Main Story News of Theft PV Professors Closed

Sebastián was already in his office at the Gryffindor Commons when he received the note to meet at the Headmaster's Office. That at least made it a short walk for him to get to the Astronomy Tower. When he reached the door, the Gargoyles moved without a word to give him access. The Gryffindor Head of House stepped inside and was one of the first to gather due to his proximity. He had never met Gerald before but he could tell from the robes and general smell that he was from the Ministry of Magic. A polite nod was all he gave in greeting while he waited for the others.

What could this be about? Prisoner escape? Muggle war again?

Once the presentation began he knew what the objects were right away. As the History of Magic Professor it was his job to know about the past. The mask and glove could only be one thing. The snow globe was less obvious but it made sense to him once explained. Likely was a snow globe of the castle itself too to make it easy to recognize. For a thief that just made the job easier though.

"That is all that was stolen?", he asked Gerald when he finished, worried this meant Hogwarts was more than just a possible target. "If so, that makes it pretty obvious where they plan to strike next."

I will keep an eye out for students wearing masks...

 The fact that the Ministry was paying Hogwarts a visit concerned Matilda. She had started off the day in a good mood, really. She woke up to a cup of tea with at least five spoonfuls of sugar, pet her cat Jasmine for a longer amount of time than she would care to admit, and read one of her X-Men comics again. She had received a note which interrupted said good mood though, claiming that she needed to gather with the other staff members in the Headmaster's Office to meet with the Minister of Magic. She tried not to get anxious over everything, she really did, but it was no help. 

 So, there she stood, among the other professors in the Headmaster's Office, nudged between the History of Magic professor and Head of Gryffindor, Sebastián, and her good friend, Ackerley. The Minister of Magic, Gerald, stood in front of them, and he had a few interesting words to say. Some things had been stolen - masks, a glove, a snowglobe portkey... and they all seemed to go hand-in-hand. In her mind, at least. Her anxiety decided to take it up a level higher, and she bit onto the nail of her thumb as she looked around the room, her eyes landing on Sebastián as her spoke.

 Personally, the brunette didn't have much to say on her own behalf. She was afraid of being misinterpreted, and she didn't have any good, real questions to spout out. All she had were worries, and those could be relayed to her friends within the school later on in the day. She kind of missed the serenity of Beauxbatons now. No one wanted to steal one of their portkeys. It was almost certain that after this meeting, Matilda would be retreating to her classroom to scry out any possible futures that could be coming to them. If she found anything would depend on the type of situation this would be. 

 She replayed Sebastián's words in her mind. It's pretty obvious where they will strike next. Did that mean that, perhaps, Hogwarts was a target again? It had just barely been two decades since the last time dark magic was instilled in the wizarding school - to Matilda's knowledge, at least. Who would want to target a place with so many children inside? The idea of them being in danger made her motherly instincts want to come into play, but she'd try to keep that part of her in the dark for now.

 "Do you think that people would come for Hogwarts? Truly?" She inquired, still not quite being able to grasp onto the idea fully herself. Her expression was worried, and her mannerisms matched. Though she had stopped biting on her thumb nail for now, her arms were now crossed over her chest. Any bit of her attitude gave off one feeling - uneasy. The entire situation made her feel that way, and it was definitely not appreciated by the mademoiselle. 

Closed into the Rehearsal Room, Maya was playing on the Steinway grand piano placed in the middle of the room. She was playing Mozart's Sonatina in C Major, both her hands smoothly caressing the piano keys, black and white, producing the sound with just the tips of her fingers. Maya, closing her eyes, played with emotion. Her body moved with the overall phrases.

Still playing on the piano, she saw a note flutter and stick onto the base of the piano where sheet music usually stays. As she was playing, she read the note. Taking a deep breath, she stopped playing by clunking a handful of notes and slammed the piano shut. Playing music was her only time that she could free herself from her past, and now, it needed to stop short. Maya was all but irritated.

