Incorrect Procedure

[Monty Pendleton]

Patrolling the grounds before bed didn't seem like such a chore when Professor Pendleton's route took him straight through the Hogwarts gardens. Streaked in silver moonlight, the inventor strolled peacefully across the lawn, hands held loosely behind his dark brown trench coat. Each breath of clean, fresh air he drew was savoured in his lungs. The dungeons weren't terribly ventilated, but Monty did tire quickly of the recycled air down in the potions classroom. It was thick and stuffy, and possessed the distinctly vile aroma of bubotuber pus.

A breeze picked up the petals and rustled the trees, and then died again just as suddenly, leaving the odd impression that the world had just fallen silent. Monty tugged his jacket around him and hurried along. Flanked by beds of yellow and violet perennials, his path through the gardens was clear and simple to follow. Every now and then he would come across a bench, each of which sporting a memorial plaque for various witches and wizards, but they were all satisfyingly empty and devoid of rule-breaking students. All except one. Lost in thoughts of home and old friends, Professor Pendleton almost passed the Gryffindor boy right by. Startled, he stopped in his tracks. "Er," he started, unsure of the correct procedure for dealing with students out of bed at night. Truth be told, he hadn't been expecting to find any. He took several authoritative steps toward the bench. "I think you'll find it's long past your bedti..." Distracted, the Professor trailed off, his attention focussing elsewhere. He took another step forward. "What's that you're reading?" he asked curiously, craning his neck to get a look at the title.

 

[Zachery Evans]

He turned page one-hundred-twenty-one of the book he was reading. Important Modern Magical Discoveries, it was a birthday present he received for his sixteenth birthday from his grandmother, and Zachery was rather happy with the present. On his birthday he got a lot of books from his grandmother, but this was by far the best one she gave him yet. The young Gryffindor read the other page, which started chapter three of the book; The Rintock Press. By now Zachery was lost in his book, forgetting time and not noticing that is was getting darker and darker. As he read about William Rintock, an English wizard who released plans to the wizarding community about a 'Magically enchanted book and newspaper printing press in 1932.' the boy heard a strange voice speaking to him. His heart sank right into his stomach, Zach noticed that it was a lot darker now than it was when he got there, and knew that he was probably going to be in big trouble now. As he looked up to see who it was, Zachery looked into the eyes of the new Potions professor, professor Pendleton. ''Owh, sh!t.. I'm sorry professor!'' he said to the man, frowning when the professor asked him what he was reading. ''Eh, Important Modern Magical Discoveries, professor.''

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Professor Pendleton raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, but did not comment on the vulgar language. Instead, he took a seat beside the boy and smiled. It was likely not the conventional way of punishing misbehaving students, but the potions professor was not a very conventional man. "No need for apologies," he said blithely. "I'm quite the night owl myself." To be entirely truthful, the Professor had not slept much at all since his arrival at the school. Perhaps it was because his new mattress was a bit lumpy. Perhaps it was because he was missing home. Just a little. For the students - especially first years - this was nothing out of the ordinary. A professor missing home was slightly less customary, though he imagined a few of them secretly did.

Intrigued, Professor Pendleton's gaze came to rest on the printed prose. It was a book he'd read two or three times himself, usually tucked away in the corner of the Ravenclaw common room. Now, of course, he was familiar enough with Wizarding history need not refresh his memory with books. "I suppose then," the Professor began, "you'll know all about Glover Hipworth, hm?" A marvellous potioneer that man was. Without his skill and dedication, witches and wizards would still have been suffering from colds to this very day. "Or did you not get to chapter four yet?"

 

[Zachery Evans]

Zachery looked suprised at the professor, not expecting the man to sit down with him. He was expecting to get detention or something like that, not a nice little chat with the professor, but somehow he did not mind that the professor sat down next to him. Zachery smiled at the man when he said that he was a night owl himself. ''It is really peaceful at this time, plus I'm not tired yet.'' Zach still wasn't completely sure if he would be getting detention or not. ''Not yet, professor,'' However, Glover Hipworth, the name sounded familiar to him. ''I've just started reading chapter three,'' he said. ''Although there is something about that name that rings a bell.'' Zachery definitely knew the name from somewhere, he just couldn't place it anywhere.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Professor Pendleton silently agreed. As frustrating as it could be to suffer from insomnia, there was something truly mesmerising that could only be caught in a sky full of stars. Late nights (and early mornings) were indeed his favourite hours for tweaking blueprints and adjusting prototypes. Of course, now that he'd found himself a professor at Hogwarts New Zealand, his spare time for inventing had dwindled into non existence. Lesson plans, marking, patrolling - all of it took time, and Monty was beginning to appreciate just how precious his scarce evenings off were.

