Information Gathering (Open)

James walked into the Three Broomsticks dressed in robes for the first time in several months. He only wore robes when he was in the wizarding world gathering information for his bosses. Of course it wasn't like he actually needed to be in any form of disguise, he was a squib after all and so was therefore welcome in the wizarding world.

A few wizards in a corner booth sneered at his obvious lack of a wand.

Well, he was mostly welcome.

He ordered a butterbeer and sat at one of the tables in the centre of the room, nursing the drink as he absorbed the conversation around him. It took him only a few minutes, and half a butterbeer, to realise that Theolynne Gray was a teacher up a Hogwarts.

Huh. You learn something new everyday.

Asric apparated straight to the door of the three broom sticks, the kids at school were sending him insane and he needed a break. It was hard being the youngest headmaster of all time.

He dusted himself down before moving towards the bar to order himself a firewhiskey. Once his drink arrived he walked over to one of the empty tables and held his head in his hands for a while to rest his eyes.

James looked up when the headmaster of Hogwarts sat down on the table next to his, obviously very worn down. He chuckled a little,

"School full of kids driving you nuts?" he asked casually, "I know I'd probably go insane with all those hormone driven little bundles of energy in one place. Even more so because you have to try and teach the little beggers."

He opened his eyes and turned to look at the man behind him. "Nuts? I think that's the understatement or the year. I'm beginning to wish i took peoples advice and waited another 60 odd years before taking the job." He smirked downing his firewhiskey then ordered another.

"The worst thing is the paper work and owls from parents. I just can't be bothered. Of course the longer you leave it the more it piles up. So now i have a pile that reaches from floor to ceiling. I think i need a PA. Know anyone that's interested in doing paper work?" He asked.

He nodded. "I should have done a Dumbledore and just settled being headmaster. Would have saved me a lot of time and energy."

Sophia made her way into the Three Broomsticks, Occlumency shields firmly in place to prevent unwelcome bits of information from assaulting her mind. Flashes of the possible near-future, mostly, bits of what defined a person at the moment for the rest.

The seer was not usually one to seek out companionship, not that she didn't welcome it. She was just content to mostly remain on her own. Lately, she had felt the need to be near people, though she wasn't entirely sure why.

It was the nightmares, most likely - the ones she couldn't remember, the ones which had begun about a month before school had started. They were starting to get to her, and she was beginning to feel too secluded, too alone. And so she went somewhere she wouldn't necessarily have to socialize, though, she would still be surrounded.

Ordering a butterbeer, she turned to sweep her brown gaze over the interior of the bar, looking for a place to be seated.

Silver knew that the Three Broomsticks was the best place for her to relax. After all, being an Auror can be really tiring, yet exciting at the same time. But right now, she just needed to chill.

She entered and ordered her favourite drink, which was Hog's Head Brew. As she was looking for a place to sit, Silver noticed that someone else was looking for a seat as well. She went over and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Silver. Mind if I join you in your quest for a seat?"

Sophia turned towards the woman who had approached her. She could have been anyone, anything, set on any number of inane plans for the evening and Sophia hadn't the slightest idea. A small smile curved her lips and she gave a slight incline of her head.

"Of course," she responded, kindly. "It's Sophia."

A startled cry came from someone going out the door. "Bloody bird!" someone exclaimed. Sophia tossed her hair back from one shoulder in time for a large, black bird to land there.

"Och, Magus," the woman murmured, "causing trouble again, I see, laddie." She stroked his breast for a moment, frowning. "What is it? What do you sense?" The raven had been rather clingy the past couple of days, which meant that he had sensed something that had yet to reach her notice.

"This is my familiar, Magus," Sophia told Silver, smiling at the woman before turning her attention back to locating a seat. She spied an empty table, right next to... She went over.

"Hello, Headmaster," she greeted. Magus fluttered to a chair back. Looks like she, at least, would be staying. Her gaze swept over to the man seated at an adjacent table and back again. "Are these seats taken?" Sophia asked.

James chuckled,

"Really?" he shook his head, "These are dark times mate, we need someone young enough to remember their own name in charge of our kids. Not some barmy ol' coot like most old men get."

