There were far too many steps to climb to get up to the seventh floor in Ignan's opinion. He wished he had managed to insist that Professor Wright had come down to his classroom on the first floor to have this conversation. But being the Deputy Headmaster, he did occasionally have to put in appearances around the castle to check all was generally in order. The divination classroom was completely off his usual routes, and his general unease with seers didn't encourage him to make the journey.

It was Sunday evening after evening meal, and another week of teaching stretched before them. Professor Storm could have a sour temperament at the best of times, but he was not looking forward to the week ahead, especially because Professor Elliot of Durmstrang had left at the start of the weekend to take up her post as head of St Mungo's hospital. Hidden from their colleagues as far as possible, the two had entertained a romantic relationship since the very start of May which had been quite unexpected for Ignan in particular. He hadn't caught wind that anyone suspected anything unusual, but he was a little on edge when it came to what seers did or didn't see with that darned inner eye.

"Professor Wright?" He called, emerging through the trapdoor into the top of the tower and looking around himself with trepidation. He'd never studied divination as a child, and the family joked that their inner eyes were sewn shut, relying on spellwork and reading minds with legilimency rather than auras.

"I've got the details from the Wizarding Examinations Authority about the NEWT exams for this year," he explained, having mentioned that the Ministry were finalising a change to the format of the NEWT divination exams to Alana the previous week. How anyone examined this subject was beyond him. His tone as he explained was a little less forceful than his usual way of addressing his colleague, and he looked somewhat out of place up there in her domain. He extended the pack of parchment that had come in a special delivery that afternoon.

"Not read it in detail, but I suspect it will take a prophecy in the exam to achieve an outstanding." He remarked, more meaning it sarcastically than in truth.

Alana was sitting in her classroom, drinking a cup of tea and grading papers from a recent class of hers. Most of them were well written, though there were a few that made Alana simply shake her head. She wondered why if some students hated divination so much,  they decided to take it rather than some other elective. There were plenty to choose from and she wished they'd take something else versus crowding up her classroom.

She glanced up when her name was spoken, looking over, raising eyebrows when she saw Professor Ignan Storm standing in her classroom. She was surprised to see him here, he almost never visited her classroom. He acted as if it was a dangerous place to be, like he might be stung by an enormous bee.

"Good evening Professor Storm," she greeted, turning so that she could face him. "Oh, excellent," she said, in response to him telling her about the NEWT exams. She took the packet from him and set it down on her desk. She arched a brow again and snorted in dry amusement. "Despite what you evidently think of my subject, Professor Storm, I in fact have very practical ways to see if students understand this material. It has nothing to do with special abilities. It has to do with the history of tarot, what type of tea leaf is best, who invented aspects of divination. Was there something else I can help you with?"

"My apologies Professor," Storm replied, the sarcasm still audible in his tone as he gave her a joking little half bow with his words.

"So the requirement of an inner eye is not necessary for your craft? Just the wish to pretend to obtain one, or to fleece the unsuspecting general public of their money to read their fortune?" He smirked, and raised an eyebrow.

His words did not mean anything horrible to his colleague - Alana had worked with him long enough now to know he didn't shy from teasing his colleagues as much as his students for his amusement. He folded his eyes and leaned his weight on one foot more than the other, casting his eyes about her classroom, looking very out of place in his suit.

"There was nothing in particular I needed from you, no, but to generally enquire that everything is well with your lessons and the students. You will send a few more down for detention once in a while, won't you? Don't want them to think you're entirely soft."

Edit:

And with that advice he bid her a nod and retreated back down the ladder from the trapdoor.


End