Iris Cobb
October 30, 2021 8:00 AM
Ma's request [Professor Skies] by Iris Cobb
Iris had been all packed and ready to head home for the midterm break when the owl arrived with the letters from Ma. After reading them she was confused and a little worried, but like the good daughter and Crotalus that she was, she followed her mother's directions. She found her way to Professor Skies" office and knocked on the door, upon receiving permission she entered the office."Hello Professor Skies," Iris greeted the woman. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just got a letter from Ma, and she wanted me to give you this." The Crotalus girl held out a letter to her head of house.
Deputy Headmistress Skies,
I apologize for the lateness of this request, but if it is possible for students to stay at the school over midterm break, I think it may be best if Billy and Iris do so. There is a certain amount of unrest at home, and I'm not sure their presence would help the situation. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions, feel free to write and I can try to answer them.
Sincerely,
Virginia Cobb
Once Professor Skies had finished reading the letter, Iris asked with some audible worry, "What does that mean? Is there something bad happening at home?"
2
Iris Cobb
Ma's request [Professor Skies]
1526
1
5
Selina Skies
November 01, 2021 5:50 AM
That's... complicated by Selina Skies
Judging by how things were going mid-way through the term, Xavier Lundstrom would be staying for Christmas. Judging by how things were going mid-way through the term, the ministry were incompetent idiots who were making all the wrong calls. Selina could see no evidence that either the ministry's methods or Xavier's forced separation from his family was doing him any good. In the communications she had had with Xavier's mother... There was something there. Like thoughts that were rippling underneath the surface. Nothing overtly anti-magical, but perhaps she had learnt to keep her thoughts to herself. Or perhaps she was a mess because she had had her child taken away. It was a horrible call to have to make. Normally, Selina would have been glad to not have to be the one to make it. However, it turned out that having all control of that process taken out of her hands was just as bad. Or at least, it was when you didn't trust the people making the decisions for you. Selina had found herself reading and rereading the small print of the ministry letters, working out rules versus guidelines, and what they could stretch to for the holidays. The rules were very clear that they could not allow Xavier off campus, unless it was for a sanctioned school trip, a medical energency, or to give up and release him back to the care of the ministry. But there were things it didn't say. Things it did not expressly forbid. It was following the rules to the letter, rather than the spirit, but if they wanted to wrap her in red tape, then that was how she would play it. With the school almost empty over break, it would be easy to keep on the down low. The staff who were staying were already connected to Xavier, and in on her plans.She was just giving the prairie elves some directives on their duties in this scheme when there was a knock at her door.
"Come in," she called. "Hello Iris," she added, once she saw who it was. Her concern was not immediately piqued by the letter - parents wrote for all sorts of reasons - but as she read, her face fell into a frown. Partly, there was concern for Iris and Billy, because the letter fell into that worst possible combination of being both vague and ominous. There was also the complication it put into her other plans - the ones where she had required no witnesses as she bent the rules. "It sounds like it," she agreed, deciding to deal with the most urgent problem first, which was that Iris was here and needed answers.
"It sounds like we need to talk to your parents and find out a bit more about this. Would they find it easiest if I called into their telephone? We have a friendly contact in Phoenix who has a telephone machine and can help us in using it." She summoned Iris' file from the drawers, looking it over to see what contact options her parents had provided.
13
Selina Skies
That's... complicated
26
0
5
Iris Cobb
November 01, 2021 7:35 AM
Isn't it always by Iris Cobb
Iris was all for getting more information. Ma's letter was purposefully vague, she was certain of it. She hoped Ma and Pa were okay, but Professor Skies' response didn't do much to alleviate the fear and unease that had taken root when she'd read the letter herself.She shook her head at Professor Skies' first suggestion. "No Ma'am, we don't have a telephone machine." There were one or two in town she knew, but she wasn't sure Ma or Pa knew how to use them. She didn't. As the woman looked in the file, the contact information section only listed Bryan and Virginia Cobb, Western side of the mountain east of Woolum Kentucky. Plenty for and owl to locate them, nowhere near enough for a mail truck.
