Kit's Office Hours Closed

"Come in," an amused voice from within the room answered Kazuo's polite knock. He was glancing over his clipboard briefly one final time before sticking his pencil behind his ear again and beaming at the student who entered and spoke.

"Ah...Mr. Shimada," he said with a soft chuckle once the boy finished. And then, with a playfully high note of incredulity, "Again with the 'Paine-san'? Is 'Kit' really so difficult? Or are you the one insisting on being that way?"

Shaking his head, he set his clipboard in his lap and leaned foward in his chair, resting both elbows on the desk's surface. When it began to rattle slightly under him due to the attached drawer, he slammed his fist down hard on it once. Instantly, the rattling ceased.

"Sorry about that," he told Kazuo pleasantly, resuming his casual position with folded fingers peaking steepled arms. "Funny old furniture...where were we? Right, you had questions for me." His grin broadened as if he couldn't have asked Kazuo for anything better.

"I love questions and finding answers to them. But to begin with, if you're under the impression I have appointed myself school counsellor, please let me make something abundantly clear. I'd like to consider myself an unofficial school counceller of sorts. I'm not licensed or anything, but I figure if students need an adult figure to talk to or ask things, the least I can do is provide my assistance to the best of my abilities."

He spread his arms. "After all, as caretaker, I have more time on my hands to listen to students than most other staff around here. I thought I might as well put it to some good use however I can."

Kit tilted his head at Kazuo. "That said, what can I help you with today?"

@Kazuo Shimada

Kazuo tilted his head slightly to the side and arched an eyebrow at Kit when the caretaker asked about his insistence on formality. "Of course it's me insisting." Kazuo replied matter-of-factly. "English might not be my native tongue but if I can decipher your spell incantations, single syllable names would hardly be difficult, would it? Do you insist on first names because you think familiarity will put students at ease?" He presented a question in return, watching Kit lean forward, abandoning his clipboard to rest his elbows on the desk.

He didn't quite jump when Kit slammed his hand down on the rattling desk, though his eyebrows did shoot up in surprise and his body tensed at the sudden and unexpected motion. "Funny old furniture…?" He echoed in disbelief, eyes drifting to the now-still desk. "Desks don't animate themselves." He observed dryly.

He fell silent as Kit explained his choice to be an unofficial counselor, partially answering one of the questions he had. He considered Kit's words silently, studying the caretaker with scrutiny. "What's the difference?" He finally replied with a hint of a smirk pulling at his lips. "Whether you are offering these services in a voluntary capacity or a paid one, you are still offering the same services. This isn't a government regulated public school. I doubt the administration cares if you're licensed or not seeing as how they don't seem to care about the position in the first place. Presumably, you've solved a problem for them by volunteering your services. At cost to yourself, no doubt." He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing a bit. "Are you worried about lawsuits?" He continued with amusement in his voice. "I highly doubt most of the Professors who teach here have teaching degrees. So why would I expect a licensed counselor?"

He paused then, considering his words before continuing. He was being fairly blunt with Kit, though still keeping his speech polite, though he wasn't sure how much he could get away with before the inevitable adult/child barrier went up. "You've made it clear that you aren't licensed but do you have any training in or understanding of the role you have offered to perform for the students? Have you studied psychology at all?" He was curious about how Kit would take those questions, coming from a child. He suspected most of the students at Hogwarts hadn't even considered whether or not Kit was qualified to counsel. And those who had, probably wouldn't think to question an adult anyway. Most of the students were tediously obedient and boring. "How do you intend to coax the students in here to talk to you? I assume you've noticed that the students who would benefit most from what you are offering are the ones who avoid adults? And I doubt your rattling cabinets are going to make them feel safe or comfortable." His own gaze drifted down to the desk at that point, eyeing it with wary amusement. "What reason could any of the students possibly have to trust you, all things considered?"

@Kit Paine

"No, no - I didn't mean difficult as in difficult to say," Kit laughed, though he had meant to insinuate the notion if only to tease. It seemed as though Kazuo wasn't in the mood for humor, however, even if Kit still was. "I thought perhaps it might have been difficult for you to adjust to culturally or something; to get used to calling someone else by their first name and nothing but even if you've only just met them. Still, I suppose if you insist, there's little I can do about it." The man shrugged with a small smile.

"As for why I ask students to call me by my first name, that's part of it, yes. Clever." He smirked at the Hufflepuff and tapped his temples. "Though that doesn't mean I call them by theirs unless they ask me to, though, so the only first name I insist upon is generally mine."

The comment about desks not animating themselves got no real response. Kit instead focused on the new heart of the conversation that Kazuo brought up. "Why should a threat of lawsuits bother me?" he asked with a soft chuckle. "If the parents of wizarding children were going to sue or knew how to sue a school operating on practically a separate plane of existence, don't you think they would have by now?

