Decluttering [Open]

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Hogwarts had changed little in the eight years Professor McGonagall had been in retirement. The passages were still as familiar as the back of her hand. Each portrait and suit of armor recognized. The only thing that seemed to have really changed was the students. Younger students of those that had been students during her last years at the school. Children of students she'd taught many, many years ago. A glance at a first year would reveal a pair of familiar eyes, or a nose. A pair of ears that stuck out so far they had to come from the North boy. A mass of large curly black hair paired with startling blue eyes that undeniably marked the child as a Pendragon. She'd only been back a few days and already she had half the school student body down, just because of their parents. Some students she noted immediately had the same tendencies as their parents while others were polar opposite.

She'd spent the afternoon removing Anti-love potion propaganda from the Great Hall. It seemed as if each time she thought she had them all she found another. While the message was rightfully true, and unfortunately a necessary message, she did not in fact like the idea of these posters littering up the Great Hall, the heart of Hogwarts. She'd tolerate them in the hallways, but not here. Wand in hand she wordlessly flicked her wrist. Each motion brought another poster down, stacking each one neatly on top of the others.

@open to any students (if I already have a thread with you as Professor McGonagall let's give other people a chance, 'kay? :3)

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Headmistress McGonagall had come out of retirement to take over the reigns of Hogwarts, and that was nothing if not an interesting story. But it wasn't the one she was currently pursuing. No, she wanted the story behind the anti-love potion signs. But if Headmistress McGonagall was taking down signs from the Great Hall, then maybe she could get news on both.

So Eliza took a deep breath and approached her, and broke every rule to be seen and not heard. "Do you know who made them?" she asked, standing not quite beside the Headmistress, and twisting her hands together a little nervously.

@headmistress

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Professor McGonagall was not entirely surprised by the appearance of a student. Her end hand stilled, before dropping to her side as the latest poster dropped onto the pile. Maybe that would be all of them, but with her luck there would be more to find. Slowly her gaze dropped from the wall, those squares glasses pressed firmly up her nose as she took in the blonde youth. A pretty girl, dressed in the black and green robes of a Slytherin. Timid look to her, nervously wringing her hands together. Was that a typical nervousness or simply the fact that she was speaking to the Headmistress? By sheer luck she knew who this girl was, or at least her surname. Flint. The family had been in the news recently with the murder and death of Marcus Flint and Pansy Parkinson. Such a shame, two lives taken and leaving the damage for their four children. If she hadn't known already the girl's parentage though she would have assumed she was the child of someone entirely different. Neither of the Flint girls resembled Rirher of their parents. "Miss Flint." she greeted in her cool Scottish voice. Greetings seemed beyond the girl though, instead it was the posters. "Ah no. Nor do I appreciate the castle turned into a teenagers bedroom. Hogwarts is much to dignified to be covered in such childish propaganda." She'd always had a way of speaking so bluntly it was shocking.

@elizabeth

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There was something sharp and perceptive about Headmistress that made Elizabeth feel like she was being interrogated without a word being said, her soul inspected and found wanting. But she had brought this upon herself; she would not flinch away from it. "Headmistress," she returned, equally cool, with a bob of her head.

So the new Headmistress didn't know who had put up the posters. Lizzie was a little bit disappointed, because asking the portraits hadn't turned up much. They didn't pay attention to student affairs, apparently. Still, no harm in asking, especially if she could quote the Headmistress with such pith as that! "There was some speculation that it was Ministry or school sponsored, but it sounds like that's not true then?"

@headmistress

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Ministry or school sponsored? "Most certainly not!" Came her sharp, and almost apalled response. The posters, while well made, were obviously and distinctly juvinile in nature. A student had crafted these. A teacher would never commit such an act. Especially not without alerting the rest of the staff. And the ministry had absolutely no rule or say at Hogwarts. While their Aurors were present they were only shadows, and if they meddled in her school... Well, the Ministry and learned many, many years ago that you did not mess with the affairs of Hogwarts. As long as they stayed out of Hogwart's business, Hogwarts would stay out of theirs. Two completely separate entities, coexisting but staying out of each other's business. "And, as long as they don't put up any more I won't pursue it. It was an act before I returned to the school." So, she wouldn't seek a pulprit. She'd let this one slid, simply because she did not want to start her return to Hogwarts with a crusade against the culprit. As long as they didn't try another stunt like that. Then... Then these students would understand why their parents had both feared and respected her.

