Office of Professor Schmoe

[ArianaBlack]

If one were to walk a few paces to the right of the class bulletin board, they'd find an actual office, where Professor Schmoe resides (sort of)! It's far more comfortable and spacious than the repurposed broom closet he had at Beauxbatons, don't you think? Ah, the sweet joy of being the only school in your school.

Once you've been welcomed in, you'll notice that you can actually stretch your arms out to their full stretch capacity. So go on, give yourself a nice stretch! Professor Schmoe encourages it. Good for the joints.

Your professor has a simple, wooden desk (from, you guessed it, IKEA!) at one end of the room. On top of the desk, there is always a pile of books, papers, a framed photo of Alina, and random muggle gadgets 'n gizmos. Puzzles! Rubik cubes! Fidget spinners! Forks (in case he is having office dinner)! He sure loves his things. Behind his desk, there is a HUGE bookshelf. With BOOKS. Lots and lots of BOOKS! In front of his desk, are two beanbag chairs for you to sit in. Careful, they slump down more than you'd think. And finally, on the wall near all of the strange (vintage!) (muggle!) band posters (re: backstreet boys, one direction, NSYNC, BTS), there is a moving cat-clock, whose ticking echoes quite loudly.

If you'd fancy a chat, just knock on the door!

OOC: Hihi, there's no separate thread for a waiting area, so just start here. You can assume that his door is locked because that's what a responsible professor would do.

[Uncle Moose]

Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger.

It's all he could feel and he wanted a place he knew he could just release it all in one go. And that was here with Professor Schmoe!

Moose used his office as a safe haven all last term. Here and the Technology Lounge if Schmoe wasn't present in the office. On Noah's suggestion that maybe the Muggle Studies Professor was the best possible answer to his being a Wizard thing, seeing as he was Muggleborn.

Anytime he just had the slightest bit of temper over something magical. It was straight to here soon after. SO HERE HE WAS! AND BOY WAS HE ANGRY!! So much repressed fury in his fist that he could have just punched a hole clean through the door as he knocked on it rapidly. Making his hand red in the process. He stopped a moment to hold his hand because that hurt.

And do you know what they say about making things hurt less is by hurting something else? Well his head did that almost immediately as The L I A R
on his forehead still hurt from the earlier Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Moose

Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger Anger.

It's all he could feel and he wanted a place he knew he could just release it all in one go. And that was here with Professor Schmoe!

Moose used his office as a safe haven all last term. Here and the Technology Lounge if Schmoe wasn't present in the office. On Noah's suggestion that maybe the Muggle Studies Professor was the best possible answer to his being a Wizard thing, seeing as he was Muggleborn.

Anytime he just had the slightest bit of temper over something magical. It was straight to here soon after. SO HERE HE WAS! AND BOY WAS HE ANGRY!! So much repressed fury in his fist that he could have just punched a hole clean through the door as he knocked on it rapidly. Making his hand red in the process. He stopped a moment to hold his hand because that hurt.

And do you know what they say about making things hurt less is by hurting something else? Well his head did that almost immediately as The L I A R
on his forehead still hurt from the earlier Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Finneas almost fell on the door as he hurried to open it. The effects of the multiple cruciatus curses left a lingering pain in his body and he was still very weak. Turning the handle to open the door, his whole body shook.

His eyes were filled with fear and he braced himself to face the--"M-Mr. St-stover?" The surprise in the noodley man's voice was clear as day. He had been expecting someone else. Or worse, multiple someone else's. He nearly recoiled when his eyes fully took in the sight before him. The word written in on the young man's forehead, like a tattoo. "C-come in, p-please," he twitched uncharacteristically, opening the door wider to welcome the Slytherin inside.

Not before he poked his head out and skittishly glanced around the corridor to ensure that they did not have any unfollowed guests. He would not put it past the coup to have members of their alliance following the muggleborn students around. Not with the agenda they were clearly pushing through the new curriculum.

[Uncle Moose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Finneas almost fell on the door as he hurried to open it. The effects of the multiple cruciatus curses left a lingering pain in his body and he was still very weak. Turning the handle to open the door, his whole body shook.

His eyes were filled with fear and he braced himself to face the--"M-Mr. St-stover?" The surprise in the noodley man's voice was clear as day. He had been expecting someone else. Or worse, multiple someone else's. He nearly recoiled when his eyes fully took in the sight before him. The word written in on the young man's forehead, like a tattoo. "C-come in, p-please," he twitched uncharacteristically, opening the door wider to welcome the Slytherin inside.

Not before he poked his head out and skittishly glanced around the corridor to ensure that they did not have any unfollowed guests. He would not put it past the coup to have members of their alliance following the muggleborn students around. Not with the agenda they were clearly pushing through the new curriculum.

As soon as that door opened and Schmoe spoke his name. Moose pushed past the Muggle Studies Professor and went straight for a Bean Bag Chair. He saw it. He was sure Schmoe saw it. It was plain as day right there on his forehead. Only a real idiot would miss it. He curled up into the bean bag and just looked at the Professor. Hate, Anger, and oh yes. Fear was definitely there too. Fear...he hated it. He glanced toward Schmoe and saw the same level of fear in his eyes. What's worse, he looked beyond terrible. He looked like he'd gotten no sleep, then took part in a triathlon, with no prior training to condition himself for it. Which, according to his Father, who trains for them was simply put, Stupid. He looked like Adam Luck & Kale Trent put together.

Moose pulled his knees to his head and hid his face into them. Gripping his pants tight at their seams. "I hate Magic!" Moose admitted fiercely. No different than he did last year same to Schmoe on his first visit back then.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Moose

As soon as that door opened and Schmoe spoke his name. Moose pushed past the Muggle Studies Professor and went straight for a Bean Bag Chair. He saw it. He was sure Schmoe saw it. It was plain as day right there on his forehead. Only a real idiot would miss it. He curled up into the bean bag and just looked at the Professor. Hate, Anger, and oh yes. Fear was definitely there too. Fear...he hated it. He glanced toward Schmoe and saw the same level of fear in his eyes. What's worse, he looked beyond terrible. He looked like he'd gotten no sleep, then took part in a triathlon, with no prior training to condition himself for it. Which, according to his Father, who trains for them was simply put, Stupid. He looked like Adam Luck & Kale Trent put together.

Moose pulled his knees to his head and hid his face into them. Gripping his pants tight at their seams. "I hate Magic!" Moose admitted fiercely. No different than he did last year same to Schmoe on his first visit back then.

Finneas gently closed the door and made quick work to lock it physically and with a series of spells. "SHHHHhhh, they'll hear you!" With the little strength he had in him, he turned to look at the young Mr. Stover with a sense of urgency. Usually, his first instinct would be to inquire more, to ask Mr. Stover to elaborate and share his feelings. At the moment, however, they had much larger concerns.

It was only then that he turned back around, wand back up in the air to cast a few more spells. First, an imperturbable charm, then a Room-sealing spell, and finally a muffliato charm incase there were others outside. He was an awkward noodle of a man and terribly weak in his current state, but his spellwork still remained unmatched.

