learned quite a big deal since being thrown into the position, mainly due to the fact that the former Department Head was her boyfriend, but she was still learning the tricks to the business. Thankfully, she knew quite a bit about the Floo network stuff (it was the portkeys that were tripping her up in her transportation education) so hopefully she'd be able to help Aron with this.

"Well, let's see....AHA! Yes, one of the spells used to configure Floo connections is specific to each country," she explained. Why hadn't she seen that before! She made a mental note to send a memo to her Floo personel the second she was done with Aron's office. "So if it's sending you to Germany, that's obviously broken. Let me see if tweeking that fixes the problem..." she muttered, kneeling down in front of the fireplace and taking her wand out of her skirt pocket.

She muttered a few incantations and waved the wand, and the only indication that she'd done it correctly was a few green sparks that erupted in the middle of the fireplace for a second or two before vanishing.

"That's a start. Care to test it?" she asked. Aron knew where these connections were supposed to go, not her, so it made sense that she use him as her guinea pig.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Gabi managed a smirk and chuckled. "Well, lucky for you, if this happens again, you've got a German native with you," she told him. Alright, now onto the issue at hand...

To be honest, Gabi was still learning all this transportation stuff. She'd learned quite a big deal since being thrown into the position, mainly due to the fact that the former Department Head was her boyfriend, but she was still learning the tricks to the business. Thankfully, she knew quite a bit about the Floo network stuff (it was the portkeys that were tripping her up in her transportation education) so hopefully she'd be able to help Aron with this.

"Well, let's see....AHA! Yes, one of the spells used to configure Floo connections is specific to each country," she explained. Why hadn't she seen that before! She made a mental note to send a memo to her Floo personel the second she was done with Aron's office. "So if it's sending you to Germany, that's obviously broken. Let me see if tweeking that fixes the problem..." she muttered, kneeling down in front of the fireplace and taking her wand out of her skirt pocket.

She muttered a few incantations and waved the wand, and the only indication that she'd done it correctly was a few green sparks that erupted in the middle of the fireplace for a second or two before vanishing.

"That's a start. Care to test it?" she asked. Aron knew where these connections were supposed to go, not her, so it made sense that she use him as her guinea pig.

Aron attempted what was a rather awkward sounding chuckle. He really did not fancy being shouted at in any language if he could help it, but he supposed that it was something to at least be able to know what was being shouted at him. He was positive that none of it was good, however. Hence the shouting.

"Do those spells of expiration dates?" he asked while sipping on his first cup of coffee. He didn't know how spells and enchantments worked, if those things had specific time limits and all that. Probably something he ought to know considering his department and its involvement. He took a few steps forward and sipped some more from his mug while peering over her shoulder. "You sure I won't end up in Germany this time?"

He was partly joking partly serious as his prepared his fire place. Only the flames were a rather...unfortunate color now. "No offense, but I am not too eager to go jumping into white flames," he said with a slight jab of his thumb. Too much magnesium sulfate?

Gabi shook her head. "I didn't THINK they could expire, although it would make sense that they'd weaken over time," she said. "Although all of them malfunctioning at the same time? That seems a bit...odd. And last I checked they'd all passed inspection last year. I know my own fireplace at home doesn't need any maintenance and that's going on 20 years of being operational in the network..." she said, thinking out loud.

She blinked when suddenly, the flames started to turn white, not green as they were supposed to. UMMMM. That wasn't right. Not right at all. "WELL that brings us to another issue," she said. This time she knew EXACTLY what was up with the white flames. She picked up the pot of Floo powder on his mantle and examined it.

"Something is wrong with the powder. Not sure what, I'll have to run tests, but that is the only thing that effects the flames. No charm has anything to do with that - just with destination," she explained. She took a deep breath and tried to map out everything that was happening in her head. Ok, so the connections were faulty and not sending people to the correct places. Then Aron's floo powder was defective. So there was more than one reason as to why the network was all wonky...and she had a feeling it had to be connected. Someone was tampering with it. WHO was doing it was a completely different question, but...she couldn't see any other situation where BOTH components of the floo system got messed up at the SAME time.

Busting through the walls with an energetic flutter, the silver hummingbird hovered in the space above Aron's desk. Opening its beak, the slightly frantic voice of Seren came out.

"Aron! It's happening! I need you home now!"

The hummingbird dipped and dived, and disappeared into thin air.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

SPOILER!!: Gabi gabbing :3

Gabi shook her head. "I didn't THINK they could expire, although it would make sense that they'd weaken over time," she said. "Although all of them malfunctioning at the same time? That seems a bit...odd. And last I checked they'd all passed inspection last year. I know my own fireplace at home doesn't need any maintenance and that's going on 20 years of being operational in the network..." she said, thinking out loud.