While her head of house investigated the files, Iris wracked her brain trying to figure out what the problem could be. She knew there'd been some stupid quarrel when Billy claimed that Galleon. But that was so triflingly stupid, it couldn't be that, could it? Some of the folks at home weren't to sure about the 'strange schoolin' that they were getting either... but... that couldn't be it either, could it?
"You..." she began hesitatingly, "You don't think they are in any trouble, do you?" She asked, with plenty of worry in her voice.
2
Iris Cobb
Isn't it always
1526
0
5
Selina Skies
November 01, 2021 6:43 PM
Seems like it by Selina Skies
No telephone machine? Selina was fairly sure she was aquainted enough with Muggle culture to know that this was odd, though she was not going to question it. Whether Iris' family was odd was not a pressing matter right now, not when it compared to whether they were in trouble, or how to reach them."Have they connected themselves with the Floo network?" she asked. She strongly suspected the answer was 'no' but it was worth checking, especially as Iris might not realise it could be used to call. One option was to contact the local branch of MACUSA, to see if they could connect her with the family or speed up communication. For some reason, she was oddly reluctant to involve them.
Iris then more or less reiterated her first question. Selina was not in the habit of lying to children, and so she could not confidently say that everything was fine. She suspected whatever she said was not going to stop Iris from fretting, so the least she could do was say something honest.
"I know as much as you do," she said gently. 'Unrest' was an odd sort of word. It did imply fighting of some sort. "Problems could be anything from everyone coming down with the 'flu to bad weather... 'Unrest' sounds a bit more personal, and maybe something you'd know a bit more about. What do you think it might be? If you want to tell me."
13
Selina Skies
Seems like it
26
0
5
Iris Cobb
November 01, 2021 8:55 PM
Can anything be done about it? by Iris Cobb
Iris' eyebrows raised a little in surprise at Professor Skies' question about being connected to the Floo network. "The fireplace magic we used to get to Tumbleweed?" She asked just to confirm the terminology. It hadn't exactly been the most fun way of traveling ever, but it sure had been better than that other thing they'd used to come visit the school for Billy's 'concert' two years ago. She again shook her head, "No Ma'am, could they if they're muggles?" She suspected there were piles of rules and such about doing such a thing, and it would probably cost money as well. It was strange how much she found herself thinking about money at school when she'd barely heard of the concept before coming here.The girl sighed and visibly sagged. Of course Professor Skies wouldn't know anything more that she did. It had maybe been worth a shot though, she'd thought maybe a full grown and learned witch might know some magic to know things. Instead of dwelling on that, she shifted her mind to her Head of House's follow-up question. She turned it over in her head a few times, but didn't come up with much more than she had thought about a few moments earlier.
"I'm not sure," she admitted, "Things have been a little different back home since Billy 'n me been comin' here to school." Unnoticed by Iris, she began losing the battle she constantly waged against her accent and diction as she thought about home again. "Ma don't say much 'bout it in her letters, but last time we were home, everyone was kinda acting a little odd with me 'n Billy." She paused a moment, "We're all jus' kin up there on the mountain an' it was a bit like... like they weren't sure of that no more. Ma said it'd be fine and not to worry 'bout it none." Then suddenly she threw up her arms and rolled her eyes. "Just 'fore we left to come back, Billy went out with some of the other boys. One of 'em found an old coin, turned out to be an old Galleon. So Billy insisted he had to have it, the Secrecy thing an' all, couldn't let the muggle boys have it." She sighed, "Pretty sure that made some kinda row 'twixt Pa and Uncle Lloyd."
Suddenly realizing she'd been spouting off a bit, Iris closed her mouth and turned a little red. "Sorry Ma'am." She apologized, doing her best to once again reign in her speech. A thought had occurred to her though. "I don't suppose you have another one of them... those magical transporting things like we used for Billy's concert? We could send it to them and it'd be easier to talk to them if they were here." They also wouldn't be in the middle of 'unrest' anymore either, she thought to herself.
2
Iris Cobb
Can anything be done about it?
1526
0
5