"D-did anyone follow you here, Mr. St-stover?" Finneas asked with a hushed voice. Still he looked ever-so urgent as he turned toward the young man again. His heart once more dropping at the sight of the word printed on his forehead.

Again he twitched uncharacteristically, limping over to his desk and rummaging through his messy drawers only to pull out a bottle of Murtlap Essence.

[Uncle Moose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Finneas gently closed the door and made quick work to lock it physically and with a series of spells. "SHHHHhhh, they'll hear you!" With the little strength he had in him, he turned to look at the young Mr. Stover with a sense of urgency. Usually, his first instinct would be to inquire more, to ask Mr. Stover to elaborate and share his feelings. At the moment, however, they had much larger concerns.

It was only then that he turned back around, wand back up in the air to cast a few more spells. First, an imperturbable charm, then a Room-sealing spell, and finally a muffliato charm incase there were others outside. He was an awkward noodle of a man and terribly weak in his current state, but his spellwork still remained unmatched.

"D-did anyone follow you here, Mr. St-stover?" Finneas asked with a hushed voice. Still he looked ever-so urgent as he turned toward the young man again. His heart once more dropping at the sight of the word printed on his forehead.

Again he twitched uncharacteristically, limping over to his desk and rummaging through his messy drawers only to pull out a bottle of Murtlap Essence.

...Moose followed with his eyes as Professor Schmoe did some wand work, and cast some spells around the whole Office. You might have colored him impressed if he hadn't already stated that he hated magic. He readjusted himself in the beanbag to be in less of a fetal position and sat a little more upright though still slouched in the shoulders and his hands in his lap. Then he followed Schmoe's movements. He was limping and he was sure he just saw him twitch too. Also his voice, it sounded so weak. "What's that?" He asked in a quieter voice taking into consideration the shushing he got when he came in. eyeing bottle that was in the Professor's hand. He wasn't gonna take anything he didn't know what it was.

"and, no. No one followed me here." He only really rushed toward the office door once it was in eye shot but the pain of the LIAR mark on his forehead still hurt a bit even after Defense Against the Darks Arts ended so that did slow him down a little bit.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Moose

...Moose followed with his eyes as Professor Schmoe did some wand work, and cast some spells around the whole Office. You might have colored him impressed if he hadn't already stated that he hated magic. He readjusted himself in the beanbag to be in less of a fetal position and sat a little more upright though still slouched in the shoulders and his hands in his lap. Then he followed Schmoe's movements. He was limping and he was sure he just saw him twitch too. Also his voice, it sounded so weak. "What's that?" He asked in a quieter voice taking into consideration the shushing he got when he came in. eyeing bottle that was in the Professor's hand. He wasn't gonna take anything he didn't know what it was.

"and, no. No one followed me here." He only really rushed toward the office door once it was in eye shot but the pain of the LIAR mark on his forehead still hurt a bit even after Defense Against the Darks Arts ended so that did slow him down a little bit.

"Murtlap essence," Finneas managed a weak smile as extended it forward so that Mr. Stover could take a better look at the bottle. "It is a s-solution of strained and picked te-tentacles of Murtlaps," he offered the explanation, hoping that it would help the second year feel more at ease with the idea of using it. "It sh-should help with your forehead." Finneas knew there wasn't much he could have done to prevent this, but he still felt an immense amount of guilt. This happened to a student under his watch.

"Good," he whispered, exhaling a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

It was only now that he felt he could relax. Though his body still ached, he moved to sit down in his chair. There was so much he wanted to say, but Finneas wasn't quite sure where to start. So instead, he waited for Mr. Stover, in case the young Slytherin had more he needed to get off his chest.

[BanaBatGirl]

After she'd gotten herself cleaned up, emotionally and physically, Bernie went to seek out Schmoe in her first free moment. She'd been CAREFUL and QUIET as she had traveled down the hallway (no stomping this time) and approached his door with just one backwards glance over her shoulder. No one was behind her, right? Okay.

Bernie knocked quietly but urgently on Schmoe's door, one of her rapid-fire knock knock knockknocknockknockknocks! that sounded precisely like a snare drum.

Or, er, something worse.

[ArianaBlack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

After she'd gotten herself cleaned up, emotionally and physically, Bernie went to seek out Schmoe in her first free moment. She'd been CAREFUL and QUIET as she had traveled down the hallway (no stomping this time) and approached his door with just one backwards glance over her shoulder. No one was behind her, right? Okay.

Bernie knocked quietly but urgently on Schmoe's door, one of her rapid-fire knock knock knockknocknockknockknocks! that sounded precisely like a snare drum.

Or, er, something worse.

Schmoe had only JUST returned back to his office when he heard the knock on his door. He hadn't even made it to his chair before the living daylights were spooked out of him. Though he hadn't had the, er, pleasure of welcoming Lucien or any of his hooded henchmen into the Muggle Studies office, the man still lived in his head rent free.

Every day, Finneas expected the worst.

He hobbled over to the door, opening it with caution. "M-ms. Grantham!" To say he was relieved was an understatement. Perhaps it was the first time that he had ever been relieved to have Bernadette as a visitor (and that's on character development ).

He opened the door a little wider now, waving her inside with a sense of urgency and popping his own head outside to look around frantically. This was strange behavior. Even for him.

[DuckyLinJi]

It took a while for Minjae to gather his courage and visit the muggle studies professor after his, and for some others, safe haven had been completely destroyed. The seventh year had taken the long route to the office because he was afraid he'd do something stupid if he were to chose the short route passing the Headmaster's office. Like, blow up the stone gargoyle and see how he liked it when his things got destroyed.

Taking a deep calming breath, he reached the office waiting space, Minjae walked straight to the door and banged on it loudly. "Professor? Its Minjae Yoon. Can we talk, please?"

He would not stop banging his fist on the door until the door opened.

[BanaBatGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Schmoe had only JUST returned back to his office when he heard the knock on his door. He hadn't even made it to his chair before the living daylights were spooked out of him. Though he hadn't had the, er, pleasure of welcoming Lucien or any of his hooded henchmen into the Muggle Studies office, the man still lived in his head rent free.

Every day, Finneas expected the worst.

He hobbled over to the door, opening it with caution. "M-ms. Grantham!" To say he was relieved was an understatement. Perhaps it was the first time that he had ever been relieved to have Bernadette as a visitor (and that's on character development ).

He opened the door a little wider now, waving her inside with a sense of urgency and popping his own head outside to look around frantically. This was strange behavior. Even for him.

Bernie was just SO RELIEVED to see Schmoey in one piece that she flung her arms around his noodley middle and briefly, forcefully, gave the man a hug and a squeeze. No protesting, Schmoe. He NEEDED a hug. Not her. Bernie was too independent to need anything from anyone.

Then, before he could change his mind, she slipped inside so he could close the door. He was no doubt checking to see if she was followed, so she quietly informed him, "No one came with me. I checked." Bernie was becoming quite the spy, didn't he know?

