Secrets in the Snow [Reserved]

[Julian Rossi]

[[Continued from Something New]]

Julian followed Elyria as she took the lead, listening to her story without interrupting. While they walked, he became aware that the mild weather from this afternoon had turned cold, and neither of them had retrieved their cloaks before leaving the castle. Wordlessly, Julian conjured a small glass jar, and within he produced a bright blue flame. He held it between them as they walked across the grounds, and the flame was enough to keep them warm from the elements.

When it was his turn to speak, Julian was silent for a moment as he thought of what to say. They had reached the courtyard by now, and with no one else around, the snow had been untouched by footprints except for their own. As he looked around the beautiful snow-covered grounds, Julian thought about what he would have done if he had been in the same situation as Elyria and Ethan. Coming to the conclusion that he would have kept it a secret as well, his embarrassment and hurt feelings faded away entirely.

"I understand," he said softly, meeting her gaze. "There's nothing to apologize for. I've kept plenty of secrets from the staff and students myself…" he trailed off, his expression turning solemn as he registered just how difficult it must have been to keep their relationship private all these years. He bowed his head and smiled. "Thank you for telling me now, and if you want to make your relationship public, you have my blessing. You have waited a long time for this, and I just want you and Ethan to be happy."

Julian, who had forgotten the reason they had gone for a walk in the first place, blushed slightly when he remembered what he had wanted to say. "Well, actually," he said, rubbing his jaw, slightly embarrassed. "It involves Ethan. I thought, given his background, he might have some insight into the Boggart incident. I was going to send a Patronus to ask him to meet us here. Though perhaps… the message would be better coming from you?"

[Elyria Silverberg]

Elyria felt a sense of relief fall over her as the two walked toward the courtyard. For six years Ethan and she had kept things quiet at Hogwarts. How they managed to make it that long was one for the history books, perhaps. The students had always whispered or giggled when the two met up at meal time or Hogsmeade, but the same old story had been told. They grew up together as students and remained close friends over the years. And while that was all true, there was so much more there.

As Julian spoke of his own secrets, she gave a nod in understanding and not saying much else. She knew of the troubles of his past with his ex-wife and coping mechanisms. She'd always done the best she could to support him both as his deputy and as his friend. They'd leaned on each other heavily from the start of Hogwarts and, as the old saying went, iron sharpened iron.
"Thank you again, Julian. It means a lot. I think Ethan and I will talk about how public we'll be. It's not like we haven't heard the whispers from students when they see us together." Elyria gave a small chuckle at the thought.

When Julian mentioned the Boggart incident and involving Ethan, she gave a nod. Admittedly, that was his area of expertise. Elyria knew that she didn't have the answers to everything, but in this situation, her better half would. With his experience as an Auror, too, she figured there was no better person on campus. Well, aside from the Aurors stationed there, of course, but perhaps it was best to leave them out of this one. She'd never thought of using her Patronus to call for Ethan before, and she hoped it wouldn't startle him when seeing it. "Oh, that's a pretty smart idea. I'll see if I can't get him here."

Elyria pulled out her wand and gave it a wave around her as her mind filled with mental images of Ethan's smile and the time the spent dancing in the study as sixth years. "Expecto Patronum..." A pure white aura emitted from her wand, building up into a small tree swallow that fluttered around in a circle around the two of them before flying off to find their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

[Ethan Forrester]

After a minute or so, the brilliant image of a wolf descended from Ravenclaw Tower, running as if on a downhill slope but in mid-air, and upon reaching Elyria, sat down before her. It spoke in Ethan's voice, "I'll come down and meet you momentarily," then shimmered out of existence.

A few minutes later, Artemis, Ethan's owl, swooped into view and proceeded to fly circles around Elyria and Julian.

Ethan just as quickly emerged from one of the colonnades forming part of the courtyard's perimeter, dressed as he had been at dinner, but with the addition of a charcoal-grey knit hat. As he made his way toward the pair, he raised his arm, and Artemis veered back toward him and landed on his arm. "Good girl," he cooed to her as he fetched a treat from his pocket and offered it to her.