Swiftly making her way into the Headmaster's Office, she saw Barrows and Cazarez already arrive. Maya listened intensely to what happened at the Ministry. Trained to be calm under pressure from the Israeli Defense Force, Maya walked to the side of the mantle of the fireplace and leaned her body against the wall. Crossing her arms, she looked to the ground, thinking.

Barrows and Cezarez were correct that the destination of whoever stole the item is to be at Hogwarts. However, she was thinking ahead. What did it mean for the students? Where did the item portkey to? Would all houses be safer in their common room? Breaking her crossed arms, she placed one hand on her chin while the other hand still wrapped around her upper waist. Maya looked up at the professors in front of her, her thoughts categorized.

"Who knows where the destination of the portkey may be in the castle, as we also do not know when the thief will enter Hogwarts. Our students is our first priority. When do we notify them of this? They can't be left in the dark for too long, they need to be aware," she advised, her Israeli accent thick. They need to be trained, she added in thought, thinking like a true woman of the war.

The past few weeks have been stressful. It has never been a relaxing period of the year, but now, it was likely worse since the Headmaster has been away for the exact amount of times. The man had a secret appointment with an important wizard. Unfortunately, Ackerley could not remember his name.  All of this meant that the young man has to be everywhere so that the school could function correctly without any apparent problems. He also had to deal with the Ministry about a few charms related subject which kept him busier than normal. Therefore, it was not an urgent matter. In that sense, the Deputy Headmaster was now in charge of the school during this absence. He had hoped that everything would go smoothly, but of course, something has to go wrong. He was beginning to think that a curse has been sent towards him. 

A few hours ago, the Deputy Headmaster had received an important owl from the Ministry of Magic. Ackerley was not specifically fond of them since his last visit. The man has been working for them in two of their department for a few years after his incident. However, it has not ended well, which explained why he had left in a hurry and had returned to Hogwarts. At that time Ackerley thought he had been lucky to receive the opportunity to become the Deputy Headmaster since it would enlarge his knowledge and experiences. However, after the owl from the British Ministry of Magic, he was uncertain. Gerald DeMarcus. That name gave him a shiver. He exactly knew who that was. If he was coming at Hogwarts, it meant that the actual situation was critical and could be dangerous. 

A message had been sent to the professors and few employees of Hogwarts so that they could meet with the Ministry individual. It was a situation that would require everyone to be on alert, mostly, each hour of the days. They never knew when the culprit could strike, what he could do, but mostly, what his intentions were. From the Headmaster was absent, Ackerley has been given a few pieces of information in advance. He could not believe that someone would succeed in stealing important Artifacts from them. Weren't they supposed to be some of the most skilled wizards? The man sighed and walked out of his office, his long black robe following him in his gesture.

Ackerley had arrived at the Headmaster's Office after the professor of History of Magic. As more professors arrived, it seemed as if anxiety could be smelled in the air. It was, indeed, a stressful moment, as he had stated earlier. Ackerley greeted Gerald and waited for the presentation of the situation. From times to times he would look at his colleague's faces. In some ways, he felt relieved to be working with all of those great individuals. Each of them had their own talents and if something were to happen. He was mostly certain that they would help and do everything to protect the children.

Once Gerald had finished, Ackerley sighed. It was now certain, Hogwarts was the target. He could not believe that someone would be stupid enough to steal each of those artifacts and amount them, one that could lead directly to the school. There has to be a link somewhere and it was now certain, the students were not safe in the school. He turned his face toward Matilda and slowly smiled, mostly apologizing. It was her first year at Hogwarts and already, she was stuck in this kind of unpleasant situations. 

Ackerley returned his attention to the Ministry individual. So many questions were stuck in his head. Why would someone stole the mask and the glove? They were both extremely dangerous and dark artifacts. They were cursed. Why would anyone want to acquire this? Unfortunately, the scariest part resided in their unknown use. What would that thief do with it?

- It is clearly Hogwarts that is targeted. I am quite anxious about this situation. We have to do something on the matter. As of right now, the children are in danger because of this unfortunate event. We will also have to cast a few protection charms around the castle. Therefore, I am really concerned about this. Why would someone steal the Dominum Mask? This is a highly classified artifact. I can't seem to believe that the Ministry managed to get that stole from them without noticing it.

