[G.Hall] Anchors Away

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Slowly Dan Hubbles made his way down from the seventh floor, after many years of staying on the third floor and the Hufflepuff Commonroom this journey seemed such a trek but he has most defiantly worked up an appetite when he had made his way down to the Great Hall. Slipping in through the side door by the Staff Table Dan made his way along the row of empty chairs and was about to stop at his normal spot when he saw the chair positioned in the middle of the table, the headmaster’s chair, that was now his chair.

A small satisfied smile filled his face as yet again this small detail appeared once again, everything has changed to so much since the day he had got that letter from Darrow and Dan was still trying to get his head around it all. Yet again he had changed rooms, he had a new office, a new bedchamber and every time he walked down the steps into the main office it took him by surprise to see all the other sleeping headmaster and mistresses in their portraits. Not that he was moaning, when they were awake the portraits were actually good company and had helped him a lot as he read down the list of instructions Darrow had left him, the very long list of instructions. Who knew the Headmaster had to do so much? Dan was thinking he would just be able to sit around doing nothing and get paid for it.

Wearily Dan flopped down into the chair and looked around the almost deserted hall, it was still stupidly early but he needed to be up as he had an appointment with the Minister of Magic at half eight and he did not want to be late for his first official meeting. Stifling a yawn Dan poured himself a glass of orange juice not feeling that his stomach would be able to take anything else as it felt like it was tied into a million knots due to nerves.

(Honestly it is open for all. Students are quite welcome to come and join Dan up on the Staff Table!)

[nieveaciento]

Nieve awoke and immediantly ran to the end of her bed, and to her dismay it had happened again. She groaned and flopped down on the floor where her trunk should have been, but yet again, wasn't. This was the fourth morning in the past the past month that Nieve had found her trunk vanished, finding it later somewhere hidden in the castle. She shook her head in frustration and covered her face with her hands; it was so damn embarassing having to go searching through the castle in the small silk dresses she wore to bed. She sighed and rose, reaching for the long, silk robe that she kept on her bedpost. At least whatever was taking her trunk had the decency to leave that. She covered herself, tying a careful knot at her waist, and scratched her head as she decended the dormitory stairs to go looking for it before her first class.

When she reached the main floor, she always started bottom to top, she realized how hungry she was and decided she'd take breakfast first. When she opened the huge doors into the Great Hall she immediantly noticed Professor, i mean Headmaster Hubbles. He was new to her, and she'd never crossed his path at breakfast. She wondered if he might be able to help her with her dillema and hopefully walk to the Staff Table up front. She tried combing through her hair as she approached, now somewhat concious of her post-wake up appearance, but threw him a huge smile as she stepped up in front of him.

"Good morning, sir!"She curtsied a bit and kept on smiling. "I'm Nieve Aciento, a 6th year Ravenclaw, but somehow I've managed to never make your acquaintence."She held our her hand to him but continued with her speech. "And I wish my first time meeting you wasn't under these conditions, sir, but I happen to have quite a problem I was wondering if you could assist me with..."She raised her eyebrows imploringly and bit her lip in prayer as she awaited his reaction. In this time she happened to notice the youth of the new headmaster, which took her by surprise, for he was quite attractive and not at all what she expected when she'd first heard that a Professor Hubbles was going to be taking the place of Headmaster Darrow.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash stumbled still half-asleep down the main staircase to the Great Hall, tripping on the stairs; he just barely managed to catch himself. Good thing too! Wouldn’t want another broken wrist! Pushing open the heavy wooden door, he smiled at the familiar, oddly-comforting creaking sound.

He’d never expected to become so attached to a school of all things! And yet, the more time he spent here, the more he fell in love with it. He knew that graduation was coming up in about a month; in fact, lots of things were coming up… finals and NEWTS were in a few weeks, graduation in June, wedding in August (he was really looking forward to that one!) but he just wasn’t ready to leave yet. Which was why he was on a mission!

Crossing over the threshold into the Great Hall the Ravenclaw smiled as he spotted Professor Hubbles seated in the Headmaster’s chair. So, the rumors were true after all. Professor Hubbles had replaced Professor Darrow as headmaster…

Walking up to the staff table, Ash smiled. “Good morning sir. I just heard the news, congratulations.” He hoped Headmaster Hubbles would be able to understand him, seeing as his French accent was quite noticeable today! This always seemed to happen close to summer, his accent became thicker. It was probably because he couldn't wait to see France again! Then he noticed the other Ravenclaw and smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Ashton Laurent; most people call me Ash though.”

Turning back to Professor Hubbles, he spoke. “Sir, I know Girty is the Charms apprentice right now, but I was wondering if maybe next term, if possible, maybe I could help out as well? Charms has always been one of my best subjects, and if I don’t start up a shop like I plan to, I need something to fall back on, and Charms is the first thing that comes to mind. Would that be possible?”

