Catch The Snitch

(this thread immediately follows First Hogsmeade Trip)

Ethan waited for Trent on one of the stone benches by the fountain in the Clock Tower Courtyard. Being a practical man, he always kept a small notebook about his person, filled with to-do lists, shopping lists (including new books to look out for), topics to research, letters to write, items he'd loaned out or wanted to borrow, ideas for changes to upcoming lesson plans, and just about anything else that he might want to periodically review or update whenever he had a spare moment.

He flipped the pages until finding one filled with sketches. Closer inspection would reveal a number of symmetrical geometric designs overlaid on narrower rectangles. After thinking for a moment, he pulled a muggle ballpoint pen out of his coat pocket (they were so much more practical than quills and ink pots when not at one's desk!) and proceeded to add a couple more sketches of similar form. The last one bore a pattern reminiscent of Celtic knotwork.

At the bottom of the page was the note, winter solstice dance?

Professor Forrester had given Trent half an hour to make it to his dormitory in the Slytherin dungeons and back to the Clock Tower, and Trent wasted no time in the retrieval of his permission slip. Jogging back to the castle, Trent couldn't help but feel irritated at the situation. While he was grateful for Professor Forrester - whom he knew did not make the rules - he could not understand the "present circumstances" that the Ministry of Magic always used as an excuse for their unnecessary and excessive security measures. Nothing had happened in the six years that he's been at Hogwarts, what danger did Athena Ward think would come from letting an eighteen-year-old go into Hogsmeade without parental permission?

Reaching his dormitory, Trent flung open the lid of his trunk and began pulling out books and heavy objects that might act as a paperweight. "Accio permission slip!" he yelled, pointing his wand at his trunk and holding his breath, hoping that he had not tossed the parchment that Professor Fah had signed last year. Thankfully, it flew out of his trunk and fluttered into his hand. Checking first to make sure that it was still in decent shape (a little crumbled, but legible), Trent shoved it in his pocket and began the jog back.

Not knowing when Professor Forrester would be available today, nor how long their conversation would take, Trent had kept his entire day free for the purpose. As it was the very first Hogsmeade trip of the year, this decision hadn't done any favours to his dating life. In fact, he was currently on the outs with Simone for turning her down when she had asked him to go with her, citing he had already made plans. As he thought about it now, Trent realized that he probably should have mentioned that his plans were to talk to Professor Forrester about Curse-Breaking. Shrugging and laughing, he made a note to make it up to Simone later if he had the time.

Exiting the castle, Trent slowed his jog to a walk as he came into Professor Forrester's line of sight, clutching a stitch in his side and catching his breath. Reaching the bench and the fountain, Trent said, "I've got it here, sir." Extending his permission slip out for Professor Forrester to view, Trent thought he caught a glimpse of something that looked like "winter solstice dance" written in Professor Forrester's notebook and held back a groan at the thought.

Hearing some foosteps on the flagstone, Prof. Forrester looked up from his notebook and saw Trent returning. "Ah," he uttered. He closed the notebook and tucked it away, then accepted the permission slip and performed his usual charms against it. Technically, Trent really should have gotten a new slip signed rather than re-use an old slip, but given how put-out he knew the boy was already, he decided to let it slide--he could always claim to have mis-read the date beside Professor Fah's signature--and folded the slip and tucked it into a pocket with all the other slips he'd collected. "Thank you. I apologize again for the inconvenience this has been."

He stood up, stretched his arms, and rolled his neck around to loosen his joints. "Let's be off, then, shall we?" He turned toward the covered bridge and began walking in that direction.

"Since we're walking to Hogsmeade together anyway, would you like to discuss anything en route, or would you prefer to arrange to meet up at the Three Broomsticks later?"