"I came as quickly as I could," he said as he drew near. "Is there a problem?"

[Julian Rossi]

As Julian watched Elyria's Patronus take the familiar form of a tree swallow, he wondered if it had been the right choice. While he sometimes sent staff messages via the Patronus Charm, it was by no means their primary form of communication, and he wondered if the sight of it would startle Ethan. "You know," he mused as they watched the small bird flutter around before taking off in flight. "The Aurors use an enchanted notebook to send messages to each other. It might be worth stealing. I don't know about you, but I don't care much sticking my head in my office fire just to invite a colleague over for tea," he chuckled at his own joke, and as a thought of how a Muggle invention - the mobile phone - would be the solution he needed, if not for the fact that electronics did not work at Hogwarts. As Elyria was pure-blood, however, Julian did not mention it.

Ethan arrived, and though he appeared calm, Julian detected a note of concern in the ex-Auror's voice when he asked if something was the matter. Julian shook his head. "No, no. Nothing is wrong at all. My apologies; it was my idea to reach you that way and I thought it might be more appropriate coming from Ely." Julian flushed slightly at his own words, realizing belatedly that he hadn't asked Elyria if he was meant to pretend as if he did not know about her relationship with Ethan. Deciding he would take her lead on it, he continued. "We were just discussing the Boggart incident and I thought you might have some insight."

[Elyria Silverberg]

As Elyria watched her Patronus fly away, she heard Julian's admission, which made her smirk. She turned to him after the bird was nearly out of sight and stepped closer, giving a bit of a shrug and nod, "I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to communicate, but there's something appropo about using magic to send message, no? You could always try House Elf, too. Dear Mimsy delivers my message to the staff when I need to send one."" When Julian mentioned the Auror's book she gave an ambivalent nod to the notion. That could work, too. The comment about using the fireplace made her chuckle. "Camellia's hair would burst into flames with the amount of product she uses if she even got near a lit fireplace!"

Suddenly, Elryia noticed the light coming from the nearby Bell Tower descending upon them. She could make out it was a wolf by its movements. Part of her almost instinctively stuck out her hand to pet the wolf just as it faded away. Artemis swooping by caught her off guard as she was still amused with herself nearly petting the Patronus. She gave a little 'oh!' when she realized the owl's identity.

It was the sound of Ethan's voice that calmed her back down to normal almost instantaneously. "Oh, Ethan. Yes, I hope it didn't cause you to panic, but if I did, just blame Julian." Elyria gave an impish grin to the two before straightening up when the comment of the Boggart came up. She cast a few glances around them to see if anyone was passing by. While the Boggart event had come and gone, the last thing she wanted was a student or Auror hear their conversation as they continued to figure things out. Elyria pulled out her wand once more and held it up, "Cave inimicum...!" A small light shot from her wand and closed around them like a dome, keeping them invisible and unheard by any passersby.

"Never can be too careful," she said with a small ounce of timidity despite her overall more confident demeanor.

[Ethan Forrester]

When Julian allayed his concern, Ethan relaxed his expression and lifted Artemis up to his shoulder--she was rather heavy and it was awkward to let her perch in his arm indefinitely. "It's no bother, Ely's patronus was just unexpected, especially as I'd never actually seen it before--I only learned what form it would assume a month ago. Has the Auror investigation concluded?", he asked, suspecting that it had, but he wasn't privy to the details thereof.

He glanced about as Ely cast her privacy charm, which elicited a raised eyebrow. "I've tried to stay out of the Aurors' way until now, and I haven't personally spoken to Mr. Winters regarding the incident as I felt it might come across as intrusive if I questioned him directly," he confessed.

He crossed his arms. "I might have some thoughts on the matter, but I'd like to hear the Aurors' findings first if there are any, as this may help to direct the conversation into something more productive."

