Second floor.

Truebridge had found Gevrik's office without much fuss and though he didn't try to enter, he stood outside for a moment and took his sunglasses off to examine the door. He leaned forward at the waist and sniffed at the wood.

Interesting.

He checked with his wand next, scanning the door frame and the door itself and then walking along the length of the corridor and following the edges of the wards all the way around. He returned a few moments later and frowned to himself.

Those were.... unusual.

Ethan folded his sunglasses up and quite intentionally hung them from the door handle.

Yes indeed. Ethan Truebridge had been here and this was his way of acknowledging that Gevrik would know that and that he, Ethan, didn't care that Gevrik would know.

And now, to settle into his new quarters on the fifth floor.

Leading the way into his office, so that Lexi Denver would not befall a terrible fate, Ikenna left the door open and took a seat behind his plain desk. There was one new addition to the mysterious frame facing his chair; a handsome pair of sunglasses hanging off the corner.

Gevrik planned to wear them the next time he saw Andrina.

He settled into his chair and rested his folded hands upon the table top, waiting for the child who had approached him to speak first.

The guy wasn't much of a talker was he? That made Lexi a bit nervous... perhaps because she knew that she was going to talk a lot once they were in his office. Gah! Quiet people made her SO nervous. You have to fill the silence, right? Right. Poo.

Making her way into the office behind him, in SILENCE, she stood in between the two chairs on her side of the desk as she looked around his office. Curious. Not much there. Smiling as she lether eyes fall back on the man she stepped around a chair and took a seat on the edge, back straight and clasped her hands in her lap. "Let me start by introducing myself. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Lexi Denver, fifth year Gryffindor. Now that that is out of the way, are we in danger here? Is that the reason that the Ministry of Magic has seen fit to interfere here?" she said in rapid fire, typical Lexi fashion. Riddle me that, Mr. Ikenna, sir.

Ikenna tilted his head and allowed a long moment of silence to grow as Lexi looked around, chose her seat, and introduced herself. Not a thing escaped his fastidious notice and particularly not when she looked directly at him.

"Yes and no," he said at last. "It depends upon your perspective, and judging from your diction," she had just said interfere instead of intervene, "would it be a fair guess to say you see no imminent danger at Hogwarts?"

Riddle me that, Lexi Denver. Some questions may have no answer.

Yes and No. Well that wasn't very comforting was it? Nope not at all. "Well that is hardly an answer is it? But, I will say that just because I don't know of the danger does not mean that there is none. Something I learned for myself. As it is, though, I have the utmost confidence in Headmaster Tate and the rest of the staff to keep us safe if there was any danger," she said with a nod. Although, she had scars to prove that the staff was not always able to protect them. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat she grimaced as she noticed the sunglasses hanging from the picture frame.

...

Those were Truebs' weren't they? Had Ikenna eaten Professor Truebridge and stolen his stunna shades? He struck her as a possible cannibal. Yeah. "I mean no disrespect, sir, but is it necessary to be so creepy all the time? You have taken a post in a place with young children, you could be frightening some of them." THEM. Not her. PSHAW! She wasn't afraid of no ghosts... err Ministry officials. Not much anyway.

Obvious children were...obvious.

"That's very noble of you to say, Lexi, but is it entirely true?" His infamous stare seemed to search straight through her and into her soul. "How have you personally been affected by certain lapses in security? Think of your own past...might we not find examples there that prove otherwise?"

Besides that, it was hardly up to the students to regulate their own safety. Just look at the ones that injured themselves on simple broomsticks every year.

He remained neutral and impassive, seeming to not blink a bit as she both displayed and spoke of her vexation...until she hit a certain repetitive idea.

"Lexi...." the dark man chided with a soft chuckle, amused by her words and thoughts.

His eating Truebridge. Laughable, that. The man would make a better ally than a snack.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by being a 'creeper.'" Shaking his head and still laughing slightly, the large man stood up and paced around his desk slowly. "Could you elaborate?"

Okay. She FELT that she needed to look away from his creepy stare, but it was also rude and kind of weak not to meet a person's eyes when speaking to them. Wait... How did he... Oh. It was surely in a case file somewhere, or in her student file or SOMETHING, that she had been involved in that kerfuffle. "Headmaster Tate and Professors Truebridge and Kazimeriz did their best, as did the other staff at the time, to ensure our safety. That man was quite cunning though. I ask this, though: Where was the Ministry when that happened? Sir. Why was the staff dealing with that when there is a team of Aurors sitting over in London?" Yeah. How ABOUT that. She had always been kind of curious about that little slip up.