He bit his lip nervously as he awaited Professor Hubbles’ answer; he had always loved Charms, and couldn’t think of a better way to spend his time if the shop did not work out! All he needed was approval…

[nieveaciento]

Nieve, staring so intently at Headmaster Hubbles, was startled by the approach of the other student. She was also startled by the fact that here was another Ravenclaw, someone else she ought to know, that she was yet again unfamiliar with. This morning of new faces was making her feel like all this time at Hogwarts she'd been living in a hole! She smiled and shifted her handshake from Hubbles to this Ash. She shook it gingerly, an annoying habit she had, and touched her chest.

"Good morning, Ash, pleasure to meet you. I'm Nieve Aciento, sixth year Ravenclaw, though I haven't seen you around very often.She held his stare for a moment then turned back to the Headmaster, wondering who he'd address first, for both matters seemed of importance, those hers might take an unfortunate length of time, perhaps for some odd reason Ash might know the answer to her question...

[Alex Doyle]

Walking into the great Hall was something Alex had been used to over the years, but his, like Ashtons time, was running short. He had been apprentishipping for the past year and wanted to continue. He wasnt ready to leave his home jus yet. Alex had gotten used to the place and it held memories. He was thinking of making his future here, but he didnt quite know how yet. Now Dan was the headmaster, Girty was the Charms professor. It was a confusing system, but once you got used to it, it was one that made a lot of sense. Alex grabbed a pumpkin juice off the table before making his way upto the staff table and clinking his goblets on Dans.

"Who in their right mind made you Headmaster?" Alex laughed, "They must be mad!"

Draining half his goblet he placed it on the staff table and listened to the conversations running around him. Humming slightly to himself, he stayed quiet, almost waiting for Dan's snippy comment. Alex looked around, surprised Girty was not yet here, looking at Dan, then at the staff table he couldnt believe that Girty would be sitting up here now, instead of down in the house tables. Alex looked at Ash and gave a small smile to the boy before looking back at Dan.

"Oh well, Guess this means no more late nights for me and Girty" Though frowning he laughed, "Studying and sorting work out I mean." Not that he would admit to her brother Alex often got Girty drunk on a regular basis. Or used to anyway. Of course he knew, but neither of them said anything. "Still think they're mad making you headmaser!" Laughing Alex drained his juice again.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan slowly sipped on his orange juice and looked out over the empty Great Hall, it was a strange site to see the rows of house tables studentless and also for Dan to see this time of day. Yet another yawn escaped him and he made no effort to quieten it this time, in fact he amused himself but trying to make it like a lion yawn seeing as no one was around. Or at least no one had been around as a Ravenclaw suddenly appeared at the main door. Pushing himself up in his chair to at least make himself appear a bit more professional Dan watched as she walked up the aisles and approached him a look of determination set on her face.

At her greeting Dan shot her a smile although he found it hard not to start laughing when she did a small curtsey. That was something he was not expecting to see…ever but at least it was nice to see that manners had not died out completely although he traditional form of greeting seemed to still be around. Stretching out over the table Dan reached over the table and took hold of her hand and gave it a small shake and listened to the rest of her speech although she just broke off half way through a sentence. He was about to tell her to continue when another person appeared.

It was yet another Ravenclaw and this one he knew, with a small smile Dan gave Ash a small wave and listened to what he had to say. It did seem an odd request and it seemed very opportunistic and it actually baffled Dan slightly as it was something he had not expected. Opening his mouth to answer yet another Ravenclaw showed up taking a seat next to him along with a rather cheeky comment and when this kind of thing is said to a Hubbles it is their first instinct to fight back.

“The same person who let you become an apprentice Alex, so I think that does qualify them as mad.” He gave the Ravenclaw a cheeky smile before realising that everyone else was still waiting for an answer and as Headmaster it was his job to sort problems out.

“Mr Laurent you will have to go and ask my sister about that, it is her choice to pick their apprentices I only give the go ahead.” Dan gave him a small shrug. “Sorry mate you will have to hunt her down, I am sure Alex will know where she is.” Finally Dan turned to the first Ravenclaw who was introducing herself to the others. “Miss Aciento I will help you as much as I can today, if anything I will pass the message onto you head of house.”

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash nodded, "Alright, I'll be sure and ask her." He couldn't help but snicker at Alex's word of anyone making Professor Hubbles Headmaster was mad! "You know, this is just my personal opinion, but in my mind, making any Hubbles head of Hogwarts is insane! And possibly cause for admittion to the nearest looney bin!" he replied with a cheeky smirk, hoping that Proffesor Hubbles wouldn't just decide to hex him right there!

