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[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo had to admit that while a change of career had never been on the cards for her until recently, she knew it had been the right decision. Aside from a small break she'd first taken when Eden was born, Geo had spent her whole life dedicated to the cause of the Aurors, working to be the best in every way she could, to help keep those that posed a danger to others off the streets. She'd never considered doing anything else, and even when she was a small girl growing up in an orphanage in England, it had been her goal.

Sat now at the professor's table in the Ilvermorny Great Hall, there was a strange sense of comfort and relief. That being said, did it make her selfish to want to take a step back from the front lines of danger when she needed to be there for her family and children? Was the guilt that had settled in her stomach about abandoning her colleagues completely unwarranted when she knew she wouldn't be there to help them? Defense Against the Dark Arts was the closest thing she now felt like she could be involved in, teaching other students the way Professor Styx had once taught her. Well, perhaps not teaching them exactly the same, but to this day she still admired the man, where he had ended up. With James also teaching the same subject at Hogwarts, Geo had a good understanding of what was involved when it came to teaching, and perhaps this really was the break she needed to move herself into a new career era.

The room was darker than the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but in a way it almost felt more cozy. She'd never spent any time within the walls of this school before now, but she'd heard stories from colleagues throughout the years. Her blue eyes glanced down the professor's table, wondering if there would be any other witches and wizards she'd recognize, before she scanned the students in the room in front of them, the majority eager to get on with their breakfasts. It was surreal, but Geo was certainly going to do everything she could to put her energy into teaching the future Aurors the best she could, even if she could no longer be one herself.​

 

[March Chase]

There had been a couple of changes in faculty recently, not that it really mattered to March since he didn’t often pay enough attention. His focus had always been on making onto the Quidditch team, and not worrying too much about who was going to teach him how to throw sparks into the air. He grew up around magic so that kind of thing was like a basic tool to him. As long as he could get on a broom and fly, that was all he truly cared about. What had given him pause recently was how many of the new staff members seemed to be transferring internationally. Schools were not big places, and he’d heard that the new younger year Defence Professor was actually from New Zealand so he didn’t have a clue on why she might have ended up here. Honestly he was kind of curious and whenever he was curious about something he really couldn’t stop himself from being a bit of a menace about it. Once he'd finished his breakfast, he'd hurried his way up to the Professor's table and immediately started in on the woman. “So Professor, did you decide to come here because there wasn’t any excitement in that dreary country? I heard their best Quidditch team couldn’t even beat the French.” Mind you that damn seeker was a pain in the butt.​

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

In truth being referred to as professor threw Geo off more than she cared to admit. However, she liked it. She liked it a lot. It made her feel like she actually had something worth passing on to these students. She turned her head toward a small boy who was suddenly inquisitive about her reasons for moving to America, and she knew the news that her own alignment had been with Hogwarts had travelled fast. "There's always excitement if you know where to look," the blonde said, resting her goblet down on the wooden table. The tables were wider than those at Hogwarts, and it felt like there was perhaps deceptively more room in here. It would be a while before Geo would stop making comparisons. She was still unsure about how personally involved she wanted to be with the students, and where the line was between a professional and friendly relationship. Would they respect her less if they knew more things about her? "Beauxbatons have always had a strong game," Geo added, recalling her own school days when they'd play against the international school. This student, if he was keeping up with the scores of other schools, must have had a personal interest in the subject to want to follow it so closely. "Would you want to play against them?"​

 

[March Chase]

"There's always excitement if you know where to look," ugh, that was what adults always said whenever he was bored of something. Or they told him to go clean his room despite having house elves to do that for him. Only boring people get bored was what his Grandmother used to say and he didn’t agree with that either, because he was never bored in the air, just on the ground, or when he was supposed to read a book or something. They just didn’t interest him. She wasn’t really giving him much to work with here. Though he did have to agree that she was right about Beauxbatons having a strong game. It sounded like she knew from experience. Was she a Quidditch player herself? “I did, last year. Well I was an alternate seeker, but I made the team this year. Unfortunately I was injured and couldn’t play against them, so we lost,” he was sure they would have won if he had been the one to go up against them instead of Marcellus.​