Had she even answered his question? "Anyway... I will admit, though, that there was a lapse in security... but since then nothing bad has happened here. Not even during the Tournament."

Not able to stop herself, Lexi gave a slight giggle as he chuckled. "Well, sir, your presence is kind of... making some people uneasy. Your demeanor, the way you stare all the time. It is grounds for making people think you are a creeper." As is the way you are pacing around that desk and into my personal space. Creeper. "It could be because there is just a vibe you give off. I was uneasy upon first seeing you. And what was with you giving Professor Vindictus such a hard time? Do yuo two know one another?" she asked in a curious tone, actually leaning forward a bit in her seat as she looked him in his eyes.

Blinking once to insert some warmth into his eyes, Gevrik nodded sympathetically, encouraging Lexi to continue talking, even if she did rile herself up a bit. "If you are doubting the timeliness of the Ministry's actions, then by all means, please continue doing so."

He smiled gently as she finished. "But in all fairness, perhaps then I should let you know that I am a recent hire to the Ministry and was, unfortunately, not in a position to intervene at the time the events you speak of occurred."

She seemed a little more at ease as she continued in what most would consider a 'brutally honest' manner. "Perhaps that is just your perspective, Lexi. Do we not regard all outsiders with suspicion? Am I not being labeled as an outsider, not just because of my appearance," he was a hulking presence, "but because I had to say I was from the Ministry? I cannot help that I have a different background and training from most but you must understand, it is for your own good that my behaviour differs."

Ikenna let out a loaded sigh and took a relaxed perch on the front edge of his desk, not quite within Lexi's space bubble. Proximity was all he was going for here. Proximity and informality.

She was not in uniform, after all. That alone set the tone for informality, though her own continued eye contact was somewhat...what was the term...

Creepy.

"No, I did not personally know Maximus Vindictus until this very evening. Why do you ask?"

Well yes... it wasn't HIS fault that the MLE hadn't come riding in on the perverbial white horse, so to speak, but it was the Ministry that he worked for's fault and thus made HIM guilty by default. Or something like that. Eww... was he trying to look welcoming? It didn't work. He just looked even creepier. "It does not offend you that I disagree with the Ministry, that you represent here, and it's... lack of action? I think you are probably the first Ministry official that would allow a child to talk about the government that way." That, oddly, didn't put her at ease. "Well, would you have come to save us? Would YOU have put yourself into that position if you were part of the MLE?" Fair enough question she thought. And it totally wasn't because she assumed he would not have. It was sheer curiosity.

Shaking her head she smiled slightly. "No sir, that is not just MY perspective, trust me. But, you do have a point, you are an outsider here... BUT there are also a lot of new faces here every term it seems. You were not the only person at that table that we didn't know. Something sets you apart though. Perhaps it was the manner in which you treated our Deputy Headmaster," she said in a quiet tone as she shifted her gaze to her feet at long last. She NEVER spoke to authority figures like that. NEVER.

WAit... had he just said... "Why would you say that it is for our own good? That gives your presence here a sense... of impending doom, sir," she said as she turned her attention back to the man that was now sitting on his desk. Hmmm. The jury was still out on whether or not this dude was okay. "Can you tell me what it is you are doing here, sir?"

Magical Law Enforcement. Another laughable idea belonging to this little girl.

"No, it does not, not the Ministry at the present moment, anyway." Ikenna again kept his tone carefully neutral. "You may think of me as a Ministry official all you wish but the bottom line is that I answer to a higher authority, Lexi Denver."

And she could interpret that as she wished, but he was only meaning Martel. Much better man than any Minister in Gevrik's mind.

He paused and tapped one finger against his lips at her latest query. Would Ikenna Gevrik have intervened in the entertaining werewolf fight club that had occurred here?

The straight, simple answer was no, because that was not his style or manner of doing things.

But today, facing the mind of child like Lexi Denver, it was wholeheartedly yes.

Gevrik slowly nodded and brought his focus back to the student at hand, leaning forward just an inch to close the gap between so that he was all she could see. His usually blank eyes now burned with an intensity that could only be taken as pure honesty and compassion, a sort of potent power that had to believed, even if you were the world's biggest cynic. Purity such as this could not be faked.

"Yes, Lexi Denver, I would have come to save Hogwarts. I would have taken whatever action necessary because that is my job and I was not lying at the feast when I said your security was dear to my heart. This is something you must believe in: I will not allow bad things to happen at Hogwarts this year. I will not."

He leaned back and stood up again, feeling more at ease pacing around this office than he had in his back at the Ministry. Gevrik was back to his calm, quiet manner, at ease again after such an intense staring contest.

