(Please read plot here!)


Fauna stood on the side of the platform, wiping her palms on her skirt as she surveyed the Great Hall. Many of the SAWS members had already taken their seats, thank Merlin, but the speeches were meant to reach the rest of the Hogwarts population. A few of the professors had been kind enough to encourage attendance to the optional assembly today, and Fauna glanced at the doors, willing more students to arrive. The SAWS club had put up many fliers and advertised free food, so if anything, treats might entice those who had missed out on lunch.

She checked her new pocketwatch. It was five minutes after 1:00. Clearing her throat, Fauna decided it was time, and glanced at Vlad Dragulia, giving him a small smile that she hoped was encouraging. If Bagnold was already in the crowd, she avoided looking at him completely, not happy that he of all people had been chosen to speak. The best she could hope for was that he'd make himself look prejudiced and foolish. She knew better than to hope that Professor O Morain had forgotten to charm the doors to prevent attendees from leaving once the first speaker was finished.

She stepped up to the podium and casted Sonorous on herself. "Hi." The nervousness in her voice seemed magnified to her.

"Thanks for coming. We have two speakers today from the Ministry, and they'll give you different views and ideas on how to handle a werewolf attack. Since the fall, there's been, well... a rise in attacks, and things have become more controversial. This is why we've invited these speakers to give their opinions, so we can learn from them and... feel more prepared and better about things."

Heart racing, she took a deep breath, and gestured to the SAWS member behind her, inviting them to introduce the first speaker and add to anything she'd said.

Vlad answered Fauna’s somewhat hesitant smile with a confident one. Though he had felt a bit anxious when he was first contacted, the anxiety was for the students who invited him, not for himself. In his capacity as Chairman of the International Council of Wizards he was well-accustomed to speaking in public; and despite what anyone might think, he had not made his reputation by sitting safely behind a desk.

Yet despite…or perhaps because of his reputation…it seemed that the Deputy Headmaster resented his being invited. This puzzled Vlad because it was not that unusual for Hogwarts instructors to bring in guest speakers from the Ministry. But…to be honest… Declan O’Morain’s opinion mattered little to Vlad, one way or the other.. In fact…if O’Morain actually felt insulted by his presence…that might prove entertaining.

From what Vlad heard though the grapevine, this Deputy Headmaster was very insistant on rank having its privileges. That is to say, his...the Deputy Headmaster's...rank.  Evidently O'Morain's nose was bent out of joint because Fauna and her friends had decided they wanted to hear a second opinion, without consulting him first. They had not actually invited anyone without asking first…but it seemed that in O’Morain’s mind, even just wanting to make up their own minds was disrespectful.

He saw Fauna struggling with the introduction, looking around as if someone else from SAWS was supposed to step in. It did not look as if anyone was going to help her out.

Vlad suspected that O'Morain was deliberately making things awkward, by not introducing the speakers himself. After all when guests came during Dumbledore’s tenure he had always been gracious, introducing them personally. If Bagnold were the only speaker, Vlad wondered, would O’Morain still be silent?

Stepping up to stand next to Fauna, Vlad  leaned down.

“Miss Blake,” he said softly. “It is past 1 o’clock. Perhaps we should just begin…”

Clothes

Maddie was a volcano. Stoic and unreadable on the outside, chaotic and explosive underneath. While she sat there, calm and collected with her self-inking quill primed and ready for notes, she was a cauldron of bubbling emotions inside. She was excited and exhilarated by the chance to be part of this debate, even if it wasn't as a debater. She lived for this sort of thing and felt greatly honored to be allowed to introduce the pro-werewolf speaker, Vladislaus Dragulia. However she was also nervous. It was the first time she had called attention to herself since Halloween and she had a feeling that, considering the mixed emotions of the crowd, that she was going to have her share of heckling. But, she reminded herself, you need this... You need to get over this funk. Who cares what they think... certainly not you... Get out there and represent!

When Dragulia mentioned it was time and Fauna motioned to her, Maddie took a deep breath and nodded. Standing, she straightened out and smoothed her sweater before taking a step up to the podium. Licking her lips she gave the crowd a tight smile and begin.