"The muggle parents don't know how, wouldn't know to, or are just too intimidated to, I imagine, while the wizarding parents know better than to question the school's methods of education. They know the real world isn't all rainbows and sunshine, so why should Hogwarts coddle their kids as if it was? Especially considering Hogwarts is many of their childrens' last stops on their way to wizard adulthood in the wizarding world?" His smile took on a pitying quality as he shook his head. "No, I think things like lawsuits would never make it against wizarding schools. At least not this wizarding school. Perhaps America's might be a different story," he added with a musing look.

The caretaker regarded the first year with a delight akin to one who'd been asked a question they'd been waiting to answer. "I'd say I studied psychology more or less and I've certainly been to enough counselors and therapists myself to understand their basic processes and techniques. I'm not a psychiastist, though, and it's not as though I'm going to be expected to diagnose kids, prescribe a cure, or anything. The way I see it, a counselor is a person someone has to listen to them and help them reflect upon their own thoughts in ways they may not have considered before. A sounding board, if you will. That, at least, I'd like to think I'm fairly good at."

Kit leaned back in his chair then and folded his hands atop his knee. "As for coaxing students...each student - no, each person is different," he stated matter-of-factly. "I plan to find out more about each one individually to learn what they might need and how best to make them feel comfortable enough to talk to me. I know for some, that might be as I am now, but for others, it might help if I took on a form closer to their age. Which, I guess, feeds into what you were saying about the ones who avoid adults." He cast Kazuo a sly grin. "As it so happens, I've actually already been trying to help those I've learned do better with peers than adults. Going around the school as a student most definitely has its advantages. It also helps me understand student perspectives so I can relate to them better or at the very least get an idea of what they mean if they have an issue that they doubt most adults or staff would be able to grasp."

The caretaker chuckled again at the mention of the cabinets. "Those, dear Mr. Shimada, are part of a different study of mine. Trust me, though, they are meant to help. Anyway, if they bother anyone - you, perhaps? - we can always take a walk or go somewhere else. Would you prefer that?" It was his turn to tilt his head, though the man looked completely at ease with himself and Kazuo's questions as well as the answers he himself had been supplying him with.

"What reason?" he repeated, paraphrasing part of the final question the Hufflepuff asked of him. "Simple. I'm one of the few people, let alone adults, who cares about them and their problems. I care about them individually - each and every one - genuinely and ferverently. I care about their dreams, hopes, fears, troubles, and day-to-day lives. You might be surprised to know how often that's all someone needs to feel comfortable telling someone about themselves."

@Kazuo Shimada

Kazuo arched a brow at Kit when he brought up cultural adjustments then snorted derisively. “Children are the most adaptable, are they not? And I’ve been here nine months.” He tilted his head slightly when Kit said ‘clever’. “Observant.” He countered. “And are you insisting that I use your first name, then?”

He listened quietly to Kit’s response, arching a brow when it seemed that Kit was taking his comment on lawsuits seriously. He had been joking but either Kit hadn’t realized or he was intentionally ignoring it. Yet his explanation touched on things that drew Kazuo’s lips into a thin line of disapproval. Knew better than to question…? Coddling? Since when was basic safety considering coddling? Was Kit no different than the rest of the adults here? Thinking the dangers lurking about Hagwarts to be perfectly reasonable things for children to be exposed to? He had thought maybe the Caretaker was different but that response… “So you consider the events that have been happening at this school to be acceptable?” He pressed fiercely. “You think exposing children to the threat of hags, to living darkness, to explosions and constant threat of fire, to kami knows what else… Most of them without even a tiny fraction of the training they need to face those threats...” He stopped, exhaling sharply. “Rainbows and sunshine. Honestly. I wasn’t serious about lawsuits.” He added with exasperation and a slight roll of his eyes. Though he tried to resume his calm demeanour, it was obvious that Kit had ruffled the boy’s feathers, a spark of anger lingering in his gaze.

As Kit explained his experiences with psychology, Kazuo considered what his intentions were and what he was proposing to offer. He couldn’t help but to be a bit disappointed; part of him had been hoping that he might find someone he could talk to about the study of psychology but he wasn’t sure Kit could be that person. He didn’t want a sounding board, he wanted a professional he could talk to about his studies. “Unfortunate. I know of at least one student who is in desperate need of a psychiatrist.” He murmured in response, a slight sigh escaping his lips. Part of him had come here to find out if Kit could be of any help to Selim but that didn’t seem likely either. So far this conversation was nothing but disappointment. Yet that would change with Kit’s next revelation, one that sparked his curiosity but also made him wary.

Took on a form closer to their age. Going around as a student. Puzzle pieces were coming together in his mind and he wasn’t sure he liked the picture they were forming. It fit too well and it brought memories to the surface that once again sparked his anger. He shot out of his seat, staring at Kit with fists clenched, his books tumbling to the floor.

