From the High Table | OPEN

Mad ate her breakfast silently, her gaze idly roving over the students seated at the House tables below. Breakfast was, perhaps, the quietest meal of the day - children who had stayed up too late had yet to wake fully, choosing instead to doze over their eggs and toast.

The woman took a sip of her tea. Another day was beginning.

Colin sat down at the high table, glad that for once the children seemed to be quiet - to an extent. He hadn't slept well, and he had been looking forward to breakfast with yelling children.

"Morning," he nodded to the woman beside him - another collegue he had yet to meet.

Sighing he placed some food on his plate.

The woman turned her head to regard the man who had sat beside her. The new Head of Hufflepuff and Astronomy professor, she thought.

"Morning," she replied calmly.

He stopped and appraised her for a moment. The woman seemed the serious sort. Not necissarily unkind, but likes things straight up. He knew Professors like that when he was in school. It was good for the students.

"I'm I to expect the students to be this... calm every morning or is this just a rare day of luck?" He chuckled softly to his neighbor.

"It varies a bit," Mad answered. "They do tend to be a bit quieter at breakfast than at other meals. The main exceptions tend to be the mornings following Halloween and holidays.

"How are you settling in to your new positions?" she inquired. "This castle can be a bit disorienting for those not yet accustomed to its idiosyncrasies."

"Disorienting," Colin nodded, "That's a good word for it."

He paused thinking of the last few days or so, "I am settling better than I had thought. I imagine it will take some time for the Castle to become..." he was going to say home, but he doubted it would ever be that, "comfortable, but for now I think I'm getting by as well as can be expected."

"Good," said Mad. "It is rather problematic when professors persist in getting lost. One of the former History of Magic professors is still said to be wandering about the dungeons."

It was impossible to tell from either Mad's tone or expression whether she was joking or not. Judging by both, she was perfectly serious. She took a sip from her tea.

"Mad Lewis, by the way," she introduced herself. "I'm the Charms mistress."

Colin at first took the statment of the lost Professor to be a joke, but upon studying the woman's expression decided that she appeared quite serious about it, "Well I do believe I know enough of my way to make it to my classroom and back."

"Nice to meet you Mad," he nodded, "I'm Colin O'Brian - Since you probably already know the rest of your collegues, you are most likely already aware of the face that I'm the new Astronomy teacher, as well as head of Hufflepuff."

Mad didn't look like the type of person who would miss a common fact like that.

A very faint smirk pulled at Mad's lips, hidden behind her teacup, when it seemed the man had taken her anecdote seriously. He'd eventually discover that she had been having him on, but in the meantime, she'd gotten her bit of amusement for the day.

"Indeed, I am," Mad confirmed. "I know everyone in this school," she tilted her head towards the rest of the room to indicate that she meant the students, as well, "by name, at least, if not by reputation.

"I suppose it is only polite that I welcome you to Hogwarts."

Shaun walked into the great Hall with somewhat a tired feet. What with making lesson plans making this late in session. He took a seat on the other side of the man. "Good morning, Professors." he muttered absently, reaching for some toast.

"Well then Mad, it is only polite to say thank you."

Colin turned to the new Professor, "Morning."

"Morning," Mad greeted the new Potions Master. "I haven't felt any tremors recently, so I presume that none of the children have managed to blow up your classroom."

'Fortunately' the corner of his mouth twitched up. 'The first year lesson was a close call though. How about you? How are the students in Charms?'

"It would seem that most of my own students are suitably adept at Charms," replied Mad. "There is a fifth-year I've always wondered about, however. He seemed to possess a unique talent for making spells do that which they were never meant to. He melted a cauldron with a cleaning charm his second year," she stated as evidence.