Friday, March 13th
Shortly After Dinner
Outfit

- Note: Please write as though your staff member is already present. If you wish them to be late, go ahead and post them entering, but be aware of the repercussions this may bring.

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Standing in front of the floor length mirror she installed in her office, Analiza studied herself critically for a moment, judging her hair, make-up and clothes with a discerning eye. This would be the first full scale meeting she would have with the staff and she wanted to make sure that they would remember what she said, not how her skirt was wrinkled or her hair was mussed. Using her wand to spruce up her fiery cloud of curls and tone down the bags that hard formed under her eyes from the last couple of sleepless nights, Analiza gave herself a curt nod in the mirror. Good enough.

Pulling out her pocketwatch, she glanced at the time. "You have given them long enough" the little painting of herself replied, pointedly, as though it were disappointed in her decision to leave them enough time to enter leisurely. She nodded "I know.", but she was looking back in the mirror again, making sure her dress didn't make her look fat. "You look fine." The picture said sharply, its irritation growing obvious now. "I know..." Ana replied again, though she personally didn't feel it was true. The events of the last couple of days had left her feeling run down and dull, which she felt had manifested itself in her physical appearance. But, she reminded herself, there was more important things to think about then her looks right now and there was a room full of staff members waiting for her in the antechamber to share those thoughts with. Snapping her watch shut she forced her eyes away from the mirror and quickly left the room, lest the urge to lament her pale skin and bloodshot eyes overcame her.

When she entered the Antechamber, most if not all the staff was present (as far as she could tell) and she took a deep breath before working her way through them to the podium she had set up at the front. Much of the conversation that had been going on when she entered now hushed, but she couldn't tell if it was out of respect or if they simply were complaining about her and didn't want her to hear. It was more then likely  the latter, but she tried not to let that thought bother her. There was simply too much to talk about to worry about such trivial things as her staffs opinions of her. It wasn't like she didn't know anyways. "Alright, everyone, quiet down. We have a lot to discuss..." She said loudly, raising her hands.

"Now I know there has been a lot... to put it lightly... going on the last couple of weeks..." She started, trying not to let her personal discontent with this fact come across so clearly "... And we will discuss every bit of it in a moment. Before that, however, I have an announcement." Tapping the small table next to her, she summoned the Goblet of Fire, its softly throbbing light casting eery  shadows across their faces. It was so beautiful and awe-inspiring that she was struck silent for a moment, admiring the hypnotic glow. The effect didn't last long, however, and she quickly snapped back to attention. Clearing her throat, she continued.

"As you may know, I have spent a little over a month now going to France, Bulgaria and America in order to set up a Triwizard Tournament, or Quadwizard I suppose it will be called now... Something to that affect. Anyways, I have successfully managed to procure the support of Beauxbaton, Durmstrang and Salem in attempting to unite the schools once more for this prestigious contest..." She trailed off, pausing for effect, before going on with gusto "... But this is much more then just a contest of abilities for Hogwarts, especially this year. After the murder, the werewolf attacks and numerous expulsions, we have suffered somewhat of a negative reputation. The other schools are beginning to suspect we have weakened, that we are no longer the powerful institution that we once were. This is a slanderous lie and we all know it."

She had a feeling that at least a couple of the staff disagreed with her, considering her the reason for this reputation. It was unfair to say the least, she had no doubt that the murder of Miss Grosvenor would have occurred whether or not she was headmistress and the expelled students had sealed their own demise by being criminals. The werewolf attacks might be attributed to her, though she considered the effort of SAWS to weaken the student bodies impression of the monsters just as much to blame. If they wanted to blame her for this mess, then so be it. At least she was trying to fix it and wasn't about to just up and quit. They at least had to respect that, didn't they?