[nieveaciento]

Nieve giggled at the scene going on around her, surpressing her first instinct to be overwhelmed, she was actually enjoying this interaction. She'd never met any of these boys, but of course had seen Professor Hubbles around the school. She beamed at his response and let her attention fall from those beside her to directing it at him.

"Oh thank you so much Headmaster Hubbles. You see,"Nieve looked around her momentarily to see if the other two were listening, them both being Ravenclaws they might be able to be resourceful as well. "Well sir, all throughout this past month my trunk has just been vanishing amid the night. This morning is the fourth time I've woken up to an empty space at the end of my bed; hence the robe." Nieve blushed and glanced to the boys again. "I honestly have no clue who or what has been causing this, but whomever they are, they're quite good at it for I never hear them!"

She sniffed slightly and tighted the bow around her waist, suddenly self-concious at the fact that she was standing in front of the new headmaster and two fellow Ravenclaws in nothing but a silk robe. But she stood her ground, intent on finding the location of her trunk, even admist this playful chatter. She did laugh, though, at the banter of the boys.

[Jamie-Syrus Griffiths]

Wandering through the surprisingly quiet corridors, it was after all only early morning, the great hall would still not be filling for breakfast. Jamie-Syrus made his way from the commonroom up to the third floor charms classroom unhindered. Which when you think about it the whole journey was utterly ridiculous when he had started off closer to the great hall when he awoke. Moving swiftly to the old charms door, he rapped his knuckles on it loudly, and entered moments later. “Girty?” he called out into the strangely silent room. And he was greeted by a series of snorts and grunts as he saw he head shoot up from behind a pile of papers. “sleeping on the job are we love?” Jamie stated with a small laugh, as a few pieces of parchment floated down to the floor. And looking back at his cousin whose hair was now sticking out in all directions, though that was little different from usual. “you do realise that we are supposed to be meeting Dan in the great hall in….” Jamie looked down at his watch and then back up at Girty. “All of three minutes don’t you? Am I going to have to make excuses for you again?” He stated disapprovingly with a slight tut and placing his hands on his hips.

The knock on the classroom door came a huge surprise to the young professor, she had not expected for anyone to turn up yet after all it was still stupidly early. With a small glace over at her clock it suddenly dawned on Girty that yet again she had worked although the night and the chance of any sleep was now miniscule. With a groan she dropt her head onto the table sending parchments flying all over the place, she would have stayed like this had it not been for the sound of her cousins voice.

“Sleep?” Girty questioned as if Jamie was talking in a foreign language “That is something I have not done in a while.” She managed a small laugh before burying her head in her hands as Jamie continued to mention about Breakfast with Dan. Waving her hand idly in the air she gave a small mumble of “Not now” before drifting off into a rather heavy sleep.

Jamie could not help but emit a small laugh as Girty waved him away with little attention, Jamie had become very tempted to throw something in her general direction, but then he was greeted by a chorus of snores and decided against attacking the newly appointed professor. Now he could have always carried he down to the commonroom to sleep, however, that was for to much effort, and it would look rather odd for him to be carrying her through the school at this hour in the morning. And such a thing could only make bad impressions. So deciding against the fact, he turned and headed back out the door, closing the door silently and withdrawing his wand, he placed a do not disturb sign upon the door. Smiling to himself he headed back through the deserted corridors the way he had come, seemingly now for no apparent reason.

Looking down the length of the great hall that stood before him, there sat Dan surrounded by a sea of Ravenclaw’s. ‘Poor fellow’ Jamie muttered to himself, and smiling to himself, he ran swiftly down the between the two centre tables as silently as he could manage. Unfortunately however, he had not accounted for the old building to turn against, him he noticed a little to late, a broken flagstone, and catching his toes on it he lurched forwards and skidded along the rest off the hall on his belly.
Jamie slowed to a complete halt a few metres behind the others. Laughing shyly, he got to his feet and dusted himself off. Then grinning broadly again he started toward two of the Ravenclaw’s and placing a hand on both Alex’s and Ash’s shoulders he pushed down on then and thrust himself into the air to pole-vault him over the table and onto the chair to Dan’s right. “Sorry I’m late Dan, and I’m afraid Girty shall not be joining us this morning, she is…. Marking papers.” He said with a small wink at Dan. And then turning round, he bowed slightly to the Ravenclaw’s and plonked himself down into the chair. “She said I could take her place today!” Jamie-Syrus beamed at his cousin, and slumping slightly in his chair he picked up his feet and placed them cross legged on the table.
Then looking toward Alex he uttered “Oh sorry, for using your shoulder Alex, but you are strong enough to take it.”