As if reading his thoughts, Professor Forrester apologized for the inconvenience of the situation. Though Trent was certain that his face held no hint of his irritation, he nevertheless softened his expression as best he could. "Oh, that's all right," he said genuinely, feeling a slight twinge of guilt if his behaviour had led the professor to think he was the source of Trent's frustration; perhaps the ex-Auror was adept at reading imperceptible moods and body language. "I know that the Ministry puts these rules in place and that you're just doing your job in enforcing them. I'm grateful that you're allowing me into Hogsmeade today at all," he said, his lips twitching slightly in amusement knowing that he would be attending Hogsmeade this weekend regardless.

As they walked towards the village, Trent tried to recall the ever-growing list of things he wanted to discuss with the professor. "Well, I'm free for the day, but I don't want to take up too much of your time," Trent answered; he understood that Professor Forrester was doing him a favour in agreeing to meet with him in Hogsmeade when he surely had more important things to do with his free time. "I do have some questions, I could get them out of the way while we walk, if that's all right with you, sir."

"My philosophy is that no rule is absolute. Whenever a rule creates a dilemma, I ask myself, what was the intended purpose of the rule, and could those intentions still be satisfied if the rule was relaxed? We're all human, we make mistakes, sometimes things are out of our control, life is short, and we only live once. So I'm willing to find a compromise when it's not terribly inconvenient. I know you're under a lot of stress this year, and so I believe it's in your best interest to be able to go to Hogsmeade and enjoy yourself one way or another," Ethan replied when Trent expressed his thanks for accommodating him.

He smirked when Trent seemed worried to take too much of his time. "We've got a good half-hour to walk to Hosgmeade, and you have my undivided attention until we get there, so you might as well hit me with as many questions as you can think of between now and then," he advised. "But, really, you don't need to concern yourself with taking 'too much' of my time. You're a NEWT student who I'm uniquely qualified to help, so you get a certain amount of priority as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't be doing my job if I left you to fend for yourself at such a critical time."

"It's not just the stress, it's being at the castle," Trent said, his own voice surprising himself. They had made the appropriate small talk that politeness required, and by now, he would have been steering the conversation to more functional topics. However, Trent felt more comfortable with Professor Forrester than with any other teacher, and he continued with only the hint of his usual reticence. "I've been on my own for over a year now; I don't live with my parents. And after the summer in Egypt, I find the castle and the grounds to be…" Trent hesitated as he tried to think of a diplomatic way to phrase his frustrations, rubbing at the back of his neck which was beginning to feel warm despite the brisk weather. "Restrictive. I rely on these Hogsmeade weekends to keep myself from going insane with claustrophobia."

Though his expression held no indication that Trent was feeling ill at ease with the personal turn in the conversation, he said, "Right, thanks," a little too quickly before launching into his first question. "Why did you decide to become an Auror over a Curse-Breaker?" he asked.

"Ah," Ethan uttered as Trent explained. "I think I understand. That sensation of being trapped is surely not helped by the significant demands on your time. Not having the time and freedom to do as you please can be difficult to adjust to, especially after having experienced those very things."

"Becoming an auror was something I committed to when I was eleven," he began. "My father was an Auror who was killed in the line of duty during the first wizarding war. Then, two months into my first year at Hogwarts, Voldemort was reportedly defeated on Hallowe'en, but many of his Death Eaters and sympathizers had yet to be apprehended. I believed our world would never be safe even with their leader out of the picture. I kept my aspirations secret from my mother for as long as I could, because I knew she wouldn't approve of it."

"As for curse-breaking...I learned and mastered the art because I knew it would be a valuable skill to have as an Auror, and never even considered it as a career option in itself because I was so dead-set in my conviction. Aurors very frequently encounter cursed objects and traps in their line of work. If the Auror office could call on me whenever one was found, they wouldn't have to halt any investigation in process while they found and brought in a specialist to take care of it. They also wouldn't have to get the curse-breaker to swear a vow of confidentiality or sign any waivers every time this happened."