"... That being said," She went on, pushing the negative thoughts as far down as she could (Though with all the others pushed down there, it was still pretty close to the surface) "... There still needs to be some changes made. In order to destroy this negative impression and build up a new one, we must show that Hogwarts is not only safer then ever, but that our education and discipline is the best in the world. This means that we are going to start cracking down on misbehavior, both in students and staff..." Her hawkish eyes bore into a few of the more troublesome staff members pointedly before going on "... and there will be several changes made over the next couple of weeks, some of which you will appreciate and some that you won't." Probably more of the latter, she added mentally. If her reputation as a bitch was bad now, wait until they learned about her plans for changes to the staff.

Lacing her slender fingers together, she rested them on the podium and slowly stared around the room at the faces of her staff. Let the shitstorm begin, she smirked inwardly before saying "Now... Who had questions?"

Myrni felt certain that of all the heads of houses, her job was likely the toughest. Putting so many headstrong, impulsive individuals in one house was a recipe for disaster. She loved her house but even as she proudly wore its signature color to denote her position and her pride, she knew it was also a scarlet marking of sorts, linking her to a house of delinquents.

The many transgressions made by Gryffindors over the past several months was sure to get her an earful from the Headmistress at some point during the meeting, something that Myrni was not looking forward to. Even when that happened, Myrni would defend her lions to her last breath.

To her relief, the headmistress did not bring up anything house specific. She sat back in her chair and allowed the tension that had built up fall away as she listened to her boss speak about the Triwizard Torunament. Her Gryffindor pride easily expanded to include her school pride. Even though she had taught at Salem and had a niece attending there who might be eligible to compete in said tournament, Myrni could not deny that what others said about her Alma Mater stoked her competitive juices. She wanted Hogwarts to triumph.

The excitement of the future event was tempered by the more somber topic of security at the school. Myrni was in agreement about cracking down on misbehavior, even if it meant most of her house were the culprits. She had already begun to discipline her lions, albeit in a less conventional way. Myrni didn't necessarily agree with everything Snark said or did, but she respected the woman enough to defer to her judgment as the one in charge.

But when the headmistress opened the floor up for questions, Myrni instinctively raised her hand. Once acknowledged, she spoke (without thinking it through completely): "On the subject of security, I wonder if we, as a group, might be able to come up with some stronger enchantments for the castle, in addition to what is already being done in conjunction with the Aurors?"

"On the subject of security, I wonder if we, as a group, might be able to come up with some stronger enchantments for the castle, in addition to what is already being done in conjunction with the Aurors?"

Myrni asked. Ignan had his arms crossed, sat nearby, within eye rolling exchange distance of the colleagues he tended to conspire with. Analiza was back, this was good, it meant he didn't have to humour Declan too much longer, his younger colleague's wish to run the school efficiently was admirable, but it was beginning to irritate Ignan.

"We need to be free of the aurors. Having them here is laughable. If they don't catch any threat, they're seen as an over reaction to a prevailing evil, if they do, excellent coverage for them, yet it highlights we're under some attack. If they leave, then it shows we are strong again. Yes, by all means improve the enchantments, but we are still at an exact loss as to how there was a breach at the end of January start of February, which is not necessarily down to us, but the Ministry."

His speech was a little quicker than his usual pace, his brow furrowed and arms folded more tightly. He addressed the room as well as glancing to the Arithmancy professor.

"We are already co-operating with the Ministry enough, not that it is getting us very far. Resisting side along apparition only intensified the concerns of the younger years for their safety, and was an unnecessary intrusion. What next, issue them all with amulets to provide them all with a false sense of security? In history, the times where Hogwarts did not look after its own, but relied on the Ministry, it fell, to the ridicule of other countries, whom see you all right now, struggling to contain incidents blindly, which pale in comparison to the overcoming of Voldermort."

Ignan felt he could justify claiming such, as having dealt with the first uprising on duty, and the second rather from a different perspective.

If nothing else, this meeting was bound to be interesting.  Going for the grand entrance, Snark waited until most of the staff had assembled to arrive.  As the woman settled, Tulojow took the opportunity to scan the room full of mostly new faces.  She, Graham and Xiomara were the only staff that knew Hogwarts before Snark's arrival though both of the other two were bonafide Hogwarts natives. 