"Ah," said the Professor, returning the boy's smile. He seemed a little surprised. If he'd been expecting punishment, he could at least be long relinquished of that fear. The Potions Professor was not lenient in enforcing rules he believed were worth enforcing, but how much harm could really come from a student studying into the night? "I'd hope it rings a bell, boy!" he exclaimed, though his laughter rather enfeebled the stern tone in his voice. "Born 1742. Invented the Pepperup Potion, the Wizarding World's only cure for the common cold. Died 1805, aged sixty-three. Terrible shame, I say. Much too soon." In Hipworth's defence, Monty thought it was always too soon for an inventor to die, but it didn't help him feel any less forlorn. "Do I sense a keen interest in history, then?" he asked with a grin. "Tell me something about Cornelius Agrippa."

 

[Zachery Evans]

''Of course!'' The memory of discussing the Pepperup Potion in the one of the Potions lessons rushed in his mind. ''We had to make the Pepperup in Potions, stupid of me to forget that.'' He told the professor, remembering that he failed to make a good Pepperup Potion himself. Zachery smiled at nodded at the question. ''Very much, professor.'' He exclaimed. Zach absolutely loved history. ''Cornelius Agrippa..'' The Gryffindor needed a moment to think, ''Cornelius Agrippa, born in Germany, 1486. Author, wrote books about wizardkind and magic. Agrippa was thrown into prison for his work because Muggles had claimed that it was evil. He died in 1535, aged fourty-nine.'' The boy smiled again, he was almost certain that what he said was correct. ''Your turn, professor. What do you know about Cecily Rambolt?''

 

[Monty Pendleton]

"Not at all!" said Monty, who disapproved of anyone calling themselves stupid, even in passing comment. The boy then went on to further contradict himself by correctly recalling not only what Cornelius Agrippa was famous for, but also his dates of birth and death. Impressive. Monty beamed, his enthusiasm only slightly dampened by the fact this boy wasn't going to be in his classes. He seemed quite the idol student, albeit one with a disregard for rules. "Very good," the Professor said. "I'm rather envious of Professor Spenser, in fact. Still, my loss is his gain." His lips curled into the beginnings of a smile, but then fell flat. Cecily Rambolt? The Professor hadn't the faintest clue. Monty felt the tips of his ears burning. Thank goodness it was dark. "Er, nothing, I'm afraid," he admitted ruefully, though the Gryffindor had sparked an interest now. Once the embarrassment had passed, Professor Pendleton asked, "Care to broaden my knowledge?"

 

[Zachery Evans]

Zachary smiled at the professor, by now he guessed that he wasn't going to be in any problems for being outside at this hour. So far the boy enjoyed the company of professor Pendleton very much, he seemed like a nice man to him. Zach beamed when the professor confirmed his answer, it would have been embarrassing to be wrong in front of the new professor - especially since Zach just finished a chapter mentioning the man who went to prison for his work. The boy smiled again, "I didn't know her either until I read about her last year," he told the professor, just to make sure that the man wasn't the only one who didn't know who Cecily Rambolt was. "She was a former headmistress of this castle."

 

[Monty Pendleton]

That made sense. Prior to his arrival last week, Monty had known next to nothing of New Zealand's Wizarding school, and what he had learned since mainly focussed around the present day. There would be a time and a place to learn of the castle's history, but with a stack of half-completed lesson plans on his desk in the dungeons, it certainly wasn't here and now. The Professor glanced down at the small golden watch attached to his waistcoat. Time was flying by, and Monty hardly dared to think what trouble he'd be in for encouraging rule breaking. "Ah," he said again, beginning to sound like a faulty record. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think we ought to retire before time gets away from us." Professor Pendleton smiled at the Gryffindor to reassure him he wasn't in any trouble. "I'll walk you back to the common room. If anyone should bump into us, I will be angrily escorting you to bed," he told him, but there was something about the way his grin widened that weakened this statement somewhat. Monty stood up. "Come along," he said, authority returning to his tone.

 

[Zachery Evans]

Zachery shifted his right leg to sit more comfortable on the hard ground. He was happy that professor Pendleton nice. Unlike other students, Zachary actually liked talking to his professors about things that interested him, and them of course. He smiled at the man and nodded in agreement, it was indeed getting later and later, and he needed to be up early the next day for his lessons. "You're right, sir," he said, looking up at the night sky. It is getting pretty late." If the professor hadn't walked passed him, Zachary would probably still sit there, reading his book until something else caught his attention. "Ok so, just to be sure, you aren't going to punish me for being outside at this hour, right?" Zachary didn't want to lose house points just because he was reading a book. "Oh, and that sounds like a good idea, professor." The boy said, smiling brightly at the man.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Professor Pendleton chuckled kindly. "Punish you? For getting carried away with a book? Don't be absurd, boy!" he said, beginning to head back across the grass. "Although I wouldn't strongly recommend you make a habit of it," he added quickly. There were still a few Professors Monty had yet to acquaint himself with, but he didn't need to look twice at one or two of them to know they were not quite so lenient about school rules. Someone had to be strict, Monty supposed, or else the entire school would run riot. But so long as the likes of Styx stuck around, Professor Pendleton was happy to abdicate that responsibility wherever and whenever he could. Once the Gryffindor was on his feet, Professor Pendleton escorted him across the grounds, through the castle and up to the common room portrait, fortunately without meeting any Professors along the way.

If you're not happy with that let me know, otherwise I guess we should finish it there!