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(Ariella) Two Weeks Notice
Author: Beck
Date: 12-15-12 09:48
Ariella stood on the front stoop at Hogwarts and frowned up at the gray sky. A few fat drops splattered the stone steps and wetted the emerald green peacoat she wore. She produced her wand from the small, drawstring purse she carried and used it to cast an Impervius Charm on her coat. She briefly debated summoning a hat or umbrella to protect her hair, but ultimately decided against it.
Ariella walked swiftly across the lawn. It had rained a little all day but not terribly much, such that the grass wasn't completely saturated with moisture. Once at the school gates, she continued her swift march up the little lane to High Street and then continued on to Briar's Bakery, where she had worked part-time for several years.
She hadn't been on schedule to work either the morning or afternoon shift, nor was she visiting the bakery as a paying customer. The purpose of her visit would be bittersweet. Ariella intended on giving her two weeks notice because she had earned a prestigious internship at the Ministry of Magic's Department of International Magical Cooperation. She had really enjoyed her time working for Briar Rose, but at the same time, Ariella felt ready to move on and do something very different.
Stepping inside the bakery, she was immediately greeted by employees and regular customers who recognized her as the redhead on staff. Ariella used the employee door to enter the kitchen, where Briar was busy decorating a cake with little yellow florets.
"Hi, Ariella," she said, briefly looking up from her work to greet her employee, "What brings you to the bakery this afternoon?"
Ariella reached into the pocket of her coat and produced a folded piece of parchment. "I came to give you my resignation," she replied. "The Ministry of Magic offered me an internship."
Briar found a good stopping place and put down the piping bag to accept the parchment from Ariella. She looked happy for her, but a bit sad at the same time.
"I'm sorry to see you go," Briar admitted, after reading Ariella's letter of resignation, "but I'm glad you found something in your field of interest."
Ariella had mentioned to Briar that she had finally settled on a field of study at St. Emrys, after jostling different possibilities, including teaching and inventing.
"I'm sorry to go too, but you'll still have me these next two weeks. Hopefully, you can find someone else to take my place before I go."
Briar sent the letter of resignation to her office and picked up the piping bag to continue decorating the cake. "We should have a going away party for you," she remarked. "Think about what kind of sweets you'll want to have."
Ariella smiled. "Okay, I'll do that."
They chatted a bit more before Ariella excused herself to return to the castle. She had promised Lawrence that she would visit with him at the Herbology Club table, if he wasn't too busy talking to students.
Much To Think About
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 12-15-12 22:59
An exhausted Carina asleep in his arms, Lucius pauses at the foot of the main staircase. Voices are coming from down the hallway, in the direction of his study. Continuing up the stairs he takes Carina to her room to finish out her nap and goes to his own room to change out of his still somewhat damp swim trunks. Downstairs once more he makes for the study, walking in just as Bellatrix is hissing at Barty, "I don't know!"
"Don't know what? Where your own home is anymore? Been that long since you've actually visited there?"
Barty chuckles but it's a forced, almost humorless, "Ha ha ha. I had just been asking Bellatrix if she knew where you might have another bottle of fire whiskey."
Bellatrix gestures to a nearly empty decanter. "If you'd not walked in Lucius, I was going to suggest we call for one of the house elves."
Lucius looks from one to the other before moving to take his usual spot. After he's comfortably settled he gives them both another once over. Barty keeps putting a hand over the place on his arm where Lucius knows the other man's Dark Mark to be. Bellatrix is aquiver, fairly buzzing with energy, a low voltage version of how she used to be when in Voldemort's presence or carrying out some deed he'd tasked her. She hasn't touched her own arm in the approximate location of the Mark but her hand has fluttered that direction more than once.
"Would either of you care to share the truth with me?"
Bellatrix flounces to sit opposite Lucius, sliding up her sleeve and thrusting out her arm. "Someone activated our Dark Marks."
Head bobbing in an annoying fashion Barty exposes his arm as well. "Didn't you feel the call, Lucius?"
"I rid myself of the Mark some time ago, Barty."
Too stunned to say much Barty simply asks, "Why? How?"
"Voldemort and I no longer saw eye to eye after Narcissa was killed. The how of it is too tedious to explain unless you are wishing to have your own Mark removed. If so, you should be aware there is a great deal of pain involved."
Bellatrix darkly mutters, "You never should have done it. I said so then and I think so now."
"Even knowing what you do about your dear Dark Lord, Bellatrix?"