The Tri- or Quadwizard cup?  And, they were letting the Americans in, this time.  Tulojow grinned.  Though her primary education had been at a different American school, much of her Healer training had been in Massachusetts.  There would be, perhaps, some familiar faces in that crowd. 

And, talking with people with a innate affinity for peanut butter would be nice for a change. 

But, for the time being, the Quadwizard Tournament was a secondary concern to matters like school security.  She nodded her agreement with Ignan's comments.  "Let's not forget we have those with Auror training on staff," Tulojow pointed out.  "Auror presence - or a lack thereof - wasn't what brought us to this point.  Excuse the analogy but it seems having Aurors here strolling the corridors is a lot like having a bright pink cast on one's arm to treat a broken ankle.  Sure looks good and I'm sure it shows people we're doing something but is it actually addressing the real issue?"

"Ignan's point is valid.  We're more likely to actually achieve real security if we identify the actual threats and address them individually." 

"On the subject of security, I wonder if we, as a group, might be able to come up with some stronger enchantments for the castle, in addition to what is already being done in conjunction with the Aurors?"

Analiza opened her mouth to reply and found it hanging there as Ignan suddenly cut in, his rushed tone and body language making it clear that he wasn't looking upon the topic of conversation in a favorable light. As he spoke, Ana snapped her mouth shut and sat back to allow him a chance to make his point clear. And he did not disappoint. Her lips twitched in irritation when he criticized her decision to bring in the aurors, but her face remained calm and thoughtful as she nodded lightly to indicate her comprehension. It was a little harder to hide her irritation when Tulojow started to offer her own criticism, her golden eyes narrowing slightly and the air around her dropping a few degrees, but she managed to mostly cover it up by focusing on some of the papers on her desk. Shuffling them together in alphabetical order, she returned her gaze to the group when Tulojow finished making her point.

"All excellent insights and suggestions. Myrni, as it was your suggestion, I will let you head up the  committee  for the strengthening of the enchantments. I expect all of you to work with her on this." She glanced at all them pointedly, making it clear this particular decision was not open to discussion. "As for the other concerns, first off I can assure you that you will only have to suffer the presence of the aurors for a bit longer. I never intended for them to be a permanent fixture in the school, merely a safeguard against any further attacks while we are weakened. Furthermore, their presence is sanctioned by the governors that, as you will all remember, do run this school."

"However..." She added quickly, so they didn't start blasting her with more questions or complaints "... Your concerns are duly noted. I agree that Hogwarts needs to be able to stand on its own feet, but whether we like it or not, we are funded by the parents and the parents want to see us taking immediate action. Calling in the aurors is an immediate action, and for now it is keeping the parents off our backs. What we need to do is use this time, while we have them at our disposal, to fix our issues and make sure that the school is prepared not only to stand on its own two feet, but to stand strong and proud when the tournament starts..."

The Headmistress was...interesting. Even with Ignan's quick introduction of her when he had first arrived, Georg found the woman to be stiff in appearance and strict in word. Definitely a change from Storm Sr - not that that was in any way a bad thing, given the ruling style of Merik Storm. He made Snark look like an annoyed kitten in comparison.

Still, a Triwizard Tournament...he smiled, though any questions he had about that could go to Ignan, since his questions - at least for now - had to do with allegiance. Durmstrang or Hogwarts...? Well, they'd have to see. As of right now, he knew his loyalties were more with his alma mater than with his current place of work.

But it would be the 5th and 6th years who completed...he looked to the cup again, thoughtfully. Hopefully they'd get some of their good students to compete. If any of the...other kind got accepted...!

Myrni and Ignan's words rang true for him; when Analiza instructed them all to aid Myrni's idea, Georg caught the Arthimancy professor's eye and nodded slightly, indicating he was willing to help. Charms, of course, were his specialty...