"There are those out there that would say that Prejudice keeps us safe and discrimination keeps us pure, but these are people that have never had to suffer the injustice of being discriminated against for crimes that they never committed. They do not have to pay, day after day, for the atrocities that a long dead ancestor or a stranger afflicted with the same disease have inflicted on others. They do not have to fight, tooth and nail, to prove to the world that they are their own person with their own hopes and dreams, and not a clone of some long dead monster. They don't have to deal with any of this, but the man I am about to introduce has..."

"...The name Dragulia has incited terror for years thanks to crimes committed hundreds of years ago, and our first speaker, Elder Dragulia, has had to deal with these unfair and unwarranted prejudices his entire life. Has he allowed it to control him? to change him into some dark creature that others wish to believe he is? No. This is a man who has thrown off the mantel of his ancestor and has taken up the mantel of a hero. He not only protects this land and people as though they were his own kin, but does so with a fair and diplomatic hand. He has not been twisted by hate like so many others, despite being one of the few that has suffered enough to warrant it, and has graced us with his presence today in order to teach us that no matter what has occurred in the past we must remain steady and strong in our beliefs and not let the lies and slander of the less-enlightened control us...."

"So without further ado, I am honored to introduce the Chief Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Vladislaus Dragulia" Smiling at the smattering of applause that marked the end of her speech, Maddie stepped back and nodded towards the Romanian elder, relieved that her time in the spotlight was over.

Regardless of what the Chief Mugwump might be thinking, Declan was not bent out of shape at all in reference to the speakers who had come. Declan had admired Fauna's tenacity, and her ability to ask his permission. What he had not admired were some of the other members of SAWS who were incredibly disrespectful and felt the need to correct their superiors. But since Declan did not know anything the Chief Mugwump was thinking, he could not correct the man. (Not that he would if he did know- often times Declan let others think what they wanted.)

He sat off to the side on a chair upon the platform, watching as Fauna awkwardly spoke with the students, and watching as another member of SAWS introduced their speaker. Declan was not keeping an open mind, but he was attempting civility and support of his students by being in attendance. He was not going to introduce Bagnold either, but give a summation at the end of the event in the hopes of letting the students know the point of such speakers.

Vlad did not base his impression of Declan O’Morain on what he heard from Fauna Blake. In fact…while he had exchanged a brief correspondence with Fauna…she had said nothing about the Deputy Headmaster, except that he gave his permission. However…there had been other correspondence. No one would have been surprised if he derived his opinion from Tulojow Nagde.  Tulo was well-known for her anti-authoritarian stance, and it was surely no accident that the  SAWS members gravitated toward her. And yes…she and Vlad had been corresponding about the assembly.

But… it was not Tulo who’d given Vlad such an unfortunate impression. Now whatever else might be said about Declan, he was certainly the type to do his homework. So…he may possibly have been aware that Vlad was blood kin to Ignan Storm. In fact Vlad was Ignan’s uncle…and it was at least partly due to Vlad’s letter of recommendation that Ignan had acquired his position at Hogwarts.  So…when Vlad Owled to tell him that he was coming to speak at the assembly, they met in Hogsmeade, over a pint of Stout, and Ignan told him about the meeting between the Deputy Headmaster and the delegates from SAWS.

Ignan Storm had been a witness at this meeting; and from what he said, Master O’Morain had taken offense over trifles. While one or two students might have said things bordering on impertinence, overall they had behaved as young people will, when the matter under discussion involves Principles. It is true that young people who are having that first heady experience with standing up for Principle may think no one has ever done so before. However…when faced with that youthful enthusiasm for a cause…one might hope teachers would be patient…even encouraging. In a sense Declan O’Morain was being just that, in that he was permitting this assembly. However…

Vlad did not know what Declan was thinking, any more than Declan knew what he was thinking. But had he known Declan believed he allowed the students freedom of thought, he would have thought the Deputy Headmaster was fooling himself. From what Vlad heard, Declan had remarked that only one student in that little group treated him with appropriate respect. At the time at least a couple of them hadn’t said a word yet…though admittedly one gave him a dirty look, which seemed to offend him. Hearing that had amused Vlad. Obviously despite being a teacher, O’ Morain hadn’t yet learned that the best way to deal with teenage dirty looks was to ignore them…and that demanding respect from kids almost always resulted in just the opposite. 

