He'd been meaning to visit earlier, but the little break he had that morning was entirely filled up by Mr. Stryker and his chocolate-covered almonds.

Now, if the Groundskeeper had asked where he'd been and why had Treyen seen the Giant Treehouse, well, he'd have his answer...because the fifth year was on his way to Vindictus before deciding it was better to visit Chad first.

They both had chocolate. They were both in the grounds.

The decision hadn't been an easy one.

Either way, the young Lockhart knocked, two times, and waited. And he didn't mind if this took long...he had the whole afternoon to do what he wished.

After an only somewhat disastrous practice session on the practice pitch, Kurumi walked towards Professor Vindictus' office with her gaze looking straight down at the ground. She thought somewhat because she HAD managed to stay on her broom the entire time with only minimal wobbling. Her landed had been another story, and the twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair were proof of that.

Making her way towards the office door, she was SURE that all the portraits were laughing at her and swore that one of them had complimented her on her antlers. This was only made worse when she saw Treyen was already waiting there.

Perfect.

Frowning, she took a seat next to him since she assumed that he had already knocked and was waiting. Hopefully her twig and leaf hair decorations weren't all that noticeable...

Vindictus had been hiding in his office since the feast ended and now it was time for some well-deserved boyish fun. Ignoring the knocks on his office door, he posed for a few minutes in front of a mirror.

"ARRR! Captain Max 'The Awesome' Vindictus is about to go on an adventure! Mysterious pirate ship beware!" he said to his own reflection as he made a few 'pirate' faces in the mirror and then started laughing. Another knock was heard at his door.

Sigh.

Slowly, Vindictus made his way to his office door and with a few clicks it was unlocked and open. But instead of offering students to join him inside, he did the opposite - he stepped out and locked the door behind him!

"Ah, Treyen and Kurumi," he began and glanced around to see if there was anyone else. "I'm sorry, but I need to go tend to some very important Hogwarts business."

It was true.

No, he didn't expect this. Treyen didn't expect to find Kurumi...or rather, Kurumi finding him, at Vindictus' door.

He was about to greet her when he noticed the hair. Tsk. That was inappropriate. Where on Earth had Kurumi Hollingberry been? "You...have something...er, here," he said, as he took the liberty to take a few twigs and many leaves off her...normal colored hair.

And then Vindictus...stepped OUTside. Say whaaaat? Where was he goiiiiing? And...could they join him? Probably not.

"Professor," he nodded, "Another time, then?" no problem, really, he could go and take some pictures with Kurumi, right? After all, he had the afternoon for himself.

"I do?" she squeaked trying to play it off that she wasn't aware of the bush she was wearing on her head . Blushing in defeat, she looked up at Treyen and sighed. "I was practicing a bit of flying on the pitch. My take off was alright...but my landing was terrible. I was attacked by a bush...."

Really, it had come out of nowhere!

Then Professor Vindictus came out of his office and she felt even more embarrassed. "When would be a better time to come back?" she asked pulling a rather large leaf out of her tangled hair. "I...I would really like to ask you some advice."

"Erm," Vindictus replied and scratched his chin. "Hmm. Maybe when the door is open?" The only thing on his mind at that moment was the mystery and adventure that awaited him on the ship.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important Hogwarts business to attend to."

From his replies, it was obvious that the Deputy Headmaster was up to something and he took a few steps on the path that led to the lake and not the castle.

A sign suddenly appeared on the door of the Flying Professor's office.

CLOSED

Professor Vindictus was enjoying the solitude of his office the day after the first Flying lesson. The lesson went well, considering he had a migraine headache, and he had a note from Professor Bentley about a certain Ravenclaw who had an impending detention. He stared out of his office window at the Lake as he pondered whether to assist with the detention or not.

Simon smiled evily as he walked up to the Professor Office, he didn't care what happens he had heard that the Professor was getting on in age and so whilst he had been at Diagon Alley he had bought the Professor a present and hopefully Professor Vindictus might take it too his next class instead of a broomstick.

Simon knocked on the door whilst holding the walking stick in his other hand, he had wanted to bring a walking frame but he couldn't fit in anyway so a walking stick was the only other thing he could think of, Simon sighed as he thought about an excuse on why he hadn't wrapped it up well maybe because he hadn't any wrapping paper, that what he would say if the Professor said anything.

Vindictus heard someone knocking on his door and turned away from the window. "Come in!" he called out as he took a seat at his desk.

Simon smiled as he heard the Professor say come in, he openned the door with his spare hand, he had no idea why but he didn't care if the Professor didn't like the Present that Simon had gotten him, if he didn't then he wouldn't be getting anything else from Simon again.

