| Details for Incident in the Olwery - Fiona's Report |
| Summary: | Professors Slughorn, Dumbledore, and Mopsus begin an investigation into a violent incident involving a prefect. |
| Date: | 4 October, 1938 |
| Location: | Staff Room, Hogwarts |
| Related: | Flying Feathers, Incident in the Owlery - Alphard's Report, Incident in the Owlery - Janette's Report |
| Characters |
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It isn't often that a student sees several Heads of House together outside of meal times. Each generally has so much to do in addition to their professorial duties. But then, the staff room isn't often seen by students, either. This evening, several chairs have been arranged in a circle, three of them filled by Professors Slughorn, Dumbledore, and Mopsus.
When the door opens, all three heads turn to greet the little First Year Ravenclaw girl, and her imposing escort, Mr. Pringle. "Found 'er, Professors. She'll 'ave a thing or two to say, I'm sure. Go on, girl. Dinnae keep the professors waiting." Pringle hardly gives poor Fiona chance to response before he's nudging her inside.
Fiona smooths down her robes, not that they were crooked, but it gives her something to do with her hands. She had rather hoped to go her entire school life under the radar. It looks like that won't happen. She seems so very small, being one of the tiniest and the youngest first year students. Bobbing a curtsey because she thinks that is what she needs to do she stops in front of the three heads of house. "Sirs."
Professor Mopsus smiles softly in Fiona's general direction, his blind eyes focusing on nothing in particular. "Welcome child. Do have a seat." He gestures to a plush, high-backed chair facing the three Heads of House. "Now, I don't want you to think you are in any sort of trouble. Mr. Pringle told us that it was you that fetched him when the skirmish took place in the owlery. You've done the right thing."
Slughorn nods and beams his own enormous smile at her. Undoubtedly it was meant to comfort her, but it comes off more comically over-exaggerated. "Indeed. As this involves one of my own Prefects, you can imagine how concerned we are. Do sit, and tell us how you came to be involved in this unfortunate affair."
Not being in trouble relaxes Fiona a bit more. She sits on the chair, her feet dangling a bit. "I went to write a letter, sir..sirs. There was a boy there I didn't know, he was watching owlets hatch. And a girl who was a prefect. She was very pale. I didn't know her either but she fancied him because she kept staring at him and blushing only he didn't notice because he liked the owls more. And he was wrong and I told him they didn't regur— sorry." She laces her hands together. "We were watching the owls, us three and Alphard Black. I had an idea who he was. He looks like a Black. The girl she left and we were all about to leave when she came back and started shoving Alphard Black. He was surprised we all were. She was shoving him and calling him names. I told Mr Pringle that she started it all but she lied to him."
Slughorn blinks repeatedly, leaning forward with a surprised, stuttering response. "B-b-beg your pardon? Are you telling me that Janette Abbott started this scuffle?" He exchanges a look of shock with Dumbledore, whose mouth turns down in a frown. "Goodness me," Slughorn continues. "We shall have to get to the bottom of this. What else can you tell us, my dear? I am given to understand that all three of the other students were involved."
Fiona nods her head eagerly, "She did, Professor Slughorn sir. The boys they were being boys. Name calling but nothing really bad and they hadn't touched each other at all. But Alphard Black he pushed her back after she pushed him the second time and Janette, that's her name, she fell over and started acting like it was all his fault. That is when the other boy, Alphard Black called him Macmillan. That Macmillan boy, he's in Professor Dumbledore's house. I remember his robes. Anyway he tried to stop Alphard Black from kicking Janette. Then she got up and by then they were scuffling. I tried to pull them apart but I wasn't strong enough so I ran to get Mr Pringle." Her dark head shakes, "Those boys weren't very sensible. They could have got owl faeces in their eyes. That would have caused infection."
Dumbledore's eyes shift toward Mr. Pringle, who has remained by the door. The caretaker gives Dumbledore a little nod, confirming the identity of Douglas Macmillan.
Mopsus says nothing, but gets a proud smirk at Fiona's rather clinical assessment of the danger of brawling in bird excrement.
Slughorn sighs, slumping in his chair in melodramatic defeat. "Dear me, dear me. Well, Albus, it sounds as if Macmillan was doing his part to try to break up the fight. It looks as if Gryffindor's reputation remains intact today."
Only then does Mr. Pringle make a sound, clearing his throat. "Pardon, professors. But that isn't entirely accurate. Macmillan tried to insist to me they'd all tripped over one another. An obvious lie, surely tryin' to shield everyone from proper discipline." And nearly every student at Hogwarts knows what Pringle's idea of proper discipline is…and shudders at the thought.
"By the time we got back the fight was pretty much over, sirs. And I was very shocked when that girl, Janette, lied to Mr Pringle. I don't think prefects should lie to anybody certainly not important people like Mr Pringle." Fiona shifts on the chair a little. "She went off with the Gryffindor boy to the infirmary and I helped Alphard Black. I gave him some chocolate and made sure he got up the stairs safely. Thankfully nobody had any infections."
Slughorn nods grimly, sad eyes turned to the floor. "There is enough tension in this school already without Prefects instigating violence."
"Now, Horace. We cannot say for certain that Abbott started this. Perhaps Miss Donnelly missed something." Dumbledore gives Fiona an apologetic smile. "Not that I doubt your word, Fiona. I hope you understand that we must simply consider all options."
Mopsus finally speaks again, noting, "Miss Donnelly is a Ravenclaw, Albus. Attention to detail is part of her makeup."
Slughorn holds up his hands in a request for attention. "Well, we cannot take action until we've interviewed the others involved. I think it is time we did so. Miss Donnelly, we thank you for your cooperation. You are a credit to your house."
"I don't think what Alphard Black did to her was nice, but my mother told me nothing excuses lying." Fiona slides off her chair and smooths her robes again. She looks a bit nervously at the three of them and then says to Slughorn, "Thank you sir, Professor. May I go now?"
Slughorn nods with smile, in spite of his melancholy mood. "Yes, my dear. Keep up the good work." Mopsus sends Fiona another look of satisfaction as Pringle opens the door to let her out.
As she passes by Pringle on her way out Fiona gives him a little smile, "Goodbye Mr Pringle." Please don't eat me.