Perhaps he'd forgotten a homework assignment?  Though that hardly seemed like something that couldn't wait for class.  Maybe - maybe it wasn't class-oriented?  Therefore, it would be inappropriate to address it during class?  If, perhaps, it had something to do with the Muggle Studies field trip, that would make sense.  Some follow up questions?  Maybe - somehow - Professor Ramsey had some important follow up assignment for him?

There had to be a myriad of good, non-terror-eliciting explanations for why the Transfiguration Professor might need to speak to Sasha.  Promptly.  On a Sunday afternoon.  Unfortunately, all the ideas that filled his head as Sasha made his way from the paddock behind the nurse's cabin to the castle all had an ominous doomsday feel to them. 

Could it be because of a week ago Friday when Sasha skipped class?  That couldn't still be it!  Sasha had apologized to Professor Ramsey on Monday along with all his Professors!  She'd seemed upset but it seemed like that had passed.  Had she changed her mind?  Did she have to ponder his punishment for a week? 

Or, maybe it was an extra assignment.  By the time Sasha found his way to the door to Professor Ramsey's office, an extra assignment had become, quite fully, the best case scenario. 

The tone of the voice that admitted Sasha into the room, however, did not help Sasha's sense of optimism.  He took a brief moment to straighten out his robes, check for any lingering wrinkles and straightened himself up before pushing the door open and slipping inside the classroom. 

It was tempting, as Sasha approached Professor Ramsey's desk, to launch into a self-defensive apology and expression of humility but he refrained.  "Professor," he offered, quietly, hoping his heart beating in his chest couldn't be heard in his voice.  "You asked to see me?"

She had been in quite a mood when she awoke that morning.  It had been a late night between fixing her broken desk and having on of those conversations with Kendall.  The last thing she liked to do was admit she was wrong in any way, but in revealing to Figaro that she too had allowed a peer to talk her into doing something she never dreamed of doing on her own she had felt the need to also tell the person her actions had directly affected all those years ago.  And, so, when she awoke that morning, the only thing that could be said for Morrigan Ramsay was that she was in one of those moods that caused most people to duck for cover.

The knock on the door drew her from the revisions she had been working on for the practical examination.  She didn't look up as she called for the person to enter, her tone conveying the growing annoyance she felt.   She knew who would be at her door and who was entering, so she kept writing.

"You asked to see me?"

Finally she looked up, removing the glasses from the bridge of her nose.  Sasha Schalgenweit was not the type of young man she would expect to find at the root of any trouble, but lately it seemed he had managed to find to a point of excess.  There was the sneaking out the night of Knox's attack, the skipping of classes...and now the reason she had found herself summoning him on a Sunday.

"Yes, Mr. Schalgenweit," she said, keeping her tone as even as possible, "have a seat."

She rose from behind the desk, pushing in the chair, and placing her hands on the back of it as she stood there regarding him.  She still wasn't entirely sure how it was possible the mild mannered young man had bullied another student into breaking into her desk.  But, it wasn't completely outside the realm of her imagination.

"I was curious," she began, "how your studies are going for the practical examination we have coming up."

There was no logical explanation for Sasha's profound case of nerves and dread as he neared the front of the class.  There could be lots of non-anger related explanations for the Transfiguration Professor's summons and the ominous manner in which she didn't look up from her page. 

But, despite all the logic in the world, Sasha couldn't help the color that flooded his cheeks when Professor Ramsey finally looked up.  He quickly dropped his gaze, already feeling guilty though he hadn't a clue what for.  Sasha always tried very hard to avoid trouble - he'd seen enough classmates wind up on the wrong end of Professor Ramsey's disapproval; that alone was reason enough to avoid any misbehavior. 

There was no need to tell him twice; Sasha shrank into the closest chair, slowly shaking his head in confusion.  Was this all because of Halloween?  Had it taken a whole week for her anger to build?  Yes, it had been wrong - Sasha knew that.  But, all of his other professors seemed to have let that issue rest. 

