Hrothbert "Bob" Bainbridge

Congratulations to our newly minted Prefects and Heads of Houses. I'll be looking forward to working with you all again this year.

Castiel, I see that Marco is in the staff room now, if Lilith could be persuaded to join him there. Do you know where any of the other kittens are at the moment?


[[Filtered to Spencer]]

Spencer, my skull is in my classroom. When do you plan to head out?

[[/filtered]]


*checks that his office door is fastened and properly warded against, ahem, Peeves and takes the scenic route up the stairs instead of going straight through the ceiling*


[[Totally backdated to yesterday. Remember, kids, sign up for Ancient Runes here! Also, some of you may presently get uber-late last-week comments from my characters. >___> Sorry they're so very uber-late.]]

*amused* Some of you may be pleased to know that the wards on my classroom have been altered so as not to permit the latest curse.

Others may not be as pleased... because the precaution has been taken in anticipation of a test for which you will all be revising during the beginning of this week. Having everyone's thoughts public would be less than conducive to such a proceeding, don't you think? *smirks*

This will be a preliminary test to your end-of-the-year exams, and will comprise everything on the curriculum from the beginning of the year to the winter break. The second half of the preliminary exam will take place next week. Those of you who are preparing for OWLs and NEWTs are advised to peruse your notes very, very carefully.


*unfortunately, his journal is still down in his tiny office, so the following strikeout is somewhat less than stricken* There, that should wake them all up. ..Has anybody seen my cat?


( 100% hackable )


*meanwhile, on the seventh floor, a tattooed, hairless cat is having a fine old time chasing a number of crabs perilously close to the edge of the stairwell*


[[By 'them', Bob refers to certain Dark textbooks which he's taken out of the Restricted Section in order to restrict them a bit more than Dumbledore has seen fit. XD And if your character was around back in December when everyone got a pet crab, feel free to have your crab be among those that Marco is pestering!]]

*pacing through piles of books in his office, the weird light from his glowing skull casting odd flares over the narrow walls*


[[Private]]

One advantage of this prank is that I will be able to carry myself to the day's festivities without having to ask anybody for help. How he persuaded the cursed thing to move with me rather than anchoring me in place... *irritated handwave* It must be a fluke. If Dark magic had any power to alter my sentence, I would have discovered it long ago.

..Time.... well, best be getting on with it.

[[/private]]


*turns with a show of nervous energy, strides for the door, and is brought up short with his nasal cavity against the wood*

...

*a muttered curse* Though there are inconveniences as well.

*grumbling, orders the door to open and let him through*

[[Filtered to Bob's students]]

Your end-of-term exam will take place on Friday. Please turn in your completed syllabaries before that date. You will begin to use them when the new term begins.

[[/filtered]]


[[Filtered to Haruno Sakura, Harry Dresden, and (just in case) Kenny McCormick]]

For those who need to take the exam at the end of the break rather than at the beginning, I need to see a projected study schedule from each of you in order to be sure that you are on track to complete the work as scheduled.

[[/filtered]]


And now... to deal with the rest of it.....

*strides through the wall to the secondary staff room, leaving his office unlocked for Filch to take care of the large spider that has been lurking under his desk*

Hmm... at least Marco has been quiet today. Perhaps he had his fill of shredding my class materials. Madame Pince will notice before the week is out. If the trail can be muddied a bit further.... *glances over at the mess of open library books -- comprising one less volume than it did the previous day....*

*rubs hands together cheerfully* I wonder what's going on in the rest of the castle.


[[No log for the exam, but do let me know how your character handles it. Bob won't be affected by the mistletoe for more than a moment: although feel free to get stuck walking through him. And if your character happens to notice the state of his office door... well, so much the better. >D]]

[[Private]]

That Ryuzaki... 'important business', my foot. With his academic performance to date, he can take some time out of his jam-packed life for a twelve-foot analysis of early Coptic inscriptions. Best if he knows his school is still here and waiting for him.

I'll miss seeing that smug face in class.

This house-elf business is too good to be true. They don't need to make time to assist a ghost, and yet they're doing so. Someone must have put them up to it. *chuckles* ..I have a secret admirer? I'd almost be tempted to... but no, their first loyalty is to the castle; there's no way to swear them to the kind of complete secrecy I need.

*paces, finally comes to a stop, staring off into the distance*

..No. It must be a child.

[[/private]]


To Marik and the other new Head of House appointees, as well as to the new Prefects and Head Boys and Girls, all congratulations.

If anyone needs me, I'll be in my skull office.


[[Strikes = not there. With Pattra's permission, Bob is going to keep pelting the absent L with homework. Otherwise, he'll spend the day in his office, which is locked... unless you know the password. >D]]

[[Private; somewhat hackable]]

*fumes* That Baron is insufferable. Groaning and clanking all over the place, as if his was the only tragedy that mattered in a castle full of ghosts..... Well, there's one good use for him, anyway.

[[/private]]


CAUGHT YOU THIS TIME, HAVEN'T I, PEEVES!? Kippers hidden around my door every day, and of course I couldn't smell them... that explains everything. You stay away from my domain from now on, or--

*colorful, scratchy script* Ahaha, all in good fun, weren't it, Proffie?? Isn't the poor pearly ghostie lonely in his little box? Can't stop the fuzzies, can he? Poor ickle--

--will you shut it!? I'll set the Baron on you, I swear!

..Izumi, Rangiku, a thousand thanks for making my office and classroom impervious to unauthorized meddling. The alternative does not bear contemplation.


[[The exchange between Bob and Peeves, caught by the transcription quill, may be audible as well.]]

*hears scratches and hoots, sticks his head through his office door*

What... an owl?? I haven't gotten an owl in two centuries....

*speaks the keyword to let it in, winces as it knocks a candle off the table*

Hmm... some kind of flyer, apparently... stop beating your wings through my face, you aggravating creature. Do I look like I can remove that string from your leg?? Confound it, where's Filch when you need him!?

[[Private, unhackable]]

Dark portents... not that an acromantula crossing onto the school grounds is disturbing enough; I thought the wards were supposed to take care of those matters -- but something is raising my hackles, which is a good trick, seeing as I'm DEAD. My writing won't stay in the air and if I actually ever had a grave, I'd imagine that someone was treading it deeper at this very moment. Perhaps I should stay in my skull until it all blows over.....

*sticking his head out through the closed door* On the other hand, current events are giving me an excellent chance to observe cats in their natural environment. I wonder if one of these animals is Professor Soong's?

[[/private]]


To the Gryffindor student who left his or her bookbag in the outer hall beside my door, Mrs. Norris and several of her ilk are taking an undue interest in it, so I would advise you to collect it immediately before it is dragged off and demolished. What's in there, kippers?


[[Jumping on the general bandwagon of something-feels-off, if that's okay. Feel free to claim the bag (or any of the cats).]]

..Who left my closet office door open?? Somebody kindly close it at once!!!


[[Private]]

Oh, this is it. This is INTOLERABLE. The noise level near the Great Hall is disturbing at the best of times, but with people leaving that door open at all hours of the day or night? *impatient sigh* Soundproofing charm... a command word for the door.... just another chore that I'll have to prevail upon someone to do. I would say that's life, but, well, it isn't.

[[/private]]


[[Anybody looking in will see a cramped room, two or three grimoires lying open on the small desk, a burning oil lamp, several thick dribbling candles, a transcription quill poised above Bob's journal, and the rune-carved skull sitting alone on a high shelf.]]