A stubborn jut to her chin, Bellatrix's face darkens to match the tone she'd used.
Barty's expression has gone from curiosity to confusion. "What is there to know that might have changed Bellatrix's allegiance to Lord Voldemort?"
A mean smile mars Lucius's lips. "You didn't tell him, Bellatrix?"
Her reply is to cross her arms as she thuds back in her chair, looking for all the world like a petulant child who's just learned she may not have dessert with dinner.
"No?" Lucius's eyes shift to Barty. "Let me illuminate you, my good fellow. Lord Voldemort who preached pureblood superiority was born Tom Riddle, a lowly half-blood, son of a witch and a Muggle. It gets even better. The story is said witch had to use a love potion to ensnare said Muggle. When she stopped using the love potion Mr. Muggle booted her out. Her family wanting nothing more to do with her after consorting with a Muggle. Left on her own, the poor dear died after giving birth to little Tom. Your precious Voldemort was raised in a Muggle orphanage."
Barty's face colors, nearly matching Bellatrix's shade. He sputters, "Th th that's near blasphemy! Who made up such lies and why would you believe them, Lucius?"
"Sorry to burst your little Voldemort is a god bubble, Barty, but it seems to be fact. Tell him, Bellatrix."
Face scrunched to the point she's squinting, and having sunk down in her chair, arms still folded, Bellatrix looks even more childish. Her lips are in a pursed pout when she finally, grumblingly admits, "It's truth, Barty."
Barty huffs over to the sideboard and picks up the crystal decanter with the fire whiskey. Not bothering with a glass he chugs what little is in the decanter. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and smacking the decanter down hard enough that Lucius winces, thinking the other man might have cracked the crystal, Barty demands of Bellatrix, "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
"He's dead. What would your knowing have mattered?"
"I lost my soul for him so don't you think I deserve to know he was nothing but a lie?" Barty is fairly shouting now.
"Don't you see? His origins are nothing but his ideals, his power were everything. We can't cast away our beliefs simply because one wizard bended the truth to fit his needs."
Voice level dropping, giving his voice a dangerous, angry edge Barty asks, "Would you have followed Voldemort if you'd known the truth?"
Though the question is not directed at him Lucius answers, "It's highly doubtful that either Narcissa or I would have listened to him, become his followers."
"Bellatrix?"
"I have no idea."
Lucius has a sarcastic reply to that but decides to hold his tongue. It's Barty who speaks instead. "That's almost laughable. Bellatrix Black Lestrange who loathes Muggle borns and half-bloods, thinking them below scum on the evolutionary chain, isn't sure whether she'd join with someone she knew to be a half-blood himself."
"He had some good ideas and would have been an ends to the means." Bellatrix's body language is that of someone in defensive mode but her tone is rational, reasonable.
"You're saying that if you'd known he was a half-blood you'd let him think he was going to lead us, to be in control but really, once goals were accomplished, he'd be thrown out along with the other half-blood garbage despite the fact that he was an extremely powerful wizard?" Lucius is sarcastically incredulous.
Bellatrix finally sits up straight, a hand on each arm of the chair, back tense. "What do you know, Lucius? You turned traitor and left the cause."
"I never left the cause, Bellatrix. You of all people know that. I left Voldemort. There is a difference."
Barty shakes his head. "I still don't see the connection of you leaving the Death Eaters and having the Dark Mark removed and Narcissa's death."
Lucius sighs. It seems Bellatrix has been extremely lax in filling the man in on certain events while he was lying dormant and vacant after the Dementor's Kiss.
"It seems Voldemort did not trust even those of us most loyal to him. He had experiments secret from the Death Eaters, apart perhaps from Pettigrew, but then he never truly counted, did he? One experiment, known now as Project 25, was a group of witches and wizards Voldemort had picked when they were infants. It's a convoluted story and I, or Bellatrix, will fill in the details another time. For now, what you need to know is that when Project 25 was all grown up, Voldemort had them attack Diagon Alley. Narcissa was at the designer dress shoppe she'd opened. She was killed during the attack. Voldemort shrugged her death off as collateral damage. That is when I began to see things differently from him. Frankly, I never could understand why Bellatrix didn't parts ways as well."
"Bellatrix didn't part ways with Voldemort because she still believed in the cause."
Barty quietly asks, "Is that why you answered the summons?"
Lucius lifts an eyebrow. "You ran to see who was calling? Did the thought of Voldemort somehow having returned a second time leave you orgasmic?"