[Julian Rossi]

"As long as the house-elf knows to knock and not just Apparate directly into our offices or private quarters," Julian said darkly, thinking of the time Gabdey delivered a message to him in the bath. At Elyria's remark about Camellia's overuse of hair products, Julian chuckled and then pulled a serious expression. "Elyria!" he admonished, his lips twitching as he held back a smile. "Don't say such things." He paused, then smiled. "Not until Camellia is around to hear, so she can make fun of my bald head in return. I think she'd enjoy that." He allowed himself a moment to laugh freely, before continuing in a more serious tone, getting back to the point. "I believe it's just a Protean Charm on their enchanted notebooks. Easy to put away in a drawer if you don't want to be reached, and use keep the Patronuses for real emergencies."

"I'm not sure," Julian admitted when Ethan asked if the Auror investigation had concluded. He waited for Elyria's privacy charm to fully enclose themselves in a protective dome, then continued. "They don't tell me much, and they haven't been very receptive to my questions. Then again, I am not an ex-Auror and they have no loyalty to me. You might have better luck, Ethan."

Julian nodded sadly when Ethan explained that he had not questioned Kyle yet. "I'm sure Mr. Winters appreciates that. I'm sure he's been questioned enough times as it is." Julian was thoughtful for a moment before he added. "However, I think it might be worth letting Kyle know that you're available to talk about it if he ever needs to. I know many of the students trust you."

Now under the cover of the privacy charm, Julian cleared his throat and repeated what he felt uncomfortable saying in the staffroom. "The Aurors did say something, or rather let slip something, that I thought was interesting. They said that no one could have gotten onto the grounds to place the cabinet by the Lake. I'm not sure if I'm buying that," he said, his expression skeptical as he thought about how many times that students were in his office after being caught sneaking off or onto school grounds proving it was possible at least - surely the students were successful from time to time, or else they'd have learned their lesson not to try by now.

[Elyria Silverberg]

Elyria gave an impish grin and shrug toward the comments about Camellia. The Herbology professor and head of Slytherin house was far from the easiest to get along with and was always at the root (pun intended) of pranks pulled on students, which was rather taboo of professors. Slyly, she always had a way to deflect the blame. Elyria and Camellia got along decently, usually enjoying tea at Madam Puddiifoot's while having a rather entertaining sparring match of wit and slanted, veiled commentary. She was fully aware that her Pureblood status... and perhaps being the Deputy Headteacher... as being her only defense against the woman. Camellia Fah claimed to be pureblood, but Elyria was almost convinced she was half poltergeist. How that would've been possible was beyond her, but Camellia and Peeves were two peas in a pod.

She returned her attention to Julian as he discussed use of notebooks like the aurors and their lack of enlightenment and the progress with the Winters boy, she turned her attention to Ethan. "Is there anything I can do to help?Just let me know. I'd rather us handle speaking with the students over an auror who may be more used to adults. Hypothetically, using veritaserum on a student may be more effective than an adult, but morally, it feels a bit in the grey for me." She caught herself and quickly inserted, "Not saying that they would, but I feel like students would be more receptive to questions from us than an interrogation from strangers."

When Julian mentioned someone coming onto the grounds, she go lost in thought and started to speak them out loud, "When Hogwarts was being restored, I recall Athena Ward saying every inch of this castle was inspected to route out any Dark Wizards left behind. But, Hogwarts is a stronghold of ancient magic that very few know how to cast today. I would almost put a few galleons on there being passages that were missed. I still find things I didn't find as a student and the three years I helped patrol on Prefect and Head Girl duty. Who knows what passages lead on and off the grounds in the dungeons or out on the grounds? Perhaps over the holiday we could look around for new ones, if that even seems like a good use of time?" With folded arms, she brought her fist to her chin and tilted her head, trying to think of areas that would best serve as havens for secret entrances.

[Ethan Forrester]

"I don't know how Mr. Winters will respond, but I can certainly let him know of my concern and willingness to listen," Ethan agreed.

