10am, Saturday the 1^st of October.

There were pastries piled high on several platters stationed evenly down the long table. On the sideboard were samovars of coffees and coffers, bags, and bowls of tea leaves and potpourris. There a half dozen kettles piping to their tasks. Knox Greyfriar had supplicated to the house elves for their best from the kitchens and they were kind to oblige, although, darkly, duty-bound to do nothing less.

Knox stood at the head of the table, holding parchments at arm's length. He'd left his glasses somewhere and hadn't yet bother to Accio for them.  He had delayed the staff meeting for a month. He had needed his own time to get settled, and wanted to set a precedent of staying out of the professors' hair while they got their own classes underway.  He had, of course, paid nearly everyone a personal visit* bearing a bribe or gift of some kind, and to each of them had asked a small favor. He'd found one or the other - a gift or request - made a body feel appreciated and needed.  It would do well if they all got along.

He greeted each staffer with a "Morning!" as they came in, and a wave to have some food.

"Would it make us all feel better to pretend this won't take long," he joked with the first to arrive.

---

*I know I haven't had a thread with everyone yet, but I'd certainly like to! If you'd do me the kindness of allowing Knox to have met everyone by now, that'd be very helpful. Thank you!

Sebastian yawned as he walked to the staff room. He had been up most of the night going over papers and testing potions. He had dressed in a casual deep green silk robes and was carrying a cup of coffee in his hand.  He had gotten the note from the Headmaster about a week ago but the papers had to be graded. He yawned again and opened the staff room door with a tap of his wand. He saw the pastries and went at one to a meat pie and chuckled at Knox's joke. "Well you can try but I fear with most of us we already know this will tale a few, What ever it is."


Sebastian took as seat and snatched a fruit tart from a tray and began eating while the rest came in, making sure to keep from dropping any  juices or crumbs

"Oh, just your typical boilerplate staff meeting," Knox said, still skimming his notes. "My expectations, handling curriculum, student discipline, maybe go over the Prefect choices, any classroom supplies you all might be short on, a few concerns from parents have come in, reducing casualties, my lunar escapades. Everything you'd expect."

He glanced up, pleased that the Potions professor had taken of his peace offering.

"How are classes going then?"

Professor Singh walked into the staff room. He walked in politely. He bowed to greet Knox and Sebastian. "Headmaster. Professor Darkfall." They were talking already. He tried not to interrupt. He checked they had refreshment. Then he made tea. The castle was quiet. The older students had gone to Hogsmeade. Professor Singh hoped everyone came home.

Sebastian sat a little straighter when Knox mentioned lunar escapades. "My classes are going fine, just about what I expected. You are not having any problems with the potion are you?" He asked as his eyes moved over the headmaster, looking for signs of  bad potion side effects.  The door opened during this and Sebastian saw Singh walk in and bow. He gave a bow back from his chair and simply replied "Professor Singh. Good morning" He turned back to Knox. "And for that matter what do you mean by reducing casualties. That would imply you expect casualties at all from school. Is there something happening here I haven't noticed this month?"

Professor Duerr had paused along the first floor corridor to exchange conversation with Sir Cadogan who was gallivanting through paintings. She had a certain pleasure in conversing with the portraits about the place. Some of them told some very interesting historical stories of Hogwarts, though it was clear for some where they had not spent enough time being taught by their owners to imprint enough of their personality, as the conversations would become circular. Sir Cadogan was delightfully enthusiastic and always hoping to duel for her honour.

She was descending the staircase as she saw Professor Singh enter the staff room ahead of her. He always dressed impeccably in her opinion. She had opted for a long panelled skirt, single buttoned blazer and blouse, hoping to appear formal enough for a Saturday meeting while casual enough to show they were meeting on a weekend.

Camille greeted the three wizards in the staff room with a bright smile and cheery good morning. Headmaster Greyfriar was holding parchment at arm’s length, and returned her greeting with a booming voice. Pretty Sebastian looked concerned, and already in conversation with the Headmaster, so she turned her attention to Ravindar.

“Will you be going to Hogsmeade later?” She asked, collecting some tea and finding a seat at the table. “I know one should avoid it when it’s swarming with students, but is it just me who feels a little uneasy, what with the dementors and last year.” Their streets were considerably safer now that those Gamp and Musgrave characters were locked up though.

It was yet another cloudy and wet day, and he could have opted to just take the floo into the staff room from the Hogsmeade cottage. Ever more aware of his mortality and that Death could well be waiting round the corner, the Defences Professor had renewed efforts to keep mind and body active, which included forgoing the magical shortcuts that allowed laziness, when he could. As such, he had opted to apparate to the gates, since the village would be full of students, and walk up the hill to the castle, which gave him more than enough exercise.

It also gave him time to clear his head and have a little time to himself. Well, it had at first.