He paused for a minute, pretending to look thougtful, before smirking,

"Depends what it pays." he decided eventually, "If it's more than me last job you've got yourself a desk jockey."

He looked up at the new arrivals, professor by the look of one of them. He had to carefully limit his response to clutching his butterbeer tighter as he noticed the other was an auror but he was very confident that none of them would ever be able to read his mind. Both James and Jack were mental nulls, to a practiser of the mind arts they didn't exist. He smiled,

"Help yourself." he told them happily, "Just trying to strike up a conversation and the more people involved, the better the conversation!"

Sophia regarded the man, Irish by his accent and a squib by his lack of notable magical signature, but that wasn't what drew her attention. There was something different about him, though, with her shields up... A smile stole across her face. He wasn't projecting anything to press against her shields. If only more people were like him - really, the world was so noisy to a sensitive like herself.

"Ah, but even words can be empty," she replied impishly in her gentle brogue. "Get a bunch of numpties haivering on and you've a hollow conversation."

She gracefully settled herself into the chair her familiar was perched upon, taking a sip from her butterbeer before setting it down on the table. A hand came up to the side of her head before she realized she had done so. Bringing her hand down again, she mentally shook herself. On the back of her chair, Magus shuffled a bit restlessly.

"Nice to meet you Sophia." Silver replied with a smile. "And pleasure to meet you as well, Magus."

She followed Sophia and smiled slightly when she saw Headmaster Chaos and James Irvine. She had heard loads of things about Irvine amongst her colleagues. Some even feared him a tad bit. But Silver wasn't going to be so easily intimidated by such a figure. Besides, he seems nice enough, she thought as he offered the seats to her and Sophia.

"Hello, Headmaster Chaos. My name's Silver." She introduced herself. She turned to Irvine and pretended that she didn't know him. "Yes, words have no meaning unless the right person or people are involved." Silver said to him with the hint of a smile.

He nodded. "I know that, it's what got me the job in the first place. People are afraid for their families lives they want someone that knows what he's doing in charge. Obviously you can never trust the ministry anymore you never know who's side it's on. I'm good at what i do, me and my partners were the best." He smiled thinking back to the good old days when the three of them were together.

He chuckled. "People only care about the money. What happened to the days were people just liked to help?" He smiled considering it for a moment before letting out a laugh. "Nice try mate, my old master would turn in his grave if i accepted a stranger into my most private quarters. I might as well just tell you everything now." He smiled. "Wait... is he even dead yet?" He asked himself before shrugging. "Actually i don't know if he is dead. I haven't seen him in years so im just going to presume he is." He smirked.

"Hello, no help yourselves the more the merrier." He said downing his drink once more. He was a very heavy drinker at times luckily he didn't get drink too easy. "Please call me Ric, being called headmaster makes me feel old." He shuddered, he didn't plan on living past the age of 50 or 60. He never could stand to be still for too long. He was impulsive.

"I fear it may be a difficult habit to break, Hea - Ric," Sophia responded with a smile. She didn't converse with her employer often, but he seemed genial enough, even if there was an intangible sort of... darkness which settled around him. It could have had any number of causes. It was not her business to find out.

Magus spread his wings slightly, then folded them again. Why was the bird so agitated? "Easy, laddie," she murmured, her hand moved to idly fiddle with the charm which hung about her neck.

"I'm Sophia, by the way," she told the other man. "And you are?"

James rolled his eyes with a smirk,

"Well I'm sorry but the warm feeling of helping others doesn't keep me fed!" he complained with a grin before waving it off, "Meh, that's fine. Might apply to be a caretaker or something easier."

He smiled,

"Nice to meet you Sophia." he greeted her, "Name's James."

"And you as well, James," Sophia returned warmly.

"Did I hear correctly that you may apply for a position at the school? It can be a wee bit of an undertaking, you know. Children are rather high-spirited, these days."

Her smile faded and a hand came up to press against the side of her head, once more. Her mind felt... almost muzzy, or too full, perhaps. Bringing her arm back down to the table, she smiled again, returning her attention to the conversation.

Silver noticed that Sophia wasn't probably too well. She lightly touched Sophia's shoulder and asked her, "Are you okay?"

