Republic Act No. 7610 (Daniel)

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Brooke Walters was angry, and upset, and scared all at the same time. Even in this state of mind, her conscience was as clear as day, and her intent as pure as pure could be; there was not one revengeful or spiteful bone in her body. However, because she was so angry slash upset slash scared, she was unable to focus on anything much than what she wanted to do - what she was going to do - and as a result her hair was quite a sight to behold. Changing from red to blue to green to black to even blonde, it was something that had happened when she was much, much younger and was just learning how to control her abilities. The last time it happened, Brooke was 9, and had just learnt of her grandparents' death, both of whom she was extremely close with. Basically it meant that her emotions were more than strong - compelling, almost.

It didn't really help that she had ADHD, and that her brain was more prone to acting without thinking, and she did not, in fact, have that important skill of thinking things through. Nevertheless, if she had been able to think clearly and process things through, it has to be said that this was the exact same course of action she would take. Head held high, bag bounding against her back with each step she took, she marched down to the second floor, moving towards the Headmaster's Tower, intent clear.

The gargoyle that stood guard outside didn't move for her, not at first. But when she began to explain what happened and why she had to see Headmaster Jameson, he reluctantly moved aside and she ran up the stairs with a jumble of 'thank yous' trialling behind her.

But then, she was actually standing outside the door that led to his office and she froze. Nerves were beginning to take over, because after all, she was a first year and she was thinking of telling on a Professor and was it considered telling tales or no? Because her parents always told her not to be a 'tattle-tale' but that it wasn't the same thing as telling about something important, when someone was in danger and that bullying was most definitely something you tell an adult about. Funnily enough, the one thought that would have been present in most people - if the headmaster would believe her, a first year, over an adult Professor - was not there.

The reason for this was simple; Brooke Walters knew she was right, knew she was telling the truth, and to her, the truth would always win. It didn't matter if it was someone older or younger who did the telling, if it was true, then it was true. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves (for she never before had actually gone to see a Headmaster before) she knocked on the door and waited till she was called in before gently opening it and peeking her head in.

Hesitant steps were made, and then she suddenly forgot her fears as she thought of poor Finley and how her arm was still hurting from where she had been gripped so tightly and continued her walk with no sign of the previous nerves. "Good morning, Headmaster. I'm sorry to disturb you but I needed to tell you something that happened in class. I think it's important. Wait, no, I know it's important cos it was about a teacher bullying a student. Well, students, and I don't mean to be telling tales but I don't think it's a good thing and do you have time or should I come back later?" she asked, starting out in a polite manner and then totally forgetting how to continue with that and just blabbing out the rest.

[[OOC: Yes, I know the act mentioned in the title is from the Philippines, but it was the only thing that came up during my Google search and I really liked it so shhh. No but seriously, what an apt title if I do say so myself. xD]]

Guest

Taking on the role of Headmaster had been an opportunity out of the blue. Had he been looking for this kind of job? No, he hadn't, but it was a new opportunity, a challenge, even. The first of which meant adjusting his office to accommodate his style. Grandeur, power, and the air of not making people (except himself) feel comfortable.

A seat sat across from his desk with the most uncomfortable seating position possible, much too straight, much too hard, uninviting. His own was as comfortable as one could imagine, and the large back was imposing enough to make Daniel have a somewhat satisfied smirk.

The house elves had tied the rest of the room on his behalf, which suited the man completely, books were tidily away, and clutter was gone. The next stage... well, that would be bringing in his own personal pieces, but as of yet, he wasn't ready for that. For now, he needed to go through the records, and getting things ship shape. Which, from the records he'd already looked at was most certainly not the case at all.

The knock on his door hadn't startled the man, or even made him look up, instead flicking his wand towards the door but not making a sound. Probably someone looking to waste his time, though that notion was not one he was entirely new to.

When the witch had started talking, Daniel had managed to not roll his eyes at the witch, but he listened no less. She rambled, but he caught the gist of what she was saying. Bullying was a notion of Daniel's past, an old friend had taught him a better way of getting what he needed. Which meant he needed to pass on the same message to others. Daniel was not a do-gooder though. He did what was necessary to his success.

"Right now is fine." Daniel told the witch, his voice gentle despite his everything else about himself. "I trust that you understand the implications of the words you have spoken, and that you are not trying to get someone in trouble because of a grudge, or something similar?" The man asked, sitting back in his chair, and motioning for the witch to take the seat opposite himself.

"But first, please tell me who you are so that I might be able to learn my students. Then we will come on to your allegation." Daniel added, thinking it best to start putting names to faces.

Guest

When the headmaster began to speak, she tilted her head, trying to understand the question which he had asked. There had been quite a few big words he had used, and it wasn't as though she didn't understand them; she merely needed time to recall what they meant. She was, after all, an avid reader, so her vocabulary was much wider than most of her age, especially since she read a wide range, including classics and the like. Allowing herself to sit down, Brooke could not, however, keep still, instead practically bouncing in her seat, legs swinging around. It wasn't because of nerves or anything, but rather because she wasn't capable of sitting still, no matter what the situation.

