Headmaster Tate made his way slowly down the corridor, pausing from time to time to peer into the individual canvases before moving to the next portrait. He wasn't moving very fast and, although there was a distracted air about him, he didn't seem particularly harassed or harried at the moment.

Hugo made his way down the portraits, friendly greeting everyone before getting to class. He stood still at a particular portrait. It was the one Eino had played knight with. Or something. Hugo didn't know why memories of Eino kept cropping up, maybe because he didn't know where Eino was. He remembered the "The Great Book of all Things That Were, That Weren't, That Had Been, and That Were To Become" which was essentially just an old notebook. But they had fun. Pretending Hugo was the sherriff of the courtyard. Hugo had thought he was way too old to still play, but it was fun. He decided to leave the nostalgia behind and walk further, and passed the headmaster. "Good morning headmaster, hope you are having a good day," Hugo said as he passed him. Now, off to class!

Heaving a deep breath for the climb towards the Gryffindor tower, Salander trotted up the stairs quickly but slowed his pace when he saw the Hogwarts Head Honcho "Goodmorning Headmaster!" he greeted with a cheerful nod, then stopped short from rounding the next flight of steps. An idea has been brewing in that leaky cauldron of a brain of his ever since he started Hogwarts two years ago, something that he's been meaning to broach with the Headmaster. "Sir, may I have a minute of your time?"

Tate gave up on his portrait search to greet the two passing students, and then again when one of the students came back for a complete conversation. Hmm?

"Good morning, Mr. Salander. You can have two moments, but only if they're one after the other."

Two moments? Lucky! Most people would only get one "Well Headmaster, I was thinking...." he began, "... the stairs have been around for a long time-- and dont get me wrong they're doing a great job getting us places...." and getting himself lost but he didnt have to say that out loud ".... But since Hogwarts castle has seven floors and a deep dungeon plus a couple of towers...." Three? Four? He doesnt remember-- he sleeps in the dungeons give him a break "..... wouldnt it be of immense benefit to the student body and the faculty as a whole to have..." pause for emphasis....

"--an elevator service?"

Putting his game face on the Slytherin lad gestures his hands about as he starts his sales pitch "Think about it Mr Tate... you have a Gryffindor coming from Potions class, and they have to get back to their common room to change for Quidditch practice... by the time they get back up and down to the pitch they'd be too tired to give 100% to their game. Or what about students from COMC class who gets entangled with some creature... " totally not speaking from experience here ".... and they need the Healer's attention right away, wouldnt it be so helpful to just ride the lift towards the third floor with your bleeding leg without bothering with corners and steps?" Then he shifts to his game show prize-winning voice "And consider this Professor..." he adds quickly as he falls in step with the older Wizard and holds his hand aloft as if showcasing the invisible future playing before them ".... a couple of years from now-- no ten--no a hundred!-- when future wizards and witches walk these hallowed halls and chooses to take that elevator for Divination classes, there is one sure thing that will always pass through their lips-- That Headmaster Tate, he sure cared about us Hogwartians by leaving us this most awesome legacy." He claps his hands suddenly in emphasis of his pitch, all starry eyed "Whadaya say Headmaster? A legacy that will forever earn you praise even as you dine with Merlin in the afterlife!"

Tate slowed to an eventual stop, until finally he was just agape at the young man and his... vision for the future of Hogwarts. Where in Merlin's knobbly knees had this idea come from? And why was it something he was so passionate about, considering the boy had already made the trek up and down those stairs for years now? Only one to go.

"Aside from the fact that this is a monument and a historical building as well as being a working school, which leads to many complications when it comes to getting the Ministry's permission to do any construction, you're forgetting one major and important point, lad. Most important, probably."

He dropped his hands to his side, tilted his head as the starry-eyed excitement on his face gave way to dumbstruck confusion. He was forgetting something major and important? What else is there than profit legacy? "We can do the construction when schools out for the summer... and we'll stick the elevator shaft right in the middle so we dont have to break walls or anything...." he replied nodding excitedly at his solution until it slowed and his head stopped bobbing altogether. "What else am I forgetting?"