"...and if that's what they told you, then I believe you're right to be skeptical. Between my knowledge of Auror protocols and what I've observed of their routines, I have more than a few ideas of how one might slip onto the grounds without being detected, even without being an animagus or using transfiguration or using any secret passages I'm not already aware of. I don't fault them for their efforts, mind you--they do as well as they've been trained to do. But few things can't be thwarted by a creative mind with a sufficient motive."

"I'm hesitant to even suggest it, but we should also consider the possibility that a student or teacher is responsible for having placed that cabinet by the lake. If not smuggled in, the cabinet might have sat in the Room of Requirement or any one of our disused classrooms for years. While it's possible someone intentionally placed the boggart in the cabinet, it's more likely that the boggart took up residence of its own accord, then was later discovered. The question remains though, why was it abandoned by the lake? Was it carelessness on the part of someone who took it out there to practice against the boggart, or a prank, or something more sinister? And was Mr. Winters specifically targeted because of knowledge of his past, or was that merely coincidence?"

He frowned at the thought of Aurors putting a student through interrogation did not sit well with him, especially if it was improperly conducted without witnesses or legal counsel.

"With permission and assistance from both of you, I could conduct my own investigation. I believe I still have sufficient clout with the Aurors that I can gather some details from them that they might have dismissed or otherwise overlooked."

[Julian Rossi]

In the small, secluded area of the protective dome created by the privacy charm, the trio's collective concern was palpable. Julian's gaze moved between Ethan and Elyria as they each contributed their thoughts to the Boggart situation. With his roles as a teacher and an ex-Auror, Ethan's multifaceted background brought to the table a unique perspective for which Julian held a profound respect. And as his attention turned to Ely, he was once again struck by her unwavering dedication to the students' safety and emotional well-being. Her genuine concern stirred a deep fondness within Julian, and he was reminded how fortunate he was to have her as his Deputy.

"They won't be interrogating any students without one of us present," Julian assured Elyria, his voice carrying a firm resolve. "And Athena Ward's commitment to ethics should prevent the use of Veritaserum on students, but..." He paused, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Memories of past instances of power and authority being misused came to mind, with Delores Umbridge standing as a prime example from recent history. "With all the Aurors patrolling the school and interacting with the students, we need to be vigilant yet not raise suspicions of our distrust."

With the skills from professional training and his firsthand insights into the behaviours of students, Ethan had been able to see flaws in the Aurors' security protocols. Although the knowledge of these gaps in security was disconcerting, Julian was not entirely sure he wanted to share the information with Athena Ward; adding more Aurors to the roster was hardly the solution. Nevertheless, Julian couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt as his instincts were proven right. At the same time, he also acknowledged a sense of relief, knowing that the Head of Magical Law Enforcement had not resorted to outright deception.

Ely's proposal to search for hidden passages within the castle earned a thoughtful nod from Julian. Despite the gravity of the situation, a hint of excitement began to kindle within him. The magical nature of Hogwarts and its ever-changing environment meant that passages could indeed emerge over time -- the latest known instance was the passage between the Room of Requirement and the Hog's Head Inn that emerged during the 1997 school term. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea," he said slowly. His enthusiasm for exploring the castle's mysteries was unmistakable, but a tinge of guilt lingered as he considered the holiday. Just because he spent the school break working, didn't mean he wanted his colleagues to. "But enjoy your Christmases. It can wait until the start of term."

As Julian considered Ethan's possible scenarios for how the Boggart got by the lake in the first place, Julian couldn't shake the feeling that the incident seemed more juvenile in nature. "Considering the nature of the Boggart and its limitations, I'm inclined to believe it was a student," Julian began, his tone thoughtful. The idea of an adult using a Boggart to incite chaos felt incongruous, especially considering a third year could banish it with relative ease. The Boggart was also a poor choice of weapon, as its primary danger lies in fear rather than direct harm. "If a student is responsible, I suspect it was a prank that spiralled beyond their control and fear of reprisal is keeping them from coming forward."

