New professor, same nonsense.

[Keaira O'Connell]

There were some well known truths that were accepted throughout the school. Dementors roamed the forest. Students were still not allowed on school grounds after dark. There was something going on at Hogwarts that few were truly privy to the secrets of. And Keaira O’Connell, who always sat in the second row, was perfectly tidy in appearance. Her hair was clean, and clipped off to one side, her robes were neatly pressed, every article in its proper place, and her shoes were spotless. Yes, she took quite the meticulous care of her appearance…. So long as she wasn’t having a nervous breakdown of sorts. Of course she made it a point to keep such out of character episodes under wraps. And today was no different than any other day.

She woke to the enchanted morning sun shining on her fake bedroom ‘window’. Shorty after which she started the task of removing herself from the tangled mass of sheets in which she had managed to get herself wrapped up in throughout the night of restless nightmares. Then she tossed the bundle of fabric that was her sheets into the laundry, and then went off to bathe. After nearly an hour of preparations she was ready for the day. Which when she returned to her dorm, she found a letter informing her that once again she presence was requested to meet with the newest head of the Slytherin house. It was to be the fifth time she attend one such meeting since the start of her 5th year. Hopefully it was to be the last one she would be made to attend. After all the year was nearly up and she certainly hoped that the newest professor would be staying for the remainder of the year.

It saddened Keaira to learn that Professor Sparrow, the former potions teacher was no longer going to be the one to teach the class. Apparently her husband had suffered from an accident while conducting his research, on new uses for potent herbs, and lost his long term memory, and can only speak words backward. She had rushed to be with him as soon as she heard the news and they had been without a potions teacher since. But that didn’t matter. It was time to meet the newest teacher that she had to report to.

It wasn’t much of a walk from her dorm room to the office that housed the Head of Slytherin. So after she finished reading the notice that directed her to attend a brief meeting with professor Harada, she simply threw her belongings into her bag and walked down the hall. As she reached the door to the former Professor Sparrows office she hesitated only a moment before she knocked lightly on the door. Hoping that this meeting would be no more stressful than any other.

[Alphonse Harada]

It had been a long time since Alphonse had walked the halls of Hogwarts. He reminisced on how he and his friends always caused the teachers problems, always pulled pranks on other Houses. But that was the past. He now had to step up to the plate. Times have changes since he was here last. Once a student of the very House he now oversees, now the new Potions Master and Head of House, he expects nothing less than great things from his students. But being a teacher comes great responsibility. Alphonse knew what he was getting into when he applied for the job after the previous teacher had to leave on emergencies. He was in luck, seeing as Potions was one of his favorite subjects, along with Defense Against the Dark Arts.

And now Alphonse, nearing the end of the old term, wanting to start off the next term with good terms with his students and fellow teachers alike. Things may seem a bit rushed, but one thing Alphonse knows is to never lose your cool. He learned that the hard way thanks to his old Head of House. He also learned to never challenge a skilled duelist like his Head of House unless he actually stands a chance. But as Alphonse sits in his office, he wrote a note to one of the Slytherin prefects hoping to meet with them before the term was out. As he waited in his office, he began to go over old lessons of the previous teacher to see what he can get out of them and maybe try to make them better for the next term.

As the sun shone brightly in his office, he flipped through page after page, impressed by the previous professor's lesson planning. He hoped to make them just as good if not better. As he finished looking over the old lessons, he heard a small knock at his door. He put the lesson book back in the desk and called out to whomever was knocking. "Just a moment. said Alphonse as he stood up from his desk and walked over to the door and opened it.

[Keaira O'Connell]

There seemed to be an even longer wait for the professor to invite her though his door than Keaira had ever experienced. But as she stepped across the threshold she understood it perfectly well, he had chosen to actually walk to the door and open it instead of flicking his wand to do the task for him. It seemed slightly off in Keaira’s mind but to each his own. Personally if Keaira was the teacher and the roles reversed, she simple would have had the student let themselves through the door instead of getting up and opening it for them. None the less Keaira smiled warmly to the professor and moved to close the door behind her.

Returning her focus to the teacher and new head of house she offered her hand out to him in an introductory notion. ”Hello Professor Harada, as I’m sure you are aware; I am Keaira O’Connell, the Slytherin prefect at this time. I received your notice just a few moments ago, and came promptly here, although I do have a class to attend in about an hour. So how can I be of service to you? Have you managed to get everything settled the way you like it?”

Keaira’s eyes drifted around the room. It seemed so very different since she last was in it. Of course Professor Sparrow had a warmer feel to it, certain to have been that way because of the various pictures she kept of her family. She also had her personal herb garden taking up a good portion of her office. Keaira had once asked her about it, and she had replied that it was so she could always have what she needed on hand to make the potion she had required. That had made Keaira aspire to do the same thing; she just had not been able to do so yet. Perhaps in the next year she would. After all, someday she might be Head Girl, if she didn’t get killed before then.

