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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 2, 2011 16:37:42 GMT -5
Keith was only carrying one bag as he came into the huge, old castle. It was an old, distressed leather bag, brown, well cared-for. However much he had been guaranteed that his things would make it safely to his new living quarters he wasn't about to let even the most loyal house-elf carry the few things that were the most important to him.
Just inside the large doors he stopped to take in his surroundings. He immediately loved the feel of the heavy stones that made up the castle, loved the feeling of walking into a centuries-old building. It was so much different from the uppity, modern building which had held his own school. His father had been thoroughly against him coming to work at Hogwarts, something about how the so-called prestigious school had seen too many disasters for his liking.
But Keith wasn't a new teacher, despite his age, he had taught at his old school after graduating before becoming bored with the area and getting the urge to move. He wondered absently how much longer the chill would hang in the air here, since there had already been a couple of warm days back home as he worked his close-fitting coat open with one hand.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 2, 2011 17:23:51 GMT -5
Chase had nothing better to do today, with the students uncharacteristically behaving and the flow of new students slowed to a stop. He'd needed out of his office, and and there was a new professor arriving, so he'd taken that excuse and left, striding through the corridors with black robes trailing behind him. Nothing was confiscated during that walk, not with the chance that someone might need taken back to the confines of his office and disciplined, and so he arrived in plenty of time to watch the younger man walk in.
Was this really the new Herbology professor? Chase watched him with folded arms, silently evaluating the way Keith evaluated the Entrance Hall. He'd come with recommendations, but on first view seemed far too bland to survive Hogwarts. The students would devour him in a month.
All the same, he put on his business smile and unfolded his arms, then made a beeline to greet the newcomer. "Keith Evans?" he asked.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 2, 2011 17:36:44 GMT -5
Keith looked up and put on his own smile as the man came up to him. He hadn't really expected to be greeted by anyone, he had been told how to get to his room, but he wouldn't turn away help in the castle. "Yes," he said, nodding and going toward the man. "Are you the headmaster?" He had heard the headmaster here was young, but he hadn't known just how young, assuming that was who this was. Keith thought it was safe to assume it was.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 2, 2011 17:49:41 GMT -5
"I am," Chase replied, extending his hand for a firm, commanding shake. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. Our previous professor recently took on another position, and we've been stressing a return to regular classes over the past year or so." He said no more on the subject just yet. If Keith hadn't done his homework, he could just be surprised.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 2, 2011 17:56:21 GMT -5
Keith shook his head and took the offered hand in his own for a firm shake. "It's no trouble, I had been looking for somewhere to transfer. I've heard that this school has had a bit of a rocky past, but I intend to stay here as long as you'll have me." He wasn't one to want to travel much, and was looking for somewhere to settle into for the long term, if he wasn't sure it would be permanent.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 3, 2011 15:35:02 GMT -5
Chase's lips curved into a subtle smirk. A bit of a rocky past. That was putting it mildly. "If you're hoping for any leftover excitement, I'm sorry to say the faculty doesn't get much of it." The Prophet still mentioned him now and then, but nothing about him stirred up interest now that he was no longer a student. It was a relief. He'd never wanted the damned spotlight.
"The best advice I can give you is to watch out for the Arithmancy professor. Dahlia writes for the Daily Prophet, and she's easily as bad as Gaby Kedavra was." Above and beyond the students, and even himself, the Prophet could drive anyone insane.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 3, 2011 15:43:03 GMT -5
"I'll remember that," Keith said, nodding. "I have no wish to end up in the school's rumor and gossip mills." He doubted he would really be able to stay away for the entirety of his stay here, but if he could stay out long enough to establish himself on his own it would be nice. It looked like not many could avoid the column, from the articles he had been able to read.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 3, 2011 16:51:27 GMT -5
"Good luck," Chase said, loud enough to be heard, but not so much that eavesdroppers would pick it up. "We haven't had a steady Herbology professor since I've been at Hogwarts, so you've got your work cut out for you. Do you have any questions?"
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 3, 2011 16:56:29 GMT -5
"Not that I can think of," Keith said slowly. "The school is huge, though, I'm sure it will take weeks to learn how to get around." His old school hadn't been very hard to get around in at all, but he had heard rumors about moving staircases and fake doors from others that had visited Hogwarts, and he could only imagine how bad such an old place could be.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 3, 2011 17:25:05 GMT -5
Chase gave a nondescript sound at that. He hadn't had nearly the problems some had, possibly because he'd been to worse schools, but being a professor neither guaranteed intelligence, nor the ability to find one's way out of a paper bag with a Four-Point spell. The guy had claimed not to have any questions, so he wouldn't waste his breath offering assistance. In fact, the outdoors were tempting him. He needed air.
"If that's all," he said, "then welcome to Hogwarts. Make yourself at home." Assuming the man could find his quarters. If he was that self-assured, maybe he'd finish out the term. If not, Chase would enjoy watching the mess.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 3, 2011 17:37:12 GMT -5
"On second thought, I was told vaguely how to find my quarters, but I get the feeling I would take a couple of wrong turns," Keith said. "Would you mind too much?" He thought he could probably find it on his own, but why turn away potential help when he wasn't completely sure, and the place really was so big.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 3, 2011 17:50:47 GMT -5
"No, of course not," Chase said urbanely. He silently cursed the fact that he'd be indoors until lunch time, which would then necessitate another hour inside, followed by the pile of work that would have stacked up by then. Perhaps he'd send an owl to the librarian later, requesting that she come retrieve the book he'd borrowed. "This way," he said, gesturing. "You're on the ground floor, it'll be easy enough to get to the greenhouses."
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 3, 2011 20:15:39 GMT -5
"It'll be nice to be in the castle," Keith said, glancing around again as he walked. "In my previous school they were outside, set near the greenhouses." The privacy had been nice most of the time, he had been away from students for the most part when he wanted to be and it was mostly quiet. On the other hand, he had been very removed from his colleagues and what happened in the school.
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Post by Chase Firebrand on Mar 4, 2011 20:09:15 GMT -5
Chase looked aside a moment, then faced ahead again, not interested enough to ask. "Only the groundskeeper's quarters are outside, though the keeper is on indefinite leave right now." If there was any harshness behind the words, it was well-hidden, but yes, Chase was more than a little annoyed that they'd reopened the position only to have the woman virtually disappear. Sometimes he dearly wished that he were in charge of firing faculty.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 4, 2011 20:19:32 GMT -5
"This school has a little problem with keeping its professors, doesn't it?" Keith said. It did according to the rumors he had heard and read about the school. Besides, not many schools hired two months into a term to fill a position, not that he was exactly complaining at the change of scenery, however much he might have enjoyed his old position.
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