"I've already told you what I am doing here." He gave her a placid warning look. "But I think you need some time to think on what has been said today. Discuss with your friends. Let them know that they can approach me with their concerns, regarding security...and other things."

Gevrik even raised a hand in a welcoming sort of way. "And I'll try not to be so 'creepy', as you put it?"

Even if it meant leaving Vindictus alone for a day or two...

Hmm. Interesting. If he was a Minstry employee did he not answer to the Minister Herself? Perhaps that was why he said no MAN. Okay. Made sense, maybe. That was not what caught her attention though. He was being thoughtful and then. EEP.

Lexi leaned back in her seat ever so slightly as he leaned forward. Looking into his eyes she was sold. He was sincere in this, she could see that. Nodding almost mechanically she smiled brightly at the man. "I trust you. I really do. Thank you for caring, sir," she said cheerily. As he leaned back she leaned back to her original position and nodded her head. Satisfied? Yep. He was not a bad guy after all.

Bowing her head slightly when he gave her the warning glance she nodded her head. "I apologize, sir. That was rude of me. I will tell my friends you ain't so bad. Down right approachable I would say. Even if you ARE a bit creepy sometimes, you are pretty cool in my book, sir," she said with a giggle.

Rising from her seat she took a few steps closer and extended her hand for him to shake. "Thank you very much for indulging me, sir. I do have some things to think about and perhaps I will have more questions later... I will call on you again? And, sir, if there is anything I can do for you while you are here with us, I will be glad to be of service," she told the man very sincerely as she stood smiling, hand out.

Time would tell if the bright girl would act upon her words today, but rest assured that Ikenna Gevrik would not be forgetting this exchange.

He returned the bow of the head and took a light step forward to shake Lexi's hand, gently, as he shook all ladies' hands.

"I would appreciate that, Lexi, and again, do not hesitate." His smile could be described as almost...friendly, and egalitarian. "Of course I will do the same. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around the castle but for now, please, allow me to show you out."

'Showing her out' meant politely ushering the Gryffindor out the door and securing it with his usual quick array of enchantments and charms. Once the office was sealed, Ikenna accompanied Lexi back to the stone gargoyles and waved her off.

Undoing the protections around his office as he approached, Ikenna opened the door and eyed the two chairs there. He flicked his wand out of its holster, into his hand and toward the chairs in one smooth movement.

Two more identical chairs had appeared, and Ikenna waited by the door for the students to file in before him.

"If any of you would like some refreshments...just say so."

This was how Martel did things, yes? Ikenna did not have as fun china as he, but he would make do.

Kurumi slowly walked into Mr. Gevrik's office still holding the Quibbler in her one hand and her other in her pocket where Momotaro was still sleeping. Seeing as Walnut kept insisting on trying to eat the poor pygmy puff, she couldn't leave the poor thing in the dorms. "I-I-I'm fine," Kurumi bowed quickly. She wasn't sure she could drink anything at the moment, although a nice hot cup of green tea sure seemed like a good idea at the moment. She looked at the chairs and wondering if she should have a seat or to just continue to stand there. She had been raised to not sit until the host had said it was alright to do so. Mother said it wouldn't be polite.

He had to admit, the office looked simple and honest enough. Plain and yet decorated sufficiently to pass as a Professor's or a staff member's. Technically, that was what Ikenna was but in Sabel's opinion, he still had to prove that and earn the position. Appointment by the ministry was one thing, acceptance was a whole other game.

Checking to see if this was indeed the right office and the right person leading them in, he spared Gevrik a glance as he slipped into the room. A glance and a slight nod. May as well try to be nice.

Stepping into the room, he paused off to the side of the center, frowning slightly. He couldn't say he was completely comfortable with sitting with his back to the man just yet and so opted out for standing. This way, he could keep an eye on Ikenna and Satine to make sure she was doing okay. It was one thing speaking up when you were outside of someone's office, another when you were in their private quarters. One thing was for sure, this was going to be interesting.

Satine followed everyone into the office and took in everything in the room in a quick glance. It was not what she had expected at all...well she wasn't really sure what she had expected but it wasn't like this at all. His office looked alot like her father's did...a little odd.

She smiled at him when he offered them refreshment. His kindness and hospitality just earned him some points in her book. "No sir, thank you for asking." she said shaking her head slightly.

She decided to just lean against the back wall in stead of taking a seat. She always became fidgety if she was sitting down and being still for too long.

"Yeah," Jake merely replied, nodding his head at Gevrik before waiting to be led into the guy's office.

And there they were, and Jake was immediately looking at the shelves and ignoring the chairs that appeared because, well... all the better to look around at the office. "What books do you have?" the young man asked, staring over at the shelving unit.