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan raised an eyebrow at what Ashton had to say and tried to put on his serious face although he was finding it rather hard. He knew that to be Headmaster of Hogwarts he had to try and keep up with the marvellous wizards and witches that had come before him…the problem was Dan was not like the common witches or wizards who had this role; he did not have grey hair for a start. As the Ravenclaw continued to go on about letting any Hubbles run the school has to be mad and for a moment or two Dan was unsure if he agreed with him or not. It was true the Hubbles clan were not the description of normal, they liked to have a laugh but they also knew when play time was over and they needed to be serious.

“I would be careful Mr Laurent; you are nearly stepping over the imaginary line from where my good humour ends and my bad temper starts.”

He tried to give Ashton a glare to show that he meant what he had said but the only problem was that the emo boy’s cheeky grin made him crack a smile so the whole affect was really lost. It was then that the only female in the hall began to talk once more and so Dan passed his gaze along the line up of Ravenclaw’s back towards Nieve who he only really just noticed was wearing a silk robe. It seemed a very strange thing to be happening, a trunk going missing in the middle of the night over and over again. A small frown spread across his face and he placed his glass of orange juice on the table.

“Well Miss Aciento this is very strange, when I return from the Ministry this evening I will have words with the portraits in the Ravenclaw commonroom and see if they saw anything, also if the culprit is not caught I will put a portrait on duty in the dorm room so we can see what is truly going on.”

He offered the Ravenclaw a small smile just as a Hufflepuff jumped over the table and landed in the empty chair next to him. With a slight frown Dan turned around to see Jamie-Syrus taking a small bow to the others in the room, giving his act a little more support Dan gave his cousin a small round of applauses and patted him on the back as he flopped down in the chair next to him.

“Marking papers?” Dan raised an eyebrow at this comment and shot Alex a small smile. That was normally the excuse that was used when Girty and Alex were having a bit of personal time together, so unless Girty was having an affair then she was either marking papers or fast asleep. “Well there you go Ashton if you want Professor Hubbles…”Dan could not help but snigger “You would have to go to her classroom but maybe it would be best to go their in a few hours, Girty is never in a good mood when she wakes up.”

[Alex Doyle]

"Oh now that was a low blow Professor" Alex mocked, putting his hand over his heart as though he was mortally wounded. "I'm not honestly that bad am I?" Alex laughed as he looked around the Great Hall. Drumming his fingers on the table, once more letting the conversation glide right over him, Alex just seemed to drift off into his own world. No doubt wondering why Girty wasnt down here yet offering Dan her congratulations, and recieving some herself.

"What makes you think I know where she is?" Alex asked, turning his attention back to Dan. "Im her boyfriend, not her keeper. I dont know where she is every second of the day you know."

Alex tempted himself to more pumkin juice as he seemed to await Girty's appearance. To which of course was looking like she might not make a show, he drained some more of the pumpkin juice. It was strange really, Alex seemed to run off the stuff and yet he hated it with a grand passion. Hearing the door creep open, he saw Jamie walking in and coughed out his pumpkin juice when he saw Jamie trip and glide down the centre isle. He took a moment to compose himself by turning around. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he briefly looked around before seeing Jamie use him as a pole to vault! Stumbling backwards Alex laughed. "What am I? Everyones post?" Though looking at Jamie he nodded, "Yeah unless you send me reeling again." Though sticking his tongue out rather childishly to show he was only joking.

Alex raised his eyebrows when Dan gave him a suspicious look, well a small smile and he knew exactly what Dan was thinking. It was like Alex could see the cogs blowing the spider webs off and of course, coming to the wrong conclusion. "Hey!" Alex warned in a joking tone, "Dont blame me, I had nothing to do with it this time!" Taking a sip of his juice, he quickly swallowed before adding, "Or any other time before it, I swear!" Alex nodded rapidly, before looking to Ash and smiling at the boy. "She is a right misery guts first thing in the morning. Take her a coffee and she will love you forever though."

[nieveaciento]

Nieve nodded thankfully at the headmaster, satisfied with his conclusion, only hoping that the continuous flow of interruptions wasn't going to slow down his reaction time to the problem. She giggled at the acrobatics and playful words being exchanged, and turned for a moment to reach for a glass of water off a nearby table. She took a sip and set it on the staff table in front of her. She tried to nonchalantly take in the names flying past her so that she could try to store them away in case she'd run in to any of these boys again at a later time.

At the prospect of finding out the trunk thief she brightened, but this still did not help her current situation; she needed to find her trunk to get her robes, classes would be starting soon and she didn't want to be stuck in a desk in her silk. She had a fleeting hope that one of these people could help her, two heads are better than one after all, and the faster she found her trunk, the faster she'd be in something a little more school-appropriate.

"Ahem," Nieve let out a small cough to politely interject again. "I don't want to seem helpless, but if any of you boys have the time, or the energy, I really would love a hand in trying to find my trunk. The last time it got taken it was all the way out in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, and I just don't really have the time to go ripping this castle apart by myself for my robes..." She smiled sweetly, praying that she might get a helper.