Then again…from Ignan’s perspective, and Vlad’s as well…Declan O’Morain was still a kid himself. With time he might learn that not all things were black and white. That there were a lot of gray areas…

Hearing Madeleine Pratt’s introduction, he smiled a bit ruefully. “My, my…” he said, speaking with just a faint trace of Romanian accent. “You are a tough act to follow, Miss Pratt. But  I have suffered no more than any other victim of unfair prejudice. Far worse things happened in Eastern Europe, during the mid-20th century…” He sighed. “But…that is not what we are here to talk about, I think.”

“As I understand it, the topic of discussion is what to do if one is attacked by a werewolf. And…if I understand correctly…you have already been told that the best strategy is to kill the werewolf. Better safe than sorry, so to speak…”

He looked out at the audience. “Now…I will not say this is entirely wrong. Make no  mistake…during the wars with Grindelwald and Voldemort…I was forced to make use of my crossbow with the silver arrows, many times. I will not deny that I saw things which perhaps made me…too eager to use that crossbow. But…one must never forget that a werewolf is not a rabid wolf that one can kill without thinking about it. When all is said and done, a werewolf is a human being. Perhaps, one with a sickness. Perhaps, one whose hunger and misery is exploited by others, to force it to do harm. For you know…very few animals are evil, in themselves. Most of the time, any evil you find can be traced back to men...”

“Nevertheless…there are werewolves, like Fenrir Greyback, who willingly give themselves to evil. And then, there is no doubt they must be destroyed. However…if someone has told you that you should try to kill a werewolf…any werewolf…yourself, I would ask them if they have ever tried it.Because frankly…for  an amateur to take on a werewolf is more likely to get the amateur dead, than the werewolf.”

"Now there are still things you can do to defend yourself. I know some say spells can be of use…but as some of you may know, I was with Elder Knox and…the others…at the time of the attack in Hogsmeade. Several people tried various spells and found them to be of little use. However…silver is always effective. I always carry a dagger in my boot, but…even  a bracelet or a pendant can be enough to make a werewolf look for easier prey elsewhere."

"But…most importantly…whether or not it is a full moon…whether or not you have cause to be concerned about werewolves or anything else…it is wisest never to go to any isolated place, alone.”

He smiled, and shrugged slightly. ”Any questions?”

Declan listened to Vlad speak. He felt a small pang of offense, knowing he had told students they were better off dead. Naturally if they weren't dangerous they would be registered, taking wolfsbane potions, and therefore not attack you. If a werewolf was dumb enough not to follow the laws, then they should accept any and all consequences. But it wasn't his place to interject his own opinion this evening, and he wasn't going to. Pretending to be objective in this assembly could help him with the student body.

"Excuse me, Mr. Dragulia, but we are not having questions at the moment," he said. "If the students wish to ask questions and discuss with you your opinions, they are more than welcome to do so after the assembly. But in the interest of time and scheduling and the requirements for attending both speakers, I would rather it not last too long due to an influx of questions. I trust you understand?" That was his diplomatic way of putting at least.

The truth of the matter was that Declan did not want any sort of debate to break out. He had told the students there was to be no debate. That those who attended must stay to hear both speakers. Breaking for questions could take up another half hour of his time and the students' time. They had homework to do and other things that required their attention. He was not going to force them to sit through a question and answer session of both speakers. It was unfair for those who were merely curious and not at all passionate about the subject.

"I trust many students have a lot of questions that could require quite lengthy explanations. I think it would be best to hear both speakers, and take a break before answering questions. The attention span of many teenagers is not very extensive, after all."

[Bella's outfit]

From the back, Bellatrix gave a wide yawn. She had actually volunteered to attend this assembly for the simple reason that it was about werewolves. S.A.W.S. was all over school and while it hadn't piqued her interest to find out what the students were all protesting (or whatever they were doing) about, the news quickly spreading around Hogwarts that werewolf speakers would be talking to students about surviving an attack might have been useful. Who knew? Maybe it would save her life one day. Plus, Bellatrix needed to get out of the common room and take a break from homework or studying for O.W.L. exams. Her mood had been so good lately that she was open to any opportunity that presented itself. Why waste a useful assembly about werewolves? She sat, she listened, and had even sneaked a package of Bertie Bott's in with her. They were crammed in the pocket of her skirt and every once in a while, she'd pop one in to taste its nasty or delightful flavor.