“You!” He exclaimed. “You’re the one Hideyoshi was looking for! An adult! I was right! How are you doing it? Polyjuice? Transfiguration? Or are you a metamorph?” His questions were rapidfire, demanding. “Why did you do it? You could have just given him detention and ended the whole mess. Why did you make it worse?” He accused, a scowl beginning to furrow his brow. “Are you a purist?”

The cabinets, though he was certainly curious about them, took a backseat to his current interest in the Caretaker. He waved a hand dismissively. “I’m not bothered by your poltergeist furniture.” He replied snappishly. “Though I am wondering what possible help you might think they could be. What possible help you could be. You care about them?” He echoed and there was a thread of disbelief in his voice. “All of them? You don’t even know them. Can’t possibly know all of them. Did you care about Howard when you accused him of being a monster?” Kazuo hissed.

Reducio

@Kit Paine

"Children are most adaptable?" Kit repeated, an incredulous sneer holding back a laugh. "Debatable. I'd say it depends on the child. Some are more stubbornly resistant to change than even adults are." He knew Ty was, for one.

When Kazuo tried to correct his term to 'observant', the caretaker responded, "That too. But I say 'clever' because while the observation you made was that I insist on being called by my first name, it required critical thinking to deduce a reason for why I do so." He gestured vaguely with a casual hand. "As for insisting, I thought I already said as much, but it's not as if I'd try to enforce it if you didn't - just like I couldn't and wouldn't attempt to enforce friendly relations with you however much I'd like to try encouraging them."

The changes in the Hufflepuff's expression had Kit curious. He raised both his brows in surprise as he answered, "Of course I don't consider what's been happening at this school to be acceptable. I have a younger sibling attending here this year and one of the reasons I applied as caretaker was to make sure they stayed safe. But in order to train to deal with larger threats, better the student body be faced with smaller, controlled threats to begin with, right? Otherwise they'll never learn how to defend themselves or respond when a real emergency comes along."

He smile turned softer and more sympathetic when a disgruntled-seeming Kazuo confessed to have been joking about lawsuits. "I wasn't serious about 'Kit' being difficult for you, either. I was just making a joke that you were the one being difficult. But if you planned on taking everything so seriously, I thought I might as well do the same just in case."

The man sighed himself upon hearing the first year knew of at least one student who could have benefitted from a psychiatrist. "I know of at least one as well. Wish I could help them, but sadly I'm not well-versed in the field of muggle medicines. Besides, I don't even know if those would work in cases such as these. The magic world is a whole different ball park."

Kit's eyes widened upon the Japanese boy's sudden exclaimation, insisting that he, Kit, was the one who 'Hideyoshi' was looking for. He was then assulted by a barrage of questions after that caused the caretaker to put up his palms in defense.

"Chotto matte, kudasai (Please wait a moment)," he began, using one of the few Japanese phrases he was familiar with. "Hideyoshi? Who's that? Friend of yours?" Kit scratched his head quizzically. "Why would they be looking for me?"

He blinked. "A purist? Quite the opposite, actually. But yes, I am a metamorph. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't go running about spreading that tidbit of information willy nilly, however. It makes it a tad bit more difficult to catch hags if everyone knows." The man waited for the boy to finish his assult of inquiries before taking a breath and attempting to reply.

"Let's take one thing at a time." He advised calmly. "Before my furniture, you're questioning what help I can be. Like I said before, you've a clever mind. You've made the observation that I accused Howard of being a monster as a younger, ignorant student. Now, using your critical thinking skills, what do you think I was attempting to accomplish there?" Kit regarded the keen kid. "Here’s a hint - you have pieces of the puzzle. Try to figure out the big picture."

He dropped his gaze to his clipboard then, lifting it with one hand in his lap to inspect it as he continued to speak. "And yes, to answer your question, I do care about Howard. Very much so." The American's words were more serious and grave than they had ever been up until then in their converstaion. "We had a heart-to-heart talk later during his detention - with me as myself, of course - and we happen to be a great deal alike in many ways."

@Kazuo Shimada

"Stubborn is a choice not to learn, not an inability to do so." Kazuo matched Kit's response with a counter-argument. "The science clearly shows it. And stubbornness is a behaviour, learned at least in part from examples." He tilted his head slightly when Kit chose to explain his choice in calling Kazuo clever. He might have preened at the compliment if not for his current distrust of the caretaker.

"Controlled training like our Dada classes? Or like the dueling club?" He replied with an arched brow. "This school isn't coddling students. It's ignoring their safety. Even wizard parents would be hard pressed to accept the risks that students are being exposed to here. Many of the kids who need counselling need it because of adults." There was accusation in his tone as he spoke. "Everyone of you just keeps sweeping things under the rug."

