how many walls | keir

[cade owen woodward]

Chasing our own tail

The more we learn,
the less we know

June 30, 2026
@keir

Cade needed to busy his mind. Certain thoughts seemed on repeat, and there was no reason he needed to focus on that with late Spring and summer events thus far. The Ministry was up to their ears in investigations. Both of captured Purifiers, but Cade had heard whisperings of internal investigations as well. He supposed it wouldn’t have been such a leap to consider it would happen—the last Wizarding War had brought the Ministry of Magic to its knees in terms of trustworthiness. While fait in the institution was far higher than in those, the arrest of a Department Head was not a good look.

Cade exited the elevator on a floor he was not accustomed to. His feet almost walked their own path out of habit, but he’d stopped himself. His staff covered the significant aspects of the attack that brought down Hogwarts, including Beatrice questioning Bianca herself. But, there remained the question—what now? Cade wanted to see what the Ministry had planned for the future of the students who had now lost their school and future generations. How did one replace such an institution? The thought of the Castle being gone sat heavily in his chest. Hogwarts had been a home away from home for so many. Friends formed, love found, and passions discovered. Cade wasn’t planning on running an urgent story, but he wanted to stay in the loop, plus it gave him a chance to keep his ears open in an otherwise typically quiet department.

He knocked on the corner office door of the Department Head. The name plaque on the door read ‘KEIR O’DALAIGH’. Cade had interacted very little with Keir, but he was sure that his staff had come through occasionally. Parvati had mentioned how the Hogwarts Professors had been asked to help in the rebuilding efforts, and Cade figured the public could do with some lighter news on the front page.

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[Deleted]

Ever since his fight with Idris, Keirs mood had been much milder. While he was still often irritable and on edge, he at least seemed to have a much better control of his temper again. His assistant still only occasionally stopped for small talk but at least she no longer acted skittish when she brought something in. She'd even returned to bringing him coffee over the last few days and after a good conversation and apology, she mostly left him alone due to the work load now. His days were more structured and he was slowly starting to shape up a concept with help of some of the staff that at least seemed doable. It wasn't his dream, but it was good enough for now. At least there was progress.

There was a knock on his door and Keir wasn't sure if he had an appointment at that moment. If nothing else he knew that he didn't exactly want to be meeting people but he got very little say in it. It was a part of work that was becoming more and more important as plans progressed. "Come in." He called out to the individual on the other side of the door as he started to put some of the papers he'd been working with away. He looked up as the door opened and a vaguely familiar face appeared. He wasn't sure what he knew him from, but if he was not mistaking the man was a part of the press. Well, it would appear that today might go either way, depending on exactly what the man ended up asking. He certainly already had half a mind to call Idris to ask for a good fight before the conversation took place. It always seemed to calm him down after all.

"How may I help you?" He asked politely, as there was no decent reason to start fights with anybody else. Besides, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

cade owen woodward

[cade owen woodward]

Chasing our own tail

The more we learn,
the less we know

June 30, 2026
@keir

It was a stressful time at the Ministry, so Cade knew what he was walking into. Maybe this was the reason he took his assignment personally, aside from being short-handed. The Editor had all hands on deck, and it was also a chance for him to delegate some more work to the Junior Editors in terms of the more tedious office tasks or even fieldwork, which they were grateful for. Everybody wanted to rise up the ladder until they got bored sitting behind a desk. Cade, for one, was grateful to do this work on occasion.

There was an answer, and Cade slowly pushed the door open. It took a moment for Keir to look at him, but he paused and asked how he could help him. Cade smiled and entered the office but did not close the door just yet. ”Cade Woodward, The Daily Prophet.” He walked up to the desk and held out his hand to offer up a handshake with his introduction. ”I understand that you’re very busy. But I wanted to write a piece on the future of magical education with what’s happened to Hogwarts. I just had a few questions, if you had a moment.” One might question what a man of his standing and rank was doing on such an assignment. But honestly, anyone at the Prophet would have gladly taken it. There was a vested interest in the future of education here. Hogwarts had a place in most hearts of alumni. They wanted to know what would happen next.

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[Deleted]

He probably should have known this was coming. Interviews. He despised them, but he knew that with everything going on, they were bound to be happening. He wouldn't even have been surprised if some rumours about the overhaul of the school system had already begun to leak out, so maybe it was better to start now rather than put it off forever like he secretly longed to do. So perhaps this was the right moment, since he actually had scheduled some time for other things than his rather cramped schedule. Not how he'd hoped to fill it, but a very sensible way nonetheless.

The man seemed polite and he noticed no contempt in his voice. Keir paused only for a moment before making a gesture with his hand that closed the door and then he motioned for the other man to sit down. "All right." He agreed. "Would you like some coffee or tea?" He asked politely. He'd give him at least one beverage worth of time before he cut things off, unless his questions proved rather rude or provocative. He had absolutely no time for any of that after all. Rude or not, he had a department to run. He figured the silence he left would open the floor for questions. He'd never been a man of many words, or not when he felt he could say what he needed to without them.

cade owen woodward