---

[Serenity's Outfit]

Sitting up front was the little first year Ravenclaw who was staring up at the speaker with a look of awe. She wasn't trying to take notes, but instead remember everything that he said. This was a little hard since he pushed the subject forward instead of pausing to let information linger in their minds. Her hazel eyes glanced around at the other students. The idea of people speaking on behalf of werewolves to Hogwarts students had been fascinating to Serenity Lee! Also, since the staff seemed generally concerned for the students' safety (so concerned that Professors Storm, Trishna, and Mr. Morgan had tried to teach the 1st and 3rd years to side-along apparate which had ended in disaster), Serenity wanted to try and take as much precaution as possible.

When the speaker finished, he asked if there were questions. Serenity hesitantly raised her own hand. That was when the Deputy Headmaster suggested no questions. Disappointed and a tad embarrassed, the little first year put her hand down and slid down in her seat so as to not draw further attention to herself. However, she continued to listen attentively. There were so many things about werewolves that she wanted to ask and knew nothing about. Such curiosity would one day get the better of her.

---

[Roxanne's Outfit]

Werewolves. Oh yeah, she knew about them. Her mother had met plenty on her adventures skulking around in Knockturn Alley with her fiancee/cousin. Vladimir had even brought a couple home last summer. They hadn't been the pleasant sort. Roxanne had watched them very closely and although they didn't seem pure evil, they had some pretty bad vibes going on that the empathic girl didn't appreciate. They were scary. That was why she had decided to attend this assembly: to watch who was speaking, listen to what they had to say, and figure out how to handle one if she crossed their dangerous path. Maddie, an older Hufflepuff, had basically said that werewolves weren't all bad. The speaker agreed with her and explained it was the same way an animal worked: they were forced into it.

Roxanne snorted to herself from somewhere around the middle of the Great Hall. At least he had the decency to admit people like Fenrir Greyback were evil. The werewolves she'd met over the summer had certainly come close. She hoped, for the sake of them all, that there were some good people who had bad luck. That they didn't have to snarl and threaten people like her soon-to-be-step-dad with death threats every time he told them "I can't do that, that can't be arranged". Not that Roxanne would have cared if Vladimir was mauled by a werewolf. She'd shove him in front of one if it meant saving her own skin. The Necromancer was a cretin and she couldn't stand him. Better him than her: she had choices to make for the life that was ahead of her and she wouldn't make the mistakes he had of dabbling into the dark arts. Yes, the dark arts could have some interesting stuff once in a while, but Roxanne didn't want to be mixed up in them. At all.

Professor Morain interjected to keep the speaker from answering any questions. She knew she had to stay for both speakers. This was informative, not just what he was saying, but the way the man moved, acted, presented himself. Was he nervous? If he was, he was doing a decent job of hiding it. Roxanne's eyes shifted to the Deputy Headmaster and all of the S.A.W.S. members sitting down. Were they nervous? This was a big deal for their organization, wasn't it? Again, her eyes roamed over the speaker. Foreign, Chief Mugwump, and not giving off bad vibes at all. That was good news! There was some hope for the werewolves yet. It wasn't that Roxanne discriminated against them (entirely), she just didn't feel like associating with them if they were all going to be teeth-and-mauling.

The truth was, Freya attended the assembly for the free food.  She might have some interest in the lecture, but it was too much like school to hold her attention for long.

...That is, until Dragulia began speaking.  The cadence of his accent and the timber of his voice was riveting and she listened despite herself.  Though she'd stood stiffly at the back of the room until that point, she drifted further in and took an empty seat, managing to do so without knocking anything over.  When he mentioned silver, her hand rose unconsciously to finger the silver cross her Gran had given her for Yule.  She wondered if the recent rash of werewolf attacks had anything to do with her choice of gifts...

Almost at once, she decided she liked this Dragulia.  Rather than boasting about the dangers of his position, he cautioned students not to forget that werewolves were human beings.  It seemed odd, coming from a man who made a living as he did, but Freya, for one, was grateful for the reminder.