The young man took a deep breath. This situation was strange, but he could not say that he was that much surprised. Sure, it was rather unusual that someone would manage to steal this kind of items from the Ministry, but it was not surprising to see corruption. What would they do if the actual culprit was from the Ministry itself?

The statement of Professor Galim made him thinks. Of course, the students would have to be informed. It was a critical situation. She had also made a great point. Even if they knew that the Portkey was most likely transporting an individual to Hogwarts, they were still unaware of the exact location. It could be extremely dangerous. 

- This is a rather unfortunate event. However,  Professor Galim is right. We do not know where this Portkey actually allows the individual to go. This could easily turn sour. 

He had talked in an irritated voice. He was waiting for explication from Gerald. He must have some. The Ministry had to do something about this. 

She was at the Astronomy Tower when she was summoned to the Headmaster's Office. It was at the other end of the castle, and the walk was not an easy one - to leave the Astronomy Tower, one must go down to the bottom floor and leave through that only door. It was inconvenient, this tower being somewhat isolated from the castle despite being attached to it. Surely this was urgent, surely this required her attention. After all, it isn't often that the ministry requests for an audience. She entered the Headmaster's Office, Gerald DeMarcus, the officer sent by the Minister of Magic, was already there along with some of the professors.

"I apologize, it was a long walk." She excused herself, huffing to catch her breath from the pace she walked. It seems like they only started and she didn't miss anything important, this makes her extremely grateful. She nodded towards DeMarcus, acknowledging his presence and that she was ready to listen. Her arms were slightly crossed, her face calm as she listened intently. Her eyebrows furrowed at the news of the theft at the ministry, worry creeping down her spine - moreso when it was noted that the artifacts directly affect the school. Three items are missing: A snowglobe portkey to Hogwarts, a mask that curses its wearer to obey the wearer of the other item - a glove.

Sebastian was first to speak, asking if that was all that was stolen. This was important information, small pieces of clues as to what the motive may have been.

"When were the items stolen? Do you have any leads on who had access to that room before they were missing?" She asked, wondering how long the items have been missing. Did they only just notice that the items were missing? Why these items, were there more, who could have done it, how long could they have been planning it? Every small piece of information would be vital at this point. It wouldn't be useful to ask all of these at once. She wasn't all convinced that Hogwarts was the next target, but it doesn't seen unlikely as well.

She listened as Ackerley and Maya gave their thoughts regarding the situation. They make good points, especially if the school was a likely target.

"Inform them?" She asked, not wanting to be rude, but unsure of what good it might do to inform the students, "These are children. They would turn to their parents, imagine the panic. If anything, we should send them home - if it gets extremely dangerous as is suggested. What is the worst scenario? The threat is a mask and the wearer of the glove. What could they want? What could they do? We should be mindful of each other, and protect each other as well. If power is the one they desire, they may use one of us before targeting one of the students. I would rather not create panic, one that might make it harder for us to move. If we give notice to everyone of a missing mask, the person who is behind this might see or here these notices too. We have to be one step ahead, not the other way around. If we really must, at least the prefects. Not everyone."

Nothing out of the ordinary ever occurred in his schedule, much of his time was spent grading papers and biding his time doing a little bit of everything else. He was rarely seen outside of his office and if he was, he was in the Great Hall or wandering the corridors. Since the beginning of his tenure, he hasn't felt truly out of place in Hogwarts. Much to his surprise, he hasn't had to go head to head with any of his other colleagues so far. At Durmstrang, he accepted the constant stress of having to work with people who wanted to deviate from tradition and the people who wanted to stay.

Even then, it's allowed him to be viewed as a taciturn and uncompromising figure of Hogwart's current staff. Whether that was good or bad, he really didn't know. There were only a few moments of displeasure that he's ever felt at the Scottish school, this was one of them. When a letter arrived at his desk with the seal from the Ministry of Magic, it hardened the lines on his features. What could the Ministry want from him now?