"And yes, a position at the school is definitely a workload. But sometimes better than being an Auror." Silver said with a grin.

"I'm quite alright," Sophia replied with a disarming smile. "Just haven't been sleeping all that well, lately, so I reckon I'm a wee bit tired." Which was true enough - she hadn't been sleeping that well, what with her nameless nightmare. She hadn't meant to draw attention to herself. She'd much rather learn more about those she was visiting with.

James nodded,

"Well at this point I'm looking to get any job I can." he shrugged, "Not exactly easy being a squib and all."

He frowned a little, concerned for Sophia,

"Are you sure?" he smiled a little, "Maybe some coffee would be better than anything else. And then a nice early bed."

Sophia smiled. "You're quite right," she agreed, pushing back her butterbeer. She wasn't really drinking it, anyway. "I think I will ask for a cup of coffee." The woman did just that as her raven fluffed out his feathers, then shuffled to the opposite end of the chair back for no apparent reason.

"Hope you feel better soon Sophia," Silver said with a smile.

"So James, any particular type of job you're interested in?"

He smiled. "Well being the nice boss that i am if you need a day off just let me know so i can find someone to cover. There's no way i'm covering another one. I'll just stick to the stuff i know and like." He said rubbing his eyes.

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Well you won't have that problem from me. Squibs are still family no matter what others think, i don't agree with casting them out. My brother is a squib." He frowned, he hadn't seen his brother since the age of 16. He could be dead for all he knew.

"Well the best i can offer you is grounds keeper. But when i say grounds keeper i mean grounds keeper. No coming into the castle uninvited, no talking to any of the students, a brief hello is fine but nothing more. You must understand that during these times i can't have anyone near the children that i can't trust and since i know nothing about you i can't yet trust you." He said opening one eye to look at James. "You still up for the job?"

Sophia laughed at the thought of the headmaster teaching her class. "A day off won't be necessary," she assured, wrapping her hands around her coffee cup. "I'm sure a good night's rest shall prove itself more than adequate."

Her mind wandered as she listened to the conversation, sipping at her coffee. It was so strange... the odd sensation that kept washing over her, Magus' agitation, it all gave her an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. She'd experienced it once before, she wasn't certain of it, but for some reason she couldn't recall when.

"I'd think groundskeeper would be a peaceful job," Sophia commented. "You'd be able to daunder about out of doors all day. And I'm certain you could scare up some company were you keen to do so." She gave James a bright smile before taking another drink from her coffee cup.

Magus had gone still.

"Yes James, a groundskeeper is a pretty cool job," Silver said with a grin. "I don't think there will be a moment of boredom. Besides, you seem like the kind of guy who likes things out of the ordinary. But I'm probably wrong..." She trailed off, hoping that she hadn't said anything wrong.

James smiled a little and clapped his hands together happily,

"Well then gosh I'd love to be groundskeeper!" he decided with a happy grin, "Sounds like I'll get lots of fresh air and exercise! Although I'll have to stay away from some parts of the forest... giant spiders are kinda hard to kill when you're a squib."

Sophia gave a soft laugh. Charming and a sense of humor. She should like to get to know this man more, the woman decided.

Her hand was suddenly pressed to her temple, again, but this time was different. Her head didn't just feel full, it felt painfully full, as though all her thoughts and ideas and memories were pressing out, shoving against the shield she used to keep the rest of the world at bay.

"I-I think I had better go, after all," Sophia said a bit shakily, giving a forced smile. Her hands had begun to tremble, but she was certain she'd make it back to the school, just fine.

She stood. Then, she grew perfectly still. Magus gave a sudden, loud cry. Sophia's eyes became pale blue orbs in her face and when she Spoke, her gentle Scottish brogue had been replaced by two voices, speaking together; one a harsh rasp, the other a soothing melody. Both were very quiet, yet they carried clearly to everyone within the pub.



Magus gave another loud cry. Sophia blinked slowly, her eyes returning to their natural brown. Spent, she then collapsed.

James' eyes were growing gradually wider and wider through the prophey but he reacted quickly when Sophia collapsed, diving to his knees to catch the woman before she could hit the ground. Holding her body gently in his arms he looked up at the other two,

"Someone get a healer!"