She only glanced around for a second today, as they had more important things to discuss besides his hot girlfriend/sister or how old those posters on the wall were (100? 200 years old??). Bernie slid down into her usual beanbag chair and closed her eyes, waiting for Schmoey to seal them in or whatever and return to his seat.

Poor old man. Was it just her or did he look older and thinner already? But at least he was ALIVE. One could not take that for granted this year.

[MadAlice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

He opened the door a little wider now, waving her inside with a sense of urgency and popping his own head outside to look around frantically. This was strange behavior. Even for him.

Violet hadn't see Professor Schmoe around for several days now and had finally decided to go check up on him. Even though Muggle Studies wasn't one of her favorite classes, ever since her talk with him last term, she felt he was sort of like a friend--as much as a teacher could be, that is. And he sometimes seemed strangely young, like he needed looking after.

As she approached his door, she could see it was already open a crack and the professor's head was peering out, looking this way and that down the corridor. Was he expecting another student? Drat, Violet hoped he didn't already have an appointment. Or maybe he was checking for enemies--Violet could understand that, she had found herself checking the hallway now whenever she exited the Slytherin dorms.

"Professor Schmoe?" she called in what she hoped was a soft voice. "Are you busy right now?"

[ArianaBlack]

SPOILER!!: Minjae

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

It took a while for Minjae to gather his courage and visit the muggle studies professor after his, and for some others, safe haven had been completely destroyed. The seventh year had taken the long route to the office because he was afraid he'd do something stupid if he were to chose the short route passing the Headmaster's office. Like, blow up the stone gargoyle and see how he liked it when his things got destroyed.

Taking a deep calming breath, he reached the office waiting space, Minjae walked straight to the door and banged on it loudly. "Professor? Its Minjae Yoon. Can we talk, please?"

He would not stop banging his fist on the door until the door opened.

The initial loud bang almost had Finneas flying off his seat. Fortunately he caught hold of the edge of his desk before managing to do anything of the sort. Only once he found his balance again, he carefully stood up and made his way to open the door. "H-hullo, Mr. Yoon," he offered the young already a seventh year?? HOW?? man a weak smile (the sad sort), before opening the door further and waving him inside.

Finneas, however, still had to check around his door to ensure that no unwelcome guests were lingering nearby. That was, perhaps, one of the biggest uncertainties. Whatever his students needed to say, Finneas did not want the Inquisitorial Squad present it. This office would continue to be a place for confidentiality. Maybe if his students couldn't find safety in his classroom, they could find safety here instead.

SPOILER!!: Bernie O.G.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

Bernie was just SO RELIEVED to see Schmoey in one piece that she flung her arms around his noodley middle and briefly, forcefully, gave the man a hug and a squeeze. No protesting, Schmoe. He NEEDED a hug. Not her. Bernie was too independent to need anything from anyone.

Then, before he could change his mind, she slipped inside so he could close the door. He was no doubt checking to see if she was followed, so she quietly informed him, "No one came with me. I checked." Bernie was becoming quite the spy, didn't he know?

She only glanced around for a second today, as they had more important things to discuss besides his hot girlfriend/sister or how old those posters on the wall were (100? 200 years old??). Bernie slid down into her usual beanbag chair and closed her eyes, waiting for Schmoey to seal them in or whatever and return to his seat.

Poor old man. Was it just her or did he look older and thinner already? But at least he was ALIVE. One could not take that for granted this year.

To say the hug from Ms. Grantham had been unexpected would be the understatement of the century. Though, er, perhaps so many unexpected things have happened in this century that such a statement has lost its, er, significance. Either way the hug was a surprise and Finneas wasn't used to them. As such, he tensed up a bit, feeling as awkward as one would imagine a limp, noodle-man to feel in such a circumstance. He errr moved to do that strange back patting thing that one did when they were in a strange hugging predicament that they did not expect. There, there. Heh? ..... ?

As Bernadette found herself moving towards her beanbag, Finneas continued doing his thorough check around the corridor because... well... you know. "Good, good," he nodded. Then, after his check was complete, he made quick work of shutting the door and casting a series of spells and precautionary enchantments with a sense of intense urgency. It was an exhausting thing to do every time he had a meeting with a student or anyone for that matter, but... these were the times they were living in now.

Lowering his wand with an exhausted sigh, the Muggle Studies professor began hobbling back to his own desk to take his seat across from the Gryffindor. Usually he'd take the time to see how she was doing, if she was adjusting to the term with ease, or to better understand the state of her overall well-being (it was hard to tell with teenagers). As it was, however, these were all usless questions for which one could infer the answer. So instead, he looked at her, his eyes conveying a sad sort of feeling, and lowered his voice, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Grantham."

SPOILER!!: Violet

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Violet hadn't see Professor Schmoe around for several days now and had finally decided to go check up on him. Even though Muggle Studies wasn't one of her favorite classes, ever since her talk with him last term, she felt he was sort of like a friend--as much as a teacher could be, that is. And he sometimes seemed strangely young, like he needed looking after.

As she approached his door, she could see it was already open a crack and the professor's head was peering out, looking this way and that down the corridor. Was he expecting another student? Drat, Violet hoped he didn't already have an appointment. Or maybe he was checking for enemies--Violet could understand that, she had found herself checking the hallway now whenever she exited the Slytherin dorms.

"Professor Schmoe?" she called in what she hoped was a soft voice. "Are you busy right now?"

Finneas was making it a habit to keep a low profile ever since the, er, incident that took place the night of the feast. For his own sake and for the sake of the children. With each passing day, it was becoming clearer and clearer that the new, errr, management would not hesitate to point their wands at the students.

He did, however, make a habit of poking his head around every time he made his way back into his office though. It was the one place he could relax... even just a little bit. As he was going to close the door, however, he heard a faint voice and popped his head back out once more. "M-m-ms. Bl-blackthorne," he couldn't say he was surprised. She was one of the students he worried most about in these times. "N-no, not at all. P-please, come in," he insisted, opening the door for her.

[DuckyLinJi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

The initial loud bang almost had Finneas flying off his seat. Fortunately he caught hold of the edge of his desk before managing to do anything of the sort. Only once he found his balance again, he carefully stood up and made his way to open the door. "H-hullo, Mr. Yoon," he offered the young already a seventh year?? HOW?? man a weak smile (the sad sort), before opening the door further and waving him inside.

Finneas, however, still had to check around his door to ensure that no unwelcome guests were lingering nearby. That was, perhaps, one of the biggest uncertainties. Whatever his students needed to say, Finneas did not want the Inquisitorial Squad present it. This office would continue to be a place for confidentiality. Maybe if his students couldn't find safety in his classroom, they could find safety here instead.

Once he saw that the doorknob turned , Minjae took a step back and waited for the door to swing open. He only gave a nod at the greeting before he stepped inside of the office , one hand in his robe pocket and the other pointing at the wall in the direction of the technology room as he turned back around and exploded in to a rant.