He wrinkled his nose in disgust at Kit's response, hating that Kit was right. He had chosen to use the caretaker's last name to be difficult and Kit's serious response to his joke about lawsuits was just a turnabout. And like an idiot, he had let it get under his skin. Yet that annoyed expression was all he would give. His ego pricked, he definitely wouldn't acknowledge Kit's point out loud.

"They're not mutually exclusive." He chose to say instead, focusing on the topic of magic versus science. "If magic fire burns me, muggle medicine will heal me all the same. If a regular knife cuts me, magic will heal me all the same. I don't understand why psychological problems would be any different. Wizard brains are still human brains." He said it matter-of-factly, shrugging.

Kit's response to Kazuo's angry barrage of questions and accusations was unsatisfying. The caretaker's responses were calm and thought out, not at all defensive; nor did Kit reprimand him for his behaviour. Worse, there was a logic in his answers that couldn't be denied, as much as Kazuo would have preferred to be angry. The anger slipped away at Kit's challenge to reason through his actions though the irritation remained. He stooped to pick up his journal, flipping through it to draw out a sketch, unfolding the paper and putting it on the desk in front of Kit.

Reducio

"Hideyoshi." Kazuo repeated his nickname then his lips quirked upward in a smirk. He wasn't going to give up Jackson's name if Kit wasn’t aware of the Gryffindor’s quest for his alter ego. "I'm sure you've seen him searching for you. He thinks you're T. Ruth. But you're not, are you?" There was a smugness in his tone, a satisfaction at unravelling at least one mystery in that tangled mess, even if it was- no, especially because he had stumbled upon it.

He picked up the other book and resumed his seat, eyes narrowing as he studied Kit. One the one hand, Kit was the first metamorph that he'd met, at least that he knew of, and he had soooooo many questions about it. On the other hand, Kit was using this ability to pretend to be a student and that bothered him, though he couldn't entirely put his finger on why. After some thought he finally spoke. "You're lying to them. You want them to trust you but you're deceiving them to earn that trust." It was a matter-of-fact observation, there wasn't any judgement in his statement. "How do you expect that to turn out when they find out the truth? How are you helping them by hurting them?"

He shifted his thoughts to that fateful dinner when Howard had stormed the hall. At the time, he had considered Kit's persona to possibly be a blood purist, someone wanting to drive a greater wedge between the human and nonhuman students. Kit was right, factoring in who she really was changed everything but the changes were predicated on Kit's implication that he had a reason for doing what he did, a reason that was not meant to hurt Howard. He had no reason to trust Kit, though, so could he really trust that the caretaker's motives were what he said they were?

The silence stretched between them as he considered the situation, finally breaking it with careful consideration. "If you aren’t a purist and your intention was not to single out and drive a wedge between the nonhumans and the rest of the students… And if your intention was actually to help the dhampirs who are being unfairly targeted by the stupid fear-mongering of that article and its writer… then the assumption is that you believe that playing the ignorant student would somehow make the students who sit on the fence about the issue side against her ignorant viewpoint. Or perhaps you wanted to use her voice to draw out the students who would agree with her sentiments so you can identify them. It would be a long shot but I suppose you might have been hoping you would expose T. Ruth with your act. That is assuming you were trying to help. Could be just as likely that you wanted to stir things up for other reasons. Your attack only made a bad situation worse, in my opinion.”

The seriousness of Kit’s demeanour gave him pause. Howard had been one of the first friends he’d made, the first in his House. Howard had saved him in January. Hearing Kit say he cared about Howard drew a soft sigh from the boy. “Do you?” He asked, staring at Kit intently. “How are you and Howard alike? And how do you think you can help him?”

@Kit Paine

The caretaker laughed again. “True, true...you got me there,” he conceded on the point of stubbornness. Then there came the topic of controlled training.

“Defense against the Dark Arts isn't as helpful as it could be because Dark Arts aren't the only thing students have to defend themselves against in the real world. A mere class can't prepare you for everything, either, no matter how hands-on it is,” he tried to explain. “Likewise, the Dueling Club is too tame to teach much since it has rules and real opponents aren't likely to abide by those rules in a real fight. Wouldn't you agree?” He gestured with a hand extended toward Kazuo.

“You say the school is negligent. I honestly think the school just has a different way of teaching. I grew up in a rather sheltered household with many comforts and learned much less than peers of mine whose parents were more negligent,” Kit stated. “Not that I'm encouraging the negligence of the school,” he was quick to clarify, “but I do think that with the number of staff we have in comparison to the number of students, we're doing the best we can. We're not omniscient nor omnipresent, after all."