The letter passed between his two gloved hands, almost to the point of him wishing to tear it. But he assumed it was important matters and thus required some level of his interest. Once the note was read, his expression changed to one of intrigue. Gerald DeMarcus was a name he couldn't entirely recall in his foggy memory, in fact - it sounded quite foreign to him. He didn't hesitate much on the matter since it regarded the only thing he was truly willing to talk about with the Ministry; Hogwarts. His trek to the Headmaster's office was fairly short, his floor wasn't too far from it after all and he wasn't at his normal pace.

The letter was tucked in the fold of his waistcoat and so was his pocketwatch, the rest was left behind. What could this mean? He would find out soon enough as he made a silent entrance to stand upon the other side of the Deputy Headmaster. With hands folded behind his back, the Bulgarian kept a keen ear on what DeMarcus had to say to them. Even though he was a man he didn't know, his affiliation with the Ministry left him a little jaded upon the first impression. By some miracle however, he managed to not let his feelings get the best of him and slowly relaxed as Gerald began to explain it to them.

Yet he could still feel the air grow thick with a tense feeling, this was not just a breach in the school. It was was a violation, one he already felt alarmed about. Yet even still, he was not new to wizards or witches with nefarious intent. His posture shifted in the slightest bit at the mention of stolen artifacts. How could such a high operating institution lose such important objects? Who was watching? It seems as the security in the Ministry of Magic was not what it used to be or this was a person who they couldn't easily underestimate.

It annoyed him that it was just spoken as 'theft', it didn't seem just that in his eyes. Still, he listened to the others quite closely, nodding from where he stood. They all had a point, it only made the situation more grave. Location, motive - it was troublesome to pinpoint. Even Ackerley mentioned the mask to be the 'Dominum Mask', he noted that the young professor was aware of what it was. But there was a lot of things that still bothered him, even peeved him. "Just as Professor Blackburn said, it's odd to think that this was easily taken from the Ministry. This sounds more than just a case of mere theft."

He broke his stance, the light easily highlighting the frown on his worn features. The Bulgarian as he let his hands fall to his sides, he shouldn't lose his temper in front of the others. Yet the more he thought of it in detail, the more it bothered him. Why would they even keep such a thing around? What possible use would the Ministry want with artifacts of dark magic? Perhaps Durmstrang and the Ministry could get along quite well at a dinner party. They both seem to have an affinity with such objects. His voice rose, it was normal, but there was an edge that was easily heard with it.

"You keep artifacts of dark magic and since your security has somehow failed Mister DeMarcus, I would hope that you have some information on this thief at the very least." He glanced from the corner of his eyes, exhaling to compose himself. Perhaps he didn't have enough coffee this morning or get enough to eat. "I have a feeling that you have more dark artifacts than just the Dominum Mask, but yet that is all they took - along with the portkey. Such as Professor Blevins suggested, there is a motive we are not aware of. Perhaps if that can be determined, the details, such as location and possibly a target can be determined as well. I would not want to wait for this dangerous individual to strike if information about them is already available."

For a hunt, at least in his mind. His gloved hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose before it settled back to his side. It was irritating to know that such a thing could be here or eventually be here, the students were in danger and being in the dark was never a good sign. Protection charms was a good step, yet Sergei feared that even their charms couldn't do much to a person who bypassed the Ministry. It could be that his years at Durmstrang made him too forward, he preferred to take action if possible.

Plus, he's never had mercy for practitioners who wished to use their magic to harm others - especially if it meant the young ones. So catching them before the deed was even done would be a relief. It was odd to think he cared so much for a school he never attended, a school that most likely didn't think highly of his own. But he knew that the future of the wizarding world largely laid itself on these next generation of witches and wizards, he'd be foolish not to take any danger against them so seriously. But at the same time, the students seemed to be a danger to themselves.

