The news was from Kings Cross that the train had left on time. This was not news to Ignan, it would only have been news had the train deviated its strict timetable. Then again, the Hogwarts Express had not been privatised, and Ignan had really been a fool to read that book on British Railways a few days before Christmas out of sheer curiosity, from the library.

There were a few new faces this term, one of them was Effie Finnigan who had stepped in at short notice to take Leopold's place, as the older Professor had been taken ill between Christmas and New Year, which was a great shame. Ignan had not managed that offered drink with him, but if the other wizard recovered well away from the castle, he was tempted to make a trip to toast his good health.

Pausing outside Sandusky's old door, he rifled through a pile of papers under his arm, to be sure that he had the transfiguration ones up top. There were others to see, including Sybil. Declan had picked up his papers earlier while Ignan was away for a few days with the funeral back home.

The door to the office was not quite closed, and as he knocked firmly it came open, revealing a tiny figure within.

Stepping slightly inside the door, his hand still raised from knocking, Ignan couldn't help but stare at the back of the woman's head until she turned - believing for one moment he had to be looking at a student, not a transfiguration professor.

"Professor Finnigan?" He questioned, lowering his fist and returning it to prop up the bottom of his stack of papers.

Seeing enough confirmation, he stepped forward, extending his hand politely to the young woman.

"Ignan Storm, Deputy Headmaster. Would you have a moment?"

Effie[1] was frantically trying to right her office and get her affairs in order before the Feast. She would have liked more time to prepare for the whole thing - it was still rather strange to think of herself actually teaching at Hogwarts. She barely remembered the interview; it had all been so surreal at the time. She'd barely got in the night before - having let Ronan guilt her into staying an extra day with the family because we never get to see your wee bonny hide. She'd known at the time it would leave her in a pinch but she'd never really been able to tell her big brother (or any of her siblings) no.

The sound of her door creaking open caused the petite professor to jump a little, it had been awhile since she had to deal with lurking ghosts. Closing her eyes she silently scolded herself and went back to hoovering over signed first edition of her favorite transfiguration texts. Really, it was all busy work, there was nothing life threatening she had to have in order before the feast. She was just so nervous and not particularly used to the jittery feeling in her stomach. She had stepped into a whole new game here; and while she had already made fast friends with Henry she...

Professor Finnigan?

The voice that interrupted her thoughts would have to be her Deputy Headmaster wouldn't it? She was mildly mortified when she turned and felt the urge to immediately apologize for dust sprinkled clothes and the half knot her hair was in. "Please, call me Effie," she took his hand and gave it a firm shake before turning back to her desk, "here just a moment and I'll..." she trailed off, raking her fingers through her hair for a moment before using her wand to carefully levitate and move two large boxes from their place on a pair of leather backed chairs, "I'm afraid you've caught in a last minute panic, but please sit. I could heat up some water for a cuppa if you like"?

1.

wearing

"Please, call me Effie," For such a small person, Ignan was impressed she met his handshake so well. There were too many limp ones around in young professionals these days...

"...here just a moment and I'll..." he stood out of the way near the door while she hastily moved what was spread around, "I'm afraid you've caught in a last minute panic, but please sit. I could heat up some water for a cuppa if you like?"

Ignan was surprised by the offer, he hadn't anticipated stopping long - she looked busy enough. People didn't ordinarily offer him a cup of tea when they were flustered, his appearance and role within the school often put people off.

"If its a convenient time?" Ignan replied graciously, feeling it rude to say no, all things just considered.

"I just came by to ensure you had a copy of exam board's notes on the Transfiguration curriculum. They periodically revise and advise - though, I must admit having skimmed this, not much changes on an annual basis for transfiguration. Much like history. Apart from correcting the odd date and changing which aspect of the goblin rebellion is the most challenging to study, I'm not sure either have changed much."

His fingers were carefully leafing the top few pages from the pile, all bearing the exam board's crest, written in formal language. They'd had a set of them sent to the school back in October[1] and the copy then had gone to Sandusky. In the handover, they might well have been mislaid. Better safe than sorry.

"And also to welcome you, of course." He looked up and gave the slightest hint of a smile. "Is there anything you need to resolve your last minute panic?" He rolled the parchment together, and handed it over to the petite Transfiguration professor, trying not to think about how dainty her hands were.

1.