”That room was a safe haven for so many of us muggleborns . For six years i spend my free time in there together with my friends and THAT - that—“ man wouldn’t describe him.. monster? tyrant? “—he forced us to destroy it within a hour! “ it was a miracle that he wasn’t shouting yet. He could also feel the tears pricking in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

”And i went along with it because i was scared to get tortured like some of the other kids in class who dared to defy him, which means that i’m a coward , doesn’t it?” he asked as he stopped his pacing around and looked straight at the Professor, as if daring him to tell him otherwise. He hated it that he was one of the oldest students yet hadn’t been able to protect the younger ones during class because he had been too terrified. ”I’m so sorry i helped with destroying your stuff, Professor” he apologized. He had never been one for destruction. A good prank, sure, but this was just mean and utterly pointless.

”I can help with restoring the room" he said "I can help finding and buying new computers and games once that 'Headmaster' is arrested by the Aurors" 'or killed' He was personally rooting for the latter. He sucked in his breath through clenched teeth as he thought about him and his goons getting away with all of this before he took a deep breath to calm himself ”I don't understand why he hates muggles and muggleborns so much. What did we do that is so wrong?" was he really a 'stain' to the magical world?

[MadAlice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

"M-m-ms. Bl-blackthorne," he couldn't say he was surprised. She was one of the students he worried most about in these times. "N-no, not at all. P-please, come in," he insisted, opening the door for her.

Violet entered the office at Schmoe's invitation, sneaking a look at him as she passed by. The man did not look well. She'd been afraid of this, that was why she'd come today.

Violet looked back at Schmoe. "Er--hi, Professor. How...how are you doing? All right?" Though she could see he wasn't .

[BanaBatGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

To say the hug from Ms. Grantham had been unexpected would be the understatement of the century. Though, er, perhaps so many unexpected things have happened in this century that such a statement has lost its, er, significance. Either way the hug was a surprise and Finneas wasn't used to them. As such, he tensed up a bit, feeling as awkward as one would imagine a limp, noodle-man to feel in such a circumstance. He errr moved to do that strange back patting thing that one did when they were in a strange hugging predicament that they did not expect. There, there. Heh? ..... ?

As Bernadette found herself moving towards her beanbag, Finneas continued doing his thorough check around the corridor because... well... you know. "Good, good," he nodded. Then, after his check was complete, he made quick work of shutting the door and casting a series of spells and precautionary enchantments with a sense of intense urgency. It was an exhausting thing to do every time he had a meeting with a student or anyone for that matter, but... these were the times they were living in now.

Lowering his wand with an exhausted sigh, the Muggle Studies professor began hobbling back to his own desk to take his seat across from the Gryffindor. Usually he'd take the time to see how she was doing, if she was adjusting to the term with ease, or to better understand the state of her overall well-being (it was hard to tell with teenagers). As it was, however, these were all usless questions for which one could infer the answer. So instead, he looked at her, his eyes conveying a sad sort of feeling, and lowered his voice, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Grantham."

Why was Schmoe walking like that? Was he okay?! "What did they DO to you?" Bernie demanded, watching carefully as he slipped into his desk. He looked about 100 years old already and it was only the first week of school. Bernie had always had trouble deciding if Schmoe was closer in age to her or to someone properly ancient, like old Professor Eris. Now he looked like he could be Eris's grandfather, which was super strange to imagine since some part of Schmoe was still rather baby-faced. Actually, speaking of faces, she should probably be forcing him to drink some potion or something to verify that he was, in fact, the real Finneas [insert middle name here] Schmoe before she said anything else.

But then he apologized out of the blue and all the fight and defiance seemed to leave Bernie's tired, very tired, fifteen-year-old body. Her blue eyes welled up and she looked up up and away from his sad old hangdog face. "No," Bernie couldn't look at him or she wouldn't be able to get this out, "I'M sorry. I know how hard you worked on the technology lab. I had to--- I had to play along and I blew up some CD-Roms and I'm SO SORRY, Professor."

Her eyes were definitely full of tears now, so Bernie just tilted her head back further into the beanbag till she was looking at the ceiling. The tears couldn't come trickling down her face if she didn't give gravity a chance!! That was how it worked, right?! Bernie was NOT going to start off this year by crying, NO SIREE.

[ArianaBlack]

SPOILER!!: Minjae uwu

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Once he saw that the doorknob turned , Minjae took a step back and waited for the door to swing open. He only gave a nod at the greeting before he stepped inside of the office , one hand in his robe pocket and the other pointing at the wall in the direction of the technology room as he turned back around and exploded in to a rant.

”That room was a safe haven for so many of us muggleborns . For six years i spend my free time in there together with my friends and THAT - that—“ man wouldn’t describe him.. monster? tyrant? “—he forced us to destroy it within a hour! “ it was a miracle that he wasn’t shouting yet. He could also feel the tears pricking in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

”And i went along with it because i was scared to get tortured like some of the other kids in class who dared to defy him, which means that i’m a coward , doesn’t it?” he asked as he stopped his pacing around and looked straight at the Professor, as if daring him to tell him otherwise. He hated it that he was one of the oldest students yet hadn’t been able to protect the younger ones during class because he had been too terrified. ”I’m so sorry i helped with destroying your stuff, Professor” he apologized. He had never been one for destruction. A good prank, sure, but this was just mean and utterly pointless.

”I can help with restoring the room" he said "I can help finding and buying new computers and games once that 'Headmaster' is arrested by the Aurors" 'or killed' He was personally rooting for the latter. He sucked in his breath through clenched teeth as he thought about him and his goons getting away with all of this before he took a deep breath to calm himself ”I don't understand why he hates muggles and muggleborns so much. What did we do that is so wrong?" was he really a 'stain' to the magical world?

As soon as Minjae began his stream of angry words, Finneas found himself on HIGH ALERT. CODE RED. BAD NEWS BEARS. Without caring to be discreet, the Muggle Studies professor immediately shut the door and began waving his wand in a series of motions to put protective enchantments in place. Hopefully no one had heard the, er, humble beginnings of Minjae's impassioned.... speech.

Errrr.... Anyway, AnYwAy, ANYWAY.

Still feeling tired, the professor turned to face the seventh year. It took Finneas no more than a couple of seconds to understand what had happened. Safe haven. Forced Destruction. They had destroyed the technology lounge. The room that Finneas had spent so much time putting together, though ... Er.. He should've seen this one coming. He did feel a sad sense of loss, but did not allow himself to dwell on it. There were other matters that needed his attention, more pressing ones, namely, Mr. Yoon. It was difficult seeing his students so hurt, seeing them on the verge of tears nearly shred Finneas to bits. Hearing him question himself for being muggleborn, that hurt the most. Despite the pause boy's pause and his subsequent question, Finneas did not have a chance to respond. Evidently, there was much more that Mr. Yoon needed to say.

And when he was done, Finneas still remained silent for all of a few beats. There was a lot to unpack here. He had never been good with comforting, nor was he very good with helping students make it through a cult-takeover. There are just some things your years of professional experience don't help you with. "You d-d-did nothing wrong, Mr. Yoon," he assured the Hufflepuff. Finneas couldn't stay standing for much longer, so he began to hobble his way to his chair.