She blinked when suddenly, the flames started to turn white, not green as they were supposed to. UMMMM. That wasn't right. Not right at all. "WELL that brings us to another issue," she said. This time she knew EXACTLY what was up with the white flames. She picked up the pot of Floo powder on his mantle and examined it.

"Something is wrong with the powder. Not sure what, I'll have to run tests, but that is the only thing that effects the flames. No charm has anything to do with that - just with destination," she explained. She took a deep breath and tried to map out everything that was happening in her head. Ok, so the connections were faulty and not sending people to the correct places. Then Aron's floo powder was defective. So there was more than one reason as to why the network was all wonky...and she had a feeling it had to be connected. Someone was tampering with it. WHO was doing it was a completely different question, but...she couldn't see any other situation where BOTH components of the floo system got messed up at the SAME time.

Ah. Yes. That WAS a good point. Aron did not believe in coincidences. Not to that scale at least. So instead of a proper response there was a whole lot of hmmmmmmm-ing going on from his desk as he leaned against it and drank more of his coffee. He was almost done with his first mug of the stuff by this point.

"The powder has been tampered with?" he said, mouth open wide and coffee dribbling out of it in the process. Fantastic. All over his white shirt. "Do you mean someone broke into my office and did something to it over the holidays?" Sweet SWEET Merlin what else could go wrong on Level 3? Wait, no, he was not going to entrain the thought of 'what else.' Aron set his now empty mug down and then walked over to look at the powder. "I would offer up the lab on this level, but there was an explosion at the start of the year. Completely unusable. You'll have to use the one on Level 2." He was already groaning in his head about this. Derek was going to be SO distracted from his work and Miss Don't Tough This on level 2 was likely to be a great hinderance. Unless their talk at the orientation had been an indication of her calming down. "Let me know if you need someone from my Potion Accident Response Team for your investigation. Meriwether is one of the best in the business and has a strong team under his supervision."

Looked like it was busy times ahead. Speaking of lab explosion....he ought to go check on tha----

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

Busting through the walls with an energetic flutter, the silver hummingbird hovered in the space above Aron's desk. Opening its beak, the slightly frantic voice of Seren came out.

"Aron! It's happening! I need you home now!"

The hummingbird dipped and dived, and disappeared into thin air.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT!

Aron's jaw was hanging open like a Venus Flytrap - and probably a fly or two flew in and out in the time he just stood there staring at the hummingbird patronus. Happening. It. Happening. Home. Him. Seren. It. Now. Can. Not. Compute....

"MY WIFE JUST WENT INTO LABOR!?" he suddenly shouted out of both glee and anxiousness. Was that an earthquake? Oh. No. Nevermind. Just his hands shaking.

His eyes were back on Gabriela for now. "Ineedtogo," he said as he grabbed a few things off his desk and shoved them into his briefcase. "Take whatever you need for your investigation and make sure my office is locked as you leave, yeah?" And then he completely forgot that his floo network was having issues in his haste. Aron leaped into his fire place, grabbed some of the faulty floo powder and spoke. "Bristol!"

And then he was gone...and hopefully off to the correct location.

Gabi was about to respond, and to tell him that it was probably the whole SHIPMENT of Floo that was defective, not just one pot, and that she could do testing in her own offices but suddenly...a patronus appeared in the office. Gabi assumed it was something important, and was going to ask what it was when Aron suddenly started babbling and running about.

Oh a baby! How delightful! Gabi barely was able to utter a small "Congratulations!' before he suddenly grabbed the floo powder out of the pot in her hands and jumped into the flames.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed in shock as he literally disappeared in a split second. The flames looked normal but, oh goodness, she hoped he had ended up in the right place! Blinking and slowly getting over the shock of the man diving into a faulty fireplace, she closed the pot of floo powder and tucked it into her purse. She'd examine this back in her office, with the help of her floo employees...

She walked out and, as instructed, turned and pulled out her wand, locking the office behind her.

A memo folded into the shape of a miniature version of the Environmental Head's patronus floats into your office and lands neatly in the center of your desk before unfolding itself to reveal the message inside:

A paper eagle circled around the room and landed on the desk and unfurled itself.

