witch hat

[mswoods]

Well, the jig is up. If her House mates had any doubts about Sadde, they're gone.

...kinda. She's still young enough and androgynous enough that most of them think it's just a matter of changing her hair a bit and maybe some makeup and differently cut robes. It's not a belief that stands a whole lot of scrutiny, but given that most Slytherins give her a fairly wide berth, there's not actually been a whole lot of scrutiny.

She did find the Hufflepuff boy she spooked and tell him about it and offer to help him with his Potions homework. He was quite bewildered and suspicious because Slytherin so he didn't accept her help, but she told him to watch who she hangs out with so that he'd see she's Not Like Other Slytherins, and eventually he agreed, unable to see any way this could be a cunning plot. Which just goes to show that some people really couldn't be Slytherins.

Presently, it's Sunday, and Sadde would really like to talk to a certain Hat, which means she needs to talk to a certain Headmistress, and she suspects the most likely place she'll find her is the Head Table, at one of the meals. Breakfast is the first of those! Is McGonagall there?

Comments

[mswoods]

Sadde starts laughing as well.

[chanuphis]

"If I were nice to you just because even when I had reasons to do otherwise you wouldn't admire me so much, anyway."

[mswoods]

She shrugs. "Yeah, I can still complain about it, though, I'm curious. I don't even wanna do anything with the knowledge, but you're, like, dangling it in front of my eyes just out of my reach."

[chanuphis]

"Well, I can stop mentioning it and pretend I'm very boring, if you prefer."

[mswoods]

"You're mean," she pouts.

[chanuphis]

"I don't see that you're giving me much choice in the matter."

[mswoods]

"How am I not?" she asks indignantly.

[chanuphis]

"Well, the only way for you not to call me mean is if I do just what you want. Isn't that a little mean in itself?"

[mswoods]

"...fffffiiiiine. I guess you can keep your 'free will' and 'agency,'" she says, with air quotes.

[chanuphis]

"Thank you."

[mswoods]

"You're welcome!" she says brightly.

[chanuphis]

And that evening Miranda joins Sadde to visit McGonagall's office, Sadde having received a note at lunch that the password is currently "biscuit".

[mswoods]

"That's a cute password," Sadde comments to the Headmistress when she walks in.

[chanuphis]

"Thank you, Miss Woods. What was it you wanted to speak to me about?" says McGonagall.

[mswoods]

"Well, basically, I want to fix Slytherin's reputation and make it so the Hat doesn't just send all evil kids and kids who don't care anyway to the House. Cunning and ambition do not mean evil, and evidently neither do they mean hate for muggles," she says, gesturing at herself.

[chanuphis]

"A commendable cause, but how do you propose to do this?" says McGonagall.

[mswoods]

"I'm not totally sure yet!" she beams. "It's part of the reason I'm here. And she's here because she's super smart and has great ideas so she could help! Anyway, the first idea I had was something like bringing the firsties together, sorta? And trying to reverse some of the peer pressure for being evil and stupid that's going on with all the older years. I got one of the boys on my side already! His name's Jacob, and he pretends he doesn't like me so the older years won't pick on him too much. And there's only one other boy and two other girls this year, so it shouldn't be hard! And also we could try to influence the new kids who'll come in the future, you know, kinda be an opposite example? She suggested a buddy system," she points at Miranda.

"She also suggested better internal policing, and I'm not sure how I'd do that but your help and probably Slughorn's would be good. Prefects, maybe? And also the other very good idea she had was talking to the Hat, maybe it'd be able to help, or something."

[chanuphis]

"Well - I suppose there's no harm in letting you talk to the hat," says McGonagall. "Is there someone against whom disciplinary action is currently needed?"

[mswoods]

"Hm? Like whom?" she asks, having completely forgotten by now about the punch or the jinxes.

Well, more like the fact that those are things that might call for disciplinary action slipped her mind.

Until she remembers. "Oh! Er. Maybe?"

[chanuphis]

"Maybe?" says McGonagall.

"You might have to actually decide if you want Slytherin policed or not, Sadde," Miranda points out.

[mswoods]

She sighs. "Well, I mean, in theory I do, but like, it feels like the standard methods aren't actually working? Unless internal policing has been extremely lax these past few years, but Professor Slughorn doesn't look like- well, I mean, he's fun and boisterous and stuff, but he looks like the kind of person who takes serious things seriously?"

[chanuphis]

"Professor Slughorn was brought out of retirement a few years ago," McGonagall says. "Prior to that time the head of house was Professor Snape, who did not devote very much attention to such affairs. So there may be some lingering effects from that, although you are correct that Professor Slughorn takes a serious approach to serious matters."

[mswoods]

"Hm. In that case, there's this boy called Nyle Arens who jinxed me the other day, Professor Spukhafte might tell you about what happened, and he also punched me and flung me against a wall. This last part was in revenge, though, because I replaced all his underwear with girls' underwear, which I did because of the jinxing. So I guess both of us need disciplinary action?"

[chanuphis]

Professor McGonagall sighs. "One detention with Professor Slughorn for you, he will let you know when, and I will see about Mr. Arens separately."

[mswoods]

"Wouldn't it be funny if this was enough to make them get in line?" she giggles. "Anyway, can I talk to the hat? Or did the underwear thing cross some line?"