She'd never liked her da' much, but it hadn't been because of his affliction.  Rather, he wasn't a very good father and probably wouldn't have been, even if he'd been a normal Muggle.  She supposed it must have been hard for him to deal with a magical disease, coming from the background he did.  Maybe he hadn't always been such a jacka--

She stopped herself before she followed through on the thought.  The fact was, her father's unfortunate death was probably the most fortunate thing to happen to their family.  But the fact remained: Her father went monthly to a clinic which provided him with his wolvesbane potion.  He was required to remain there throughout the duration of the full moon.  The potion they'd given him had failed, he'd broken out (or another wolf had broken in) and in the ensuing alpha-male battle had been torn to bits.

So wolvesbane could fail.  Either that or her da' was a bigger jerk than even she knew and he hadn't taken it that month.  But surely not all of these werewolf attacks were the fault of the wolves.  Not to mention, what if you were newly bitten?  What if you didn't know you were a lycanthrope?  The first Full Moon must be awful for them, and she knew from what her da' said that he never remembered the Full Moon.  So... could they really all be blamed?

She bit her lip.  Werewolves were dangerous, no matter what the SAWS kids said.  She felt bad for Ollie getting kicked out of Hogwarts, but really, even with wolvesbane, they had a responsibility to keep the other kids safe.  What if she'd done what Freya's da' had done, broken out, run amock... with an entire castle full of kids trapped like... like a cat with an aquarium.

She realized she tasted blood.  She'd bitten her lip a bit too hard with that thought.  She shook her head and tucked Gran's silver cross under her shirt, crossed her legs and forced herself to lean back as if she didn't care.  Despite the pose, though, she was listening intently...

Eveline sat with the other SAWS students, looking around in an effort to gauge the reactions of those those who weren’t in SAWS. She noticed Bella nibbling candy and while her first reaction was to feel annoyed…still, at least Bella was there. Evie and Cousin Bella had never got along. Evie supposed it was because she, Evie, was a girly-girl. While this interest in clothes, hair and the like was due more to  her mother’s influence than Evie’s own true nature, Bella could hardly be blamed for not knowing that…

Evie snorted at herself. Even three months ago she would not have been thinking such thoughts, or considering Bella’s point of view. What was getting into her?

Turning her attention back to Dragulia, Evie thought he was a pretty good speaker. Perhaps too good a speaker to suit Professor O’Morain, since he immediately stepped in to prevent anyone from asking Mr. Dragulia questions. His excuse was that there wasn’t time…but it wasn’t like Mr. Dragulia had made a long-winded speech. But at least there might be a chance to ask him some questions later.

 Unless Professor O’Morain found a way to put the kibosh on that too…

Silver, she thought, hearing the suggestions at the end of the Chief Mugwumps’s speech. She had a nice silver pendant, in the form of a butterfly. Maybe she’d best start wearing it…


Noticing Freya sitting a few seats back, Evie got up and moved as unobtusively as she could , to sit next to her. "Hi," she whispered. "Glad to see you could make it."

Standing in the background with Maddie, Fauna felt very glad she was out of the spotlight. Maddie had delivered an impressive, passionate introduction, and though Fauna couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy over the fifth-year's speaking skills, she knew she'd made the right choice in asking her to announce the first speaker. This assembly had begun with the 'oomph' it deserved!

Fauna also felt very pleased about Mr. Dragulia's speech. He was eloquent, yet down to earth. He acknowledged the dangers and the reality of werewolves like Fenrir Greyback, while emphasizing the importance of remembering that werewolves were human beings. He gave practical, useful information. And he kept his speech on the short side, which was perfect for their audience. They didn't need two-hour lectures that addressed every single idea. He understood that.

The interesting thing about standing in the background was that she could watch people's faces in the crowd. Some students seemed focused on the treats. One first-year in the front row stared at Mr. Dragulia in awe, and Fauna couldn't help but give her a small smile. Freya looked conflicted. Eveline was friendly as always. Professor O Morain was more difficult for Fauna to read, and she worried for a moment when he informed them that they would have time for questions later. However, he'd been polite enough to Dragulia, and that was really all she could ask.

Fauna sent Vlad Dragulia a grin, hoping she'd get a chance to thank him for speaking when this was over. Now came the tough part: time for Kurby Bagnold to make his rebuttal.