Looking back to Snark, he cleared his throat and spoke up. "Headmistress, if you don't mind another question," he said, sitting up slightly in his chair. "You mentioned further changes. Might you...elaborate on that before we continue?"

Hildegarde Austerlitz sat uncomfortably in her chair - perched right on the end of an armchair, back straight and shoulders so upright it seems as if her entire frame was made of titanium. She never did care for these congregations of complaints and queries. Hildegarde was a firm believer in solving your own problems, but still wasn't afraid to throw in her opinion into this forum. Yes, the woman was a hardened old woman learned in the ways of criticism. She didn't particularly care if she offended Snark, or the majority of the faculty at Hogwarts; most weren't friends, merely colleagues. Hildegarde was an old battleaxe to them, and they poorly qualified scholars to her.

She had chosen a seat close to Ignan, one of the few professors with a sensible head on his shoulders. All of these other staff members; far too young for their own kid. They needed a few more years of expertise and knowledge under their belts to even come close to the elder members of staff. Listening to each person intently, she closed her eyes momentarily, parting her lips to speak in her trademark tone of prim shrillness. She could only agree with Professor Storm.

"Here, here, Ignan," she begun, giving her colleague (and comrade) a deep nod of the head. "The presence of the Ministry has rendered me utterly flabbergasted. I find it hard to believe that youngsters like Holt, Eleor and Depardieu will do a better job then the more battle-worn of us, Snark. A Triwizard would be a particular fabulous way of proving that us Hogwartians are leaders within the field of magical education, but I can't see many parents sending their little cherubs to a school under government protecting and surveillance, wouldn't you agree?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly at her colleagues, crossing one short leg over the other.

"And as for cracking down on discipline, I am always a keen advocate. More detentions and less of the Mother Goose act, you won't get anywhere with the mob with a slap on the wrists and a casual tut." Hildegarde sighed quietly, quite aware that she wasn't putting herself in the best light. But who cared? She didn't, for one. Professor Austerlitz was merely being herself, and she was the first person to identify that 'herself' wasn't a particularly amicable or warm person.

Xiomara was not in all ways a traditional witch.  She'd abandoned the covens that unwed witches were then expected to congregate in.  She had broken records for broomstick riding in trousers as a girl, and for the rest of her life continued in this world as neither wife, mother, or hag.  However, when it came to Hogwarts, her home of over 50 years, there could be very little compromise.

Hooch had seen more Headmasters and Headmistresses than any of them and one thing she knew for certain - with the exception of Severus Snape, they'd all been more or less the same.  They were all eccentric, all rocked the boat to or fro.  But all of them loved Hogwarts, did right by the students, and demanded complete loyalty.  Hooch's shrewd eyes were all for Madam Snark, but others among the group earned hard glances.

Storm.  Kirchlehner. Vallaincourt.  Nagde.  It was up to Snark to hire and fire as the school's needs demanded, but surely the brilliant sons and daughters of Hogwarts could have more to give than these mercenaries.  The ancient Xiomara Hooch was not an infant and did not play petty politics and showed all professors the respect due their posts - which was, of course, as foremost experts in their field in the most superlative magical education institution in history - but it always tasted bitter.  They wanted to talk about the strength of Hogwarts? Where then would they fall when their alma maters arrived next year to compete against their current employer?

Madam Hooch was delighted to hear about the coming Tournament and all the adventure it would bring.  Hogwarts always performing gloriously as host, even if their champion didn't win.  Damn it all if any of the foreigners dared but give less than all their loyalty to Hogwarts.  This wasn't some job, to serve Hogwarts.  It was a post of the highest responsibility, the keepers of the next magical generation.

Normally, in meetings such as these, Xiomara had very few words.  She knew that many of the professors considered her non-academic post a frivolity.  But Xiomara also knew that she performed her duties to perfection, maintaining a discipline and confidence in her students and in Quidditch that could rival the decorum of any of the classes within the castle. 