He folded his arms behind his back, glancing at his feet for a moment before looking back up. He looked at the other professors, tightening his jaw for a second. "The young ones are curious, many sneak out past the noon. Professor Blevins is also correct about how much transparency we are willing to give to our students, if any. But in the meantime, minimizing the possibility of our students being in danger might do well by us. It could be done through tighter curfews, our prefects and our Head Boy and Head Girl perhaps should retire earlier than they normally should, and to vaguely stress vigilance. I do not mind patrolling the castle in the later hours either because I am not sure if this individual would be confident enough to come during daylight." If they did, then this seemed like a person who was so much more.

Sawyer Mellowrose was sleeping on his desk when the note arrived. Beside him lay a pile of uncorrected homework he hadn't gotten around to. On reading the note, he groaned and pulled himself up, walking speedily from Head of House's office, within the dungeons. He was pretty content with this year's workflow and the ability of his current students. On arrival, Mellowrose pushed the door far too hard and it swung around only to slam the wall, creating a loud bang as he entered. A mutter came from him which could only be an apology as he closed the door. 

Mellowrose stood behind the others and folded his arms, leaning his shoulder against the pillar. He listened closely, keeping his eyes open, and once DeMarcus finished, he pulled his head back and released a long, irritated moan. This year was going perfectly smooth, and now the Ministry had gone and botched it up. He listened in to everyone and what they had to say, more or less agreeing that student's with this knowledge would panic. Although it would be useful to have dozens of eyes and ears around the school always active. He wasn't even sure if the lower year prefects could be trusted. They were merely children after all. Mellowrose kept quiet at first, his view being pretty general. If they knew where the portkey arrived, there would be a simple resolution. He spoke up from behind everyone.

"We likely won't get any lead on this until someone gets hurt. We can't bait them out because they're surrounded by possibility. Ugh..."

Mellowrose groaned, knowing that this was going to get messy. Although he was forever tired and seemed lazy, he wasn't uncaring. In fact, being in the school so long, it was his home now. Which placed a bit of differentiation between how he and newer Professors would see the school. 

Coming from his cabin, Darren was unsurprisingly the last to arrive, still wearing his dirty gloves from working around the grounds. Something must've happened for the Ministry to be visiting so abruptly.  Of course, he had dropped everything when he received the note. He slipped inside as quietly as he could and leaned against the wall to catch his breathe while the others talked. He wasn't a talkative man in the first place and rarely gave his opinions on matters if it didn't directly concern him or Hogwarts as a whole.

The items looked like regular everyday objects but their enchantments were concerning. Anyone could get into the school and they could be controlling someone. Sabrina, his mind wandered but he couldn't do anything to alert her or their would be widespread panic throughout the castle. If he could avoid it, the students now wouldn't go through any level of stress like the others before them had during the Wizarding wars. He didn't want their to be a Third Wizarding War either. 

However, Professor Galim was already three steps ahead, suggesting the students be aware. What would happen then? Their parents would be notified. They would pull out of school. Hogwarts was supposed to be safe but was it, really? It hadn't seemed so when Voldemort was on the grounds. No, that just wouldn't do. Thankfully, Professor Blevins shared his sentiment and wasn't afraid to speak her mind on the subject. Then there was the Transfiguration professor that he tended to keep a distance from. Unfortunately, he reminded him of his younger brother who had gone to work for the Ministry as their parents had wanted for both of them. They both seemed to share headstrong and opinionated personalities.

But as the professor had said, the Ministry's security had failed. He perked up at that, finally going to stand with the others rather than stay in the background. Surely they would know something about the thief. Distinguishing features? Anything would be better than nothing at all. He took a breath, speaking for the first time during their meeting. "I'll patrol the grounds at night, secure the boarders." It had to be done and he knew the grounds like the back of his hand so he figured, why shouldn't it be him? 

Blue moon. A color, a dead star. The representation of the light, but also of the dark. It was a paradox. Something she liked to think about. Even if its hidden meaning was as dark as the night sky. The Italian woman was not one to keep a calm temper. She was the fire, the ice, but also, the enraged sea. Down in her dungeon, lugubrious location with a dampness place creating a terrible smell, the professor of Potion was slowly preparing a dreadful potion. This month was worse than any other. It was the Blue moon. A gruesome event. It meant that the tired woman would have to live through two of her monthly curse.