He inclined his head, folding his hands in his lap with an attentive air. "Very well, Mr. Shimada. If you think we're sweeping things under the rug, what would you suggest we do instead? Mr. Lestrange and I both agreed that the student body doesn't know enough about our most well-known issue at hand - the covens of hags - to defend against them, but in truth, neither do the staff. That's why we created our Trial by Fear event in order to try to prepare students for the worst that could happen, whatever that may be in their minds." He spread his arms. “If you can think of something similar to do, we would be happy to try to incorporate your ideas so long as they’re reasonable.”

Sensing the first year’s dissatisfaction, Kit became a bit concerned, his smile turning somewhat awkward. He wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure exactly what the Hufflepuff wanted or exected from him. At first he’d thought it had been answers, but no matter what answers he gave, the boy seemed to be consistently disappointed and unsatisfied.

“You're right; magic cures and muggle medicine aren't mutually exclusive,” the man acknowledged. “However, this isn't a simple burn. We don't know what kind of psychological trauma certain students have and we don't have the knowledge to find out without potentially causing more damage. In the case of muggle psychiatrists, it takes a lot of research and study to even make a guess at what kind of medication might be helpful to a patient. Even then, there's a lot of trial and error involved.

“This case is even more convoluted. The trauma could be magical, chemical, a combination, or otherwise, so the cure could also be a very complex combination. I don't really know any wizards who would consider combining muggle and magical cures, much less be able to discern whether trauma was caused magically or not. The trouble is even if we tried something as simple as a forgetfulness potion or a memory charm to simply 'erase' trauma, there's no telling what side-effects it could have. Is there anything you can think of us doing that wouldn't potentially risk making things worse?”

Since they didn’t know exactly what was wrong with Selim and how many traumas or what kind he might have suffered from, Kit was worried about trying anything on the second year. That was, of course, assuming he even permitted something to be tried on him which Kit believed was doubtful. He seemed the sort of child to want to shoulder all his burdens on his own without help from anyone else. If only they could start with changing that notion of his, perhaps they could have made some progress, but they couldn’t make someone accept help if that someone didn’t want it.

When the paper with the sketch was set down in front of the caretaker, he blinked at it. He still had no idea who ‘Hideyoshi’ was, but Kazuo’s repetition of the name without any further explanation or elaboration told Kit that the student wasn’t likely to divulge any more on who he was referring to than he already had. Presumably, this ‘Hideyoshi’ wasn’t the girl depicted on the sketch, but…

“He’s been using this to try to find me? Or you have?” he asked, picking up the sheet of paper to study it better. “Huh. Not a bad likeness.” It seemed that Kazuo had already put two and two together, realizing that the mystery girl pictured had actually been Kit in disguise. Thus, there was no point in keeping up the facade on that front. Especially if the first year had puzzled out that he wasn’t T. Ruth, either, as he had insinuated while wearing the girl’s form.

Sitting back once more, he applauded the astute young man, grinning wildly in admiration of his intellectual abilities. “Excellent detective work! I’m impressed,” he said. “No, I’m not T. Ruth. But as you’re smart enough to figure that out, I’ll hope you can understand my reasons behind what I chose and am choosing to do as well.” Pushing himself to his feet, Kit nudged in his chair and began to pace behind the space of his desk.

“Lying, no,” he started, wagging his index finger at the student. “Deceiving, yes. However, like I said, I have my reasons. And no, I'm not deceiving to earn trust. If my goal is to earn trust, I do that as myself.” He gently set the sketch back down on the desk and slid it back toward Kazuo. “If they find out the truth, then I lay all my cards out on the table and hope they see the logic in my actions - as I will attempt to do with you once you’ve told me what you think they are.”

Turning to face Kazuo, Kit held his hands in front of him and matched up his fingertips as he listened to the boy’s beliefs. As he listened, he eventually pulled his chair back out and sat back down so he could once more be a little closer to level with the first year. He smiled at the conclusions gleaned and nodded every so often, looking between Kazuo and his hands. Eventually, he finished speaking his opinion and Kit took a deep breath.

“...Not bad,” he murmured. “Not bad at all. You’re right on some accounts. But you still seem to be seeing a smaller part of the larger picture - seeing only the side of the fence that you sit on because you seem so certain the other side doesn’t deserve to exist. That said, let me explain the most important of my reasons.”

He held up a finger. “One - I needed the witch hunt to end. The way things were escalating, I worried for the safety of whomever was the real T.Ruth, so I provided a scapegoat to protect them. Admittedly, I was curious as to whether or not that would flush out the real one, but that wasn’t my main purpose nor my expectation. Nor was it my goal to identify who was and wasn’t against the article because, in the end, I don’t believe it really matters unless actions are taken against the dhampir for being dhampir. People will believe it or they won’t; they’re smart enough to come to their own conclusions. Besides, in this case, both parties were each in the wrong for different reasons - like how Howard attacked the Hogwarts Headliner office before his fire-setting display with Falentra Black at dinner.”