Of course there was much more Finneas could say and even more he could respond too, but often times he found that students weren't asking for answers. They were asking for someone to listen. So for now, that is what Finneas did. And going to that question from before? "You are no coward." Nor did he need to apologize for the destruction of the room.

SPOILER!!: Violet!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Violet entered the office at Schmoe's invitation, sneaking a look at him as she passed by. The man did not look well. She'd been afraid of this, that was why she'd come today.

Violet looked back at Schmoe. "Er--hi, Professor. How...how are you doing? All right?" Though she could see he wasn't .

Closing the door behind her, he waited for a moment to seal them inside with protective charms. It was a necessity these days. When he was finished, he eventually turned around to greet her with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "I am... yes as well as can be during these times," he nodded, not wanting to worry her with the full truth.

"I was h-hoping you would stop by," it was that first night in the Headmaster's office when students such as herself were on his mind. "I hope you are well...? Or, er, As well as one can be." Given the circumstances.

SPOILER!!: Bernie are these real tears this time ;__;

Quote:

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

Why was Schmoe walking like that? Was he okay?! "What did they DO to you?" Bernie demanded, watching carefully as he slipped into his desk. He looked about 100 years old already and it was only the first week of school. Bernie had always had trouble deciding if Schmoe was closer in age to her or to someone properly ancient, like old Professor Eris. Now he looked like he could be Eris's grandfather, which was super strange to imagine since some part of Schmoe was still rather baby-faced. Actually, speaking of faces, she should probably be forcing him to drink some potion or something to verify that he was, in fact, the real Finneas [insert middle name here] Schmoe before she said anything else.

But then he apologized out of the blue and all the fight and defiance seemed to leave Bernie's tired, very tired, fifteen-year-old body. Her blue eyes welled up and she looked up up and away from his sad old hangdog face. "No," Bernie couldn't look at him or she wouldn't be able to get this out, "I'M sorry. I know how hard you worked on the technology lab. I had to--- I had to play along and I blew up some CD-Roms and I'm SO SORRY, Professor."

Her eyes were definitely full of tears now, so Bernie just tilted her head back further into the beanbag till she was looking at the ceiling. The tears couldn't come trickling down her face if she didn't give gravity a chance!! That was how it worked, right?! Bernie was NOT going to start off this year by crying, NO SIREE.

.... Finneas paused with some uncertainty. It was a question he was ill-prepared to answer. "Err... Nothing that I cannot handle, Ms. G-grantham." Is what he went with in the end. There was no need to raise any further concern. Not when concern was already the natural state of being. He even gave her a smile, though it did not reach his eyes.

It was difficult to see Bernadette like this. She looked tired and worn down. Two descriptors one would never use for this particular Gryffindor fireball. It tugged on Finneas' heart, but did little in comparison to all that happened next. Finneas Schmoe was no good with tears. Tears usually made him a very uncomfortable man (a more uncomfortable man than usual). But not these tears. No, these ones only made him feel a pang of guilt.

"There is n-no need to apologize, B-bernadette," he looked down at his desk for a moment, hoping that the right words would appear before him. He was never good at this. "These people c-can't be reasoned with. Sometimes we have to do what we can to survive." And her safety was of far more important than any technology.

Finneas understood why the kids did what they did. Hopefully, they, too, would give Finneas the same chance when the roles were reversed.

[BanaBatGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

.... Finneas paused with some uncertainty. It was a question he was ill-prepared to answer. "Err... Nothing that I cannot handle, Ms. G-grantham." Is what he went with in the end. There was no need to raise any further concern. Not when concern was already the natural state of being. He even gave her a smile, though it did not reach his eyes.

It was difficult to see Bernadette like this. She looked tired and worn down. Two descriptors one would never use for this particular Gryffindor fireball. It tugged on Finneas' heart, but did little in comparison to all that happened next. Finneas Schmoe was no good with tears. Tears usually made him a very uncomfortable man (a more uncomfortable man than usual). But not these tears. No, these ones only made him feel a pang of guilt.

"There is n-no need to apologize, B-bernadette," he looked down at his desk for a moment, hoping that the right words would appear before him. He was never good at this. "These people c-can't be reasoned with. Sometimes we have to do what we can to survive." And her safety was of far more important than any technology.

Finneas understood why the kids did what they did. Hopefully, they, too, would give Finneas the same chance when the roles were reversed.

That was a surprisingly Gryffindor answer for Schmoe, did he know? Bernie was, fleetingly, proud of the man. He had come so far (in her opinion) in only five years. The response did nothing to alleviate her concern for him, which was showing plainly on her face by now. But truth be told, Bernie did not wish for the nightmare of seeing her professors tortured in addition to her peers. So she didn't push it; she merely nodded, tilting her head down at last, and allowing a few tears to streak down her cheeks.

Just a few. She wasn't full-out wallowing yet. She was just listening. She would pretend she hadn't just cried a little. NOPE. Not this year!!!!

"Do you, um, have any special insight, into the... surviving, sir?" Bernie swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling dry as she admitted this. "Being Muggleborn is, apparently, an extra challenge this year." And to think, she had once used this status to her advantage to secure her (unofficial) Muggle Studies Teaching Assitant position.

She'd be bringing that up in a moment, naturally, if the professor didn't address it first.

[DuckyLinJi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

As soon as Minjae began his stream of angry words, Finneas found himself on HIGH ALERT. CODE RED. BAD NEWS BEARS. Without caring to be discreet, the Muggle Studies professor immediately shut the door and began waving his wand in a series of motions to put protective enchantments in place. Hopefully no one had heard the, er, humble beginnings of Minjae's impassioned.... speech.

Errrr.... Anyway, AnYwAy, ANYWAY.

Still feeling tired, the professor turned to face the seventh year. It took Finneas no more than a couple of seconds to understand what had happened. Safe haven. Forced Destruction. They had destroyed the technology lounge. The room that Finneas had spent so much time putting together, though ... Er.. He should've seen this one coming. He did feel a sad sense of loss, but did not allow himself to dwell on it. There were other matters that needed his attention, more pressing ones, namely, Mr. Yoon. It was difficult seeing his students so hurt, seeing them on the verge of tears nearly shred Finneas to bits. Hearing him question himself for being muggleborn, that hurt the most. Despite the pause boy's pause and his subsequent question, Finneas did not have a chance to respond. Evidently, there was much more that Mr. Yoon needed to say.

And when he was done, Finneas still remained silent for all of a few beats. There was a lot to unpack here. He had never been good with comforting, nor was he very good with helping students make it through a cult-takeover. There are just some things your years of professional experience don't help you with. "You d-d-did nothing wrong, Mr. Yoon," he assured the Hufflepuff. Finneas couldn't stay standing for much longer, so he began to hobble his way to his chair.

Of course there was much more Finneas could say and even more he could respond too, but often times he found that students weren't asking for answers. They were asking for someone to listen. So for now, that is what Finneas did. And going to that question from before? "You are no coward." Nor did he need to apologize for the destruction of the room.