Tsk Tsk

"Never a bad time for tea, first thing my mother ever taught me," the slender woman sounded rather amused as she gestured toward one of the now empty chairs and carefully set the roll of parchment on her desk before she set about to heating up a kettle of water. She'd have to read them more in depth after the feast, but there was a golden opertunity to get a little one on one time with someone who had had a fair bit of time with the first and second years. There were some...gaps in Sandusky's notes; things that could only be explained if the right questions were asked of the right people. Storm seemed like the type who would know. Though he showed now obvious outward affection or affinity toward the younger years he was her best bet.

"You could actually help me out a great deal," her smile was bright as she brushed her hair from her face and leaned against her desk, "I need some student information; nothing gossipy of course but with the young ones especially they're at such a strange time in her lives," strange was really the best word for it. Some of them still behaved very much like children, and thought like children... but some took a more mature road and started younger and younger with their infatuation with relationships and kissing and actually it all made her head hurt. She'd gone through it with her siblings and her niece was at that age too. Effie was the sort who still blushed and laughed awkwardly when people tried to pick her up.

"Nothing gossipy of course, or labeling anyone as a problem child," she rubbed her chin with the tips of her fingers before continuing, "I fully expect my share of mischief makers but are there any students in particular you think might benefit from a bit more classroom responsibility? Any obvious cases of self esteem impeding natural ability? I'm used to working with a much smaller body of students which afforded me time to get to know them and adjust to what they need from me. I know not every one agrees with my teaching philosophy but I've always felt education can't be uniform because students learn differently and with a subject like Transfiguration..." she trailed off shaking her head, "I suppose I'm a bit apprehensive about being able to meet everyone's needs, which I probably shouldn't tell one of my new bosses," she gave a faint chuckle rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Nasty habit, that, talking too much when I'm nervous".

"You could actually help me out a great deal, I need some student information; nothing gossipy of course but with the young ones especially they're at such a strange time in her lives,"

Aren't they just? Ignan thought, listening, waiting for the actual question to fall. The professor continued to sort out her things, her train of thought pausing a moment. He took the proffered chair, sinking down upon it, placing the stack of papers on the edge of her desk which had been cleared enough.

"Nothing gossipy of course, or labeling anyone as a problem child," Finnigan repeated, leaving Ignan to wonder if he looked the sort to gossip. Then, the flood of what she actually meant. He listened as best he could, best not to let her go off on a tangent before she'd even taught a class.

Classroom responsibility, was that a softer comparison of the use of an irritating student for a curse demonstration and picking on them for answers to hard questions to keep them focused? Self esteem issues, where to start, the lot of them needed a backbone. He wasn't going to list half the student body.

"I suppose I'm a bit apprehensive about being able to meet everyone's needs, which I probably shouldn't tell one of my new bosses, nasty habit, that, talking too much when I'm nervous."

"Such incredible concern for young lives." Ignan replied, amused. "How many rounds of tea were you planning on making, might take a while to discuss all of that." Let that worry her a moment...

The Deputy Headmaster shook his head.
"I would hate to give you false first impressions, but they are all teenagers. Childish optimism which quickly turns to a crisis of magical confidence by second year, despair by third, complacency by fourth, stress in fifth. If they make it past then, well, its often a little easier all round." He looked up to Effie, "Which class have you first this week?"

How many rounds of tea were you planning on making, might take a while to discuss all of that.

Effie's bright smile shifted to a more bemused grin, her nose wrinkling slightly as she gave a small chuckle, "Ah, I could keep you busy all afternoon! You've really no idea," she teased a little, before turning back to the teapot, the tip of her wand pressed against the side as she heated the water, "I've got a tin of biscuits somewhere I could bribe you with too"! Hospitality was something that came naturally to the slender witch. She liked making people comfortable, especially if she intended to pick their brains for an extended period of time; though she knew she really shouldn't be keeping Storm from his Deputy duties she couldn't help but seize the opportunity to pick his brain for a bit.

She listened carefully trying to glean any useful information from his response as she carefully filled two cups before rummaging around in a desk drawer for sugar lumps. His generalization of the student body wasn't unhelpful but, well, it was general and she'd been hoping for something a little more specific. She finally stopped fussing over the tea, carefully setting a serving tray betwixt the two chairs and taking a seat. She felt fidgety and unsure but tried not to let it show a terrible amount, "Well, it's part of the job description isn't it"? She was referring of course to his commentary on her concern for the students. She wasn't one to mollycoddle students along but it took a keen eye and a great attention to detail sometimes to tell the difference between students who simply lacked skill and those who couldn't be fussed to put in the effort. Effie wasn't the sort to be dismissive of any student until she'd fully exhausted all avenues of help and counsel.