"My studies?" Sasha looked up from the desk, confusion etched across his face.  This was about his studies?  Almost as quickly as the confusion came, it left, replaced by dread.  Was he doing that poorly?  Sure, he had some difficulties with the practical lessons but he always managed to make up for it with the written stuff.  And, he always managed to get his wand to cough up something during examinations.  Was it OWLs?  Would the theoretical stuff not help him, this time?

Quickly, he shook his head.  "I think they're going alright," Sasha said, slowly, obviously questioning and doubting every word.  "I mean, I've always had trouble with the wandwork, but I thought I was doing better ... this year ... than ... well ... previous years?"  Each word seemed to be filled with more doubt than the last until the final two were phrased more as questions than statements.  "Am I failing?" he forced himself to ask, quietly.

“I haven’t completely ruled out that possibility after what I learned last night,” Morrigan said, her tone taking on that edge of annoyance all the students knew well.

She didn’t really have a plan in this case.  Every time she had considered how best to approach this topic the anger over the whole thing combined with the still lingering anger at herself that the previous night’s conversations had triggered.  So, she was improvising and hoping for the best in this case…she had stowed her wand safely away in her desk drawer for fear her temper might get the better of her before she could calm herself.

“Last night I came into the room to find the door open and another fifth year trying to extract the notes I made for the practical examination from my desk,” she continued.  “The student in question doesn’t seem the type to act alone, so naturally I had questions.  Eventually he admitted he was put up to the whole thing by another student.  I was completely surprised by the name he gave, but when I stopped to consider that this is the practical exam it actually made a bit of sense.  Can you guess what name he gave as that of his accomplice?”

She paused hoping he would fill in the blanks.  Along the way she had straightened herself and stated pacing a bit.  However when she asked the question of him she had stopped, her eyes fixed squarely on Sasha.

"I - what?" 

A few more decibels up the register scale and the question might have qualified as a full blown squeak.  Dread, fear, confusion were all fighting for control of Sasha's facial expression and his eyes darted quickly around the room for something - anything that might explain why he was here and what was so ... wrong. 

This couldn't be about his missed class...  It couldn't be!  Other students had skipped class before and, as far as he knew, none of them had automatically failed the class.  There was no denying, Sasha was far from one to try to shirk away from punishments he'd earned.  He'd learned - he'd been taught to face consequences without appearing weak and without complaining.  But, he'd never, ever had faced failing a class.  That just seemed excessive!  Too horrible to fathom!

And, during his OWLs years, as well!

"I'm ... I'm sorry," he spluttered desperately, shaking his head.  "I don't unders-  I know I shouldn't have missed class - I don't want to make excuses - I've already made up the work - I'll do more - I just..."

Professor Ramsey was pacing the room.  Still desperately trying to seek out an explanation - any explanation, Sasha's eyes followed the Professor's progress carefully. 

A student had been caught stealing exam questions?  "That's awful," Sasha said, quietly.  He sounded sincere, but he sounded confused - baffled why this pertained to him.  Did he know the name of the accomplice - and, by the sounds of it, the other student was the mastermind, not the accomplice.  Was he supposed to know?  Did she think he was shirking on his prefect duties by not turning them in?

Slowly, Sasha shook his head.  "No, ma'am.  I can't.  I really - I don't know.  Was it ... did they claim it was a Ravenclaw?"  Was that how he was supposed to know? 

It was clear the young man was already panicking, and had she not known better she might have bought into his innocent act.  She took a moment as he spoke, trying to set aside personal feelings for a moment.  This was not really about her, and this was not about what she did in her school days.  No, this had to remain solely about what occurred the previous evening.  She had talked through her own experience with the person it had directly affected, that didn't need to resurface here as well.

"No, ma'am.  I can't.  I really - I don't know.  Was it ... did they claim it was a Ravenclaw?"

“The name provided was yours, Mr. Schlagenweit,” she said quietly, her voice keeping its edge.  She was pacing again as she continued, “At first I was quite shocked, but then I thought a bit about everything.  This is a practical exam after all, and you said yourself that you had trouble with your wandwork.”