Bellatrix spits, "There's no need to be crude."
Lucius smirks, not about to apologize. "When I came in and you were telling Barty you didn't know, what were you meaning?"
"Barty had asked if I thought the person who summoned is legitimately someone for us to hear out. I told him I don't know."
"What do you know?"
"Not much. I thought it best to approach with stealth. I did not make a show of arriving as some did with sending up black smoke. I got as near as I could without revealing myself so all I could hear were snippets."
"And?" Barty's asking tells Lucius that he'd arrived before Bellatrix had filled Barty in on the details.
"And the person who did the summoning appears to be Adriana Fairchild."
"The woman alleged to have killed Dumbledore?" Lucius asks.
"The very same. There was something about Voldemort's spirit being inside her and wanting to pick up where he left off. I wish I had had one of those Extendable Ears but even if I had known I would need one, I'm not sure I could have used it without it being seen or detected."
Barty inquires, "Did many answer the call?"
"No, only a few and of those that did I only saw two faces." Bellatrix's mouth twists into a sneer. "Ivanova and that Serano chit."
Lucius gets up to move to the sideboard, stepping around Barty to do so. Retrieving a full bottle of fire whiskey he pours most into the crystal decanter. The remains from the bottle go into three tumblers. Passing one to Barty, Lucius picks up the other two and returns to his chair, handing one tumbler to Bellatrix before he sits down again.
"Sounds like you two have some serious thinking to do in the event Fairchild activates your Marks again. I should give some consideration to this turn of events as well. I have no reason to follow Voldemort again and Euphemia Smythe-Jones did, if nothing else, show the world that a wizarding community consisting solely of purebloods does not operate all that smoothly or efficiently; but, that does not mean purebloods cannot be superior, be dominant, and allowed to practice whatever forms of magic we wish. From my understanding, Fairchild is at least a pureblood. She might have some workable ideas without the megalomaniac insanity."
They all go quiet in contemplation, sipping their whiskeys. After several minutes Barty ventures to say, "I know some about Euphemia Smythe-Jones but not the full story."
Lucius heaves another sigh. "By all that's holy, woman, did you not fill Barty in on much of what happened in his absence?"
With a shrug, Bellatrix smiles. "I did tell him all the outcomes of all the important Quidditch matches from those years he missed."
Herbology Club Booth
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 12-16-12 05:56
Marzipan and I had set up a booth in the Great Hall, showcasing some of the more unique, and yet safe plants from the Wizarding World. There were singing daffodils which were currently singing a merry little tune (and were thankful enough to do so without being overtly loud) and a few others.
There had been some interest with a few first years, who had signed up. The meetings were to be held on Saturday mornings unless there was an event such as Quidditch match or Hogsmeade Saturday, and things of that nature. Beyond that, she and I were still working out topics for the meetings and hopefully would have a schedule sorted soon.
At the moment she was discussing potential activities with a second year Slytherin girl who, if I wasn't mistaken was Rylee Marks the girl who had made the Slytherin house team as seeker, it will certainly be an interesting year for Slytherin...maybe Hufflepuff will stand a chance to win the Cup this year instead of Slytherin.
"Professor Masterson, how will Herbology club differ from your class or that of Mrs. Ravenscroft?"
I looked up from tending the Singing Daffodils (who needed a bit of water) and offered a smile to a girl who looked to be about fourth or fifth year, brown hair and green eyes and a pretty smile.
"Well, Miss..."
"Moore, Perla Moore."
"Well, Miss Moore, one of the things that you won't have to worry about is homework or exams. Things in the club are meant to be fun and who knows, the things you may learn in the club will also help you in your coursework. Are you interested in signing up?"
Perla contemplated for a few moments before lifting the quill and adding her name to the sign up sheet. "It sounds like it will be fun and I've always liked herbology."
"We look forward to seeing you at the first club meeting. Feel free to take a biscuit with you on your way."
Yes, there was even a plate of sugar biscuits with the names of different herbs written delicately across the top (it was something cute he'd thought might work) and it was working a little, but not as good as he'd hoped.
"Hey, anything interesting going on here?"
I turned and offered Ariella a smile, knowing that she'd just gone to deliver her resignation to Briar's and she'd be starting at the Ministry soon.
"Nothing much, have some sign ups, and the biscuits are winning some over, and not others." I gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"Sounds like a productive day then." She said, an laid claim to the chair next to me.