She squinted a little, trying to remember who she had up first, "First class starts at ten, that's the first years. I'm not as worried about them, most of them are still a little in awe of their abilities at that age; eager to try new spells. Really it's the second years I'm worried about. It's such a strange age, they're not yet really teenagers but they're not really children and there always seems to be a rather large gap, you know, between the ones who still think like little boys and girls and the ones who somehow believe they're actually in their twenties and have no desire to listen to a thing we have to say," she shook her head a little, voice tinted with amusement. Her niece Poppy had been impossible at that age...and very little had changed. She leaned forward a little, her tone almost conspiratorial, "I was thinking I'd do the Beetle Button lesson as review - what are the odds those bugs end up in someone's hair"?

Finnigan could talk, Ignan found his brow furrowed, eyes raised ever so slightly to her face as she explained while busying herself with tea. Optimism, new to teaching, well - perhaps not so new, he recalled, but new to Hogwarts. Perhaps they ought to give them all baptisms of fire by throwing them in to give a detention before hiring them, might curb the enthusiasm...

"First years will ask more questions than you will want to give answers for. Best to keep them on task." Ignan advised, having chosen to break their fingers and cut them the previous term to preoccupy them in the presence of the Durmstrang Headmaster.

"Second years, well, its more the fourth years with the malicious use of banishing charms from what I've heard via Kesali. But you're right that they are rather a mixed bag."

He raised his eyes to the ceiling of her office a moment as he brought the names to light.
"Harcroft, Harper, Groust, Wintergreen, Falkin, Filder, Thornton, Whitman and Bog-Goyle, all solid types that shouldn't give one too much trouble, though time will tell, they're a mixture of bright, unremarkable and yet to be discovered I feel." The older wizard counted them off on his fingers as he listed them. Each had their own moments, but nothing too regular in occurrence that interrupted his lessons, certainly.

"As for trouble... ó Fearghail and MacFusty... Kearney to a point have their moments of insolence. A little rough round the edges but perfectly manageable once you get them in your sights. Antonopoulos will try too hard, she gets frustrated, mind that. Pienas has her head in the clouds, you'll spot her by her hair," he gestured with one hand by the side of his head, needlessly illustrating "and enjoys the company of LeJean. Don't be overly alarmed if she makes it to your lesson dripping wet..." He smiled faintly.

"Which brings us to the Collins twins, Erik might need to be kept on topic, and finally, quiet, unassuming Wakahisa. That one's far more talented than she'll ever show or give herself credit for." Disarming his severed hand for one example.

"Did you get all that?" He asked, an edge of friendly sarcasm to his voice, followed by a look of amusement.

"Don't take the observations to heart, Finnigan, they may well react entirely differently to your teaching style than mine."

His gaze examined her expression and rephrased:

"They will almost certainly react differently..."

Effie felt as though she ought to have a quill and good length of parchment to keep straight all the detail he was giving her now but she fought the urge to leap up and grab one off the desk. Instead she sat intently, cup poised just short of her mouth. There was a softer side to Storm, of course she'd never say that out loud, but she could see it. There was a fondness even in the shorthand he used to speak of his students. She didn't find him nearly so intimidating now; but then perhaps it was hard to be intimidating when you were drinking tea out of a flowered cup and talking about twelve year olds. She decided then and there she liked him, quite a bit actually. She had a fondness for men who were gruff in their speech and affection, there was something comforting about the way hard men loved softly and secretly behind the posturing.

Of course she could have been making it all up in her head, Effie Finnigan was nothing if not an optimist, "Ah, LeJean, I've heard a bit about her. She's part Merfolk yeah"? Hogwarts certainly was home to a vast assortment of Witches and Wizards. It warmed Effie's heart in a way that they were so very progressive about things. She'd been quite pleased when they reformed their stance on allowing Weres. Even as an adult who understood the dangers, it had always struck the slender educator as criminal the way the cursed were denied access to education and work - especially when they complied with ministry regulations. Finally taking a sip of her tea she gave a shrug as he reassured her the students would most definitely react differently to her presence, a small laugh escaping as she shook her head, "I don't know if that is particularly reassuring, Storm. I'm a bit shit with intimidation tactics. Their different reaction might be to try to bowl right over top of me," there it was again, that habit of saying the exact thing she probably oughtn't to her boss. Silly Finnigan, teaching positions are for grown ups who know how to handle witchlings!

