enough excitement for one year

After leaving Mr. Greengrass in the hospital wing and ensuring he was receiving the proper care, Riyann made her way to the staff lounge. Once inside, she took a deep breath, allowing herself a moment of respite from the tension that had been building up inside her. Riyann reached for a nearby quill and parchment and began writing an enchanted letter to the Headmaster, detailing the events of the night. As she wrote, she felt a sense of relief, knowing that the Headmaster would be informed and would take appropriate action.


Sitting on the edge of a sofa against one wall, Riyann leaned forward and rested her head on her knees. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. It had been a harrowing experience, and the adrenaline was still coursing through her veins.

Finally, after a few minutes of deep breathing, Riyann felt herself beginning to relax. She knew she had done everything in her power to help the injured student, but the weight of responsibility still hung heavy on her shoulders.

Josie had been called in after an incident in the trophy room, apparently some students had gotten into a fight and some of the older trophies had been scuffed. She'd only been called to the castle to work on artifacts a few times this year, but once she started work on one trophy she realized there were many placards, trophies, and record books in dire need of some attention.

Due to a bout of insomnia, she’d woken up in the early morning hours to continue her work. She’d been holed up in her workspace for hours with the artifacts, enjoying the silence of the castle. She’d set up a record player so she could listen to old music while she worked diligently. Once her fingers began to cramp, she remembered the Headmaster encouraging her to use the staff rooms and lounge as a place of rest.

She slipped inside only to discover she was not alone. A young looking professor was already there. “Oh.” And looking upset. “Oh.”

Right. Emotions were weird for Josie. As were strangers. Well, she was here now.

She cleared her throat. “Is everything okay?”

Riyann's heart skipped a beat as the door swung open, her initial startle quickly fading upon realizing it was Jansen. Josie, entrusted with the preservation of artifacts and paintings, had arrived. "Oh, it's just you," she exhaled, a wave of relief washing over her. She quickly composed herself and addressed Jansen.

"I believe something serious has occurred," Riyann explained, her voice tinged with urgency. "While I was outside, I heard a piercing scream emanating from the depths of the forest. I rushed to investigate and discovered a student who had been viciously attacked." The weight of the situation pressed heavily upon her, her emotions ranging from worry to fear.

Attempting to reassure both herself and Jansen, Riyann added, "I'll manage, as long as the student is safe." Her words carried a glimmer of hope amidst the prevailing anxiety that gripped her. "Did you need help finding anything?"

Josie had seen this professor at meals and was pretty sure her surname was Elling. When Josie had first been contracted, she was told a memo had been sent out and the Headmaster had once introduced her to the staff at breakfast, but Josie was otherwise left to wander the castle as an anonymous interloper.

So this was quite the jump into Hogwarts antics.

The professor spilled forth a tale that had Josie’s eyes widening in shock, before suddenly diverting to ask what Josie needed. Her mouth tipped open in surprise, shaking her head. “I… No, I’m fine… You said attacked? A student was attacked? By what, what do you mean?” In the tumble of words, her Danish accent thickened.

Riyann listened attentively to Josie's shocked reaction, her own gaze filled with concern. Taking a deep breath, she began to recount the harrowing tale of the werewolf attack that had unfolded earlier that evening. Her voice trembled slightly as she relived the horrifying scene.

"I found him in a pool of blood. His arm... it was badly mangled, as if he had been bitten." The weight of the words hung heavy in the air, the gravity of the situation evident in Riyann's expression. Fighting back the tremor in her voice, Riyann continued, "I rushed him to the hospital wing as quickly as I could. It was a werewolf, Josie. The student had encountered a werewolf and suffered the consequences of the encounter. The attack... it was brutal." Her words lingered in the air, conveying the sheer horror and danger that had befallen the unfortunate student.

Josie stared in entranced shock. She’d been an academic for a solid portion of her life, but always at the collegiate level. She didn’t know what was normal, but this didn’t seem like an average school day.

But what did she know, anyway. She was new.

“This sounds horrible,” she said. “Is there anything I can do? I… A werewolf?” Her mind was rapidly sorting through each of the new morsels of information. “Are werewolves common around here? How is it they are so close to the school?”

Riyann met Josie's eyes, yet, she couldn't provide the answers Josie sought. Shaking her head, she admitted her own uncertainty. "I don't know, Josie," Riyann replied honestly. "This is the first time I've heard of something like this happening in the past ten years here. Werewolves... they're not common around the school. I wish I had more information to give you."

The weight of the unknown hung in the air, and Riyann couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The close proximity of the werewolf attack to the school was indeed disconcerting, but the reasons behind it remained elusive. Together, they were faced with a disconcerting mystery.

It took Josie until then to realize the young professor was likely shell-shocked. It wasn’t exactly in the job description to be rescuing students from pools of blood. Josie beelined for the little kitchenette area and twirled her wand to set about making a pot of tea, something herbal and relaxing.

“Has anything been passed on to the Headmaster? I can send him a note. Seems like we may want the staff on alert.”

Sitting in the quiet sanctuary of the staff room at Hogwarts Castle, Riyann clasped her hands together, her gaze fixed on her intertwined fingers. She needed something tangible to ground her amidst the whirlwind of emotions that had consumed her since the incident. Her attention briefly shifted to Josie, who had entered the room, seeking solace in the company of her fellow staff members.

With a faint, but sincere smile, Riyann replied to Josie's inquiry. "Yes, I sent a letter off to the Headmaster as soon as I arrived, after ensuring that Greengrass was settled in the Hospital Wing," she recounted, her voice carrying a note of determination. "When you walked in, I was trying to regain my composure, to anchor myself back to reality and process the gravity of what had happened."

The staff room provided a sanctuary of understanding, a place where they could share their burdens and find support among their colleagues. As they sat together, the weight of the recent events loomed large, but they found solace in each other's presence, knowing that they were not alone in navigating the challenges that came with their roles at Hogwarts.

Josie didn’t always know what to do about feelings, particularly big ones. Emotions from an acquaintance was a special form of trickery for her too. A friend or loved one meant vulnerability was acceptable. A stranger would never be seen again. There was neither familiarity nor anonymity with an acquaintance.

So she focused on the tangible, the action of care. Service was a distraction and it did offer a benefit. She speed heated the tea and brought it over to the professor. “Chamomile,” she indicated with a nod. “Not caffeinated.”

She took a step back, standing a bit uncertainly as the woman explained. She cleared her throat, feeling out of place. “Yes, I apologize for interrupting. If you’d like privacy, I can give it. Of course.”