The Headmaster's Office: 16 March, 1977

[undeniablestyle]

The Headmaster of Hogwarts stands at the window of his office, looking out over his school.

This is the sort of day when Dumbledore does not like his job.

In a castle full of adolescents, a certain amount of chaos and disorder is just a given. Young people are impulsive. They don’t always think. They quarrel and fight. Sometimes they can be out and out mean. All normal pitfalls on the road to adulthood.

But what Mulciber and Avery allegedly did to Miss McDonald yesterday was beyond the norm. Disturbingly and distressingly so. Dumbledore had been informed of the incident as soon as he had returned from London – before he had even gotten his cloak off. He already knows what the only reasonable outcome of this situation is likely to be, but as Headmaster, he needs to hear all sides possible.

He’s already spoken to the boys and to Miss McDonald. Now Dumbledore is waiting to speak to a key witness to the event.

She should be here any time.

Comments

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily can't say she's especially anxious for this meeting with Professor Dumbledore.

For one, since she and James got back to the Gryffindor common room last night, it feels like all she has done is talk about what happened yesterday -- with Fenton Blane, with the other Gryffindor prefects, with her roommates, with Iphigenia McGraw and Fenton again before breakfast, with prefects from two other Houses (and no points for guessing which one is the odd House out), with Professor McGonagall -- and that's not including all the noisy, inquisitive students who made unsuccessful attempts at conversation.

Honestly, she'd much rather be back in her room, with Mary and her other friends, than off to the Headmaster's office to talk about again.

But he's the Headmaster, and he needs to know what happened.

And she was supposed to be there five minutes ago.

"Hello, Professor. I'm sorry I'm late, sir."