Julian had always regarded the involvement of Kyle Winters - a student with a painful history - to be a curious twist of fate rather than a calculated plot. But when Ethan posed the idea that Kyle might have been the intended target from the start, a chill ran down Julian's spine. The realization struck with a profound weight; Kyle's Boggart exhibited an extraordinary trait - it adopted the proprieties of fire and rapidly spread. The memory, which was unveiled four years ago in Ethan's class, was etched in the memories of those who witnessed it.

Determined to shake off the encroaching dread, Julian called upon his rationality. His focus drifted back to the interview when Kyle had first woken up in the hospital. "I don't believe that Kyle was the intended target, assuming there was a target at all," he began. "Kyle's routine that morning deviated from the norm. He overslept, and his jog did not follow his usual route. It seems more likely that he simply found himself in the wrong place, at the wrong time."

Ethan's offer to undertake his own investigation earned an appreciative nod from Julian. "Absolutely, if you don't mind," he responded with sincerity. Julian was silent for a moment, deciding what to say next. After such a heavy conversation, Julian was eager to add a touch of lightness. "On a different note," he began with a smile, his tone shifting towards a more cheerful register, "there's something else I've been curious about. Have either of you caught wind of the rumours involving a Winter Solstice dance? Would you happen to know anything about it?"

[Elyria Silverberg]

"... but what the Minister doesn't know can't hurt her, right?" She shook her head and folded her arms as they stood around discussing the goings on with the aurors and students. Elyria felt that Athena Ward's committment mentioned by Julian were founded and trustworthy. She'd taken over the Ministry during a turbulent time and had seemingly proven herself over the past several years post war. Still, there were always bad apples in every bunch, and who was to say one of those apples wasn't on campus with the Aurors?

Elyria listened to Ethan and Julian's discussion on the Boggart intently, hoping that maybe their words would spark an idea of her own. Ethan's experience as an Auror and practical knowledge on the topic superceded hers when it came down to it. Boggarts were a classic subject in Defence Against the Dark Arts and one which Elyria remembered quite well. When tasked with facing her own Boggart, a rush of snakes escaped from the Boggart's chest and slithered all about the room. When she cast the Riddikulus charm at them, they all morphed into balloons and floated back into the chest. Thinking of using someone's fear against them was sinister, indeed, and she hoped that it was all from lack of planning on the suspect's part. No one, especially a child, should have to face something like that unsupervised. When Julian agreed to Ethan investigating it, she gave a nod in agreement with him. "If there's anything you need for me or that I can do to help, you needn't hesitate to ask."

When the topic of the Winter Solstice dance came up, her eyes widened a bit as she tired to hid her own grin. "Well, with everything happening lately, the thought of having a ball sounded lovely. I was a little jealous that Hogwarts brought back the Tri-Wizard Tournament after we'd left, but I heard the Yule Ball was beautiful. It would be a nice escape for the students, too." Ely cast a glance over to Ethan and then back to Julian. "It may pose as a way to show the Minsitry that everything is good and well here at Hogwarts despite current events. I'm sure Ward wouldn't mind seeing it for herself... were you two students here around the same time, Julian?" She tilted her head and inched herself closer to Ethan, partly for the warmth and partly for some backup if the Headteacher wasn't thrilled with the idea, though that didn't seem to likely.

[Ethan Forrester]

"In that case, I'll proceed to discreetly investigate the boggart incident," Ethan said as both Julian and Eyria indicated their support.

"Some weeks ago I was reminiscing back to my sixth year. Professor Flitwick had assigned Elyria and me our own study room in Ravenclaw Tower as we were both on track to become the next head students. There was a ball coming up, but I didn't know how to dance, and Elyria began teaching me how in that very room. It's one of my fondest memories."

Artemis seemed to sense something, perhaps a rodent scurrying about beneath the snow. She took off in search of prey, which distracted Ethan for a moment as he watched her swoop down to catch something.

Returning his attention to Julian, he continued, "Then it occurred to me that we haven't had a formal dance since Hogwarts re-opened. Considering that it used to be a staple of the Hogwarts experience, and now we have seventh-years who've never had the opportunity to participate in one. They'll be leaving at the end of next term, so it seems like it's 'now or never'."