Shaking her head earnestly, she said, "Oh, no, not at all, Sir! I never met the man until today. It was my first class with him so I have no reason not to like him! I like almost everyone, anyway, because I don't see a point in not liking them. I mean, why shouldn't I like them? And I know it's mean to say that I don't like someone so I don't simply say things like that. Mummy says it's rude to judge people so I try my best not to do that but sometimes I can't help it like now because I don't think it was right for our Professor to do what he did, and I think he's a mean person... But I don't know. Is that judging? Or is it just saying what I think? I'm not sure." There was a pause as she contemplated this, only to give a light shrug later. "I'll write to mummy tonight and ask her."

As she said this, her hair once again began their wild changes, mostly because she was recalling what happened during class and it brought up the strong emotions once again. While she could feel the rapid changes taking place, she was quite honestly powerless to stop it, not until she had calmed down. When that would happen, however, was uncertain. Brooke was honestly feeling the most angry she had ever felt in her entire 11 years of living.

The asking for her name came shortly after, and she flushed a little, realizing that she should have started with that. "I'm sorry. I was rude by not telling you my name. I'm Brooke Walters, Headmaster. I'm a first year Gryffindor, and I'm eleven this year," she said, all in one breath. There was nothing to distract her, thank Merlin, and she left it at that instead of going into another rant.

Pausing for a few moments, she then added, "What do you mean by 'alligators'?" In all her innocence, she had misheard Daniel. Not that it would have mattered, for she truly did not know what 'allegations' were, which may explain why she thought 'alligators' made the most sense - even if that meant not a lot. Head still slightly tilted - as it usually was when she was thinking deeply about something - she continued, "Those are a type of muggle animal, right? Like a small crocodile. What do they have to do with this? Or is there another meaning to alligators that I don't know? I mean, there are lots of words with a lot of different meanings and it's sometimes so hard to know what they all are."

With a bright smile, she waited for an answer.

Guest

The kid before him was quite something, if he was perfectly honest. The way she bounced from point to point in what seemed like a never ending torrent of words. The man stayed quiet as she spoke, processing what was relevant, and letting the rest just go over the top of his head because he wasn't going to engage in idle chatter. Not really Daniel's style, that one.

But the most important part was that this didn't seem to be a petty grudge with the professor, which was always promising in Daniel's eyes, he didn't want to have to deal with such things, that was for sure.

The information in respect of who the witch was made the man nod, silently summoning her file to come and land neatly on the desk between them. He doubted there would be much in there of use to him, but he would have it on hand anyway, just in case.

His lips touched at a faint smile when the witch asked what alligators were. A smile, and a grimace in one movement, really. "Allegations." Daniel corrected, his tone not malicious or degrading, just showing the witch her mistake. "What you are accusing a professor of. I will need to know who you wish to speak to me about, and what happened. From the beginning." Daniel explained. "Try not to miss anything, it is an important matter. And please, take a breath between sentences." He told her, because that would make his life easier if she did that.

Guest

"Allegations... What you are accusing a professor of."

Her mouth opened slightly at that, and she let out a soft "ohhhhhh", now understanding what the Headmaster had meant. Nodding as he continued, she had the grace to flush just a little - except, as usual, instead of actually blushing, freckles simply appeared around the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, Sir, I know I can talk too fast at times," she said, making a deliberate effort to slow down. "If I start to go too fast, tell me, cos sometimes I don't realize it, especially when I get excited," she added with a bright smile. It wasn't anything that was out of the ordinary; often at home, her parents would have to stop her entirely and get her to repeat sentences. It was simply something she had grown used to.

Taking a deep breath and fiddling her thumbs together in an attempt to focus her thoughts, she began, "It's Professor Vane, sir. He teaches Charms. Well, I was late to class, because I had stopped to help another Professor with his books and I got a note and everything from him. When I came in, I saw that the others were doing the levitating charm, wingardium leviosa and that my friend Finley could not do it that well. He said to me before that he's not that good at magic, and I think that's perfectly fine because not everyone is good at everything, and it's not like he wasn't trying, because there was another girl there helping him." She paused, having picked up speed just a little during that last part, and took another few deep breaths.

"Then, the Professor tried to force Finley to do the spell, and he looked so scared. Finley, that is, not the Professor. And I told Professor Vane not to make Finley do something he didn't want to do because he really did look so scared and the Professor was being so rude and mean!" Stopping to breathe for a few seconds, she unconsciously brought her hand up to her throbbing arm.

Looking the Headmaster straight in the eyes, she continued. "And then one of the other students dropped her book on the Professor's head, but I don't think she meant to do it, because that's mean and I don't think Felix is mean. But Professor Vane got so angry and he shouted at us and then he grabbed my arm really hard and it's still hurting. He tried to make me do the spell again, but I was so scared cos he was holding me so hard, and then I left, because mummy always tells me to walk away if something is making me feel uncomfortable."