"Unless your elevator is entirely mechanical in nature, it wouldn't work in an environment laced with as many heavy magics as Hogwarts," Tate waved a hand around his head to illustrate. Electronic devices didn't work at Hogwarts, and although he was sure there were antique Muggle elevators that worked mechanically, they were less easy to procure.

"But let's be honest for a moment, Mr. Salander... do you have stock in an elevator company?"

Mechanical.

*blink**blink*

"Well yeah sure its mechanical, the doors swing open and shut that way-- oh!" he stopped short and broke into a chuckle. He got it now. "Oh yeah, my family runs a hotel chain, and they all have elevators servicing the Wizarding areas of the hotel. Heard it was derived initially from the design used for the Ministry of Magic offices... but more luxurious of course, and a lot smoother riding." he grinned. The Waldorf-Astoria has a reputation to uphold after all.

Now as for elevator company stocks-- he tilted his head, realizing that its a very feasible future plan hmmm...."Well no, no elevator company stocks. Yet. Although certainly we could patent the design thats being used at our hotels and lend it out.... maybe even build the one for here?"

Mayyybeeee?

"I will... take the suggestion under advisement. Under consideration." Tate had to laugh at the boy, although it probably wasn't the response Salander wanted. It wasn't a bad suggestion, but the sheer enthusiasm he presented it with... and his absolute assurance that it was a good idea and that Tate would recognize that... well, they were infectious in a way.

He was a born salesman. Pity he'd be wasted in a boardroom somewhere.

The Bossman said he will take it into consideration! And he laughed too!

Well shucks that just made the Slytherin's day

He slapped his hands together as if he just brokered a gajillion galleon deal, took the Headmaster's hand between his own and shook it eagerly "Awesome Mr Tate! Always knew you were a smart man. We'll get the papers drawn up and signed. We'll do lunch yeah?" He grinned broadly, then nodded his head as he started to get back to whereever he was supposed to go... which will take him a while to remember after this. "Thanks for sharing your time Headmaster! And remember..."he added, clicking his tongue and gave the guns up sign "Legacy. You got it made with this deal." And with that the Slytherin lad turned and went on his way.

Gwen continued exploring the castle. She knew she was somewhere on the first floor, but it seemed she had gotten lost. All she saw where portraits….and they looked the same to Gwen, who had, as it seems, a ‘great’ spirit of observation. The girl kept moving around, but she always ended up in the same place. ‘Great’, she thought.

Suddenly, she noticed the portraits moving. Gwen started grinning. GOOD! Maybe if I talk to them, they’ll help me….or…not. Anyway, she gave it a shot.

‘Good morning’, she told everyone who was willing to listen.

Legacy, huh? He'd sort of been hoping his legacy was going to be some of these bright young minds, or the sons he left in the world to create their own mark, or something more than... an elevator. No offense to elevators intended.

"Are you lost, young lady?" Tate turned upon Salander's departure and found a young Ravenclaw there. Hmm? Needing help, perhaps?

Gwen thought it would be really stupid of her to admit she was lost, so she decided to find a good excuse for looking like she would desperately need help. ’Me..lost? ’Of course not…’, she grinned hoping she was convincing enough…

Then, she tried to change the subject and let the portraits talk until she would find a way out. ’I just wanted to check out the portraits. What do you think of them, headmaster?’

Wandering round the corridoor, Thea clutched the strap of her bag. Her head turning left and right, she watched the paintings. Some nodded and waved at her, others scowled and turned away. Licking her lips nervously, she continued on her way to the fourth floor. Stopping suddenly, she heard a voice.

'Oi, you!' Turning around, Thea saw one of the paintings waving at her. Blinking, she approched it slowly, tucking her dark hair behind her ears.

'Yeah, I saw you gawking before! You're one of Flo Eden's children aren't you?' The wrinkled old witch was sittng in an arm chair by her fire, and infront of her two knitting needles were clacking together producing a colourful looking pair of mittons.

Swallowing, Thea nodded. 'Erm.. yes I am..' The little witch seemed to somehow know her Mother.. she chatted away for some time to Thea..

Raising an eyebrow, she wondered when she'd get away.

Nika was still on her hunt to find more Slytherins. She decided that the best way to approach this mission was to take every floor one at a time. So she'd start with the first and end at the seventh. Sure it may take a long time, but she was bound to find a snake sooner or later.