He loved looking at books and something that fascinated him was seeing the books other people possessed.

On the one hand, Jake RARELY accepted food or drink from other people, especially new people, but on the other, he sure was thirsty.

"D'you have any butterbeer? I'd like some if you do."

So what if it was poisoned? Jake wouldn't exactly mind if the man killed him, whereas he'd then have to deal with witnesses and would THEN have to deal with Tate being mad at him for offing four students.

No.

He figured it would be fine.

He just kept looking at the shelves, still gripping onto his sunglasses in his collar, as though touching them would have to same effect... or maybe in case there was an eye contact emergency.

"You all may sit; that is what the chairs are for," Gevrik pointed out to the students with an obvious note of humour in his voice.

He nodded to show that he had heard Jake and moved around to the shelves behind his desk. Tapping a teapot on the lowest shelf with his wand, Gevrik took a seat, pointed his wand at the bottom left desk drawer, and summoned out a bottle of butterbeer for the Hufflepuff.

"I heard these drinks were quite the popular beverage around young adults," he said conversationally as the bottle slowly floated to a stop on the corner of his desk. "Naturally, I thought it best to stock up."

He settled back into his seat, his wand already tucked away as if it had never been out, and folded his hands into a steeple. Ikenna glanced from Gryffindor, to Ravenclaw, to Hufflepuff, and back to Gryffindor with a calm and cordial countenance.

"Now then, who would like to go first?"

Despite Gevrik`s invitation to sit down, Sabel found himself still standing, watching the man closely. It was quite the debate in his mind whether to remain as he was, find a spot along the wall or yield and take up one of the seats. The first would be simply ridiculous and awkward, the second Ikenna may very well view as him considering himself outside the norm, above the rules, above hospitality and trying to exert some control, while the very later relinquished control and submission as well as acceptance of hospitality from this man, something he wasn't sure he was quite ready to do. Then again he seemed to recall from some distant and fuzzy part of his brain some saying about the submission to control was almost a greater control and strength in and of itself. That seemed to pertain mainly to following someone one trusted, but he supposed it could work in this case. Not that he trusted Ikenna. Not yet. Not for a while.

"Do you keep extra chairs about all the time, Mr. Gevrik? The one you brought to the feast seemed to serve you quite well." He hadn't been intending to say anything, and he nearly bit off his tongue in surprise at his own voice which came out calm and steady as he took up one of the empty seats. His tone was not mocking in itself but still noted with disapproval. "Though I am relieved to see these do not float, I'm not a fan of heights myself." No, he did not approve of Ikenna's tactics at the feast and though he had been intending to listen before jumping forward, he couldn't help but feel that this was something that needed to be addressed off the bat. The man's answer would certainly indicate some part of his character depending on his answer.

It was Sabel who spoke first and so it would be Sabel who received an answer first.

After a moment of silence, of course, to allow the students around to soak up the Gyffindor's question and all of its rather hostile implications. Sabel's tone may not have given away his irritation, but even a half-brain could read the antagonism etched into his body language.

Meeting the Gryffindor's eyes, Ikenna slowly shook his head, as if he were disappointed in the boy's "tough" demeanour already. "I am afraid it did not serve me well at all, Dakest, because it did not...break the ice, so to speak, as I had intended and as you are evidently informing me."

Gevrik had only intended to find a place to sit and perhaps a colleague to engage in conversation at the feast. Obviously he had accomplished both things, but also in a manner upsetting to...certain children.

"Of course," the dark man continued politely, "I could say the same about your behaviour toward me thus far. To be frank, you are doing a poor job of making a decent impression right now. I realise that Hogwarts does not mandate classes in common courtesy but as I have understood both the Headmaster and the people who put me here..."

He allowed himself an ironic chuckle. "Gryffindors are not represented by the brave lion, not the stubborn goat. Is that errant thinking or can we all behave civilly here?"

It was an offer he should not refuse.

Kurumi took a seat as Mr. Gevrik had offered, it would be rude not to do so. Taking a seat, Kurumi listened to the older Gryffindor speak and ended up having to cover her mouth to prevent a gasp from escaping. OK, so she wasn't so sure she liked this guy either and she found him rather suspicious and ominous, but they were still talking to someone older than them. Not to mention that this person worked for the Ministry of Magic - whatever that implied. She wasn't too sure what the man meant by Gryffindors not being lions nor being goats, but decided to keep that thought in her head for now. She had more pressing concerns at the moment that lay folded with its edges crinkled slightly on her lap.

Glancing between everyone in the room, Kurumi wondered if it was OK for her to speak next, but decided to just put herself out there.