"Marzi, I'm going to slip to the loo really quick and see if I can't grab something a touch more healthy than biscuits on my way back."
"Alright. I'll go when you get back."
We'd traded ups and downs away from the table throughout the day, and while we weren't as busy as some of the booths, we did get our fair share of attention.
Relieving Ethan
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 12-16-12 09:39
Cup of tea in hand along with a few scones on a plate, Kissy makes her way back to the Dueling Club booth where Ethan Somerset waits to be relieved. He and she have been switching off throughout the day, and from time to time have manned it together. With Dueling Club being one of the more popular ones at Hogwarts, they also recruited a few students who have been in the club in the past to help out today so that neither of them has to be at the table alone.
Reaching the booth she offers a smile to Ethan. "You, sir, are free to go."
Ethan nods at the plate in her hand. "I thought you were off eating. Did you get sidetracked?" He says this with a grin and a wink referencing her newlywed status.
Lightly laughing Kissy shakes her head. "No, we ate lunch. We had it here in the Great Hall as a matter of fact. These are for in a bit when my stomach has made some room and decides it wants a little something more."
"Right," Ethan says, pretending he doesn't believe a word of it. He steps from around the table in preparation of leaving when he stops, stoops, and picks something up. "I think you dropped this."
Kissy puts down both plate and mug of tea to accept the envelope but as she's reaching for it, Ethan pulls it back to study the Azkaban return address. "Ryland Yaxley. I thought he had stopped bothering you."
"He had for the most part. I haven't heard from him in a very long time until today." Kissy accepts the envelope now and deposits it back in her pocket. "He's only just learned I've gotten married. Ryland wanted to congratulate me but he also wanted to let me know he's hurt and disappointed I didn't wait for him to be released."
Ethan's eyes roll and for that Kissy cannot blame him. "He's serving a life term. Yaxley's crazier than I gave him credit for if he thought you would wait for him."
"I never knew that he thought I'd wait because the last time I heard from him he seemed to accept that I have never had any feelings for him. You remember he gave me his grandmother's ring? I had tried to return it but he insisted I keep it, saying I was just the sort she would have approved of for him and though we had no future together, he wanted me to keep it."
"For a deranged, sadistic psychopath, that almost sounds romantic."
Kissy cannot help but smile at Ethan's sarcasm. "I think I shall try and return the ring again. If not to him directly then a family member, though I have little taste for dealing with any of his relations."
"You think they are all like him? Or do you think the family is like so many others split over certain issues."
"You mean like the Blacks?" Kissy's eyes go toward the side-by-side booths of Chess Club and Gobstones, both sponsored by Sirius Black.
"Yes, exactly like."
"It's possible there are some of the Yaxleys who weren't fanatics for certain causes but the only one I've heard of or had contact with who might have fallen into that category is the grandmother Ryland always spoke so highly of and "
Ethan finishes the thought for her, "If Ryland held her in such esteem, she probably thought along the same lines as so many of the Yaxleys."
"Yes, now go on. You are on break. Don't you have a daughter to go spoil more?"
"Lilly is not spoiled."
"She is a very sweet child but I still cannot believe you said that with a straight face."
Ethan chuckles before saying, "I'll see you again in a bit."
There had only been one student at the table asking about Dueling Club when Kissy had arrive and the club members helping right now was talking to the boy. As Ethan walks away five first years come up at once. Kissy greets them all and begins answering their questions about the club, thoughts of Ryland Yaxley and his grandmother's ring going to the back of her mind for the time being.
(Azaelia) Book Group
Author: Isolde
Date: 12-16-12 11:31
Azaelia Bramble Blackheart loved to read. She supposed it was why she became a librarian. There was no greater feeling than being surrounded by books and having vast and varied knowledge at her fingertips.
"Why did you become a librarian?" asked Kate Dewhurst, girlfriend of Azaelia's cousin Isolde's cousin Mark. Azaelia had never had a real conversation with the girl, other than their exchanges in the library.
Azaelia thought back to when she had been a student at Hogwarts. She, Isolde and Pyrrhus hadn't spend a lot of time at the library here, but they'd spent every Hogsmeade trip at Twice Told Tales in the secret room that no longer existed. There was something very exciting about having access to books that were dangerous and mysterious. The three former Slytherins had devoured the books Julian Valentine and Lysander Stratford had stocked up for clients specifically like them.
Azaelia glanced in Julian's direction. Although not a teacher, he sponsored the school's Drama Club.
