Red sparks in the office, no! Knox instinctively half-rose from his chair to protect the myriad ancient artifacts of which he was entrusted. Quickly, though, he caught Lucinda's smirk and relaxed. She was casting something, but nothing destructive. The demonstration she offered wasn't, it turned out, was the Patronus Charm.

She produced the shimmering sparkle, a glimmer of silver, but it quickly dissipated leaving a frown behind.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," he said. He thought for a moment.

"Next Hogsmeade weekend is a month from now near St. Valentine's day. Let's see how the next full moon goes," which was the seventh of February, as they both knew. "If the world has managed to find its axis again and there's no further violence, then I'll feel better about it."

A grim criteria, but these were grim times.

"And as for your leaving Hogwarts before then, I couldn't support that. Unless your parents disagree, I think this is the best place for you. And Hogwarts is better that you're here. I am sorry about that," the Headmaster said folding his hands.

The Valentines hogsmeade! She knew it was soon but she didn't think it was the valentines one! How could she of forgotten? She needed to find someone to go out with for it! It'll look weird if she didn't go with someone right? Or would anyone actually notice? Although if she was to babysit Greer maybe trying to make it a date wouldn't work. And besides she didn't know who she liked now...and Zeta...

Enough of that! She needed to think better, she had a chance out of Hogwarts early, and things were starting to looking up. She needed to think more positively. This was the best for place now that she knew she would be free soon, and that was what was important right now. Keep to that. And she can make it without being attacked or losing her mind or running from the school.

Going home wasn't a problem now, she'd like a break at some point but there is Easter atleast, she should be able to go home from that right? She didn't see why she wouldn't be able to go home unless her parents decided to go out again during it.

But unless things went bad again, she wasn't allowed to Hogsmeade, this was some what good news, as if the person who did the attack was smart they wouldn't risk the next full moon as security would be tightened, so it worked out in her favour.

With a sigh she looked up at the headmaster, he was so worried about her being attacked, maybe he could help her with stuff. She did want to cast the spell. "Can you teach me how to do a Patronus? Since you're worried about me being attacked, and besides there are more dementors now. And as said the messenger would be useful..." If she can guilt him or twist his hand...would she even need to though? He would probably teach her if she just asked. "Also...just as I would like to learn it.."

Lucinda seemed to be more or less at peace with his judgement that she continue to be a student. It wasn't immediately clear of who'd conned who into the consolation prize of a Hogsmeade outing, but as long as they were both comfortable with it, perhaps it was alright not to keep score. In his time as an educator from professor to Hufflepuff Head of House to Headmaster, he'd always tried to err on the side of students self-actualizing and all that. Some considered the ideal soft or naive, but he'd persisted all the same. Here in these strange days, it was harder and harder to follow through and each time he had to place some new boundary he felt like he was giving up.

But when the sun went down (and the moon rose up) it was better that all the students were alive.

Lucinda asked about more practice with the Patronus Charm, and Knox raised his eye brows. It had been a very long time that anyone, student or beast, had consulted him on his wand work. He'd been approached for historical context, in-a-pinch Healing, and even rune-reading and Potions. But spell casting? Had Miss Temple not seen his careful avoidance at the Dueling Club last term?

"There must be better candidates than I for such a task," he said, a little surprised and somewhat bashful. "I'm hardly the most reliable in that department. I wouldn't deny you the tutelage, but I wouldn't subject you to it either."

She was...a bit disappointed by his reaction, sure he was headmaster and was busy, but he was also the one who wanted to make sure she wasn't going to be kidnapped in a safe place. Shouldn't he be reassured that she was able to defend herself, or send the messenger. If he was to put restrictions on her he should atleast let her learn how to do the thing for the restriction. Atleast in her mind it was pretty logical that if someone locked you in your room they should teach you how to climb out the window for a night out and how to sneak back in through the window.

And its not like he could be that bad with his wand, he was headmaster, even if you're not an amazing duelist like Dumbledore was reported to be, you still had to be able to use alot of spells or be powerful right? You wouldn't just be headmaster because you are a good manager. There had to be a reason. And she'd heard he atleast could do a Patronus, who else would she turn to? Most people she knew she wasn't sure were able to do it, Zeta? She could maybe but the fact it wasn't essential put it more Ravenclaw area, and she only knew a couple. Professors? Ask who? The cute but weird french guy? Duerr? Storm? They didn't seem good choices.

"Well...I heard you were good at it, and you want to make sure I'm safe right? If I asked Professor Storm he'd first make me write an essay on what happiness is. Atleast 20 inches. Then will go on about how happiness is a lie." It did sound accurate, she doesn't think she's even seen him not be miserable. Atleast not outside punishing pupils, it was probably her imagination but she had definitely seen him take joy in them. If she ever saw him smile she doubted she could sleep for a month worried that he was going to go after her in her sleep.

"Pretty please?" She bashed her eyelashes in the hopes it made him do it. Although with her worn out she was she doubted she could look like anything but about to go to sleep.

"You have most certainly not heard that about me," Knox insisted with a look over the top of his glasses, but he'd relent.

"Be that as it may, I couldn't very well deny a student with a thirst to learn. Not as if you're getting into something disreputable like training up to be a teacher," he said with a resolved but not unhappy sigh.

He heard much grumbling about Professor Storms, ahem, thorough approach; he didn't doubt the sentiments were genuine, but one couldn't deny the results and Knox had no wish to interfere. Knox sincerely respected the man's practice, for the most part, and wouldn't be the sort to speak ill of a professor to a student. Even if he was somewhat skeptical of some aspects of it. But then, he suspected the skepticism on teacher methods were mutual.

"We'll find the time in the coming weeks, then," he said with a note of finality. With firmness he added, "I won't keep you more than to say this: attendance to classes is more or less mandatory for students, so I'll thank you to get thee too them consistently and promptly from here on. I'm afraid I won't relent on that point. Do we understand each other?"

He was probably right on that point, Lucinda most likely had not heard that about the Headmaster, but it helped as a way to bargain and flattery got you far in life, except when it came to escaping a Ministry cell, then its just ignored and treated as being desperate to escape before you transform, which by that end, whats the point of flattery if you can't escape the cell and maul innocents, condemning many others to your fate.

But this was another positive from today, he would teach her how to do it, so she could atleast get that under her belt, he would be happy knowing she can possibly call for help, she got to learn advanced magic, it would help with apprenticeships and she would know what animal she apparently connected with, she had a guess what it was but she would know atleast.

And attendance, eeew. That did mean work...but she had a reason now to go, and retaking a year would be horrendous for her, what happened if you failed a year? Would you retake or go into the next year and have to do previous years work also? She didn't really want to find out so that is another reason to actually pass.

"I understand, don't worry. I'll go to my afternoon lessons, I should probably go shower and change first, don't want to go into class smelling like a dog."