@elizabeth

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Headmistress McGonagall's answer to Lizzie's question about it being school sponsored was a bit more vehement than she had expected, and her eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't think so," she said quickly. "There were just too many of them. Students don't always feel the need to show restraint." She tended to, but she had her reasons for it.

The Headmistress said that she wouldn't pursue the culprit, and Lizzie's heart leapt with hope. "Can I quote you on that? I'm trying to find out who did it so I can ask why. For the school paper, you know? If they weren't afraid of being punished, they might be more willing to talk to me." She tried to keep her face as honest and unbeguiling as she could - easier said than done, when she was so good at holding her tongue. "Once I figure out who did it, of course," she added.

@headmistress

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Minerva let out a little huff at the idea. The school sponsoring propaganda against love potions. For heaven's sake, some of the older year students were brewing such potions in class! It was a natural part of their education. Yes, highly unethical to use on another person, but still natural. Natural and vital. "Restraint is something that many students seem to be lacking." She answered sternly. Minerva had always been known for her incredible strictness and absolutely unbending will. She did not tolerate any sort of rule breaking or other actions that might reflect poorly on the individual, their house, and Hogwarts. She raised her hand once more, waving it over the stack of posters and they neatly and immediately rolled themselves up and an string appeared to bind them together. "I'll have the caretaker clean these up later, along with any others he finds."

Quote? Minerva gave the young blonde a very strict look. "No. Some would consider it my endorsing the behavior. I do not want repeats." Nor did she much like the idea of the school newspaper publishing such a story. Thankfully the newspaper was not under her supervision, so the teacher in charge would prevent any unwanted stories from being published.

@elizabeth

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The Headmistress seemed unamused by the whole thing, judging by her remarks on restraint and having the caretaker clean up the posters. Unfortunately, that wasn't something taught in class. Or perhaps forunately, because it would make it easier for her to figure out who had done this in the first place.

Eliza decided that Professor McGonagall was intimidating, no matter how you looked at it, and she struggled to stifle the flinch that came with the look. But she hadn't done anything wrong, she was sure of that, and Headmistress McGonagall had a reputation for being strict, but fair. "I meant specifically to the culprit, not to the wider public," she said, "so they would talk. But I will, of course, respect your wishes." And even without the quote, she had gotten quite a bit of information from this conversation.

@headmistress

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Minerva had to admit. Elizabeth Flint was quite different from her (now deceased) parents. She'd known and taught both Marcus Flint and Pansy Parkinson during their school years. Neither of them had been... well she shouldn't speak ill of the dead. The point was this girl didn't act like either of them. So she merely nodded as the girl agreed. "I assume you write for the school newspaper." she said, slightly changing the subject. "Is that just a hobby or do you plan on pursuing journalism?" There were both good and bad journalists about. One in particular had been banned from Hogwarts grounds for over twenty years.

@elizabeth
(... I totally forgot about this thread...)

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When the Headmistress asked if Eliza was intending on pursuing journalism, she smiled . "I'm planning on working at The Daily Prophet after graduation." It was no secret, but if she was gaining recognition for it, that had to be a good sign, didn't it? "Investigative journalism, eventually." Despite herself, despite knowing that the Headmistress had a reputation for being fair and she hadn't done anything wrong, she fidgeted under the Headmistress's gaze, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

@headmistress
(eliza won't leave until she's dismissed, so if/when you feel so inclined, go for it)

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Scroll and ink on one side with a paper to the other, Josh did homework or trying to because every time he wrote a few lines his eyes would gaze over to the paper, reading about more killings, updates on the killers and what the champions are doing. A small breeze pasted him so looking up slowly Josh scanned to see what the cause of it was. A blonde girl walked up to a teacher but from where he sat it was hard to get a good look at who it was. She moved a little Josh got a quick glace, Professor McGonagall stood behind the girl. Thee Professor in which Josh's father would go on about. The teacher who took no crap from student, stood up to Ministry employees who set foot in this school. Josh's father even mentioned how she stood up to Snake at the battle of Hogwarts.

Turning back taking a drink from his goblet Josh began to write again trying not to care, but has his hand touched his paper, eyes focused his head seemed determined to move up and turn so as to get a looked at the student and teacher. McGonagall seem to be have had her hand on papers. Come to think of it he noticed a teacher taking down posters down from the halls of the great hall, they must have been the anti-love potion posters Josh has noticed around the school. To his surprise he wandered why anyone would put up such things, with everything that is going one.