"Congratulations, Madam," Hooch raised her voice to say, at the announcement that the Tetrawizard Tournment was being arranged.  "For Hogwarts!" was her sharp rallying cry. 

...

But as a few voices rang out, Xiomara decided that she must finally say her piece.  Perhaps and old witch earned the right after so many decades, and perhaps it was somewhat off the agenda for the meeting, but Xiomara was an outdoor cat and would speak!

She stood up at her seat, hands on hips.  The old witch was short and a little round under her billowing magpie-colored robes, her white hair was as sharp as her pale green eyes and the deep lines around her narrowed eyes.

"Hogwarts' best defense is unity," she addressed the room, in support of Madam Snark.  "If the faculty is at odds with each other and the administration this only shows the students that loyalty and cooperation is optional if they should end up thinking they know better than the thousands of students to tread the halls before them.  Send the Aurors away if you will, but perhaps allow them to carry off your prideful bad attitudes on their way out!  Your behavior in Madam Snark's absence shows immaturity!"

Myrni was duly volunteered by their employer to head up the charm reinforcement efforts. Ignan was glad of it - he'd half expected the responsibility to fall automatically to him due to his tutored subject.

"Send the Aurors away if you will, but perhaps allow them to carry off your prideful bad attitudes on their way out!  Your behavior in Madam Snark's absence shows immaturity!"

Ignan's head turned to Hooch sharply, arms still folded. His eyes keen on the Quidditch expert like an animal considering its prey. He usually respected Hooch's opinion, but this one seemed to generalised.

"Immaturity?" He asked incredulously. She couldn't possibly mean the likes of him and Hildegard, "Don't hold back Xiomara, do enlighten us on whom you have felt has acted such? We are not a student Quidditch team, eager to hear your rousing talk!"

Hildegarde slowly turned her head towards Xiomara Hooch as she rose to her feet, shouting the odds like it was a Quidditch match. She raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Ignan, quite taken aback by the display that had just erupted; it was mediocre to say the least. The sporting Madame had all the bite of a Hungarian but just lacked that horn in her tail: if one was to take on the queen of the dragons then they had better keep their eggs closely guarded.

"Pray, Xiomara," Hildegarde begun, leaning forward with a purposefully false smile of anticipation. "Do tell, how would Hogwarts look to our brothers and sisters of the international realms if we had the Ministry meandering our corridors? It is not goodness my 'attitude' lacks, Hooch." Her voice was gaining in prim shrillness, and Hildegarde was slightly annoyed at the speech that could be an attempt at gaining brownie points with the Headmistress. "It is warmth, abstract ideas and optimism. If sensibility is labelled 'bad', then so be it, bring down the guillotine!"

With her last sentence, she flicked both hands in the air sarcastically, mirroring Xiomara's melodrama. Professor Austerlitz was not one to keep quiet if somebody attempted to tread on her toes, and she let out a sigh, keen to retain some of her anger. She was still growing accustomed to having colleagues after all these years being her own boss, with only her cottage for company. Old habits died hard, it seemed.

"Oh shush, Hildegarde," Hooch said with a tolerant look at the other witch, still on her feet,  "I didn't mean you."

"As I've said," she wore on, "I've got no druthers about the Aurors at our gates or not.  If Hogwarts wants the respect we've always enjoyed, I should like to see the staff show some sense of discipline - a united front.  It's clear to me that some of you fancy yourselves your own Headmasters, that your short tenure here has given you some privilege to do as you will.  My pardon, Madam Snark!"

She sat back in her chair, aware she'd taken up more than her share of moments of the floor, and with a nod deferred leave.  The gossip about Storm's and Kirchlehner's bold defiance was solid enough if even half of it were true.  Perhaps if they loved Durmstrang so much, they might return before they embarrassed Hogwarts further? And there was Trishna bold as brass teaching science right along side proper, practical Astronomy! Preposterous!