Simon looked up and saw Professor Vindictus sitting in his chair, he decided he would speak before the Professor said anything about the walking stick. "Professor I heard from someone that you were getting old, and so I thought you could do with a little Present." Simon smiled as he held out the walking stick for the Professor to look out.

"Blimey, Simon. Is this a joke? 'Cause if it is, I'm not laughing," replied Vindictus with a frown and he rose to his feet.

Simon looked at the Professor. "Of course it's not a joke." Simon wondered why the Professor was asking if it was. "I just thought that you could do with a present." Simon smiled as he held out the walking stick for Vindictus to take. "I thought it might come in useful." Simon was always thinking about others.

Vindictus slowly walked around his desk and stopped two feet away from Simon. His eyes bore into the Hufflepuff student and he crossed his arms.

Uh, oh. The Deputy Heamaster was clearly not pleased.

"I do not find this amusing, Simon. Only a squiffy like yourself would attempt to insult me in my very own office. Twenty-five points from Hufflepuff," he replied rather sternly and it was obvious from the sound of his voice that he was furious.

"Now if you have any sense in your cranium, you'll turn around and march smartly out the door from which you entered. And you'll take that stick with you."

Simon could see that Professor Vindictus was furious but he was going to try and calm the Quidditch Professor down. "Professor, I am not insulting you, I am here giving you a Present." Simon said hoping the Professor wouldn't get even more scary that he was now, though that didn't seem possible.

Simon looked at the Professor maybe he had been hit on the head with too many Bludgers but that was the Professor fault, he had been playing Quidditch since his first year. "Professor but it's a gift for you." Simon said he hoped Professor Vindictus wouldn't be angry with him for not leaving.

"Blimey! Sticks are for children, Simon. Children practice with sticks. Do I look like child to you? Of course not!"

Vindictus continued to glare at the Hufflepuff.

"When I give orders, I expect them to be followed and not questioned. Do you understand me?"

Simon looked at the Professor and smiled. "Of course you don't look like a child." Simon said truthfully he was way to old to be a child, he had no idea what he would do with the stick though.

"Professor if you give an order then yes I'll follow it but you said if you had any sence then you would walk out of the door you came in, which technically isn't an order is it?" Simon said as he looked at the floor he didn't dare look at the Professor when he said that.

"Your sheer cheek is costing your house dearly," Vindictus replied rather calmly. "Another twenty-five from Hufflepuff for continued disrespect. Leave my office immediately and crawl back to that old pile of rocks on the hill. And when you get there, make sure you tell Isobel, Treyen and Arya how you lost those precious points."

Simon looked at Professor Vindictus and then he looked at the cane, the Professor didn't deserve a Present he was plain mean and Simon didn't like mean Professor, had he really just taken another 25 points off because Simon had just told him the truth well this was getting better and better.

"See you later Professor." Simon said as he walked with cane in hand towards the door, maybe Lafay would be happy if Simon game the cane to her for a present though Simon wasn't sure she was as old and Professor Vindictus and so he decided he'd put it in his trunk and take it home with him.

As soon as Simon left the office, Vindictus snapped his fingers and the door slammed shut. He stood there for a moment and tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened.

Something about points and a stick.

Strange.

He shook his head and walked back to his office window. This time, he opened it and leaned on the windowsill, staring at the Lake.

Deep breath. And another.

Odd. There wasn't any salt in the air.

Oh, my Gilderoy!

Vindictus was BACK! And Treyen...really had no idea when the man had returned, but he was truly missed. Not to mention that thanks to the Flying Instructor being away, many things had happened.

Like, on his personal life, but that really wasn't Vindictus' business, anyway.

Yet, he saw the man by the window, and he was about to run over the office and be loud about how happy he was to have this man on the grounds...but, he didn't. He decided to play it cool and simply knock on the door.

"Treyen Lockhart, Professor," he said, between knocks.

"Ahoy, Treyen! Come in, come in!" Vindictus called out and turned away from the window. It was at that moment that he remembered that he needed to take away a healthy amount of points from Hufflepuff because Simon dared to call him ancient. He pulled out his wand and tapped it twice on a drawing of the House Hourglasses that lay on his desk.

OUCH. There was this feeling....like something had gone wrong...but, yeah, he paid little attention to that feeling, because...why was Vindictus talking like a pirate?

It was amusing, to say the least.

"Hey Professor," he said, as he turned the knob on the door and stepped inside. Eyes went straight to the Chocolate Frogs. He'll be taking one on his way out. BUT FIRST..."I hope your trip was pleasant?" yes, Vindictus, you were so dearly missed! But we're boys, and boys say no such things.

There was a picture in his hand, though.

"It was as pleasant as Quidditch business can get," Vindictus replied sarcastically as he put away his wand before motioning to one of the chairs. "Please have a seat."