She glanced at Dion, letting him know he could introduce the second speaker. Fauna trusted that Dion would introduce Bagnold respectfully and prove that SAWS was above petty behavior (at least in public)!

Dion had been sitting quietly, mulling over how to introduce Bagnold. Unlike Vlad, Kirby wasn't widely known for his heroic actions (at least to SAWs) or his prestigious titles; he was an outspoken, grouchy young man from the WCU and that, as far as Dion was concerned, was that. Trying to dress up the other facts he knew - always sent on non-diplomatic tasks, usually killed his targets - would be difficult to do, no matter what he said.

It might be best to ignore them, then; especially with Ó Móráin in the audience.

He stood on Fauna's signal and walked to the podium and gave Kurby a quick glance. While Maddie's speech had been very good, he really didn't feel capable of giving Kurby one that was its equal; one that summed up Kurby's interactions with werewolves would probably have Ó Móráin call a foul even if he said it as frankly as possible.

"Our second speaker is Kurby Bagnold," he said, finally deciding on a politely basic approach. "A member of the WCU, Mister Bagnold has protected the public from unlicensed and rogue werewolves for 15 years. His views on werewolf rights have caused some discussion and disagreement amongst his peers, and that is why Professor Ó Móráin has asked him to come here today - to provide his take on how to survive a werewolf attack."

He waved Kurby forward and gave Fauna a slight shrug as he went past her, retreating to sit with the rest of SAWs.

Kurby hadn't done anything to clean up for the event, but at least he had made the effort to remember his credentials.  His identification badge bearing the insignia and acronym of the Werewolf Capture Unit was pinned to the front of his robes, made more visible by the contrast against the dark fabric. It was obvious from the werewolf hunter's posture that he was not in his element.  He lurked uncomfortably off to the side during Dragulia's speech, arms crossed and shoulders slouched, his gaze fixed intently on the Chief Mugwump. 

Nothing the first speaker said came as any surprise: apparently all the Ministry needed to do was give werewolves more hugs and they'd nip the lycanthropy problem in the bud.  Obviously, there was only a problem because evil people took advantage of innocent and infected, causing a backlash against the poor, mistreated furry victims who only wanted to give licks and loving nips to their valiant human protectors.  The whole thing was a load of thestral droppings, and the unfortunate part was that this was being spewed out in front of a group of underaged kids who'd grow up not knowing any better than to play fetch with monsters.  If there was any rise in werewolf maulings over the next few months due to victims trying to pet their attackers, he was putting the blame solely on Miss Fauna (hair toss) Blake.

As Dragulia finished speaking, he asked for questions, which prompted O Morain to give the so-called hero a not-so-subtle shove from the stage.  Kurby gave a snort, not bothering to keep grudging approval from showing on his face.  The Deputy Headmaster might be as big of an arse as his sister, but at least he didn't have any patience for this warm-and-fuzzy puppy love festival either.

Another one of the kids stepped forward to introduce him, and Kurby unhappily started forward; that was his cue.  A comparison in phrases made it clear how he was already going to be perceived.  No mention of throwing off of mantles in his introduction.  Nothing about how he possessed a fair and diplomatic hand.  Which he didn't have the bleeding time for, anyhow.  He was not happy about being here today, but the quicker he got through it, the quicker he could get back to the office and plot Manley's downfall for making him go through with this.

The platform gave him more height than usual over the rest of the room, but it didn't make Kurby any more comfortable.  He eyed the gathered crowd as if it were full of werewolves about to pounce on him, jaw set and shoulders tense.  The silence went on for a moment too long before he finally cleared his throat.

"First off," he began gruffly, his voice flat and inexpressive, "anyone who makes you think that carrying a silver pendant around will do anything to protect you from a transformed werewolf is a bleedin' idiot."  He didn't bother to look at Dragulia or any of the students.  He knew how this was going to be received, but it had to be said.  "That's complete bunk.  Start wavin' a pendant in a werewolf's face, and I'm sure it'll remember its silver allergy right after it finishes snappin' your hand right off."

Now that he was speaking, the words were coming slightly more fluidly.  Kurby looked out over the gathered crowd, still crossing his arms defensively against his chest as if he expected to shortly be under attack himself. 