In his rage induced rant, which he kept relatively calm if he said so himself Minjae failed to notice the uncomfortable and panic behavior of the Professor until he began waving his wand around.

His first instinct was to grab his wand to protect himself as a brief thought that the Professor might be compromised ran through his mind but then as he watched the movements he realized what they were.

Protective charms around the office so that they couldn’t be heard. But instead of this being a comfort, it enraged the Hufflepuff even further. ”Hey! I’m not afraid!” he was. ”Let them hear!” Please, don’t ” i don’t care!” he did. He knew that he was acting like a child right now but he always kept his emotions to himself. Never bothered others with his problems so now that they were released he didn’t know how to express them properly.

With a frustrated expression on his face, Minjae moved to one of the beanbags and sat down. ”You know professor, i have people working for me at home but i will never treat them like that” The staff at home were like his family when his family wasn’t around.

After hearing that he had done nothing wrong, he was both glad and a bit confused. If he and the other Muggleborns had done nothing wrong, then why were they targeted? It just did not make sense to him! "Muggle Studies is going to be really different this year, am i right?" he asked. "Can i be absent if thats the case? I mean, i don't hate your subject" it was one of his favorites actually, after Defense Against the Dark Arts which he hated now and potions. "But...you know" he didn't exactly want to be around when they had to discuss how stupid Muggles and Muggleborns were but something told him that his class was going to be a 'mandatory or face the consequences' class.


”Can i have a cup of tea, please? Honey with a splash of milk” he added after a while and sighed.

[MadAlice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Closing the door behind her, he waited for a moment to seal them inside with protective charms. It was a necessity these days. When he was finished, he eventually turned around to greet her with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "I am... yes as well as can be during these times," he nodded, not wanting to worry her with the full truth.

"I was h-hoping you would stop by," it was that first night in the Headmaster's office when students such as herself were on his mind. "I hope you are well...? Or, er, As well as one can be." Given the circumstances.

Merlin, he was NOT fine! Just look at him--she bet those goons had been cursing him or something--she just knew they'd take their spite out on the Muggle Studies teacher. "Uh, yes, I guess I'm okay. Mostly worried is all. But I know enough to keep my head down and my mouth shut." She thought a minute. "It's just--what really worries me is, what is it they want with us? I can pretend to agree with their opinions in class, but what if they're planning to use us as some kind of private army or something? Because I can't kill real people just to stay on their good side--I won't!"

[ArianaBlack]

SPOILER!!: Bernie

Quote:

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

That was a surprisingly Gryffindor answer for Schmoe, did he know? Bernie was, fleetingly, proud of the man. He had come so far (in her opinion) in only five years. The response did nothing to alleviate her concern for him, which was showing plainly on her face by now. But truth be told, Bernie did not wish for the nightmare of seeing her professors tortured in addition to her peers. So she didn't push it; she merely nodded, tilting her head down at last, and allowing a few tears to streak down her cheeks.

Just a few. She wasn't full-out wallowing yet. She was just listening. She would pretend she hadn't just cried a little. NOPE. Not this year!!!!

"Do you, um, have any special insight, into the... surviving, sir?" Bernie swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling dry as she admitted this. "Being Muggleborn is, apparently, an extra challenge this year." And to think, she had once used this status to her advantage to secure her (unofficial) Muggle Studies Teaching Assitant position.

She'd be bringing that up in a moment, naturally, if the professor didn't address it first.

Seeing Bernadette cry did a number on Schmoe's heart. She tugged at every single heart string. If only Finneas were better equip to handle the ~ e m o t i o n s ~ alas, he was rather useless when it came to those. So instead, he shifted uncomfortably and hoped that there would be no more tears.

There was nothing easy about this. Nothing at all.

Her question made his heart sink even further and it took him a few moments to brace himself before clearing his throat to reply. "Keep your head low, Bernadette. That is all we can do for now. While I know this will be difficult, the alternative is, er, is more trouble than what it is worth." And Bernadette did have a way of finding of trouble. "They have no mercy." Take it from someone with first hand experience.

SPOILER!!: Minjae

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

In his rage induced rant, which he kept relatively calm if he said so himself Minjae failed to notice the uncomfortable and panic behavior of the Professor until he began waving his wand around.

His first instinct was to grab his wand to protect himself as a brief thought that the Professor might be compromised ran through his mind but then as he watched the movements he realized what they were.

Protective charms around the office so that they couldn’t be heard. But instead of this being a comfort, it enraged the Hufflepuff even further. ”Hey! I’m not afraid!” he was. ”Let them hear!” Please, don’t ” i don’t care!” he did. He knew that he was acting like a child right now but he always kept his emotions to himself. Never bothered others with his problems so now that they were released he didn’t know how to express them properly.

With a frustrated expression on his face, Minjae moved to one of the beanbags and sat down. ”You know professor, i have people working for me at home but i will never treat them like that” The staff at home were like his family when his family wasn’t around.

After hearing that he had done nothing wrong, he was both glad and a bit confused. If he and the other Muggleborns had done nothing wrong, then why were they targeted? It just did not make sense to him! "Muggle Studies is going to be really different this year, am i right?" he asked. "Can i be absent if thats the case? I mean, i don't hate your subject" it was one of his favorites actually, after Defense Against the Dark Arts which he hated now and potions. "But...you know" he didn't exactly want to be around when they had to discuss how stupid Muggles and Muggleborns were but something told him that his class was going to be a 'mandatory or face the consequences' class.


”Can i have a cup of tea, please? Honey with a splash of milk” he added after a while and sighed.

Finneas understood the boy's rage. He really did. He, himself, felt a lot of rage these days despite not having enough energy for it. Still, he shook his head. "Mr. Yoon, while I admire your... er... While I admire your courage, you must understand that these people will not stop at mere warnings. They, er, they will take lives." Finneas was not trying to instill fear, but he needed the Hufflepuff to understand the severity they were dealing with here lest he find himself in the face of danger.

Finneas sunk a little in his chair. The exhaustion was catching up to him. "You are a better man than they are." He replied, the corners of his lips even twitched just a bit.

He knew Minjae was confused, but to explain the logic would be futile. The alliance did not run by logic. They ran by hate. Hate was a very illogical and dangerous thing. As for muggle studies lessons, however, Finneas could offer some insight here. He nodded in response to the first question. "Yes," he replied sadly. He had tried to reason with them, rallying against the new curriculum. But. Er. That did not go very well. "If it were up to me..." he began slowly and sadly. "But it is not. I have no say anymore, Mr. Yoon...... The alliance is not forgiving and for the benefit of your safety, I er, I beg you to continue attending our lessons.."

He slowly stood up, pushing off the table for support. "Of course," he replied, moving to the counter behind him to grab a cup and the kettle.