Tilting her head a little, she gave a tiny shrug. "That's what happened, Sir. I don't think I forgot anything."

Guest

Daniel didn't respond to the news of the witch only speaking quickly when she was excited. To him, it was a lack of control, not a burst of emotion, but he was much more cynical than most people, and the eleven year old most certainly didn't deserve such treatment.

The story of what happened - with a little too much detail in places - was one that pushed Daniel to a deeper silence, listening intently and never interrupting. He watched as the witch moved subconsciously to hold the arm which she claimed to have been held tightly. That seemed to fit, you didn't really do that unless you were a great actor or truly reliving the moment. Daniel gave her the benefit of the doubt that it would be the last one.

When the witch finished, Daniel allowed a few more moments of time to pass before he spoke, and when he did, it was careful, so not to put words in to the witch's mouth, or change the story in any manner. He could have delved in to the witch's mind to check it all to be true, but that was, supposedly, illegal.

"Whilst I don't condone children leaving classes, I can understand why you did." Daniel told the witch, in a manner trying to convey that she wasn't in trouble for being here in that moment. "And, I believe what you have said is true. However, I don't believe that I will get very far if I summon Professor Vane here in this moment to explain himself. Therefore, I'm going to ask what you think the best course of action would be." Daniel responded, because though it would ultimately be his decision as to what was done, he wanted all of his students to understand that this was their school as much as his.

"How would you deal with this, if you were in my situation?" He prompted, wondering what the witch would say. Because undoubtedly it would be on par with her parents suggestions, and Daniel wished to be ready to speak to the Walters too.

Guest

Condone? Oh what did that mean again? Condone.. Condone.. Oh! Accept! That's right. Does that mean I'm in trouble? Or does he mean I'm not in trouble because he 'understands'? Thoughts racing as usual, Brooke did her best to calm them down, still missing a sentence or so of what Daniel had said. Something about not calling the Professor down, right? she wondered, then decided to just not dwell on it and instead shift attention to the last part.

This.. was not what she expected. Part of her wanted to hide, tell the man that it was not her responsibility and to just do whatever he thought was right. But that part of her was tiny, almost insignificant, and was washed away almost at once by the overwhelming want of rising to the challenge. The Headmaster wanted her opinion, and that was something new to her. It wasn't as though she wasn't used to responsibility, nor was she afraid, but rather, she had simply not thought of it.

Before she could help herself, she muttered, "Oooo, good question..." but then fell silent as she actually began to process it. A few moments passed as Brooke tried to figure out what to say. What would she have happen to Professor Vane? She didn't want him to lose his job or anything like that, and it didn't take more than a minute for her conscience to supply the answer. With a tiny smile, and innocence as plain as day, she said, "I think he should be told why what he did was wrong and then he should promise never to be mean or to bully again. And if he does it again then.. I don't know. I'd make sure he didn't do it again. But I don't know how to do that cos he's a teacher and I'm a student, not Headmaster, so I don't think he would listen to me."

Smiling a little, Brooke felt the random hair changes stop, and for a moment, wondered what colour they were. But before she could think to check, her mind had brought up something that the Headmaster had said earlier, about leaving class and not accepting (only now she knew how to use the word condone as well) it. So, despite it having been quite a few minutes ago, she leaned forward and earnestly said, "And I'm so sorry for leaving class, Sir. I know it was wrong of me and I didn't mean to skip class, but he was scaring me and I had to leave cos I was being hurt and I was scared. I don't think it will happen again unless someone else tries to hurt me, because mummy always said to leave if I felt that something bad was happening and I was being hurt."

Guest

"Oooo, good question..."

Daniel had to do his best not to allow a small smile in that moment as the witch spoke of asking her a good question. It wasn't a good question, it was a necessary one in Daniel's mind, but he understood what the witch was trying to get at in that moment.

The answer, however, was possibly not quite the one that Daniel had been expecting to come from the witch, if he was honest. He'd expected her to ask for the man's job to be taken away, or for something more serious, but it seemed she just wanted him to be told where he'd gone wrong in the hope he wouldn't do it again. Children, it seemed, were much more innocent than was safe at this age. "I can most certainly do that, Brooke." Daniel told the witch, giving a small nod. "I will speak with Professor Vane and make sure everything gets sorted." He continued, though he had a little bit of thinking to do before he settled on what he would be doing.

The apology was waved away though. "I get the feeling you only do what you believe is right. So, you're not in trouble." Daniel explained, trying to settle the witch's nerves. "I am going to write to your parents however, to explain what happened in the class today, and how I will be dealing with it. And, explain that you are not in trouble." He added the last, because he wasn't in the mood for fear to be inflicted on the witch with the threat of trouble from home.

"If that is all, you may go now." Daniel concluded, motioning to the door.

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