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo listened as the student told her he had actually played against them, or at least, he would have in theory. He didn't look old enough though to be nearing the end of his time at school, which meant it was likely he still had many years ahead of him to try again. "Well then next time, once you have beaten them, you'll have to let me know," she was sincere and believed it would be a good opportunity for her to leave a door open to him, even if he had no intention of returning to a conversation with her, "Congratulations on officially making the team." The boy's arrogance that the team wouldn't have lost if he'd been playing wasn't lost on the professor although it didn't surprise her either. She knew plenty of people with a similar attitude. That didn't mean however she was going to watch a student put down another for their own pride, "Sometimes other players are just stronger at the time, it doesn't mean it's a reflection of your own failings, or your teammates for that matter." she tried to explain, although even as she spoke she could feel her former student self eye-rolling at the typical professor-like way of speaking. "And at the end of the day, it's a game, the point is you're working with your team all while getting to travel and experience the other side of the world." The woman tried to ignore the sigh from the man sitting beside her, paying him no mind in the slightest. "Are you at least feeling better from your injury?"​

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio had been irritated the moment he realised she had also gotten a job at the school. Killian's imposing little friend who had almost ruined their date, was now sitting beside him at the professor's table, trying to give a silver lining to a poor boy's failed Quidditch match. Elio had never had any interest in Quidditch himself, but Geovanna was such a Hufflepuff it pained him to listen in on their conversation. He'd sighed when she mentioned how it was all just a game, tired of the way that sometimes undermining ones favourite hobby was a good way of making them feel invalidated. He'd experienced enough of that trying to run his own business.

The man's arms were crossed in front of him as he was leaning on the table, no longer able to let this go on without interjection. "The boy likes excitement Geo," he started, glancing at the woman as though she was about to put him to sleep, "And as for how New Zealand compares to America? There's certainly more freedom to do what you want out here," Elio intended to return one day of course, but New Zealand in comparison could only be described as closer-knit, if that was something one enjoyed. "So if what you want is to prove to the French that Ilvermorny is the school to beat, then prove it." The man shrugged, taking a sip from his own glass.​

 

[Hera Athanasiou]

Hera saw one of the Thunderbird's rushing towards the Professor's table and diving in on the new DADA Professor. Keeping an eye on the pair the 5th year ate her breakfast in peace. She had started at the school just recently and had barely made any friends. The only reason she had changed honestly was to get further from her parents who had been around Europe a lot. Hera did love her family but they could be suffocating at best, as the oldest there was a lot of pressure on her to be responsible and look after the younger ones so she could do with a bit of distance. After finishing her meal Hera reluctantly got up and walked toward where now a second newer professor had entered the conversation. As she got closer she heard the male Professor mention the French school, what a perfect opportunity to insert herself into the conversation. "I was never really into Quidditch but while at the school I did hear the Beauxbaton's team was good, guess they proved it." She spoke out shifting her gaze between the three, "I agree on the freedom part." Exact reason she was here, things felt more free the farther she got from her family. "What was it that you teach again Sir?" The brunette directed her question to the man, having already forgotten.

 

[Aurora Veritas]

As a second year being a prefect for her house, Aurora had even more reason to be paying attention during the start of semester feast announcements, including who had joined as their new professors. One thing the girl couldn't help but consider was that as time went on, the professors seemed to be getting younger. With wizards able to outlive regular muggles, why weren't there more grey hairs amongst their professor table?

"Astronomy." Aurora butted in, answering the fifth year's question before the new professor had a chance to answer himself. This student was also new, and Aurora was going to make sure that she felt at home, even if they weren't in the same house. They seemed to be discussing Quidditch which was wayyyy out of Aurora's remit, although she had had another intention when she'd strolled up to the table. "I'll be taking your class, so I do hope you're good at it. My name is Aurora, so it seems fitting that I'll be there," she added, before turning to look at the other woman and the younger boy, "If anyone needs any tips about the school, I can help you." She wanted to sound helpful but she couldn't deny there was a hint of arrogance as she realized of all those here gathered at this end of the bench, she really did know the most about this school.​

 

[March Chase]

March really couldn’t tell if the Professor liked Quidditch or not and he wasn’t sure what to say about it. He smiled lightly when she congratulated him for making the team, though he didn’t feel like she really cared, which made sense since she didn’t even know him. He assumed he’d have his first lessons with her soon, and he was kind of looking forward to what kind of a professor she would be. He wasn’t really sure he cared about Defence, since he hadn’t last year, or the year before, but who knew, this was a new year so anything was possible. “Thanks Professor,” he also wasn’t sure he agreed about her assessment of his flying abilities, because he was pretty sure they lost because he wasn’t there. If someone is better than him, it’s because he’s not good enough, that’s kind of literally the point, but he wouldn’t know until next time now because he didn’t play it. He was going to have to see how things went, how he felt about the whole thing.