SPOILER!!: Violet

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Merlin, he was NOT fine! Just look at him--she bet those goons had been cursing him or something--she just knew they'd take their spite out on the Muggle Studies teacher. "Uh, yes, I guess I'm okay. Mostly worried is all. But I know enough to keep my head down and my mouth shut." She thought a minute. "It's just--what really worries me is, what is it they want with us? I can pretend to agree with their opinions in class, but what if they're planning to use us as some kind of private army or something? Because I can't kill real people just to stay on their good side--I won't!"

Finneas slowly made his way to his chair and took his time to sit down. It was a relief to hear that Violet was doing what she could to keep under the radar. That was the only way to continue forward this year, it seemed. In any case, there were others that worried him far more (namely, Gryffindors). He nodded his head slowly as she spoke.

"Errr." It was a good question, really, Finneas had no idea what the grand plan was. He was certain that whatever the plan was, however, did not involve an army of children. That did not add up, especially not with the way Rosier and his people were going about things. "I, er, I highly doubt that is their plan, Ms. Blackthorne. " If the alliance wanted to build an army, twelve year olds would surely be at the bottom of their recruitment list. "In errr, in any case, we must be careful. There is no other way.." He wished he had wiser words, but alas. He did not.

[MadAlice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

"I, er, I highly doubt that is their plan, Ms. Blackthorne. " If the alliance wanted to build an army, twelve year olds would surely be at the bottom of their recruitment list. "In errr, in any case, we must be careful. There is no other way.." He wished he had wiser words, but alas. He did not.

"Well, there must be a reason they came here, why they've sent so many of their people to this school, people that could be doing other things. They must think being here is important. They seem to want to recruit people, or at least indoctrinate us to their way of thinking. Or maybe they intend to hold us hostages or something. And," Violet continued, leaning closer to Schmoe and lowering her voice even more, "what's the deal with all the mirrors? I mean, I can see getting rid of all the owls, keeping people from writing home or anywhere. And sending all those robed thugs in to keep control. But why break all the mirrors?"

Were they all vampires or something? Were they using some kind of magic that mirrors could mess up? Did they just want everyone at Hogwarts to go around with unkempt hair or something? What? This had been bothering Violet a lot since the first night of the term.

[BanaBatGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Seeing Bernadette cry did a number on Schmoe's heart. She tugged at every single heart string. If only Finneas were better equip to handle the ~ e m o t i o n s ~ alas, he was rather useless when it came to those. So instead, he shifted uncomfortably and hoped that there would be no more tears.

There was nothing easy about this. Nothing at all.

Her question made his heart sink even further and it took him a few moments to brace himself before clearing his throat to reply. "Keep your head low, Bernadette. That is all we can do for now. While I know this will be difficult, the alternative is, er, is more trouble than what it is worth." And Bernadette did have a way of finding of trouble. "They have no mercy." Take it from someone with first hand experience.

Bernie (unusually for her) also hoped there would be no more tears. For once, those had been genuine tears and thus they were quite exhausting to keep in check.

She nodded to the professor's advice, sincerely keeping both her blue eyes on him. This was the most attentive Bernie had probably been in this office, barring the time she had interrogated interviewed him at Beauxbatons. It might not be obvious, but she did appreciate that Schmoe recognized how easily trouble tended to find her (not the other way around, ahem). The last part of his sentence though... it had her worried again, worried about frail old Schmoe.

"But surely there's...." she cleared her throat and leaned in closer to his desk, which was not an easy feat from a beanbag on the floor, so that she could better conspire with him. "Surely there's something you can do, sir. You know. You professors? You're all very good at magic, you HAFTA be, to teach here at a magic school." Wasn't that how it worked?! Only the absolute best, the experts in their chosen fields, went on to become professors?

She continued to lean forward, her expression very worried and yet still a little bit hopeful that Schmoe, good ol' Schmoe, would give her some sign. Like that maybe the staff was working on things behind the scenes, or or or forming a resistance, or sneaking off to Hogsmeade at night to get help for the kids.... SOMETHING like that???!

Please, sir, she needed hope.

[DuckyLinJi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Finneas understood the boy's rage. He really did. He, himself, felt a lot of rage these days despite not having enough energy for it. Still, he shook his head. "Mr. Yoon, while I admire your... er... While I admire your courage, you must understand that these people will not stop at mere warnings. They, er, they will take lives." Finneas was not trying to instill fear, but he needed the Hufflepuff to understand the severity they were dealing with here lest he find himself in the face of danger.

Finneas sunk a little in his chair. The exhaustion was catching up to him. "You are a better man than they are." He replied, the corners of his lips even twitched just a bit.

He knew Minjae was confused, but to explain the logic would be futile. The alliance did not run by logic. They ran by hate. Hate was a very illogical and dangerous thing. As for muggle studies lessons, however, Finneas could offer some insight here. He nodded in response to the first question. "Yes," he replied sadly. He had tried to reason with them, rallying against the new curriculum. But. Er. That did not go very well. "If it were up to me..." he began slowly and sadly. "But it is not. I have no say anymore, Mr. Yoon...... The alliance is not forgiving and for the benefit of your safety, I er, I beg you to continue attending our lessons.."

He slowly stood up, pushing off the table for support. "Of course," he replied, moving to the counter behind him to grab a cup and the kettle.

“I know, Professor” he grumbled as he stared at a fixed point on the edge of the desk . ”I’m not stupid” . The moment Rosier and his Neo Alliance had revealed themselves at the feast he knew how dangerous they were. He became hyperaware when they had to fill out that form. He had chosen to write the down the truth which in some way had been in his favor during the first lesson.

”It’s just unfair!” he said, trying to keep his voice down but he felt angry again ”They’re even using Curses on first years. Some of them haven’t even learned how to levitate a feather yet! how can they defend themselves?!” This was what bothered him the most. The injustice of it all ”They’re just a bunch of cowards on a power trip if you ask me” he huffed.

Although he did not have much chance against them either , he was still a seventh year and for years, DADA had been his personal best subject. He even scored an Outstanding in his OWL so he would be able to protect himself to some degree when needed. His wand was also an Alder type , which according to the shopkeeper at Ollivanders was best suited for non-verbal spells which he was proud to admit he had been improving quite well since last year. This meant he had an element of surprise. However, the reason the Hufflepuff knew he could never win against them was because they were far more experienced and he knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill and he couldn't do that. No matter how evil someone was, he knew he could never take someone’s life.

A better man than they were…. Feeling that his ears were turning red, Minjae tried not to show it too much but he did look proud at this compliment. He didn’t get complimented often. ”I just wish there was something we could do against them because i REFUSE to join them" The alliance probably didn't want him anyway since he was a Muggleborn. "My first thought was trying to contact my father with my two-way mirror to ask for help but all means of communication has been cut off” He didn’t even know where Brownie his owl was.

In the back of his mind he knew he had to attend the lessons but it still hurt. His face fell and he looked up at the professor and only now noted how tired and anxious he looked. More than usual and that was saying something. ”How are you doing, sir?” he asked, feeling shame that the conversation had been more about them when he knew the man must feel terrible as well.