Therefore, she had not been able to sleep correctly since the start of the month. It has been awful, and giving her class has been something extremely compromising since she was not at her full physical nor mental capacity. Sometimes, Ethel wished her condition was no-existant. That it was all but a dark nightmare. However, the reality was hitting her hard. It was not a mistake. It was there, and she would have to deal with it in an ungracious way. The woman made a noise of annoyment and turned herself toward the boiling substance in the specific cauldron. She was about to add more ingredient when she heard something falling onto her desk, not too far away from where she was standing. Curiously, she went towards it and took a small envelope in her elegant hands, nails painted in black. 

A Meeting, right now, in the Headmaster's Office. 

The woman was angry. What could be so important that it had to disturb her during the preparation of a potion that she needed to keep her identity saved? She growled while closing her hand around the paper and tearing it in small pieces. Rosemary was not her usual self. A few professors knew about her condition. It has been difficult since she had passed through one transformation and the next one was coming in a few days. She has had no times to heal. Her body felt tired. The woman had troubles to keep composure of herself. However, she had no choice. She stopped the fire under the cauldron and made sure that everything was not lost. She would have to come back later to finish it.

The woman slowly got out of the dungeon and walked towards a secrets way that would lead her to the right floor. Since she had not taken each of the stairs. Her mind was still similar to a hurricane when she entered the Headmaster's office. She looked around, she saw the familiar face of the Deputy Headmaster, but not Headmaster himself. Was he gone? It would only be normal for her to not be informed of that fact. She was, after all, a substitute professor. At least, at first. However, from now on, she would be teaching her subject her for a few years. She would then expect to be informed. 

At that moment, she saw Maya. Something inside of her tightened and she looked away, preferring to place herself close to the Transfiguration professor, but most importantly, close to the Deputy Headmaster. Under her blue eye were some circle colored in a dark shade. Proof that she had had a few sleepless nights. She turned her attention toward the Minister individual and felt something new. Fear. Of course, she would resent that knowing her condition was not singularly approved by them. She had to hide. No matter what, she had to keep the secrets. However, she listened to the situation has much has the other, arms crossed over her chest. She was feeling rather disconnected. How could this happen? She had listened to her colleagues thought on the matter, but couldn't believe that the Ministry of magic would be that irresponsible. 

- I can't believe it. Those artifacts are cursed one. They are dark magic. Why would the ministry let them in a place where some thief could come and pick them! This is rather infuriating. If you ask my thought, I would say that the work to protect them has been made by a beginner. 

The woman took a dept breath to clear her mind. She looked again in her head at the situation and cames to a conclusion similar to the professor Blevins except on the part where she explaining that perhaps, sending the children home would be the solution. Both women had a similar way of thinking even if Ethel was short temper. She gave a small look at the professor of Astronomy and started speaking her thought again. 

- Professor Blevins is right. However, I think that for now, we need to be on alert and keep this a secret from the students. The less they know, the less it will become chaotic. Therefore, we should be doing patrol and casting defensive charms as Professor Blackburn said. This situation is dramatic and could become worse, but we must stay calm and deal with it the best that we can. We must be prepared for anything. It could come from anywhere. 

However, her thoughts had some difference from what she had just said. She was certain that this was the Ministry fault. They had failed to protect extremely dangerous artifacts. It could lead to rather bad events. She knew that they would never take the blame for it. It was incredible how much they could be insensible. The professor of potion turned her attention toward the individual that was now speaking. It was Darren Hurst, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds. He has stated that he would be doing a few patrols around the castle. It was something that could help them, indeed. She silently sighed and looked right into the eyes of Maya. For some reason, she needed to look at her.

- I will be making a few research to find the adequate potion to protect the Castle. I already have a few ideas of environmental potion that could be useful for us.

This situation was rather intimidating. She hoped that nothing would happen before nor directly after the full moon. Otherwise, she would be useless.