[Alphonse Harada]

Alphonse smiled as he was greeted by the Slytherin prefect, Keaira O'Connell. He shook her hand in a respectful manner as he began to speak. "Hello. It's good to meet you, Ms. O'Connell. I'm glad you got my message. Please have a seat. I understand that you're on a very tight schedule so I'll try not to keep you. And to answer your question, I'm just about settled in. I was just looking over some things my predecessor left behind, my guess to help me out later on for the next term. Show me how things were done and maybe get an idea of how to do things. But the reason I called you here is quite simple. Despite being Head of House, I cant do everything on my own. Which is why I wish for your assistance in the future, if that is fine with you. I don't wish for the next term to be my only term here."

Alphonse walked around his office as he spoke to Keaira before sitting behind his desk. He wanted to do everything he could to make his career at Hogwarts last for more than a term, and recruiting the help of his eldest students in his House is a good step for him. Alphonse knows this is going to be a tough job, but with his prefects helping him out when he needed it would make things a little easier for him, at least until he can handle more of it on his own.

[Keaira O'Connell]

Keaira nodded to the professor as he returned her greeting, and moved over to the empty chair across from where he would be seated. Her eyes drifted over the various notes and plans for the remainder of the year regarding how the potions class should be run. Professor Sparrow had wonderful hand writing, and it was relatively easy to read the many detailed directions for her class. As she sat down she slung her book bag down her shoulder and placed it gently onto the floor. It seemed like something Professor Sparrow would have done, she was always wondering how people were going to manage things. Keaira could recall meeting with the Potions mistress once upon a time, to get a consultant on her sleeping problem. Sparrow had given her good advice, but she also expressed genuine concern, about whether or not Keaira was going to be alright.

Professor Harada’s words were filtered through Keaira’s brain, each phrase carefully analyzed to ensure she understood his motive and his meaning to the fullest of her abilities. He seemed genuine enough, simply wanting some help familiarizing himself with the current students and the way things were run now a day. In fact his demeanor was certainly less devious than that of Professor Cage. Who had been the second Head of House she had known. Keaira knew better than to simply blindly trust him, but she was willing to offer some assistance to the man. After all, if he turned out to be an ally she would benefit from not having brushed him off in the beginning. And if he was really an enemy then it would be better for her to have a close eye on him, and to be the one he trusted. If that was the case she could always feed him lies and misdirection to help better the cause.

“Well sir, although I can’t promise that I will be able to give the best of service to you, I can say that I will try my best. With exams quickly approaching I must admit that I will be a bit preoccupied with studying in most of my free time, as I’m sure you can tell by my grades that I take my classes very seriously. However I will help in any way that I can manage, and since I plan on returning next year for my 6th year of classes I can offer my assistance again then if you require it.”

[Alphonse Harada]

As Keaira spoke to him, Alphonse listened to her reasoning. He understood fully what she was trying to say to him. When she stopped talking, Alphonse just smiled. "Well, Ms. O'Connell, I understand what you're saying. And I know you are an exceptional student. One of the top students from what I hear. And I know that exams are frustrating, so don't hesitate to come to me if you have any questions or need any help studying. That's what I'm here for. Basically any amount of help you can be to me will be greatly appreciated. It's been so long since I've been here. A lot of things have change over the years since I was a student."

Alphonse stood up once more before he walked over to the cupboard by his cloak. He opened it and took out a small photo. It was a picture of him and his old Head of House, Professor Callaway. He then sat back down and handed the picture over to Keaira. "This is the kind of bond I had with my previous Head of House. I wish to establish that very same bond with all my students. But the bond I shared with him was different. He was basically like an uncle to me. I could always go to him for anything. He was the reason why I came back to this school to teach. So just know that my door will always be open if you need anything."

[Keaira O'Connell]

Keaira listen to Professor Harada carefully, wondering if one day she may find herself sitting at a desk like this one, talking to the younger generation about how she grew up. It seemed quite unlikely, though, with the amount of battles she had already been in it was unfortunate but she believed that she was probably not going to live through her teens let along her 20’s. But she was willing to try, as she really wasn’t one for giving up on things just because they were difficult.

As Professor Harada retrieved the photograph and passed it over to her, Keaira took it carefully placing it on top of her hand. She examined the professor that was before her now, looking much younger, with another professor that she did not know. The two of them seemed happy, and both smiled and waved from their positions in the photograph. They looked almost carefree to her, an emotion that Keaira had a hard time relating to. She was very seldom carefree now a day. The smile that Keaira put on her face was nothing but a mask, to cover the emotion that she really wanted to feel.

“That’s a great photograph. And I appreciate the offer for any help should I need it in preparations for my upcoming exams. However I think I will be fine, I feel confident that with a little studying I will do great. In addition I will help you gather whatever information I can to meet your needs, all I need is for you to let me know what it is you are looking to know,”

With her fake and empty smile on display, Keaira offered the picture back to Professor Harada. It wasn’t her picture so she thought it best to return it to its owner. She had been very careful to keep her fingers off of the photograph, so that it would remain unflawed.