A second finger followed the first. “Two - one of the things you mentioned was mostly right. By manifesting an opposition, I knew more people would come to Howard’s aid and defense; people like you. The more people that rallied around Howard, the more he would feel supported and know he was not alone among the student body. That is very important to him because he feels very isolated by his unique experiences and circumstances. It’s what makes him extra sensitive about being a dhampir.”

He put up a third finger to join the others. “Three - I needed Howard to get an idea of how he looks to younger students by terrorizing them with fire and fury. I obviously understood where he was coming from, as you did, but I needed him to know that his behavior wasn’t the way to go about getting what he wanted. As a much older and more frightening student, even without being a dhampir, he was already scaring many of the younger kids with his display. Obviously, that wasn’t helping the idea that dhampir are as safe and peaceful as any other students.”

Then his pinky finger rose to stand alongside his others. “And finally, four: ‘there is no growth without resistance’. By playing devil’s advocate, I was trying to make sure both sides of the argument were seen as valid and that they got a proper say so both perspectives were acknowledged. I wanted to promote critical thinking and conversation about controversy - which was probably the intention of the original T. Ruth in the first place upon writing that article. If I had simply shown up as a staff member and shut down the whole development as soon as I noticed it, none of that would have had a chance to happen.”

He took his pencil from behind his ear and began to twirl it absently between his fingers as he listened to Kazuo’s questions about Howard and himself. Eventually, he said, “Howard and I both have sides to us we're afraid to expose to others. I explained to him how I deal with mine, though I know his case is different and that he has to discover his own method to deal with his own issues. However, I wanted him to know someone understood his plight and that he wasn't alone in his suffering or his fears. That he has at least one adult on his side if ever he needs it.”

@Kazuo Shimada

Kazuo considered Kit’s points about DADA and dueling not being enough of a reflection of possible real-world experiences and while he was correct to a degree, Kazuo didn’t find it to be entirely accurate either. “Have you looked at the dueling rules?” He asked in counterpoint to Kit’s question. “Certainly off the dueling floor it is unlikely for anyone to feel any need to abide by the rules but just like there are rules in martial arts, the skills you learn don’t lose their value when you leave the ring. I joined the club specifically to improve those skills. And I really don’t think tame is an appropriate descriptor for what goes on in the club.”

Kazuo’s eyes narrowed in response to Kit’s proposition that the school’s way of dealing - or not dealing - with things was simply a different was of teaching. He shook his head. “The theory that adversity builds character is flawed. Adversity creates trauma. If the number of staff is an issue, hire more staff. You can immediately tell when a child is using magic but you cannot keep track of what is happening right in front of you?” The expression on his face clearly conveyed his thought without him having to voice the words. Do better.

He scoffed outright when Kit mentioned Lestrange. “Hagbait.” There was amusement in his voice when he said it. “Thomas Lestrange is not to be trusted. This is what I hear whispered in the halls. You chose an interesting partner in your attempt to enlighten students as to the dangers they will be facing. Half the student body - probably more - don’t even know the hags are here. They don’t know to be prepared because no one is telling them about the dangers. You say the staff don’t know how to deal with the hags? Yet your own history clearly shows that these evil grandmothers have existed for a very long time.” He tilted his head slightly, shrugging his shoulders gracefully. “I am not an adult. I am not included in discussions that might reveal what the staff are actually doing or not doing about the dangers in Hogwarts. You ask me to make suggestions when I don’t have all the information?” An amused smirk curved his lips. “Ask the Ministry for help?” He threw out the suggestion offhandedly. “Or is there some reason the school cannot seek help outside its walls? Surely an auror or two could be sent to assist?”

As the conversation shifted back to psychology, Kazuo had the growing sense that Kit might have gleaned who he had been referring to. He supposed it was hardly a secret that he spent time with Selim and it definitely wasn’t a secret that Selim desperately needed help. “I do not presume to know what will work and what will not. That’s why I asked you if you had any actual training. I have a textbook and a growing concern for a rapidly deteriorating friend. Is letting him walk off the ledge worse than trying to help? Should I just wait for a mysterious bottom where things can’t get worse? Something is always better than nothing.” There was a conviction to the statement and a stubborn glint in his eye when he said it. “While I don’t know enough about psychology or magic - yet - to know what could help or harm, I do know that there is at least one thing that could help. Remove him from his abusive environment. Or do wizards not have some version of Child Protective Services?” He arched a brow in challenge. He didn’t actually expect Kit to do anything at this point but he felt the point needed to be made. After Brumby-sensei had made that comment back in January about parents, Kazuo had sought help from his own on the matter. It was an unconventional solution, one that had every possibility of blowing up on him and his parents but at least it was a step in the right direction for Selim.

