The Realization of Dreams Closed

Being a new professor himself, Quill felt compelled to greet the newest member of staff before he headed out. It had been some time since he had wandered through the halls to the Charms classroom; near two decades coming. He felt his age press on him as he climbed the stairs and shifted through corridors. It was a nostalgic endeavor, but twice the effort it was for his younger self.

Hogwarts was not forgiving towards the man’s need for a prosthetic leg. He was forced to leave behind his muggle-made prosthesis for something functional but less cutting edge. The trip to the third floor left him eager to return home just to get rid of the limp and the slightly clacking joint.

The halls were so quiet now that the school year had come to a close. They had about a month until summer camp; a month without students to occupy the vast castle halls. It made the murmuring portrait conversations clearer and more prominent.

The new hire wasn’t difficult to find once he reached the Charms classroom. The door was open, and just inside the woman speaking affectionately to her owl. Quill curled his fingers to rap his knuckles against the doorframe to announce his presence.

“Need help with anything?”

At the knock, Violet turned around and a warmth found her features as she smiled, straightening, to pull her fingers free from the bird. Cassiopeia gave a trill of annoyance, but turning back, tapping the bars, Violet tutted, "Shush, dear one. We've got a guest."

The owl made another sound, like a purr, and reaching for the floral patterned cloth lying on the small table, Violet pulled it down over the cage.

Satisfied, she moved nearer to the man in the doorway and pausing before him, she extended a hand. Her gaze studied, not in scrutiny, but curiosity, coming to rest only for a moment longer on the prosthetic ankle, barely visible at the hem of his pant leg. It was a curious contraption, and no doubt there was a story behind its necessity, but her own cautious nature regarding the details of her past afforded the same sense of respect towards the business of strangers.

Meeting his eyes, her smile brightened, "That's all very kind of you to offer, but it seems I'm rather all sorted, here. Lovely of them to deliver my things, and I've just brought up the flowers. I'm Violet. Violet Henley, though I don't mind Vi, if it suits. I suppose, though, you probably already know that, if Ackerley's been candid about my appointment."

Her hand was met with his in a brief greeting, pulling away without lingering as if there was an eagerness to retract. Quill’s demeanor was professional and on par with the woman before him as he continued to stand just at the entrance. As she pointed out her situation required no aid on his behalf, he looked about the room. She had, indeed, settled in quite nicely on her own.

“I can’t say Ackerley has had time to inform the staff of any details outside of a new hire for his old position,” Quill said. “Quillius Falke. Professor of Flying. You can call me Quill.”

With introduction out of the way and no appropriate reason to remain, Quill looked back down the hall where he came. Perhaps a greeting would have suited better at the start of the year. Then again, they would likely all be too busy and far too surrounded for more serious conversations.

“Speaking of a candid Ackerley,” he continued, “my guess is you’re aware of the incident regarding objects stolen from the Ministry and mayhem in our halls this past year. Hope you’re up for a bit of a challenge. These kids might need to learn a bit more in the way of Charms to help them. Hopefully nothing more will happen to merit their use.”

"A pleasure, Mr. Falke- er... Quill." Stepping back, Violet leaned against the edge of her desk, crossing one bright pink heeled shoe over the other. It still hardly seemed real, the office... The position. At any moment she half expected to wake up and find herself back in bed in her tiny flat over the bakery.

And she supposed in so many ways it really was a dream. But not the sort that would fade as night carried over into morning, "Flying professor? Not, admittedly, my best subject when I attended Hogwarts as a student." With a gentle trill of a laugh, she shook her head, "First time I got on a broom, I fell clean off the other side. Haven't much adjusted to it, since, if I'm honest."

He continied, and Violet pulled herself up onto the desk, nodding, her smile replaced by a slightly more grim expression, "We spoke about it, briefly. Rather disturbing, all this. And they've no idea yet, who's behind it? I'll be sure the students are as amply prepared as possible..." Frowning in thought, she looked to the window, then back to the man in her doorway, "But what are we doing about it, as professors? Is there a plan in place?"

There was a perpetual cold in the halls of Hogwarts only heightened in times of intensity. Any warmth came from it’s occupants, it’s students and staff, either by proximity or by bonds. Had his meeting with the new Charms Professor taken place a month or two earlier Quill would have felt a little warmer where he stood. Their topic, and her concerns understandably therein, ran the atmosphere to that unfaltering cold.

Violet asked what sort of plan they had in place, and it reminded him of his chat with Sebastian on the very topic when he first arrived. There was no plan. They hadn’t much of a clue into anything, and it seemed the Ministry was either incompetent or purposefully leaving them in the dark.

“I’d like to think one up,” Quill admitted, arms crossing over his chest as he heaved a sigh. The next school year would come too quickly and there were no signs of an investigation into the previous year still. “As it stands, we still know too little... or at least I do. I’m not sure if none of us know or if it’s a need-to-know sort of ordeal. Whenever I get the chance I fly around campus to see if I see anything suspicious. I think everything is happening inside though; in these halls. Which we all know this is an incredibly vast and complex castle. I guess the only thing we can do is plan to figure out how to better protect the students in the following years and hope to minimize opportunities for anything terrible.”