“It’s not-” he was about to protest that Quidditch wasn’t just a game when another professor, one he’d seen before but not interacted much with, interrupted. He turned his head to watch Professor Zephyr, nodding in agreement with him. He was right, he did like excitement. That was why he liked Quidditch! “Yes!” he could prove that Ilvermorny was the best school if he could beat that french seeker. She was good, but he knew he could be better than her. Even though she was older than him. Maybe she felt like she had something to prove. They were soon joined by another girl and he moved aside a little to give her some room, he didn’t know her either, just that she was a transfer. Was he surrounded by transfers?

“Astronomy is boring” March complained, pouting. Why was it even a subject anyway?​

 

[June Chase]

June smacked her brother on the back of the head as he complained in front of the professors that he thought one of their classes was boring. She didn’t agree at all. Well, part of the fact was that she thought the Astronomy Professor was kind of cute, so she was looking forward to his class, it was so much easier to concentrate on a class when the person teaching it was nice to look at right. “Don’t say stuff like that, hey, no one cares about your opinion,” she warned him as she threw her arm around his shoulder. “Hey Aurora, making yourself useful to the professors are you?” She had to be the only person June knew who took her prefect duties so seriously. June certainly never did and maybe that was why she’d lost her badge, she really just couldn’t be bother most of the time. Ah well. “And you… you’re the new Defence professor right? Hope you’re better than the old one, shame I won’t get to find out,” the sixth year said, shrugging.​

 

[Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Geo had to agree that being in America felt more expansive, but given that the only part she'd experienced before now was her home life in Virginia it made sense to the woman that she'd found solace out here too. Not that she didn't want to return one day. "Also compared to the United Kingdom, it makes you realize just how big some places can be. Hogwarts Scotland is much smaller than the school I grew up in, and I think this one is larger still," she added, trying not to roll her eyes as Elio was quick to hop on the bandwagon that the best thing to do in Quidditch was prove themselves. Spoken like a true Gryffindor, she should know.

It wasn't long before they were suddenly surrounded by three more students, one who had started to question Elio, another who introduced herself as a student who could help, and the third who'd interjected with a slap to the original boy. Although Geo was accustomed to having many many children around her at any one time, it still felt comforting to be surrounded once more by students, as though she'd returned to school herself and was reminiscing about her own student years. "I'm not entirely sure that's true," Geo noted to the newest newcomer since she was still unable to let slip anything that tried to undermine another student, "But yes, I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts," it was still strange to say it out loud. "I don't know exactly what happened to your last professor, but I like to think I know what I'm talking about when it comes to this subject. I was an Auror for thirteen years."​

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio sat up a little straighter when almost everyone agreed with what he'd said. He was naturally confident in himself of course, but it was always an ego boost when others would reciprocate. The professor was about to answer another student's question about his class when another interrupted them both. "You take that back, I just defended you!" Elio pointed to the boy who'd called his class boring, before returning his gaze to the girl (Hera), "I teach Astronomy. Favourite class at Hogwarts." Of course, he wasn't about to tell these students why, and he had no intention of telling many of his colleagues either. He listened as Professor Adler spoke about how she'd been an Auror for years beforehand, making her perfect for her role, although it wasn't exactly the same story for him. "I'll try my best to live up to your expectations," he said to the student with the prefect badge, although he had to say it was a fitting name. "I used to be a photographer, but I've been retraining over the last couple of years and well, here I am." He knew that perhaps the students would judge him more fiercely if he admitted he hadn't taught the subject before, but he wasn't going to start hiding who he was now. He threw Geo a glance when she mentioned Scotland, wondering if she'd been there at some point too. It wasn't a period of his life he cared to recall though so he said nothing as she went on. ​

 

[Hera Athanasiou]

Hera's attention shifted to the Prefect who answered her question and she cast a small smile to the girl before hurriedly looking away. Her eyes kept playing ping pong between everyone that was now a part of the conversation, but her eyes kept stealing involuntary glances at the Prefect girl who had introduced herself as Aurora, it was a pretty name. When a blonde girl entered the conversation Hera almost winced at the slap on the back of the head until she remembered her own siblings did that, so either those two were siblings or very good friends.

Astronomy was interesting and she was looking forward to it, even more so when the Professor revealed his former profession. The brunette's eyes shot straight to the man. "Oh! I love photography, I tend to take my camera with me to most places you know just in case there's something that catches my eye or I want to remember. You never know what you might come by." Admitting it out loud was weird, especially since some of her favourite pictures were those spontaneous ones taken in the park of an old couple or a senior dog running to its owner. She was so used to taking care of everyone else around her that it was nice to stop for a moment and just look around her at the signs of actual love that wasn't conditional, nor a duty.