"Well," Azaelia finally said, "I guess it really started when I was Chile. I didn't know anybody when I transferred there, and I couldn't speak any Spanish either. I spent a lot of time in the library, keeping to myself and studying up on the language. Eventually, I became a library helper, and after graduation, I got hired on in an official capacity."
"Do you think you would have become a librarian if you hadn't moved to Chile?" Kate asked.
Azaelia shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure what I would have become. A professional Quidditch player like Isolde and Py? Well, maybe not. I loved the game but I'm not sure I was ever cut out to play professionally." She smiled at Kate and Mark, who looked immensely bored.
"Enough about me. Are you both interested in joining the Book Group?"
"No," Mark immediately responded.
Kate explained, "He doesn't like to read."
"So I gathered. And you, Kate?"
"I'll sign up," she said, accepting the quill from Azaelia. Kate wrote her name down and asked, "When is the first meeting?"
"October 12th. We'll be reading The Parselmouth by Arminia Tipple." Azaelia handed Kate a copy of the book.
"Are you sure I can't convince you, Mark?" Azaelia asked.
He had to admit that the book Azaelia had selected looked somewhat interesting, but he still shook his head. "No, thanks."
Azaelia winked at Kate. "Oh, all right."
Kate smiled and took Mark by the hand. "Let's see what there is to eat."
As they wandered off, Azaelia couldn't help but think that it was a shame Mark's parents didn't support his relationship with Kate. Despite her family, she was extremely likable, and they did seem like a good match.
Being Friendly
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 12-16-12 12:18
"What clubs were you in before?" Beatrix asked Rowan, as the pair walked past the different booths set up in the Great Hall.
Like she had promised Willow, Rowan had decided to make an effort at fitting in, starting with befriending Beatrix Vanderbilt. For her part, Beatrix tried not to ask too many questions, though it wasn't easy. Rowan and Willow were very mysterious and secretive.
"I wasn't in any clubs before," Rowan said. "I don't think there were this many, and we didn't have anything like Club Day to explain what all there was."
Rowan could see the gears working in Beatrix's mind, as she tried to decipher what Rowan had just told her. "Well, what do you like?" she finally queried, deliberately keeping herself from asking just when Rowan had been at Hogwarts the last time.
Rowan shrugged. "I don't know. What do you like?"
"I was eyeballing the Alchemy Club. Alchemy is a new optional class for older students, but I don't know if the club is open to students of all years."
"Why don't we ask?" Rowan suggested. "Alchemy does seem interesting."
The girls went over to the Alchemy Club table, which seemed very popular at the moment. It was the newest club at Hogwarts, according to Beatrix, and seemed to draw interest from just about everybody. While the girls waited for their turn to talk to Professor Fanshawe, they talked to each other some more.
"How many brothers and sisters do you have?" Rowan asked, eager to keep the conversation off of her.
Beatrix tallied them off on her fingers. "I have three older sisters and one younger brother. Griet and Cornelia have graduated already. Aleydis is a sixth year in Hufflepuff, and Franciscus is a second year in our house. I also have three cousins here, Sadie and Ramona and Paton. What about you? I know you have one sister."
"Willow in Slytherin," Rowan replied, nodding. "I also had an older brother."
"Had?" Beatrix asked. "I'm sorry."
Rowan chewed her lower lip. She hadn't meant to imply that Ash was dead. As far as she knew, he was still cursed and simply hadn't been recovered and cured yet. But she didn't correct herself. Maybe she would never see him again.
"Yeah," she finally said. They inched closer to the table, but not close enough to talk to Professor Fanshaw directly.
"Do you get along well with your parents?" Beatrix asked, once again commanding the conversation.
"I have foster parents," Rowan replied. "They're really nice."
"Oh, that's good…" Beatrix trailed off.
Rowan didn't wish Beatrix to feel badly. She asked, "Do you get on well with yours?"
Beatrix nodded. "I do, better than Griet and Cornelia at any rate. Those two have given them headaches."
Rowan smiled. "There's drama in every family."
At long last, they reached the front of the line and inquired to Professor Fanshawe whether anyone could join the Alchemy Club.
Alchemy Club
Author: Josie
Date: 12-16-12 13:12
Since I only gave classes to the 6th and 7th years, and I didn't spend the whole week at the castle, I wasn't very well known around the rest of the students yet. The Alchemy Club was a novelty this year and I was hoping to gather at least a small group of interested students. I was surprised by the amount of students that came to my booth with a lot of questions I was more than willing to answer.