"Yes, that's the one." The Deputy Head confirmed with a nod. He sipped the tea, which really was very nice.

"They'll most likely take to you very well. Boarding school children like a mother away from home." He smirked, lowering his teacup with a clink.

"You'll find your happy medium, they'll spend the first few lessons testing you out for your boundaries. However much you want to be nice to them, being a little stricter than you might normally helps in the long run. So, naturally I throw half of them in detention the first lesson and that works a treat."

That was a joke, but his deadpan delivery suggested otherwise.

"What was your teaching experience before now, remind me?" Ignan asked more cordially, showing genuine interest rather than teasing sarcasm for his mild amusement.

"Why Deputy Storm, did you just make a joke," she couldn't help but tease as she grinned at the elder professor, pretending to look utterly scandalized by the notion. He was funny, she'd grant him that! She was really rather enjoying his company and not feeling as guilty as she ought for taking up his precious time. Without seeming to intend to he had started to put her nerves at ease, maybe she really had just needed a little reassurance the students wouldn't try to behead her the first day out.

Her smile was gracious as she nodded her head a little, "I know it'll all work out in the end. It's just a change of venue with a large class size than I'm used to," she tried to sounded like she knew what she was doing. In reality she did, she'd been doing this for a decade nearly! She ought to have had a clue what she was getting into. People were different one on one though, without the thought if image to upkeep and usually a real need or desire for her help. Teenagers en masse were a different beast entirely.

"Private tutor," was her short answer followed by a sip of tea as settled back into the overstuffed chair, "I did a lot of work with students who needed to resit for their N.E.W.T.s or hadn't been afforded the opportunity for an education through typical avenues. I loved it, helping students of all ages tap into talents they didn't even know they had; but a chance to teach at my alma mater was not something I could pass up," she sounded a little reflective as she finished, as though she hadn't really stopped to think about why it was so important to her before then. "Alright, your turn. I wouldn't dream of asking for credentials, but I'm very interested in the stories I'm sure you've got to tell about the students - I have a feeling especially first years," and just like that she was back to a slightly upturned grin and vastly amused brown eyes.

"The accent is usually enough of a giveaway that I am not Hogwarts stock," the Deputy Head humoured the new recruit, putting on more of the German slant for the phrase, whereas his speaking voice had become a lot more anglicised since settling down in Britain.

"I taught at Durmstrang a number of years before I elected to cross Europe, and have been here since November year before last." He put it simply, and then tilted his head to consider the first years.
"There are tales of the first years, but I'm sure in time you'll hear them. My lessons tend to produce the wildest tales, bumps, bruises, broken fingers. They can be a bit of a culture shock for the mollycoddled." He delivered the line with no humour in his voice and placed the empty teacup on the edge of his new colleague's desk.

"I wouldn't want to spoil their fun in telling you tall tales about my lessons now," He shrugged, "including the one about the death."

He met Effie's face with a straight face, and realised that wires had got crossed, and his eyebrows shot up at her expression,
"Oh I didn't cause that one, Merlin, it was last February, most unfortunate, in the forest - er..." This wasn't looking any better was it? He put a hand to his face in despair, and decided a quick exit was the only solution to this. A pretty face couldn't possibly have swayed him, not possible.
"Another time, Finnigan. I must get on, thank you for the tea." He got up, a hand on the back of the chair he'd been sat on as he paused.

"You will let me know if you need anything though, Professor?" 

Effie just blinked at the Deputy Headmaster. He certainly was an interesting gentleman wasn't he?! She was sure he could tell her tales that would caused the hair on the back of her neck to prickle uncomfortably. How strange to have this dual perception of him; she wondered what he might have been like as an educator in his younger years. She might not have made it through his lessons! Still, there was an easy sort of kinship she felt toward the elder man and his deadpan delivery was rather hilarious - if a little uneasy as he mentioned a student death.

She had read all about Ava Grosvenor the previous year, at least the little bit the papers could uncover. It was terribly tragic and caused a slight frown to crease Effie's brow. She could have gotten lost down a terrible rabbit hole if Storm's voice hadn't broken in just then. She blinked once then twice, he was on his feet and headed to the door. Oh, right, she hadn't meant to keep him so long in the first place. The corner of her lips ticked up in a small smile as she gave a nod, "I will, of course. Thank you very much for the insight. I'll see you at the Feast"! She was a bit sad to see him go but quickly finished her tea and got herself back to unpacking anyway. If she didn't get a move on she'd never be ready for the first lesson tomorrow!


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