Professor Onuris had caught up with Professor Storm as he ascended the path to the castle from the front gate, cheerily unfazed by the weather. The Frenchman had made a good impression on the older wizard so far, in that he appeared competent, obliging and had come with excellent references from Balfour Spectre and Alec Carter - two wizards Ignan both respected and could get along with in some form. They had managed to find common ground amongst stories of foreign climes and their beasts - though Onuris was much the expert on the beasts - but he had this growing tendency to be familiar. Camille had told him to appreciate it was part of the man’s culture, but the prickly German-born grump remained averse, balancing a wish to be polite to a good colleague and a wish to maintain a large bubble of personal space. His life appeared to be all about reducing that space of late, and solitary walks allowed him the breathing space.

Only now they were talking about bees, and there was no easy way to get out of it, given they were both heading to the staff room for a meeting on the Saturday morning. The only people they passed going the opposite way were students, who skirted round them or greeted them with minor curiosity given the Deputy Head’s awkwardness. Ignan’s lack of knowledge on bees was only being rectified by Sylvain’s wish to enthusiastically share. Good Merlin, how could people manage to be so nice?

“I see,” Ignan repeated, following near enough as they crossed the entrance hall. He lifted his hand to open the staff room door ahead of them and gestured for the younger wizard to go ahead. Across the room, and over Sylvain’s head, he caught his cousin’s eye, and she could hardly hide her amusement. “You are very much the authority amongst us on bees, Onuris, thank you,” he continued with a nod.

“Good morning.” His greeting to colleagues was unusually broad, in desperation to cease discussing buzzing insects before he ended up resorting to type. “Are we quorate? Best to start promptly.” He nodded to his superior at the other end of the table. Sooner they began, sooner they finished and he could enjoy his own company.

"It is very fascinating." Sylvain continued as they entered the staff room alongside the taller wizard, "The introduction of a new queen will change their behaviour, naturellement, but only if they adapt to her scent before they chew through the candy cage." He was explaining the strange reactions the bees in the forest apiary were having to long term exposure with Glumbumbles.

            “You are very much the authority amongst us on bees, Onuris, thank you,” Storm politely conceded.

He was an extraordinarily patient wizard, the deputy head, or at least that was what Sylvain thought him to be. The students appeared to defer to him without hesitation. It was the sign of a good teacher! And it was very nice to talk beasts or creatures with someone who knew a little about it.

Sylvain patted Ignan's back in a friendly, cheerful manner as he went to pour himself coffee. "We are short one or two, non?" he approached the long table with a steaming mug - feeling quite cosy in his thick cable knit sweater and what was probably his tidiest pair of corduroys.

Owen hurried into the staff room, still with some streaks of dirt and soot still on his robes.   It was easy to lose track of time in the greenhouses.  Especially on a grey cloudy day.  And one of the umbrella plants had been quite under-the-weather after one of the first years somehow managed to ignite half of it during a class earlier in the week.  He wasn't willing to call it quits on trying to save it since the plants took years to grow to a respectable umbrella size, and this particular one had been there since before he'd been a student if he remembered correctly.

"We are short one or two, non?" Owen heard Onuris ask as he entered.

"Sorry.  I'm here.  Its hard to keep track of time in this weather." He apologized before stopping to fix himself a cup of tea.  "And with most of the students in the village, no distractions either."  A perfect day to get some work done.  Which seemed to include a staff meeting.

"I will." Ravindar said. He offered Camille tea. "I feel it also. Would you like to come?" Suddenly everyone arrived. Professor Storm, Sylvain, Owen. Ravindar smiled at his friends. "A good day for work." He agreed with Owen. "We should take seats." He took a place at the table. He was ready for the meeting to begin.

Back in Charisma’s office was a 3rd Year Ravenclaw child currently alphabetising all 786 books on the shelves without the use of his wand that was currently in Aldridge’s robe pocket. Despite the temptation, the Ravenclaw head hadn’t locked him in. Apparently, safety said she couldn’t. But, as she’d departed for the staff meeting, she’d managed to convince the boy that she’d know if any cheating occurred.

It was just after Onuris and Storm that Charisma entered the staffroom. She’d given them distance, presumably because of her leg holding her up. Truthfully? She’d hardly wanted to be forced into walking with Ignan Storm, the grumpy git with a face like a sad troll. No one would chose to spend time with that man.

Her stick clattering against the stone flooring, Aldridge moved across the room to the tea things, sorting herself out with a cup.
"We should take seats."
“Let’s!” The former curse breaker responded with enthusiasm. “None of us want to be here all day.”

The Headmaster responded to Sebastian Darkfall in the affirmative, that the Wolfsbane Potion the Potions Master had brewed for him had been as helpful as could be expected. Greyfriar's way of speaking about such things, well, he felt it was important he be more than less transparent, but it was no pleasure to him. In fact, even though he had no cause to be, he felt embarrassment. Of all his sins, being a werewolf was not one of them. And yet.

Knox noticed as the rest of the staff, most of them, arrived within a few minutes of each other. Many looked as if they'd come directly from practical application of their specialities and it was certainly a cast of characters. The be-soiled Herbologist, seasoned. The Deputy, as if he'd come from some grim errand. The Carer of Magical Creatures, a picture of outdoors and mountainous comfort. Aldridge, by her manner, seemed to have come straight from piles of parchment. He had to smile to himself. It was good to be back.