[Alphonse Harada]

As Alphonse watched Keaira look over the photo of him and Professor Callaway, he noticed the smile she had on her face was anything but happiness. When she offered the picture back to him and explained how she would be fine studying on her own, he simply nodded. Alphonse placed the picture back in its frame and but it back in the cupboard. He then sat back down and leaned back in his chair. "Well, Ms. O'Connell, your confidence is very admirable. And I wish you luck on your exams. And if there's anything that I would need you to help me with, I will be sure to send you an owl to inform you of what it is. However, i couldn't help but notice something."

Alphonse then sat up in his chair once more. "As you looked into the picture of me and my Head of House, I noticed that your smile wasn't exactly a cheerful one. It was filled instead with worry and discontent. Is there anything that you wish to talk about while you're here. Whatever you wish to say is strictly confidential between us." Alphonse said to her as he waited for her to respond.

[Keaira O'Connell]

Keaira sat in the chair of Professor Harada’s office, her body was there but her thoughts were somewhere else. Seeing the professor in his younger years and happy made Keaira wonder if she was able to experience that level of joy anymore. It had been quite a while since she could remember being happy. Zane had not bothered to respond to any of her owls, she didn’t know where he was, or what he was up to, and it worried, and scared her. She could handle things if he just openly said he couldn’t be here, if he didn’t want to be with her, but to just leave without any real explanation. It seemed cruel to her, and each day a part of her that held out hope that she would see him again died.

Alphonse seemed relaxed, which to Keaira seemed good, people pay less attention to minor things when they are relaxed and not alert. However he seemed alert in ways that Keaira had not accounted for. His eyes must have caught the flicker of her smile, or the way her fingers, although clasped together in her lap, had fidgeted with each other. It bothered her that he noticed the way she was distracted with her thoughts of Zane. But what could she tell him? ‘Oh my boyfriend’s parents were murdered and left for him as a birthday present, and now he’s off searching for revenge, against people he is not strong enough to beat and I think he’s going to get himself killed. Also I’m wrapped up in a war that I never asked to be part of, and it’s slowly ruining my life, as well as everyone else’s that it touches. Not to mention the fact that I’m afraid I’ll go home and find my family slaughtered like Zane did.’ No that wouldn’t work, she couldn’t tell him that in the same day she met him. She couldn’t allow herself to be pulled in by his cherry disposition, and generally helpful attitude. He may be a threat and here she was with her guard down, alone with a man she just met, and no one knew where she was. It was dangerous. Keaira took a deep breath and steadied herself as she cracked open her mental barriers. If he was about to do something malicious she needed that extra second of warning she would have to react. However he did seemed to exude real curiosity and even concern.

“It’s just… Zane Bishop and I were close. When his parents died in March he took it bad and he ran off, I haven’t been able to reach him in a while. It worries me, and I don’t really know what to do.”

She felt pretty sure that anything the professor could say wouldn’t be helpful to her, but she decided that didn’t matter, it might just help to get something off her shoulders

[Alphonse Harada]

As Alphonse waited for her to answer him, he then leaned back in his chair and began to wonder if Keaira's discontent had something to do with dark forces that he felt a long time ago. He had hoped the two weren't connected in some way. Whatever was bothering her, he wanted to help any possible way that he can. When she finally answered him after a couple minutes went by, what he had thought could be why. However, he held back from saying anything that could cause Keaira to feel more sadness. Alphonse instead stood up and looked outside. "I see. This Zane Bishop was a student in Slytherin, was he not. So it is only right in my book as Head of said House, that I should be worried about my students. I know what it's like to lose someone very close to you. But running off is not the best choice."

Alphonse stated as he stared at the locket around his neck which carrried a picture of him and his sister, whom he had lost several years ago. He then turned back to Keaira. "Even though I have never met him, he is still a student in my House. So as a promise not only to you, but to myself as well, after this term is over, if he has not yet returned here, I will go out in search for him and bring him back." Alphonse explained to her.

[Keaira O'Connell]

Keaira was quiet after she finished telling the professor what was troubling her. Her thoughts were lost upon Zane. He was more than just the friend that she had portrayed him as. In many ways he was closer to her than any other human had been or ever would be. And it pained her to think that he might not come back alive from his wanderings. She nodded silently as Alphonse commented that Zane had been a Slytherin. She wanted to add that he had been the other prefect, but she didn’t.

Keaira knew that running off like Zane had was a bad idea, even if he was perfectly capable of protecting himself, and even more capable of harming others. Yet, she couldn’t fault him for it. He had his world flipped over and turned backwards, it was only natural for him to try and take control in the only way he knew how. When Professor Alphonse suggested that he would find Zane and bring him back Keaira shook her head. It wouldn’t work like that.

“Zane is technically of age, and therefore he doesn’t have to return to the school if he wants. He’s already licensed for apparation, and with his parents estate handed to him shortly after their death, he has the resources to make life on his own. I don’t think he will return for any reason….But I have occasionally been proven wrong when it comes to him.”