In a moment of desperation to maintain grades students like Sasha, and as she herself had been at that age, did stupid things.  She wasn’t about to allow this to simply pass without having him suffer the consequences of his actions.  She hadn’t told anyone outside of Kendall, and she didn’t really intend to as of yet.

“If you were having that much trouble you should have come to be directly for assistance,” she added.

"M- Mine?" 

This time, the stuttered question was a full blown, astonished squeak.  Professor Ramsey was pacing again - like a child transfixed - hypnotized by the swaying of a clock, Sasha's eyes followed her, his chin dropped.  Piece by piece, syllable by syllable, his mind replayed what Professor Ramsey had said.  Over and over again, his mind struggling to make sense of what he'd heard. 

Someone ... someone had been caught stealing test notes.  Someone had said he - he - was set up up to it.  Someone had given a name.  That name had been his.  Someone had been set up to steal notes.  That someone gave a name.  The name was his.  Someone had been caught stealing notes he'd set them up to steal.  All of a sudden, like a stick of dynamite had exploded in his head, it made sense.  Someone had accused him of trying to steal test notes.  Of cheating.  And, Professor Ramsey believed them. 

Sasha shot to his feet, sweat already beading on his forehead.  "Who?" he demanded, before thinking better of it and catching himself.  He was only half aware of the sharp prick of his fingernails digging into the heel of his hands from his clench fists. 

He tried to force himself to relax - tried to force his lungs to take a deep enough breath to slow his heart rate.  But, it wasn't working.  His breaths were still progressively coming more rapid and shallow. 

"They're lying!" Sasha insisted - or pleaded.  "I swear!  I wouldn't - I don't want to ... I know I struggle with the wandwork but - but I want to do well!  Cheating wouldn't be my accomplishment!  And, I certainly wouldn't lie about it!  I wouldn't lie!" 

His conviction was nearly persuasive and as he shot up to his feel Morrigan’s pacing stopped.  Over the years she had heard nearly every line in the book to try to dissuade her from believing the student was guilty of any wrong doing.  That fact alone it seemed was enough to make her skeptical of anything he said.  No one wanted to have their reputations tarnished, especially those with previously impeccable records.

“Sit, Mr. Schlagenweit,” she said, taking on her usual classroom tone and ignoring his request to name the person who had identified him as their accomplice.

After five years at Hogwarts he should have been aware that any sort of pleading really wouldn’t get him anywhere.  She wasn’t one for yelling if she could avoid it.  After all, it was often left more of an impression on the student if they sat there waiting for the raised, angered tone that rarely came their way.

“Don’t worry, you will be earning your grade just like everyone else,” she told him.  “Since clearly your wand work is your weakness you will not simply be serving detention with me, but proving to me that I shouldn’t simply give you a troll on principle.”

Sasha could feel his hands shake as he stared at Professor Ramsey, desperation glistening in his eyes.  She had to believe him - had to believe he wouldn't ever cheat.  If he weren't so panicked and focused on setting things straight, he might have even been offended that she'd believe such a thing.  Perhaps, in a few hours, when he'd calmed down and could look back, he would be. 

Obediently, Sasha immediately dropped back into his chair, rubbing his mouth and nose vigorously with both hands.  He couldn't believe this - couldn't believe ... who ... who would do this to him?  One of the Slytherins?  Tawse?  Knight?  Surely, if they had, Professor Ramsey would know better than to believe them but ... maybe, she didn't? 

And, as Professor Ramsey plowed on, it was clear she hadn't any intentions of listening or believing him.  As much as he'd like to continue insisting he'd never lie, he knew his reputation was well tarnished in that area as well.  He'd been branded a liar.  In the Daily Prophet, of all places.  His shoulders sank as he sighed, accepting the inevitable. 

"Yes, ma'am," he clearly, but hollowly.  "I - of course."  Considering he had every intentions of sitting the exam and accepting the inevitable grade, the first stipulation was hardly a hardship.  And, proving his capabilities - or lack there of to Professor Ramsey would be uncomfortable but not horrendous.  So far, he seemed  to be fairing pretty well.  Aside from the general embarrassment of the accusation - that, really, was the worst that could be dished out, anyway.  Except...