Staff meetings.  Sitting in a staff meeting for Isaac these days usually meant trying to say as little as possible and not draw any attention to himself.  To say he tended to disagree with the Headmistress was a bit of an understatement, but he liked to keep that opinion to himself.

He sat back, listening quietly as the matters of security were discussed.  The safety of the students, in his mind, should have always been a top priority.  It was true that it seemed as of late Hogwarts had let the student body down in that department.  The presence of Aurors had been necessary, but yet it seemed a bit of an embarrassment that a capable staff couldn’t find a way to safeguard the youth who sought an education within the walls of the castle.

“I believe Madame Hooch has a point in regards to the staff,” he said, his tone even.  “For some time there has been a growing divide among the staff.  We are supposed to be the examples for our students.  If we can’t find a way to truly work together, even with disagreements, what does that say about us as a whole?”

"Perhaps I am being naďve," Juliette offered, her tongue careful in its enunciation of the stolen French word. She eyed Hooch like a hawk-- irony. But where one might point claws, the other was bound to narrow eyes right back. Juliette was no mouse. "But of which divide are we speaking? I find you all perfectly... lovely." Her eyes roamed the room, pausing momentarily on her old friend and cousin, Ana, whom she was glad to see back. They also lingered on the likes of Landis Morgan, and the newest edition to their staff, Kirchlehner.

"If it is unity you want, look to yourself, Madame. I believe it was a wizard of your alma mater-- not mine, nor theirs--" She gestured vaguely to her older, more seasoned colleagues with a flick of her moon white wrist. "Who said something to the effect of differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical." ...And our hearts are open. But Juliette didn't add the last bit. She wasn't so sappy, not in public. Or hardly ever at all. Her eyes landed on Landis again, and there was almost a humor in her gaze. "So what if the men like to laugh together about their school days? Who cares if half of us are sick of the aurors? We might have our reasons and still want this tournament to be a success." And people thought the French were elitist.

"Besides," she added in a final drawl, cordial enough, but also equal parts amused and disenchanted. "If you listen in when you're supposed to be minding your coffee-- sorry, tea-- you'll find they're quite a charming pair." She bore her teeth in a smile, looking between Storm and his favorite companion.

Or perhaps the old coach wanted to teach Defense, to trade her broom for a Charms book. And here Juliette had find her admirable, a woman unorthodox before her time. But, ah, there were others on staff whom she could warm to: everyone in the room had another layer to peel past. "I'll let you sit in on one of my lessons if it will ease your suspicions."

"Ana, I hope you gave our warm regards to our friends." Juliette settled finally, trying for a kinder note.

Declan was not sure how he felt about the staff meeting. He was glad for Analiza's return, and had been relieved to hand the reigns back over. But he was well aware that many of the staff had not been pleased with the way that he had decided to handle things in her absence. In most ways, he and Snark had similar opinions- but they differed enough for the rest of the staff to have been distrusting (or perhaps even disgruntled).

"I hardly consider the involvement of local law authorities laughable given the situation. A student was murdered on campus, all of the facts have yet to be sorted out, we do not know who the murderer is or where they disappeared to. Having the DMLE here to aid us in keeping the students safe is simple an added precaution. It is our duty as the temporary guardians of wizarding children to ensure their safety. I am certain every parent of our students would rather we have extra security than take something like a murder lightly and do very little in the way of improving our security," he said flatly to Ignan. He was not here to start a fight, but he saw nothing wrong with involving the authorities. It seemed, too, that Ana agreed with him- somewhat.

"The headmistress is correct. Having them here will aid us in our attempts to strengthen our own wards and means of security. Obviously we failed- ignoring that failure and claiming to be competent would not benefit us. If one student could be murdered, and a month later a gaggle of students get attacked in the daylight by a werewolf, I believe that keeping the aurors here is in the best interests of Hogwarts and in the best interests for all of us if we value our jobs."