He also considered it to his credit that the tone in the room was one eager, not reluctant, to begin. No one seemed too grouchy about it. Knox was more than happy to oblige.

The first thing he did was distribute a few inches of parchment to each: an agenda.

• Welcome
• Prefects
• Student needs
• Supplies
• Greyfriar's Routine
• Casualties

He stood, for the moment, to address the group of scholars.

"If you knew nothing about me before today, you'll have no doubt heard my reputation as a man of many words. I'll thank you to forgive me, and I'll return the favor in prioritizing brevity. I have delayed this meeting to allow you all to get started on your own pace and steam. I have been, and still am, a Professor and know how hectic start of term can be. So, here we are meeting for the first time in October."

"You're all looking very pretty," he said with a smile, "and I'm hearing that for the most part classes have been going well. My thanks for that."

He paused to peer at everyone over his glasses. By now, he hoped that his efforts to stay out of their hair and his personal visits had begun to win them over, or at least ameliorate any doubt of his good intentions. He was no tyrant, but he knew he was not everyone's taste.

Now he took his seat.

"First item. Prefects and Head Girl and Boy. I have a partial list, and see there are a few spots to fill. I do rely on our Heads of Houses to make those appointments, I wonder if I might suggest a break in tradition. What say you all in being flexible on the subject of gender?"

Greyfriar was speaking of course, of the historical standard of their being one girl and one boy for each house and tier. It was down in writing somewhere, and he'd noticed some deviation from it in these past few years, but he had hoped it could be explicitly stated and encouraged.

"Certainly, we'd like the count to reflect the equitable achievements across the range of our students, but well, I've learned a few things over the years, and perhaps the binary is less useful than I'd previously thought. Will you consider, perhaps, appointing Prefects and Head Students without too much concern for one girl and one boy?"

“Would you like to come?” Ravindar offered.
“That would be splendid darling,” Camille replied to her beautifully dressed colleague, “thank you.”

The door was almost constantly open now as the rest of their colleagues arrived. Sylvain was attempting to make a friend out of Ignan, though his older colleague did not seem as charmed. He didn’t know what he was missing out on, Mr Onuris was quite the lovely young man, and she rather enjoyed his company. As she did most of her colleagues.

“Are we quorate? Best to start promptly.”
“We are short one of two, non?”
“Sorry, I’m here…”
“We should take seats.”
“Let’s! None of us want to be here all day.”

Camille was too polite to say what Charisma had, but it was probably what they were all thinking about a Saturday meeting. Lillian, who taught Muggle Studies, slipped in as they were all taking their seats. The Arithmancy Professor took out her neat notebook and quill and consulted the agenda.

“Will you consider, perhaps, appointing Prefects and Head Students without too much concern for one girl and one boy?” Headmaster Greyfriar asked. Camille glanced about the Heads of Houses, who she understood appointed such positions within their students. It always seemed such a difficult job to do efficiently, to discipline one’s own house and deduct points.
“Still two per house, per year, Headmaster?” Professor Duerr ventured with a gently raised hand.
“The girls have always been better at it, in my opinion.” Professor Honeysuckle added in a sweet but thoughtful tone, suggesting there was something deeper to her reasoning, but she didn’t immediately want to share.

"Two per house, yes," Greyfriar replied to Professor Duerr.

He held the quiet a few long moments longer, checking for any lingering protestations or questions. Seemed there would be no fuss.

"Doesn't appear I've initiated an open revolt among you, so lets proceed with that. Heads of Houses, feel free to see me privately if you have any further concerns." He made eye contact with each of them in turn, then nodded.

Moving on to the next agenda item: Student Needs. 

"I wanted to open the floor to briefly discuss any students that might need any special considerations as far as home life, health concerns, or academic set-backs. Professor Storm has some background on first year Slytherin Feliks Spectre, and Naomi Foley - also Slytherin - is returning to Hogwarts after a term abroad. "

Knox went on to mention a few more names. Some names known to have had trouble with discipline issues in the past, others whose grades had dropped suddenly as shown by records.[1]

1.	Please do fill in any other student characters who I'm sure I've missed!

"Not to single out any of my own," Owen spoke up as the headmaster listed off names of students who needed additional attention.  "But Brenna hasn't been coping with her sister's death.  Not that we expect her to, but she barely spoke over the summer.  If she opens up to anyone..." He shrugged to the assembled professors.

The only reason he had taken the position originally was to watch after the younger members of his family.  Not that that had endeared any of his nieces and nephews to him.  Not to mention his own children.  "As for the rest of them, they all know how to work in a greenhouse and they know what tasks will be given to them for a detention."  He grinned a bit, brewing up some dragon dung fertilizer had an amazing effect on behavior.  At least in the short term.  It had yet to have a permanent effect on Madox.