Quickly Sasha shook his head.  "Please.  You can't write my parents."  It should, of course, be obvious to both of them by now why.  "Please.  You ... I'll do whatever." 

He seemed to accept the fact that he would not be talking his way out of this one.  It hadn’t been that long since she’d accepted his apologies for missing class.  The article that dreadful Skeeter woman had written after speaking with his sister seemed a good enough reason.  Yet, now she was starting to wonder if perhaps she shouldn’t have been so quick to overlook it.  After all, if he would lie to his own family why wouldn’t he lie to her about cheating?

The request to not write to his parents took her a bit by surprise, her brain had been so focused on the whole incident she hadn’t stopped to consider the ramifications of sending an owl to his parents.  His sister had stated in the article that ran on Halloween that they would certainly not be pleased and perhaps do something drastic.  If he hadn’t said something she probably wouldn’t have thought twice about sending an owl carrying the nasty news.

She gave a slight nod in response, agreeing since she understood that it would not be the wisest maneuver in this case.  Despite finding himself in a world of trouble, Sasha was a bright young man and had a great deal of potential, to send a letter home would certainly end his magical career.  She couldn’t do that, no matter how angry and upset she was over the attempt at cheating.

“Given the circumstances I’ll make an exception there,” she told him, feeling herself calm a bit.  “Honestly, by now you should know me to be a rather direct person, and that extends into dealing with rule breakers if at all possible.  So, the Headmistress has also not been made aware of the situation.  If she asks why you’re serving detentions with me obviously I will have to tell her the reasoning, but the issue is solely between you and I.”

With a slight sigh she continued, “You’re a good student and I don’t want to do something that will limit the potential for you to learn and grow…which is the main reason I’ve decided to basically keep this quiet.”  She tried to ignore the voice that said she was starting to get old and go soft.

She wasn't going to owl his parents - it was a rather significant source of relief in an all together miserable interaction.  He still didn't understand what had happened - he still didn't understand why he was here and who had accused him of cheating.  Or, more importantly, why. 

Had it been intentional?  Clearly, the cheating had been preplanned - had whoever did it also planned to set him up to take the fall?  It was quick and easy and tempting to assume that he'd been randomly selected as a scapegoat.  It wasn't particularly pleasant to think that, while deciding who to lay the blame on, the perpetrator had simply decided Sasha fit the bill.  But, it was rather disturbing to think that someone had planned this to, intentionally, get Sasha in trouble. 

The worst thing was, he didn't know who.  It could be any one of his classmates. 

It felt humiliating - simply having no choice but to quietly accept the blame for something he didn't do.  He had no choice but to cave and accept the inevitable without a fight.  He had to seem grateful that Professor Ramsey wasn't going to owl his parents.  And, that she'd chosen to keep something quiet.  Something that he didn't and wouldn't do.  "Thank you, ma'am," he said quietly, his voice trembling slightly. 

"How many - I've never had a ... detention here.  What do I have to do?"  The word alone felt rancid in his mouth. 

Part of Morrigan actually felt bad for him.  She had been there, sitting where he was having to be punished for perhaps the first time.  Sasha reminded her a great deal of herself, always striving to be the best and always concerned with what others thought.  She had thought when she received her round of detentions in school that she would die of embarrassment, but she hadn’t and neither would he.  He would simply learn to accept it and move on.

“You will be with me for detentions on Wednesday evenings until the end of the term,” she told him.  “That is providing your wand work improves to my satisfaction.  I will not have you leaving here with a reason for your name to be attached to another incident like this.  You will come here after dinner and I will have a different task for you to work on each week.”

The thought of having to spend two nights in detentions made her feel a bit cranky, but having the two boys in the same room wasn’t something that she was interested in either.  She wasn’t interesting in refereeing and she wouldn’t be setting up a confrontation that would cause one of her coworkers to do so.  The two young men were already in enough trouble.

