A Matter of Some Importance

Mad briskly made her way to the headmaster's office, intent upon speaking with the man. It was something that she had been thinking on for some time - since December, at the least - and she decided to put thought into action.

That required speaking with her present employer.

Giving the current password to the gargoyle, the Charms mistress made her way up the spiral staircase and knocked on thick, wooden door.

He sighed placing another set of paperwork in front of him. This paper work was getting tedious very quickly and he wasn't even half way through yet. He was half way through reading one more piece of parchment when thankfully there was a knock at the door. He put the paper down and cleared himself some space in front of him before waving his wand to open the doors.

"Oh hello Professor what can i do for you?" He asked rubbing his eyes.

"I apologize for interrupting you while you are busy, headmaster," Mad told him. "I will be brief.

"As you know, I have been a professor for many years. Given all that is happening in the world, I have decided that it is time I focused on other matters." She did not state that said matters included the Order; she did not feel that she needed to. "It is for this reason that I have decided to retire from teaching.

"I would be willing to remain until the end of this school year," Mad continued. "Also, I would continue to serve as a mentor to Miss Jones, should she so desire. There is no reason why she can't continue as my apprentice simply because I am no longer teaching. Unless, of course, you disagree. It is your school."

The woman studied him for a moment. "If you should desire, I can help screen possible replacements," she offered. "I do believe, however, that you understand my reason for doing this."

He waved it off with his hand. "I'm glad you came i needed a break all this work is beginning to give me a head." He said rubbing his forehead, he was eager to find out why she was here. It wasn't often he saw anyone in his office unless he summoned them which he never did. He nodded and clasped his hands under his chin and got ready to listen.

He nodded she was a good professor and she did her job well, she wouldn't still be here if that wasn't the case. He'd gotten rid of all the bad teaches as soon as he came here, he wanted the school to be the best whilst it was under his rein. He raised an eyebrow, it wasn't really a shock because he knew it would come soon he just expected her to have a few more years left in her. "You have served this school for many years, it was a pleasure working with you it will be a shame to see you leave. I'm sure the rest of the staff and the students would agree with me. But if it is your wish to retire then i wish you the best of luck with your retirement." He smiled getting to his feet.

He smiled. "Thank you that would be great, i'd hate to have to cover charms. It's really not my subject im afraid to say im more of a transfiguration man myself." He smiled then nodded. "Of course it would come as a great loss for Miss Jones to lose you completely. I think its for the best to continue her training, you are after all the best in your field." He said walking over to his drinks cupboard. "Would you care to join me for a drink?" He asked holding up a bottle of firewhiskey.

He nodded. "I understand, you just have fun during your last few lessons i'll sort out a suitable replacement don't worry about that." He smiled pouring the drink into a glass.

"Thank you," Mad replied. "It has been pleasure working with you, as well. You do well as Headmaster.

"All of my education was completed under my own master as a girl," the woman said. "I feel the experience served me well. After all, I did obtain a perfect score in all of my NEWTs." A faint smirk pulled at her lips. Mad wasn't often one to boast, but her scores on those tests had yet to be surpassed - and she'd received special honors in not only Charms, but Defensive magic also. Matched, but not surpassed.

"Yes, please," Mad accepted his offer of a drink. "There are others who excel in Charms, and certainly many well capable of instructing children. I'm sure a proper match will be found."

He smiled. "Thank you that means a lot. You know a lot of people rioted when i was offered the job here, not enough experience, never taught in his life you know the usual." He said rolling his eyes. There was a lot of haters but he couldn't care less about them as long as he was happy doing what he was doing then he was fine.

He nodded. "My entire career was and still is under the watchful eye of my master. He's a great guy don't know where i'd be right now if he hadn't claimed me. Its the reason i brought apprenticeships into hogwarts, it gives the students a reason and a specialist subject. Also gives them more confidence to know they are good at something you know?" He explained, he'd always thought high of apprenticeships, it had helped him a lot in his life.

He smiled. "I passed all mine too but only exceeded in hunting and transfiguration which is great since they are the subjects i use most in my profession. I took every lesson needed to be a great hunter, all my master wishes of course but i was happy to abide. He was the first person i really looked up to." He smiled.

He handed her a glass of firewhiskey before picking up his own to drink. "Oh i know but i can't imagine anyone being as good as you with the same amount of experience. But im sure the replacement will be more than capable of taking over, i wouldn't hire them otherwise. So how do you plan on speanding your time once you retire? Lots or relaxing i hope, it's what i'll be doing i think but i have a long time before i even consider retiring yet." He smiled downing his drink before pouring himself a new one.

"Indeed," Mad agreed. "My master, also, was someone I could admire. Much like a surrogate father - he had taken me in whilst I... whilst I was far from home. The details no longer matter. I home-studied, myself, and it was due largely to his guidance that I have done so well." That was the most about her past that Mad had ever revealed to anyone, though, she was disinclined to divulge any further.

She accepted the firewhiskey, raising it in toast before taking a drink of it. "You will never find any as good as I with the same amount of experience," she informed him dryly. Charms came as easily to Mad as breathing, after all.

Mad considered his question for a moment. "I presume your office is warded against eavesdropping?" she questioned before continuing. "I will do some relaxing, I suppose, but mostly, I plan on focusing my efforts on the Order. As you know my concerns regarding our junior members has been overruled - not unjustly, of course. It is my intention to help ensure that they are trained for survival before they be permitted to perform tasks for our cause. Miss Black and Mr. Salvator I don't worry about, as much. They have mentors of... passable responsibility. Furthermore, they are both intelligent and capable youngsters. The others, however...

"I will not stand by as children needlessly die," Mad declared. "It will not be happening under my watch, even if I am but second in command."

He nodded. "My master changed my life around, he found me brothers that are more like family than my real brother and we're twins." He frowned, he couldn't help but wonder where Ames could be now a days. "But thats for another time we're here to celebrate your successful career. And we all know just how successful it is." He said taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh i know i wont even try, because i know it would be a pointless search. I'll just stick with the best i can find." He smiled watching the liquid in his cup as he swirled it around the glass.

He nodded. "It's the most private room in the whole school." He said before stopping to listen to what she was going to say because it must be important if she was checking the privacy of the office. He nodded. "I can't stop the students for doing something in their own time but they are still my responsibility. I won't just allow them to come into harms way, im a part of that group to look out for my students as well as making our world a safer place for our children to live." He said topping uo his drink before offering to top up hers too.

"Richard is a good guy, he will like the kids getting hurt as much as we do. He will only do whats needed." He said. "And hopefully that will have all of our best interests."

Mad nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Children are our future, and only fools fail to safeguard said future." She held out her glass for him to refill, then took a drink.

"He is. He also possesses a sound mind. These days, that can be a bit... rare," she opined. She raised her glass in toast. "To the future. May the number of sacrifices be small and the years of struggle few." For war was on the horizon - Mad recognized it from having seen the coming of the previous war. Only a fool would pretend it was anything else.

He nodded. "I'll toast to that... to the future, lets hope the next generation are bright so they can get us out of this war should we fail." He said toasting before taking a sip of his drink.

"He is the best hope we have, the way he looks at things is amazing. He's a very smart man, he succeeds where all other dark lords have failed, he cares for our people. He's not doing this for himself to gain power or wealth, he's doing it for us, so we can live safe lives again without having to look over our shoulder all the time. He wants our children to lead normal lives." He said, even he wouldn't do a better job than Richard because he knew his mind would get clouded by the bigger picture.

"Lets hope for a speedy end to this nigthmare before anymore innocent lives are taken." He said rubbing his eyes.