"Mr. Gevrik," Kurumi whispered nervously as she tried to smooth out the edges of the Quibbler for no reason other than she needed something to do with her hands. "I was wondering if perhaps you could tell me some more about the Statute mentioned in this," she asked as she passed the Quibbler to him. She did want that back at the end of this. "I, well, I grew up in a non-magical environment despite my father being a pureblood wizard. He currently works for the Japanese Ministry...perhaps you know him?" It was a long shot, but there was a chance he knew her father, Charles. "Um, well, magic was kept a secret at my home...my mother's doing mostly, she is non-magical. She is deathly afraid of magic. So, I don't really understand what this Statute represents." She sounded like such a child, the manner in which she spoke. Still, one could hardly blame her since she had only been immersed in the wizarding world for a little over a year now.

He knew he had to chose his words carefully, which was perhaps why his tone was simple rather than accusatory, polite and a statement of fact rather than rude and emotional. "Then it would seem we are in need of the course of courtesy and are both stubborn goats bound to a world of perception. If you were as opposite of myself as you place yourself, you would have relinquished your occupation of the Deputy's seat out of courtesy when your ice-breaker failed and out of the bravery of being able to release control. But you chose to stay, failing in your own endeavor." For which he would give him the benefit of the doubt that he had been trying to break the ice. But he seemed like too smart of a man to have not known that staying would have, and was at the time, greatly upsetting Vindictus and would result in tensions being set high between them.

"You stayed true to your intentions," whether they were as he said or otherwise, "as do I and by that I would say that we are both fools. For only fools keep the company of one another, and only fools acknowledge one another."

"In short, I am not here to impress you Mr. Gevrik." He didn't take his eyes from the man, though something twisted nervously inside with the look he was receiving and he had to force his voice to remain steady and flatly polite. "Not to forward a personal offense, but I have no interest in your opinion of me. Or your perception. Goats can be brave in their stubbornness and lions cowardly in their speed. Courtesy can be manipulation, and rudeness can be blunt honesty." Which are you Mr. Gevrik?

"You told Jake at the feast that you valued the questions and inquiries of the students and their forwardness in presenting them. I am here to honor that belief that is shared between us all." Otherwise, none of them would be in his office in this manner. With a slight bow of his head, he managed to bring a bit more respect into his voice, if only for better presentation of his words. Respect was still something this man had to earn in his opinion. "I do, however apologize if I seemed...uncivil. I made an assumptive perception from which I simply meant to draw a question about your actions and intent. I will attempt to be more tactful and...courteous here on in." So yes, he would try to be civil, insomuch as much as the other was.

Sitting back in his chair, he forced his eyes to remain locked on Gevrik as the other girl spoke up. Only when she handed over the Quibbler did he glance over to her, listening intently as she spoke. If the man wanted to kick him out, he would, but until then, he was going to listen to what the others had to say and try to garner as much information from it as he could, both in events and character. It seemed like Arya wasn't the only one questioning the quibbler and his eyes flicked back to Gevrik, interested in his answer.

Satine stood there motionless because she was a little overwhelmed....just too many different subjects at once...she was surprised at how Mr. Gevrik (OOC: I spelled it right this time...) was keeping up with it all.

She turned and looked at Sabel with her head cocked to the side as he talked about goats and...what was he talking about anyways. She closed her mouth because she realized it was hanging open. She was so impressed that a seventh year could speak so eloquently....well maybe since she wasn't following.

She was starting to regret coming up here since she had no idea what everyone else was talking about. Finally when there was a lull in the convos she stepped forward. She had decided where the starting point of her conversation would be.

She cleared her throat slightly, "Mr. Gevrik, could you tell us more about you? Like what your background is with the Ministry over the years has been and what your views on our education here is and such?." she said hoping that she wasn't asking something that she had missed again...and she ended it with the such so he knew he could elaborate. She just wasn't sure about him yet...on one hand he seemed innocent enough but then on the other hand she just had an odd feeling about him.

Jake chose not to say anything just yet. He took the proferred seat because, as well as thirsty, he was tired. Speaking of thirst, Jake took the bottle and popped the lid off with his thumb, catching it in his other hand. As he drank, he looked between the two females and the two males with slight amusement in his face.

The young man kept quiet, looking for any reactions he could pick up on.

Because he wasn't good at that.

Plus, Sabel was being fairly hostile, and Jake felt somehow uncomfortable. It was kind of different from his own stubbornness... but similar. Bah.

Well... he'd wait for a while before he spoke. Maybe until a few people were gone. Unless he was obliged to chip in here and there. Yep.