She straightened up when she heard a voice coming from around the corner. OH WAIT! Two voices! Nika got her game face on and stretched her arms ready to pounce on the slytherin who waited in the corridor. It's like they wanted her to hug them.

"HAHA! I got you-" She pounced on the "slytherin" giving her a hug and then looked for the other one. She turned in circles and her smile dropped as she saw it wasn't a slytherin at all. "Heh heh sorry about that..." Oops. She quickly patted Thea's robes and tried to smooth it out. "Thought you were, erm someone else." Speaking of someone else where is that other someone else? "Who were you talking to? And do they happen to be a slytherin?"

Thea had been nodding for aobut fifteen minutes now, 'ahhing' and 'yessing' at all the appropriate places. Suddenly somebody or something jumpe don her, hugging her tight.

She spun round, to see a shocked Nika smoothing down her robes. Thea laughed. 'It's fine!' She shook her head, that was totally Nika. 'Sorry, it was her..' rolling her eyes, Thea jerked her thumb towards the withc in the portrait who was still mumbling away..

"Of course not," Tate repeated doubtfully, but if the girl didn't want to ask for help, then he wouldn't force it on her. He was of the mind that no one got lost for good in the castle.

"The portraits are helpful mostly, although there are a few that will lead you astray every time. You ever see the little chappie with the muttonchops, and you don't listen to a word he says."

Hehe oopsie. Not to self Nika, always check if person is Slytherin before hug attacking them. She looked at Thea and followed her thumb to a blabbering portrait. Aw, not a slytherin? But what if the portrait is of a person who was in slytherin? Could she count that as a hug. Eh, too much work. Besides this potrait looks really boring. "Who is she?" More importantly why won't she stop talking!?

Chloe walked through the first floor corridor justexploring as her usual when she heard a voice coming from somewhere. She looked ehind her and no one was there. She then realized where she was in the hall of freaky talking portraits. She smirked realizing which portrait called to her. "Hello sir, how are you today?". No reply, was it portrait, if not who was it. Or is the portrait just notin chatty mood. Hmm.....

Simon suddenly saw Chloe, he hadn't seen her for awhile. "Chloe how are you?" Simon smiled as he ran up to her, he didn't see the Headmaster until he was near Chloe otherwise he might not have run he might have walked saying that it was a might, it wasn't like the Headmaster was that scary and mean he would tell him off for running was it, well he would find out if the Headmaster wanted a word with him or anything, looking straight at Chloe he asked. "Where have you been?"

Chloe suddenly heard the oice of a goodfreind and decided to ignore the stupid portraits. She turned around and there was Simon, aka, stink bomb boy. "Oh, hey there Simon, I have been in the library and on the practice pitch. Newt year is killer but I still managed to make some time for quiddich and made my house team, I am so excited. "So whats up with you. No more stink bomb mishaps I hope?".

Simon smiled at Chloe. "Well I hope you do well in your Newts this year." Simon said, another of his friends would be leaving, it was not fair, he couldn' believe that next year he would be taking owls, it seemed like yesterday he was just starting his first term and he remember it well, he had gotten into trouble then for dungbombing the corridor and then the turn after he dungbombed a Professor's office, but now his stash of Dungbombs was running low. "Don't worry I'm running low on them so I ain't going to waste them but I wonder what Vindictus would do if I set one of in the middle of a Quidditch Match?" Simon laughed, that would be funny to see. "Not that I would do anything like that." Simon said as he remember that the Headmaster was in the room.

"Oh, you made your quiddich team too. Thats an awesome honor that you should not smear with a dung bomb incident. Besides it's dangerous to play a trick like that while people are flying. I really think you should just keep the rest of your dung bombs locked away in your dorm. We can have fun without such vile things.". Chloe then leaned in and whispered in Simons ear. "However I really would not mind if you set a dung bomb outside Professor Lefays office.", Chloe whispered with a smirk.Chloe was just about certain even Simon did have enough gutsto do that. Chloe then noticed the headmaster wase close by. "Uh, Simon, I think we should take our conversation else where, perhaps wecould get a little snack?". Chloe hoped Simon would figure out shewanted to goto the kitchens.