“Not me,” Kazuo denied with a slight shake of his head as Kit studied the picture Jake had drawn for Jackson. “You’re not lying, you’re just deceiving. You know, English may not be my first language but I do understand synonyms.” He gave Kit a sharp smile, arching a brow. “Even if there is logic to your actions, a person who feels deceived would not be in a generous mood. I certainly wasn’t and I’m generally not quick to anger.”

Kazuo remained silent as Kit detailed the reasons he had taken the actions he did, considering the words being spoken and weighing them against his own opinions silently. A twitch of a mischievous grin briefly appeared at mention of Howard’s assault on the Headliner office, breaking his serious demeanour for a moment. Once Kit had finished he took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he collected his thoughts. “Cowards hide behind anonymity. Genuine conversation does not happen when one side hides behind a fake name and hurls character attacks on a group of people because they are different. You say there is validity to the argument that was posed by the article but that article does not, in any way, promote critical thinking. It promotes reactionary behavior. It promotes othering those who are different without discussion. And, in part thanks to your supposed encouragement of discourse, it has spawned an article targeting half-giants. As I predicted.” Kazuo leaned forward, collecting the image and tucking it back into his journal. “You said I seem so certain the other side doesn’t deserve to exist and you’re right. There is nothing you or anyone else can say that will convince me that calling people monsters because they were born different is a valid discourse worthy of debate. Othering is a power move, not a protective one. A political maneuver, if you will.” Kazuo could imagine, for a moment, an echo of his father’s voice in the words he spoke.

“I appreciate what you tried to do for Howard.” He finished, meeting Kit’s gaze. ”Even if I don’t agree with how you went about it.”

@Kit Paine

"I'm not saying the skills you learn in dueling aren't valuable," Kit tried to explain, tapping his pencil rhythmically against his desk. "I'm just not sure the rate at which one learns in dueling nor the variety of things to learn is sufficient when it comes to real life magic fights - not to mention the other things that have been going on around here as of late."

He shook his head gently at Kazuo's suggestion. "The Ministry of Magic are the ones who can tell when a child is using magic they shouldn't be outside the school grounds; not us. We also can't hire staff just to sit or stand around watching students all day to see who might or might not be hags in disguise. The theory that adversity builds character may be flawed, but isn't everything? It may create trauma, but that doesn't mean there isn't good that comes from it as well." Kit met Kazuo's reddish-brown gaze steadily with his own. He wanted the student to know he sincerely believed they were doing the best they could with what they had.

The caretaker slipped his pencil behind his ear once more and put his knuckle to his chin in thought when it was said that Thomas Lestrange was not to be trusted. "If he's not to be trusted, then why did he attempt to write an article warning the school about the dangers of hags? Yes, hags have been around a long time, but the problem is wizardkind doesn't have a great deal of reliable accounts on contact with them. We know very little about what to expect from them. That was why the event I hosted with Mr. Lestrange was about expecting the unexpected."

He spread his arms. "You seem to imply I'm being ridiculous to ask you for suggestions when you're not an adult and you don't have all the information," Kit commented, "but not even adults have all the answers, Shimada-san. We can't ask the Ministry for help when we don't know what kind of help we need or when or where. The hags are still too well-hidden. The only reason we know about them at all is because they chose to make themselves known on a few rare occasions. As nice as that would be, it's not as simple as being able to seek them out." His demeanor was weary as he spoke; a testament to his last few months of fruitless searching the school for threats.

Gesturing toward Kazuo when the first year stated that something is better than nothing, Kit told him, "You are free to try to help your friend as you wish. I know I have. But he seems more adverse to adult assistance than he might be towards that offered by his peers."

He blinked when the subject of Child Protective Services was brought up. "Hmm...You know, I'm not sure...they really should, though; you're right. Not that school staff here have much more knowledge or sway over what happens outside of Hogwarts than they do in muggle schools. We have no proof of any environment of his being abusive. If you do, though..." Kit raised his brows. "You're a pureblood, aren't you? Surely your parents would know something about Child Protective Services in the wizard world."

The caretaker took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as they shifted from one subject to the next. With a polite smile in response to the student's sharp one, he replied to Kazuo's claim, "I don't consider lying and deceiving to be synonyms. Lying may be considered deceiving, but not all deceiving is done through lying. That said, you have a point. A person who feels deceived likely wouldn't be in a generous mood. Unfortunately, people's moods are beyond my power to control or influence easily. All I can do is attempt to appeal to their logic and reason."

The older Asian listened patiently to the younger as the latter argued that the article against dhampir did not promote critical thinking in any way and that it promoted reactionary behavior instead. Kit wouldn't have agreed that it didn't promote it in any way, since it could have promoted the critical thinking behind why someone would want to cause reactionary behavior in the first place, but he held his tongue. It was all speculation mostly, anyway. Instead, he continued to hear Kazuo out until the boy seemed to be finished.