This was a disconcerting notion, indeed. It was one thing to know this figure was running around the school, terrorizing students and causing mayhem, but another entirely to know that nothing was being done about it. Or at least nothing perceptible. She knew Ackerley well enough to know the man would never allow for such a rampant disregard for the students at Hogwarts, but if the Ministry was being deliberately unhelpful....?

It sounded an awful lot like the Ministry, really. Their methods had never been Violet's favorite, though she was disinclined to voice her opinions on it as a general rule. If you had nothing nice to say, you said nothing, after all.

Looking to Quillius, Violet nodded, "It sounds like we need some sort of precautionary measures, at least. Have the students been informed, at all? It might be best if they are, if not. Our best advantage is the amount of people in this castle. So long as someone speaks up, we should have no problem nipping this in the bud." Moving to her desk, she rifled for a moment in one of the drawers, before pulling out a rose colored, leather bound book, "Ah, here we are. I've written up my Syllabus proposal for the year ahead... Might do to teach a few more defensive Charms early on. Particularly for the older students. It's practical, to me, that they should be prepared for whatever might come their way, anyhow..."

Setting down the book, she look up to the professor again, "Not exactly how I imagined starting my dream job would be. But that's Hogwarts for you, I suppose."

It seemed the topic had sparked a bit of forethought in the new Charms Professor. Quill still stood in the doorway, his shoulder leaning against its sturdy stonework frame as he listened. He felt a tad useless in regards to preparing and protecting students. Flying wasn’t exactly handy, especially since most students didn’t have regular access to the broom closet just to have a joy ride. Even his work history didn’t lend itself well to anything of use. Quill was just a former Quidditch player with no amazing skill in any other department.

“Students are aware, from what I understand,” he answered. “I’m sure Ackerley wouldn’t mind teaching the kids a little more than what was normal. Helps in confidence when having to face something scary.”

And such was a feeling he was all too familiar with. Despite not being the most skilled with charms, he would have been remiss without the knowledge twenty years ago at the battle of Hogwarts. The memory haunted him more now that he returned, but mostly just in respectful remembrance. He lost a few friends that night. To have a tragedy strike again even if just one poor soul would be a feeling he did not wish upon any child.

“This is your dream job?” he asked as a huff of a chuckle escaped him. “What made you want to be a professor here?”

There was certainly not anything ideal about the situation. From start to finish, it was a mess, and not one, it seemed, that was easily resolved or even understood. Whoever this Masked figure was, it seemed her greatest strength to bring to the case would be the spells she could teach. She would do her best, whatever that meant, to ensure that the students weren't caught off guard. And in the meantime, she would need to be decidedly aware, herself...

"I'll speak to Ackerley, then, about amending my Syllabus for the year. Though with decent Defense training, but hope, the students should have enough in the arsenal to protect themselves and others. And of course, they'll have us." No professor she knew of, she knew, would ever willingly allow for a student to come to harm... and that was easily one of the greatest strengths Hogwarts would always have against those who sought to harm the students within her walls...

To his question, a brow rose, and smiling gingerly, Violet gave a nod, "I... went through a bit of a dark period, my third year. My sister Oleander had just been sent away, and I suppose with all that had happened the year prior, I took it a bit hard. It was our Charms professor at the time who saw me through it, and I suppose that instilled in me a desire to do the same, someday. To be a light for someone in need. The position itself, well... It helped that I enjoyed Charms so much, but largely it was circumstantial. Just seemed to make sense, is all... And here I am." Looking around the office, her smile softened, "...Here I am."

Turning to Quillius, she shrugged, "What about you? What brought you back to Hogwarts?"

Her story was endearing and strengthened the notion of the position being her dream. The charming Charms Professor with starry eyes to pay it forward, which was more positivity than he had seen from the other professors in his short time here. The students would need it with all that was happening, but hopefully the worst was over.

Hopefully.

Quill shifted his stance, huffing a laugh as she asked of his circumstance. His reason for coming back was nowhere near founded in something so sweet. Fingers curled around the fabric of his pants to lift up the end revealing his prosthetic leg.

“Not a lot I can do, I suppose,” he said playfully. “I used to be a professional Chaser. Got injured, couldn’t play, and then I got approached for this job. I accepted because, well, back in the day I wouldn’t have even gotten into Quidditch if it wasn’t for flying class. So here I am.”

His shoulder lifted in a shrug as he let his pants cover the prosthetic once again. “I had thought about finding work again at the Ministry. It’s good work. Solid. But it’s also pretty fast paced. My old job I was constantly dealing with traveling and inspecting teams to make sure they obeyed rules and such. Hogwarts feels a bit more grounded. And a bit more consistent. I didn’t think we’d be dealing with anything nefarious. I’ll admit I’ve been a bit paranoid even just in a simple flying lesson. Kids are impressionable and vulnerable after all. So I guess this job is a different kind of stress, but with a more satisfying platform.”