Mondays officially sucked troll bum. She started the day with ancient runes and that was an indication of how the day would unfold before her. Gabriella hated runes. Or more, she hated the professor that taught it. The subject would be okay without that witch lording it over everyone with her blonde hair and posh clothes and robes. Perhaps Gabby was unfair to her but Professor Reid had been another of the stupid women to date her dad. She deserved some grief for making that troll minded decision.

Fortunately the rest of the day had moved by a lot quicker. She’d had a letter from her grandma at dinner once again telling her to contact Felix more often and Gabby had simply folded the parchment, placed it in her pocket and decided to ignore it again. Felix was a part time dad. Why bother keeping in contact with him when she wasn’t there? As long as he knew when to pick her up from King’s Cross station, all was fine.

Now Gabriella was stood in the entrance hall waiting on Raine. Once more the editor of the Hogwarts Howler had managed to twist her friend’s arm into giving her a hand with another interview. Or what most people called; more harassment. Gabriella Dagon wasn’t known for accepting a ‘no’ and neither was she known for light interviews. The young witch was very full on despite being told by some Slytherins where to take her questions.

From the staircase and down into the entrance hall came a short figure clad in the bright red robes of an auror. Gabby watched them with interest as she lifted a hand to push some of her stray wavy hair from her face. That auror’s face was familiar. Gabby swore she’d seen it before.

It took a few moments to place the face. Gabby stared at the auror witch, her hands having been dug deep into the pockets of her robes. As ever, this young witch didn’t look particularly well put together. Her knee socks had slipped down to her ankles, her uniform length grey skirt was hiked up like normal, her shirt tails hanging out over it with the top button undone and her tie hanging loosely around her neck. Like every single day the girl’s hair looked unruly. She’d made an attempt to scrape it back off her face and the rest of it fell down her back in a mess of thick dark waves, curls and frizz.

“Raynor!” The Gryffindor ejaculated as she realised who the auror was. “Miss Raynor!” And with that she made a quick approach and stopped the witch at the bottom step of the staircase. “You’re the head auror! I’ve seen you in the prophet.” Her eyes took in the woman and Gabby’s brows formed a frown.

“You’re shorter in real life.”

Very intentionally, the Head of the Auror Office had stayed inconspicuous to all measures with the word "Tournament" in the headline. A feat easier than one might assume. It was a moment of glory for the Department of International Magical Corporation and they hoarded it more than a Niffler hoarded gold. Which was all well and good as far as Tamis Raynor was concerned. It meant less of having to put up with her Aurors being flashed around like fancy suits of armor and more of them doing their job.

What role the domestic Department of Magical Law Enforcement played in all of this political posturing vastly fell into the tedious hands of Hitwizards set up as basic security. It was not the Yule Ball itself that finally garnered the attention of the Auror Office -- but the concentration of Wizarding England's best and foremost that would be gathering in a single location as a result. A terroristic banquet if one was not careful. And given the pace of the past couple of years… Constant Vigilance never hurt.

Pratt had already ventured to Scotland earlier last week, but with the event now a mere weekend away, Raynor was here to finalize the details.

A certain nostalgia struck the petite witch whenever she breached the large, double-oak doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Bittersweet memories. The eleven year old that first step foot in its halls was much different from the thirty five year old that now graced it. The School, even when it had been in its darkest hours, had always felt safe; like coming home. Raynor suspected it was the steadfast stability of the institution. Hogwarts was always consistent. Withstood the tests of time. Even when the world outside it did not fair as easily.

The Auror was humoring this rather philosophical train of thought when a voice broke her stream of consciousness. A very informal voice. Raynor! Caught her attention, pausing the dark wizard hunter's stride. 'Miss Raynor' set her teeth on edge. Someone was either very brave to be so (rudely) informal…. or was very very young.

Proved to be the latter.

To be fair, the adolescent woman tumbling down the stairs was likely not as young as she was making her out to be. Though it was difficult to tell. The two witches standing there were the extreme examples of two sides of a coin. Raynor, in sharp red and black, her official Auror Uniform precisely tailored yet unrevealing, the epaulettes on her shoulders designating rank. And the teenager, pounds of hair and socks about her ankles. 'Frumpled' to sum her up in one word. The haphazardly adorned scarlet and gold tie explained the boldness.

There was only one student-aged female Tamis Raynor new. And, that student was no longer a student. At least, not to Hogwarts. She could not explain why this wild-haired adolesent struck a cord of familiarity in her. She, certainly, was not in the papers.

The end result was a critical, grey-eyed analysis that likely went on longer than was comfortable. The Gryffindor did not seem to notice, her own eyebrows furrowing with pensive thoughts. Coming to her own conclusions.

Not quite the epiphany Raynor was hoping for.

There was a certain awkwardness to this sudden encounter Tamis was not accustomed to. The girl could not be much taller than herself. An inch or two at best. Yet… she was still perched on the bottom step of the stairs Raynor had intended to mount.

She had to arch an eyebrow up at the student at least half her age.

Children were not the Auror's forte. Criminals were. But she did have minor exposure.

"They angle the camera up from the floor when they photograph. Makes me more intimidating," she deadpanned.

Miss Raynor certainly didn’t look best pleased to be accosted in the Entrance Hall on her way into the castle. She stared at Gabriella with those sharp grey eyes as if Gabby had just told her she was a fat heffalump with a wart infestation. Maybe aurors didn’t like speaking to people. Perhaps they preferred scowling and maintaining the stick up their backsides. It wasn’t as if Gabriella had had much experience around aurors since the age of five.

The head auror also looked so well put together. As if not a speck of dust would survive on the pristine red uniform. Maybe she slept in it. Did aurors never take their uniforms off? Gabriella had believed that her professors slept in their offices and had no real lives outside of school for the first couple years of Hogwarts. Who would want to come here and teach?

“I supposed they’d need to.” Gabriella found herself muttering under her breath as she sized up the pintsized auror that apparently kept all those big handsome wizards in check. She certainly had a cold facial expression, eyes that could probably put a teenager in their place. But an auror? Gabby highly doubted it.

“Can I ask you some questions, Miss Raynor?” Gabby flashed the head auror a smile before looking down and diving into her bag for a notepad and quill. With these in one hand, Gabby clasped her fingers around the ink pot and lifted it out. She started to unscrew the top ready to dip her quill in with care. Her fingers were quick, practiced at accosting people ready for a quick interview.

“Move it, Dagon!” It happened in lightening speed. Someone yelled from the steps behind the Gryffindor as they came bounding down. They knocked into Gabby’s shoulder with force and she lost grip of the inkpot. Doubtless to say, the ink exploded in the auror’s direction, emptying itself across Miss Raynor’s chest, sinking into the previously pristine, smart material.

Gabriella’s mouth couldn’t have opened any wider in shock. Her intake of breath was instantaneous, eyes wide as she stared at the damage. Some of it was even dripping down the auror’s chin.