"The articles targeting students have been met with articles attacking those articles as well," Kit pointed out. "Reactionary behavior might not necessarily be bad, right? Especially if it helps some like Howard see that there are people on his side. Sparking controversy and discussion among its readers is part of what the Hogwarts Headliner meant to do by publishing those articles, I believe. In any case, T.Ruth is still a student and, whether or not they made a mistake by publishing their article, I felt an obligation to protect them to a certain degree as a staff member." He made a flourishing gesture with his hand. "Who knows? Perhaps it taught them a valuable lesson about what not to do in the future."

He beamed at Kazuo. "You would make an excellent politician one day if you so chose, Shimada-san; I'm sure of it. Then again, you'd probably make an excellent anything."

@Kazuo Shimada

“I can tell you that the duelists learn faster than the students who are just learning in the classroom.” Kazuo pointed out, arching a brow. He’d watched the second stage duels and competed in the third; the difference between the serious duelists and their non-duelist classmates was obvious to him. “How quickly do you expect children to learn? Not to mention, the question of why it’s even necessary to teach children how to fight. Is Hogwarts producing wizards or soldiers?” The question was polarizing on purpose; Kazuo knew that learning to defend oneself was a good thing but there was something about Kit’s words that struck him the wrong way. It bothered him that the Caretaker seemed to think the solution to the many dangers was to teach the children to fight.

Kazuo considered Kit’s points regarding the school’s resources then shook his head. “The point I was attempting to make is that if the Ministry is capable of such a thing, there is no reason the staff here can’t also be capable of similar magic. Why can’t you hire more staff to watch over the students? If it’s a monetary issue, I would think a few concerned pureblood parents would be happy to throw money at the problem to protect their pampered princes and princesses.” Kazuo mused. “And at what point does the trauma over-balance the value? At what point is a child broken by the adversity? Is it the same for every child? Is there a guideline to follow?” He tapped the psychology book he had brought with him, tilting his head slightly. “Neither you nor anyone else here seems to have the knowledge and training to actually address the psychological well-being of the children in your care. I’m not sure I’d trust any of you to know where the line between healthy adversity and irreversible trauma lies.”

He smirked a bit when Kit asked him about Thomas. “I did say that’s what they say in the halls. I’ve not settled on an opinion regarding Thomas Lestrange yet. But writing an article about the dangers of hags does not make him innocent of being hagbait himself.” He grew serious when Kit admitted that finding the hags was something the adults couldn’t even succeed at currently. It was easy to think the adults were being irresponsible or that they didn’t care. It was harder to accept that the people in charge of teaching them how to navigate the wizard world didn’t have all the answers. He fell silent, taking in this new perspective, considering it, fitting it into the puzzle. It wasn’t the whole of the picture but it did help to draw out and make sense of some of the things he had seen. Like the impossible helplessness that Browne-sensei seemed to have exhibited when Hufflepuff was attacked in January. “I’m under the impression that this has been happening for years.” He said after a long, thoughtful pause. What else could he say? He didn’t believe the adults were doing enough but he hardly had the abilities or knowledge to propose a solution either.

“As for Faust, I’ve already asked my parents for help. I highly doubt their experience as purebloods would mean anything here. I’ve learned the way you do things here is very different than back home. Maybe they can help drag the Ministry into the twenty first century.” Perhaps the last comment was uneccessary, certainly the arrogance in his tone and the half-smirk on his lips when he said it was.

Shifting to the topic of the Caretaker’s deception Kazuo shook his head. “Your victims will see no difference between an outright lie and a deception that involves subterfuge instead. The semantics of your definition are a pointless appeal to differentiating behaviour that is rooted in the same place. Appealing to their logic and reason after you’ve already provoked a negative emotional response makes no sense. The betrayal they would be feeling at that moment would colour any further interchange. A productive conversation cannot be built on a foundation of distrust.” Another lesson imparted to him by his father and though he could practically hear the counterpoint of his mother - every believable deception starts with a truth - he was hardly going to voice that to the Caretaker.

“Your desire to protect them aside, I do not believe they learned any valuable lessons from it as their response was to publish a backhanded apology that read as completely insincere and to publish an article aimed at half-giants. Controversy and discussion are all well and good when it’s just theoretical. But this isn’t a debate club where guidelines are being followed to prevent harm. Real students are being hurt by it. Hogwarts is, from my understanding, one of the only schools in Europe to accept halfbreed Wizards. Most of these students have nowhere else to go. They should not have to live in fear in the one place that claims to accept them.”

At Kit’s compliment, he did preen a bit, a delighted grin curving his lips. “I’ve been surrounded by politicians my whole life. I imagine I’ve picked up some things.” He replied with a chuckle. “Family obligations and all that.”

@Kit Paine