Declan was slightly taken aback at Hooch's comments about immaturity and the lack of unity. The Deputy Headmaster was fully aware he lacked the full support and trust of the staff in the headmistress' absence- but he had done his best. He was inexperienced at best, and there was only so much that he could accomplish without the rest of the staff behind him to help him keep things in working order in the absence of their headmistress.

He decided now was the best time to defend his own actions. Declan stood up, clearing his throat, pulling to his full (albeit very short) height. "It is no secret that many of my colleagues do not understand nor fully agree with my appointment as your deputy headmaster," he said to Analiza. "I am relatively young and incredibly inexperienced in relation to some of our more experienced and esteemed staff members. This is a fact of which I am fully aware, and it would be foolish of me to believe that it is not so."

"Regardless of this fact- I saw no other staff members actively seeking the opportunity to behave as the headmistress' right hand. Although she is one of the most capable witches I have had the pleasure to meet, it is not a task easily accomplished alone. There was opportunity for advancement, to preserve the Hogwarts that I remember. A Hogwarts where students respected and esteemed the staff and the instructors portrayed themsleves as people to emulated- not people to be ridiculed or ignored."

"I am far from a favorite among my colleagues or my students. I do not intend to partake in a popularity contest. I intend to ensure that our students are prepared for the world outside of these walls- a world where popping off at the mouth and being unreliable and immature will get you no where. I intend for our students to behave like they have some common sense and some self respect. I have made it a point to get involved- to take part in student meetings and functions, and have learned that most students excel with gentle guidance and the assurance that we will not murder them if they feel the need to approach us." With his final comment he cast another glance at Storm. There was valid reason for Oliver to believe he was murderous, after all, the man hardly seemed capable of compassion.

"But I am the first to tell all of you that if you find me inadequate in my position, or believe you would be better suited for the job and willing to take my place and aid our headmistress- that I have no qualms about stepping down from my position and allowing any of you to do so. If I am not what is best for Hogwarts or for the reputation of this institution- at least I tried, instead of sitting back and allowing someone else to run everything while complaining from the comfort of my offices."

Tulojow merely arched a patient eyebrow in the Headmistress' direction as the younger woman's eyes narrowed before offering a slight, good natured smile.  Tulojow respected everyone on principle - even those she disagreed with.  For better or worse, she had a tendency to regard all individuals with equal respect, irregardless of any ranking or title they may have had bestowed upon them.  Despite what the headmistress - or any of them might think - she was not there to be a burr in the woman's side.  However, Tulojow suspected she wasn't going to be fond of whatever these additional changes were that Georg was referring to. 

"I'm not sure it's a question of age - or that they come from the Ministry," Tulojow countered, turning in her seat to better see Austerlitz.  "As battle worn as some of us might be, we have other obligations as well.  The safety of the students is our first priority and, in a pinch, they were the right decision."  She nodded in Declan's direction.  "However, as we focus on moving forward, it seems it'd be worth the effort of identifying our defense's weaknesses so we're not just blindly throwing up defenses where we don't need them and ignoring the places that need enhancing.  There's no point in wrapping the school in barbed wire if the threats are swimming in through the lake.  Pointing fingers is certainly going to get us nowhere.  Neither will threatening the students with harsher punishments." 

Xiomara's comments took Tulojow by surprise and her expression made that apparent.  Again, she shared Ignan's confusion.  "Who exactly did you mean?" Tulojow asked, an eyebrow raised when she ensured Hildegarde the woman wasn't the subject of her scrutiny. 

She rubbed her face with her hands when Juliette spoke up.  Those were words that could, quite quickly, ruffle a few feathers.  "I think we're losing sight here of what unites us - the reason why we're here.  Regardless of where any of us received our magical education, I think we all share the same loyalty: the students.  And, our kids need our help and guidance; we should be focusing on what they need.  We could certainly start by setting an example in not holding suspicions purely based on each other's age, alma mater or level of experience.  How do we keep our kids safe?"  She glanced around the room. "Where did we go wrong before?  And, how do we keep it from happening again?"