There were a lot of reasons why Walton had waited a week to call the prefects together for a meeting. He had be respectful of the fact that Zel was a werewolf. The day after his appointment was a full moon- and he'd wanted to give the Hufflepuff time to recover. And then it had been Hogsmeade weekend. Everyone had to buy stuff for the Yule Ball and they needed to be around to police the younger years through the town.

So it was a week after his appointment before he had managed to convene his prefects. It sounded weird to Walton, to even think "his prefects". But, he supposed, that's what they were.

He'd sent round notes to them, planning to meet after dinner in an empty classroom on the first floor. He'd left the great hall early to get to the room and make sure no students were lurking there. Walton perched on a desk at the front of the room, and was picking at a loose string of his vest when the first prefect came in.

Walton looked up and gave a friendly grin. "Glad to see you! Sit down, sit down. Just want to make sure we have most of our prefects here before we get started."

There was a new Head Boy, Dodd, who was in the year above him. Did this have something to do with the new Headmistress? Entering the empty classroom where the prefects would be meeting, Josh saw Dodd was already here. "Hi. Congratulations on making Head Boy." Josh said, looking about for a seat.

A room of her fellow Gryffies, comforting sight.

Raine nodded at her two housemates cordially as she strolled in through the doors, still in her robes- a satchel of books hung heavily from across her slender shoulders. She set the bag down against one of the desks at the front and dropped into a chair. Merlin, Mondays were one thing after the next- she'd barely had time to breathe between lessons after lunch.

"Hello," the redhead greeted in a tired voice as she leaned forward and slumped across her table. "Wake me up when the rest of them get here," she muttered sleepily and closed her eyes. Just for a little while.

When Ligeia entered her arm was transfixed in a rigid position. Because there was a bat hanging from it.

A hardly surprising circumstance to find herself in. This was part of her creatures project to help some Fumos Bat Flamers adapt to debilitating diseases that could often affect the species. This one had a particularly nasty cold, in theory, so instead of inflammatory breath it exhaled freezing wind. Its coloration was also different, a blueish grey fur with blue eyes on it's ugly face.

Ligeia was nursing it with Blood Lollipops, occasionally treating herself with one provided the bat hadn't licked it first.

"It's not too chilly in here is it?" Ligeia asked. Luckily the meeting had been scheduled in a classroom that had windows with openable hatches, in case the foot long bat needed a quick change in temperature.

Walton was glad his fellow Gryffindors seemed to be quick to show up and show some support. "Thanks, Harcroft," he said when Josh congratulated him. "Haven't a clue why the administration chose me to do it, but I'll have a go at it. See if I can do the position justice." Walton still wasn't sure if he could.

He shifted his gaze to Raine- his quidditch captain as well as prefect. The girl had a lot on her plate. Especially with recent dramatics in her life. He'd seen the prophet article earlier that morning. If she was checked out, he'd understand. Walton gave her a soft smile. If she wanted to sleep, he'd let her. She probably needed the rest.

"Feels alright to me," he said to Ligeia, eyeing her bat. Creatures projects could be odd. "You do what you need for the bat, Canterbury. Grades are important and all that."

Walt clapped his hands now that he had a few prefects in attendence. "Right then! Guess the others are late or not showing up. As you've heard by now, for some reason I've gotten Head Boy. Not the obvious candidate for the position, but I intend to do a good job. Only problem is I never was a prefect." He gave an indifferent shrug. "So I don't rightly know exactly what you all do."

"I was hoping I could figure out what your jobs are, and how I can help out. You know- organize watches and patrols, figure out what my duties exactly are. Anybody want to give me a quick fill in?"