Almost to the second, half an hour later, Jade was knocking on Aron's office door. She wondered what he wanted to talk to her about, she hoped that it wasn't something very long because she had just left Derek with Mr. Erikson. While Derek had been his usual self, she couldn't be sure that he wouldn't end up doing something bad to Erikson if he didn't have supervision at least for the next few days. And of course after this meeting with Aron, she needed to get down to Magical Creatures to find out what was new with Mutant X.

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Originally Posted by pinkphoenix

Almost to the second, half an hour later, Jade was knocking on Aron's office door. She wondered what he wanted to talk to her about, she hoped that it wasn't something very long because she had just left Derek with Mr. Erikson. While Derek had been his usual self, she couldn't be sure that he wouldn't end up doing something bad to Erikson if he didn't have supervision at least for the next few days. And of course after this meeting with Aron, she needed to get down to Magical Creatures to find out what was new with Mutant X.

Aron's desk was, for lack of a better word, a mess. With all the paperwork that had come with the previous mutant sightings combined with the floo network problems, it really was a wonder that the man hadn't drowned in the sea of papers.

"Oh, there that is," he said as he uncovered a memo from Roxanne regarding the lab where the crups had come from. Couldn't the woman have delivered the message herself? Especially considering how paperwork tended to become an accident itself within his office. Setting the memo in his drawer, the Department Head made a mental note to himself to go speak with Emily later about the issue - since it appeared as though Jade had arrived.

"Come in!" he called as he pulled out her file from his employee records on the shelf behind him.

And he was going to need to reply to that other memo too. Merlin. Get more on top of things Ashburry-Hawthorne!

At Aron's "Come in!"Jade opened the door and entered the office, closing the door behind her. "You wanted to see me?" She asked as she walked into the room to sit down in one of the visitor chairs that stood in front of Aron's desk.

Rising from his seat as Jade entered - the man had some manners in him even if his attire implied otherwise - he gestured towards one of the open seats in front of his desk before speaking. "I did, have a seat," he nodded. "I promise this will not take too long." Considering she had a lot on her plate with this mutant case.

Sitting back down himself now, Aron lazily looked over her file since he had read it cover to cover several times already and really had no need to refresh his memory. "You've been with the department for quite some time now," he began as he put the file down on his desk. "What are your long term goals as a Reminisciator?"

At Aron's question, Jade's eyes widened. She hadn't imagined that this is why he would ask her to his office. But now that the question was posed, she began to silently reflect on her aims and goals. She had them of course but never gave much thought to them seeing as she was still relatively young and hadn't done a whole lot in her career as of yet.

But yes, she did have long term goals as a Reminisciator. Most definitely. And now was the best time to reveal her desires what harm could it do?

She took a deep breath and started to speak, "Well, Sir. Initially, I admit that my ultimate goal has been to become the best Reminisciator I could be and perhaps eventually take over from Shakespeare or whoever else is in the position of Head Reminisciator. But these past months, helping out on cases that involve memory retrieval and restoration and not just memory implantations which has been the bulk of my work as a Reminisciator has made me realized that I really want to work up my way to being the MRRB Supervisor. That is a position that I feel incorporates the best of being a Reminisciator but deals more with the fabric of the memory itself and not just manufacturing memories. It is also what I'm passionate about having started here in that department. I mean, I love being a Reminisciator don't get me wrong but I like to think that there is a lot more to memory implantation or deletion and I want to have the whole experience. Plus I think that I could bring my own learned expertise to the position and lead the bureau to fulfill its best potential. Um, that is my eventual goal."

As she finally finished talking, she turned red and was so embarrassed. She had just revealed to her boss her most inner desire about her career. Of course she would be nervous that he would think that she had such a high ambition for a job that she might be highly unsuitable for.

Aron was mentally grinning as Jade spoke. Yes yes, everything was going just as he had figured they would go, and with Shakespeare's situation becoming a bit more complicated, this was going to work out perfectly... But then she kept speaking and he found the rest of her answer surprising. Not in a bad way, but just a very unexpected one.

NOW he really needed to go back over her file. Maybe what he had in mind for her wasn't the way to go.

"Well, that certainly IS an outstanding goal, Jade, and one that I have no doubt you will be able to achieve," he said as he flipped through some more pages in her file using his index finger. "I actually called you in here today to discuss a different job opportunity, but after hearing what you just said it seems like, perhaps, a change in divisions would better suit you to help you grow as an employee of this department." He couldn't promote her to Supervisor right away, of course, but something else within the Memory Restoration and Retrieval Bureau was a possibility. "You have done an outstanding job in your current position, even going above and beyond what your duties as a Reminisciator require. My question to you now is...would you like to stay within your current division or do you feel a transfer is in order?"