“I also have not discussed this with Professor Fraiser,” she added.  “As he is my friend I will keep this between us for now, but if you end up attached to any additional trouble in the near future I will have to reconsider that.”

The voice in her head virtually screamed she was going soft.  The Morrigan of old would have wasted no time running to Isaac and demanding Sasha be removed from the Amazon research.  She wasn’t certain if it was old age or Kendall’s influence.

Having already accepted there was no way out of this and nothing he could do Sasha took a deep breath and looked stoically up.  He nodded his head.  If one disregarded the fact that Sasha had nothing to do with the cheating, the punishment laid before him wasn't that bad.  In fact, it was turning out to be individual practice with Professor Ramsey - something he could benefit from. 

It seemed fitting that Sasha would use the opportunity to make the professor aware of his recent discovery.  Late though it might have been and embarrassing though his ignorance was, it had, at least, shed some light on his shortcomings. 

"Ma'am," Sasha said, quietly.  "I don't expect it to change anything.  But, I wanted to let you know - while I was at the Ministry this past week, I learned why I have been struggling with wandwork.  I - my first year - you know, I couldn't ... I was on my own getting supplies.  I couldn't get to Diagon Alley so I got all my supplies through school.  Once I was here, I ..."  he blushed, slightly, shrugging awkwardly.  "I didn't know about the process of getting a wand.  I found a wand in the lost and found and assumed it would be as good as any.  I didn't even know what it was until I checked it in at the Ministry of Magic."   

Tell Professor Frasier?  Would that mean he wouldn't be able to go on any more of the field trips?  Of course it would - assuming Professor Frasier believed it.  He had gone out on a limb to get Sasha permission to go.  And, considering he'd never had any interest in getting in trouble in the first place, hopefully it wouldn't be an  issue. 

"Do I start this week?" he asked, sighing as his shoulders dropped.  In other words, could he run away now?

She felt an eyebrow raise slightly at his admission about his wand.  She had been lucky in that her father was a Wizard and knew the best Sedona had to offer.  The day a wand chose its owner wasn't something one easily forgotten, and to begin school without a proper wand could be disastrous.  It certainly explained many of the problems Sasha had encountered over the years.

"We'll start the twelfth after dinner," she told him.

It seemed the slightly unorthodox trip to London had actually done some good to the young man.  She would have preferred him to be there learning, but after the article in the paper she wasn't opposed.   It was supposed to give him time to collect himself and return to his studies refreshed.  She was beginning to wonder if it was all tied into this whole test stealing plot somehow.

"I'm assuming you found yourself a proper wand then?" she asked.  "Or should I said, a proper wand found it's way to you.  I would be curious to what changes it might bring about."

The surprise that registered in Professor Ramsey's face did little to comfort Sasha though muted and well-controlled as it was.  Sasha had learned, at a young age, to read and recognize changing emotions in others - it was the first step to avoiding trouble and the consequences that followed.  Red bloomed brilliantly across his cheeks and Sasha's gaze dropped to the top of his desk.  Perhaps it should have been obvious - the old fellow at the wandshop seemed to think it should have been but how was he supposed to know?  They never went over that in class - presumably, because all new witches and wizards got that lecture from the wandmaker.  Most, probably, didn't completely skip that shop on their whirlwind mad-school-supply dash.

Between the blush, the downward cast eyes and the deep, defeated sigh that left Sasha's chest when the first detention was set, he probably looked miserable.  It was pretty close to how he felt.  Everything about these last thirty minutes or so had been humiliating.  And, all he could do was offer a simple, quiet: "yes, ma'am." 

Again, Sasha repeated, "yes, ma'am," in response to both Professor Morrigan's question and statement.  He had gotten a new wand though part of him did miss his first wand.  They may not have been 'matched' but, over the years, he'd gotten used to it.  He was curious too, though, to see if things changed. 

"Can I go, now?" he asked, quietly, not budging from his seat until he'd been given the green light.  His chin quivered, slightly, as he eagerly awaited the chance to be alone.