Trent had been relieved that not only did Professor Forrester genuinely seem to understand his plight, but that he didn't offer any words of encouragement or guidance. Trent didn't need to hear a bracing "Only eight more months!" -- he told himself that every morning -- and, as he preferred to navigate his emotions on his own, any advice would have been unsolicited. But even as a private person, Trent did not feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would have after sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings with Professor Forrester. On the contrary, he felt encouraged knowing that he could go to Professor Forrester in the future if he ever needed an empathetic ear. As they walked towards Hogsmeade, Trent felt an overwhelming sense of relief and lightness to get his feelings off of his chest, but he was nevertheless grateful to let that particular topic end.

Steering the conversation towards the purpose of their meeting, Trent asked Professor Forrester why he had become an Auror and he was not surprised by the answer. It seemed like most Aurors - his parents and his brother included - had been influenced by either the First or the Second Wizarding War. Even now, in times of peace, it was still an attractive career choice to many of Trent's classmates. If he looked at it objectively, Trent could see its appeal, but he had not been personally affected by either war and his desire to put distance between himself and his family was too powerful. If not anything else, Trent could relate to Professor Forrester for choosing a career that his mother didn't approve of and his respect for the professor soared.

As the story came to a close, Trent found that he wanted to better understand the conviction that Professor Forrester felt when it came to fighting the Dark Arts. He was silent for a moment as he considered, knowing that they would be getting off track, but his questions about Curse-Breaking seemed less interesting. After all, he had already half made up his mind about Arithmancy, and he still had ten more months to learn how to become a better flier if need be. "Were you in the Order of the Phoenix, sir?" he asked.

"Professor Dumbledore did approach me and try to recruit me, and I seriously considered his offer, but I ultimately declined," Ethan answered. "It wasn't an easy decision. Although some Aurors did moonlight as as members of the Order, I felt that I couldn't serve both organizations faithfully, because activities and intel gained in one would often need to be kept secret from the other, and I didn't want to end up in a situation where I would have access to privileged information but be unable to act on it without betraying the source. There's an old Biblical quote, 'no man can serve two masters'. In context, the quote doesn't really apply here, but it's still a useful adage to live by. If the Order had answered directly to the Auror office, that would've been a different situation altogether. But their goals and methods were not completely in alignment, and that was the problem I couldn't reconcile."

He sighed, and glanced to Trent, deciding to let his facade down for a moment.

"Sometimes I regret that decision, and wonder how things would've played out if I'd simply quit the Auror office so I could be a full-time member of the Order without any conflicts of interest. At the time, the Auror office was seriously understaffed and still operating on a limited budget, and there were a number of cases we were not allowed to investigate. This was almost entirely due to political bullshit and meddling by Minister Fudge, and to a lesser extent, the seats on the Wizengamot held by Voldemort sympathizers. Fudge was a pathetic, corrupt, incompetent old fool, and please don't ever blindly trust anyone who would tell you otherwise. I would've had more freedom to work under Dumbledore. I think part of the reason I declined him was because I desperately wanted to help bring the Auror Office back into a functioning state. It was the organization my father had died working for. I wanted to bring honor and dignity back to it."

Trent had anticipated a simple response, and the unexpected depth of Professor Forrester's answer took him by surprise. As the professor began to delve into his reasons for not joining the Order of the Phoenix, Trent realized this was far from his usual interactions with teachers. At that moment, as he walked alongside a professor who was willingly sharing his story, Trent felt the dynamic between them shift, and no longer felt like a student.

Trent listened with rapt attention as Professor Forrester spoke, absorbing every word with a hunger for knowledge. Born after the First Wizarding War and only a child during the Second, his understanding of the wars had been shaped by newspaper articles, books, and History of Magic lessons. Once, many years ago, Trent had tried to hear firsthand accounts from his parents and brother, all of whom had served as Aurors during the most recent war - but had only been met with a wall of silence.