”Professor” he suddenly said slowly as he watched him set tea. ”Can i ask for a favor? It’s….it’s kind of a big one”

[ArianaBlack]

SPOILER!!: Violet

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

"Well, there must be a reason they came here, why they've sent so many of their people to this school, people that could be doing other things. They must think being here is important. They seem to want to recruit people, or at least indoctrinate us to their way of thinking. Or maybe they intend to hold us hostages or something. And," Violet continued, leaning closer to Schmoe and lowering her voice even more, "what's the deal with all the mirrors? I mean, I can see getting rid of all the owls, keeping people from writing home or anywhere. And sending all those robed thugs in to keep control. But why break all the mirrors?"

Were they all vampires or something? Were they using some kind of magic that mirrors could mess up? Did they just want everyone at Hogwarts to go around with unkempt hair or something? What? This had been bothering Violet a lot since the first night of the term.

Finneas listened silently, trying to keep his own composure as to not increase any of Violet's worries. In truth, even he and the rest of the staff were not entirely sure what the alliance had planned for them. In the best case scenario, they were merely hostages. That much was almost a guarantee. As for her question, however, he paused thoughtfully before nodding his head. "The mirrors were likely broken for the same reason," he began. "A two-way mirror poses a larger threat in terms of communication than an owl does." There was no turn-around time. Communication was almost instantaneous. Finneas still preferred Texting, but errr... The neo-alliance would likely spit in his face if he admitted to that.

"They are likely covering all of their bases, Ms. Blackthorne. Leaving no stone unturned." It was an unsettling thought. Finneas had spent countless nights trying to come up with alternative means of contacting the outside world.

SPOILER!!: Bernadette

Quote:

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

Bernie (unusually for her) also hoped there would be no more tears. For once, those had been genuine tears and thus they were quite exhausting to keep in check.

She nodded to the professor's advice, sincerely keeping both her blue eyes on him. This was the most attentive Bernie had probably been in this office, barring the time she had interrogated interviewed him at Beauxbatons. It might not be obvious, but she did appreciate that Schmoe recognized how easily trouble tended to find her (not the other way around, ahem). The last part of his sentence though... it had her worried again, worried about frail old Schmoe.

"But surely there's...." she cleared her throat and leaned in closer to his desk, which was not an easy feat from a beanbag on the floor, so that she could better conspire with him. "Surely there's something you can do, sir. You know. You professors? You're all very good at magic, you HAFTA be, to teach here at a magic school." Wasn't that how it worked?! Only the absolute best, the experts in their chosen fields, went on to become professors?

She continued to lean forward, her expression very worried and yet still a little bit hopeful that Schmoe, good ol' Schmoe, would give her some sign. Like that maybe the staff was working on things behind the scenes, or or or forming a resistance, or sneaking off to Hogsmeade at night to get help for the kids.... SOMETHING like that???!

Please, sir, she needed hope.

In any other circumstance, Finneas might have stopped to praise the attentive listening. Or perhaps, he simply would have given it more thought. Unfortunately, however, at the moment this was the last thing he was paying attention to. "Your safety, and the other students, that is our first priority as members of staff, Bernadette."

Finneas rubbed his face, leaning back in his chair. The first thing he would do once this was all over was pay for a good massage. Assuming this would be over, eventually, of course.

He had to admire her chutzpah though. Had he known this was coming, he would've predicted that Bernadette would be leading the counter-revolution from the inside. It was a thought that brought him great pride as well as immense worry. He hoped she understood that they had to stay put for the time being. The alliance seemed to leave them alone if they cooperated. That much was enough for now, even if only as a way to stall time.

But again, it was still only the second day and Finneas still had some hope. Very little (as the majority had been crucioed out of him), but still some. "And err, we might be outnumbered, but that won't stop us from trying. Hogwarts has seen worse days." He offered her a small, encouraging smile.

SPOILER!!: Minjae

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

“I know, Professor” he grumbled as he stared at a fixed point on the edge of the desk . ”I’m not stupid” . The moment Rosier and his Neo Alliance had revealed themselves at the feast he knew how dangerous they were. He became hyperaware when they had to fill out that form. He had chosen to write the down the truth which in some way had been in his favor during the first lesson.

”It’s just unfair!” he said, trying to keep his voice down but he felt angry again ”They’re even using Curses on first years. Some of them haven’t even learned how to levitate a feather yet! how can they defend themselves?!” This was what bothered him the most. The injustice of it all ”They’re just a bunch of cowards on a power trip if you ask me” he huffed.

Although he did not have much chance against them either , he was still a seventh year and for years, DADA had been his personal best subject. He even scored an Outstanding in his OWL so he would be able to protect himself to some degree when needed. His wand was also an Alder type , which according to the shopkeeper at Ollivanders was best suited for non-verbal spells which he was proud to admit he had been improving quite well since last year. This meant he had an element of surprise. However, the reason the Hufflepuff knew he could never win against them was because they were far more experienced and he knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill and he couldn't do that. No matter how evil someone was, he knew he could never take someone’s life.

A better man than they were…. Feeling that his ears were turning red, Minjae tried not to show it too much but he did look proud at this compliment. He didn’t get complimented often. ”I just wish there was something we could do against them because i REFUSE to join them" The alliance probably didn't want him anyway since he was a Muggleborn. "My first thought was trying to contact my father with my two-way mirror to ask for help but all means of communication has been cut off” He didn’t even know where Brownie his owl was.

In the back of his mind he knew he had to attend the lessons but it still hurt. His face fell and he looked up at the professor and only now noted how tired and anxious he looked. More than usual and that was saying something. ”How are you doing, sir?” he asked, feeling shame that the conversation had been more about them when he knew the man must feel terrible as well.

”Professor” he suddenly said slowly as he watched him set tea. ”Can i ask for a favor? It’s….it’s kind of a big one”

Finneas winced slightly, but otherwise remained quiet as Minjae carried on. He could sense the boy's anger and, well, it was justified. Finneas felt similarly too. Though, er, he had to keep it within. Conceal don't feel, as they say. And though Schmoe did not voice his agreement, he did smile just a bit when Minjae referred to the alliance as 'a bunch of cowards on a power trip'. Not confirming or denying... But most definitely not denying.

Heh.

Anyway, ANYWAY, AnYwAy.

"Though we cannot know for certain what they have planned..." Finneas began. "People will start talking on the outside, Mr. Yoon. I believe we will have help very soon." History had a way of repeating itself. Though they may not have owls or other means of communication, the alliance's agenda would surely reveal itself soon enough. That was not something Finneas doubted in the least.

He then turned to pour two cups of tea, adding a splash of milk to each, only turning to look at the Hufflepuff and offer him a small smile. "Errr... I'm, er, I'm alright, Mr. Yoon." This was a bit of an understatement considering his entire body was still sore and in a great deal of pain, but err... There were some things that did not need to be mentioned. When he turned back around, he had two mugs in his hand and a little tray followed behind him carrying honey, sugar, biscuits, and spoons with it. "Yes, of course," he assured the seventh year, setting his own mug on his desk before offering him the other.