Unlike my classes, where theory was needed to be well known as well as the reason for certain alchemy process to happen and what by conditions they were caused, I wanted this club to be something fun and informal.
A group of girls belonging to the Gryffindor house approached my booth wanting to know more about the club. First I presented myself and then I gave them an example of what they would be doing if they joined it:
"Alchemy works with elements. We have the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. From these we can go anywhere. For example if we mix fire and water, what we would obtain?"
I used my wand to conjure a small flame and then water. The fire was quickly put out.
"Nothing…" One of the girls with black long hair said, a bit disappointed perhaps because of the simplicity of my example.
"No, you're wrong. Look! Steam…" replied her colleague. She was the smallest of the group, with big brown eyes, who now were very bright due to her discovery.
I smiled to the girl.
"Yes. Exactly. Steam. So now we have another element to add to those four. Now what would happen if I added water to earth?"
This time there was no need for an example and the right answer came right away:
"Mud!" This time it was a girl wearing a braid.
"And if we add mud and fire we obtain bricks!" added the smaller one again, in excitement.
I told them this was the whole base for Alchemy. Of course it wasn't that simple as the older students from my class already learned, but this was a school club meant for everyone and it needed to be kept simple and fun in order to appeal to everyone. I told them about some experiences they would do in the club as well as learning some useful facts about alchemy. They seemed to find hilarious that troll's blood had many important properties that could be used for healing.
After a brief chat they said goodbye and I was happy that at least two of them had signed up for the club. I noticed a group of curious first years approaching and I welcomed them to my booth with a smile. After talking to them, I turned my attention to two girls from the Ravenclaw house, who wanted to know if the club was open to all the school years.
"Yes. Everyone can attend and there is no need of any previous knowledge on the subject. "
I asked what their names were. One of the girls was called Rowan Westwick and the other one was Beatrix Vanderbilt. I asked her if she was related with Aleydis Vanderbilt, a student of mine. Beatrix nodded positively and despite they had different hair colors I could see some resemblances here and there. Rowan then asked about the time of the club meetings and also it we would be doing any sort of experiments. I gave them all the information they needed sincerely hoping they would join. If not, then at least they would get interested enough in the subject in order to take it in two year from now.
The Whole Cow
Author: Plum
Date: 12-16-12 14:04
After explaining to a second year some of what Language Club is all about Plum flags down Deak Bennett. "Didn't you graduate?"
"Yes, but as you know I sort of live here, at least until term starts at St. Emrys. I may stay in one of the residence halls."
"What I should have asked is why are you hanging about the Great Hall on a Saturday afternoon."
Deak gestures towards some of the food. "I was hungry and wanted another lunch."
Having seen Deak's brother Drake in action when it comes to food, and his ability to put it away pales in comparison to Kody Reese-Emerson's, Plum has no trouble believing that Deak is not just back for seconds but back for a second lunch. Perhaps it's even a third.
"Would you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"I am between having a student helper and I need to take a quick break."
Deak doesn't have to have it spelled out for him what exactly Plum means. "Go on then. You owe me big though. Like steak dinner huge." Plum's laughter trails her as she hurries away.
True to her word, Plum is quick, and very glad that a loo is very near. On her way back to the Language Club table she meets Professor McGonagall, whom Plum was thinking oversaw one of the clubs as well but every time she's seen the headmistress today she's been walking around and not at any of the tables. Either Plum is remembering wrong or Professor McGonagall did sponsor a club at one time but not longer does.
"Hello, professor. We've had a nice turnout today."
"Yes, I am quite pleased. I believe even had the weather today been good there would have been a very good showing though perhaps not at many would have lingered." Professor McGonagall suddenly peers intently at Plum's name tag. "How did I overlook that?" she queries.
"Overlook what?" Plum says looking down at the tag then spotting the mistake. Laughing now she smiles at the older witch. "I hadn't even noticed myself but it does explain why even the younger years have been calling me by Lancaster."
"A very easy fix." Professor McGonagall withdraws her wand and gives the name tag a light tap, changing the Lancaster to Beck.
"Thank you. I should be getting back. Deak Bennett was kind enough to watch the table for me for a few minutes. He says I do owe him a steak dinner for it. If I am gone much longer he'll want me to get him the whole cow."
Chuckling, Professor McGonagall continues on her circuit of the Great Hall and Plum hurries back to the Language Club table.