But here, in the company of Professor Forrester, a different narrative unfolded. The unfiltered, direct perspective of the political climate during the Second War was refreshing, and each word resonated deeply with Trent in a way that textbooks never could. Driven by curiosity but wary of probing too deeply, Trent cautiously ventured, "How do you feel about the Ministry of Magic now, sir?"

Ethan wan't one to sugar-coat anything, so when Trent asked for an opinion, he was happy to give an honest one.

"I've never felt comfortable with politicians in general, but there are some good ones. The Ministry has definitely improved now that Fudge and some of his puppet-masters are gone, and I feel I can trust most of the department heads to do their jobs properly. The Auror department is in a better position now as well; it helps that Minister Ward was once an Auror. However, since most Wizengamot seats are permanently entrusted to noble families, and some families remain dark, we must remain ever vigilant. It's easy for them to find opportunities to subtly alter the wording of new legislation so as to create loopholes they can exploit, or to bring hardship to some portion of the population that they despise, or for them to nominate shady individuals to fill vacant positions where they can further their own agendas. As much as I despise the practice of swearing unbreakable vows, I would argue that it's a good idea for people who hold positions of power. However, the ministry can't compel anyone to swear any oaths on their life or magic to honor, uphold, and protect any particular charter of rights or conduct, least of all those who occupy noble house Wizengamot seats. It would require a unanimous vote to change this, and that's not likely to happen."

He sighed, and glanced to Trent.

"At least you have more reason to be optimistic regarding the integrity of the Ministry than I had, when I was your age. I'm thankful for that."

Trent's brow furrowed slightly in concentration as he listened intently to Professor Forrester's assessment of the Ministry of Magic. He had already learned that Professor Forrester was not one to paint a rosy picture, and as the professor began on a somewhat optimistic note, Trent couldn't help but anticipate the inevitable "but" that was sure to follow.

As expected, Professor Forrester went on to explain that, despite ongoing reforms, there were still individuals sympathetic to Voldemort within the Wizengamot. While this revelation was unsettling, Trent felt a sense of relief in knowing the unfiltered truth. His time at Hogwarts, where he enjoyed some measure of protection, was soon coming to an end. In less than ten months, Trent would be venturing into the real world, and he believed it was better to be informed and vigilant than to live in blissful ignorance.

Professor Forrester's hopeful closing words and his treatment of Trent as an adult who could handle the truth not only elicited a faint smile, but assured Trent that he could trust the professor's optimism as sincere and free from empty reassurances. A comfortable silence settled in as they continued their walk into Hogsmeade, allowing Trent to reflect on all he had just learned. "Thanks for being so honest, sir," he finally said, as the village came into view. "Not many professors would be."

Knowing their time was nearly up, Trent cleared his throat. "Right," he began, his mind racing as he searched for a polite way to steer the conversation back toward Curse-Breaking. Unable to come up with a smoother segue, Trent pressed on, unfazed by the abrupt topic change. "During your time as a Curse-Breaker, did you have to do much flying?"

"I strive to always be as honest as the circumstances permit," Ethan replied. "Sometimes that backfires, such as when offering cricitism and it's not well-received. But I'd rather be known for being honest than the alternative."

As they walked, Ethan's owl swooped down in front of him and he raised his arm for her to land on. She had a mouse firmly held in her beak. "This is Artemis," he introduced the bird. "It seems she's caught breakfast." She proceeded to chew the mouse to bits.

He considered Trent's question for a moment. "During normal Auror duties, it was often necessary to fly around to survey an area, for example to more easily spot dark wizards who might be lurking about, or citizens who might need to be evacuated before we went in with wands blasting. Of course, flying in the proximity of dark wizards also paints a target on yourself, so we'd use disillusionment charms to varying degrees of success. But on occasions when I was specifically called in to deal with a cursed object, the scene had almost always been securied prior to my arrival, so...I suppose the answer to your question would be 'no'. Of course, sometimes the item in question would already have been brought in to the Auror headquarters, using a variety of safety protocols, so there was no need for a broom in those cases."