"Which," he added curtly, "incidentally, means you're a werewolf now too - if you manage to survive.  Here's hopin' you learned your lesson enough that you can give your friends better advice than carryin' around some stupid necklace when they have to deal with you at the next full moon."

This was turning into a much more comfortable line of conversation; he could gripe about the idiocy of others and issue grim warnings with the best of them.  Kurby relaxed slightly, finally allowing himself to make eye contact with some of the crowd.  If Fauna Blake hadn't already tossed her hair and stormed out in a huff when he'd called her 'fair and diplomatic hero' an idiot, then he was certain that the dramatic exit was coming.

"So have any of you ever actually seen a werewolf attack, then?" he asked, completely ignoring the Deputy Headmaster's earlier edict against questions.  O Morain could hex him off the stage if he wanted to; at least then he'd be done with this nonsense.  "Or a transformed werewolf that wasn't on wolfsbane?"

Ambrose had listened intently to the first speaker, an older guy who spoke favorably about werewolves and the simplicity of defending oneself. Wide eyed and open eared, Ambrose had elected to attend because werewolves were somewhat close to Care of Magical Creatures, a subject of which he'd become somewhat fond of lately, and also because it always paid to be prepared. Professor Storm had told them all in their last lesson (a much more tame lesson that the one where he'd been trying to kill them all) that it was important they attended, as their exams included questions on werewolves. Since Ambrose wasn't doing so well with the spell casting side, he figured he should pick up marks wherever else he could.

The second speaker took a completely different tact, and immediately put pay to any of Ambrose's reassurances of silver's protection. Instead, he was left feeling ever more apprehensive - this man knew what he was doing - he caught werewolves for a living, and he had two hands still, so what he said must be true. 

"So have any of you ever actually seen a werewolf attack, then? Or a transformed werewolf that wasn't on wolfsbane?" The man asked, and Ambrose looked around at his classmates with wonder, wishing someone would say yes - because that would be terrifyingly excellent to hear about.

Dion's introduction was short, but polite, and Fauna gave him a small smile as he walked past her. It had sounded much better than she could have done.

When Bagnold moved to the podium, he seemed as grumpy as ever, and cleared his throat awkwardly before beginning his speech. Fauna felt a flicker of surprise. Was he nervous? She hated public speaking too, but his hesitation and glowering made her fight back a smug smirk.

The smug feeling quickly evaporated when he insulted the last speaker, calling Dragulia an idiot and telling the students that waving a silver pendant at a werewolf was like poking an acromantula with a stick. It just didn't end well.

True or not, Fauna resented his attitude and glared at him, forgetting for a moment that she was still on the platform and the audience could see her unhappy expression.

His question startled her. She looked at Professor O Morain before stepping forward, aware that she was likely one of the few people in the Great Hall who had witnessed a werewolf attack. Beatrix Dark wasn't in the audience, and Sasha Schlagenweit had gone home, and even if they had been in attendance, she would have felt bad putting them on the spot.

"I have," Fauna told him, voice too quiet to be heard by everyone in the crowd as she subconsciously mimicked his defensive posture. Bagnold already knew this. Though her stomach churned, she waited for him to make the next move.

“I can vouch for her,” said Dragulia, stepping up to stand beside Fauna. “Because I was there when it happened. And while you may call me a bleeding idiot for believing that silver can be useful…allow me to point out that it may have been my dagger which held off the attack long enough for the WCU to get there. Also…allow me to mention that though you obviously despise my suggestions…you yourself have not made a single one.” He smirked. “Of course this protects you from the possibility that someone might call your suggestions idiotic.”

“And…since obviously you do not feel bound by the Deputy Headmaster’s ruling about no questions…allow me to throw out a rhetorical question of my own.”

He smiled at the little girl in the first row. “If, let us say, this young lady here should find herself in the presence of a rampaging, untreated werewolf…would you suggest she do? Call it unpleasant names?”

Of course he knew the Deputy Headmaster was going to be unhappy with him for flouting the rules; but Bagnold had done it first. And if Declan O'Morain thought he could command Vladislaus Dragulia to be silent like he would with a student, O'Morain had another think coming.