The Office of Deputy Headmistress & Professor Phoebe Clarke
A warm and cozy office located at the base of the ladder up to the Astronomy Tower, Phoebe's office has a fairly open-door policy. She's always up for chatting with students, provided she's not currently teaching class or in a meeting. Feel free to stop by for a spot of tea and biscuits!
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2024 9:59 pm
xx✮Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Going to Professor Clarke's office xxx✮Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?No one xxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Panicking xxxxx✮Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Nervous: Where's Seb?!?
Before dinner, Declan and Seb had made plans to meet in the library for some reading time and Declan had picked out a great book to start with her best friend. She'd arrived at the library early, like usual, to chat with Ms Tamra and then set up their cozy little nook. The blonde had also brought a couple baked treats to share with her best friend. But Seb never showed. Declan watched her watch as the time ticked by; sometimes Seb was late, that was okay... But as dinner time rolled around, it was clear that Seb had totally forgotten. Well, that did happen from time to time. Declan wasn't mad; she'd just tuck the biscuits away and share them with Seb after dinner instead. Leaving the library, Declan had bid farewell to Ms Tamra and headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. She stood near the entrance to look around and see if she could spot Seb. He had a shocking bright red hairdo now so he should be easy to spot... Looking around, she'd not been able to spot him so Declan had sat at Gryffindor Table, that's where Seb usually defaulted to. The blonde sat at the table and waited for Seb to arrive, but he hadn't shown up yet. It wasn't like him to miss a meal. Declan had asked a few Gryffindors if they'd seen Seb, but none had seen him. Now Declan was starting to get worried.
Well, maybe he'd fallen on the stairs or something and he was in the Hospital Wing. Her best friend was chronically clumsy, after all. Declan left the Great Hall and trekked up to the Hospital Wing to see Ms Marni and ask her if Seb had landed in her domain. However, Ms Marni said she hadn't seen him all day either. So Seb missed their meeting, missed dinner, and he wasn't in the Hospital Wing either? Now she was getting really worried. With a huff, Declan walked all the way up to the Gryffindor common room. Since she knew it was against the rules, Declan stayed outside of the common room despite knowing the password. She did stop a Gryffindor boy though to have him go check if Seb had fallen asleep. It didn't happen very often, but sometimes Sebby took a nap and that boy could sleep if you let him. Maybe... just maybe... he'd taken a nap and slept through his alarms. That's what Declan was hoping for, at least. But the boy returned with the news that Seb's bed was empty and he wasn't in the common room either. Declan's heart dropped and she began to nervously chew on her nails. The blonde thanked her assistant and went to explore the places they liked to hang out, hoping he might be somewhere there.
As it started getting dark outside, Declan's worry increased tenfold. What if he was wandering outside? He was part of that wanderlust club and they often did things like that. Heck, Vikram had gotten caught climbing the towers several times... Declan walked back to the Gryffindor tower and this time didn't care about the rules. She provided the password to the Fat Lady, then checked the common room for Seb again. No one had seen him. Olivia told Declan that she'd seen Seb leave after lunch and that was the last time she'd seen him. Departing from the Gryffindor common room, Declan headed to Professor Clarke's office. The Deputy Headmistress was a very nice woman and they shared a love of the night skies, so she would undoubtedly help. The blonde speed walked to the office, still nervously chewing on her finger nails, having already bitten off too much from one nail and causing a little blood to emerge. When she arrived at the office, the door was closed and Declan began to rapidly knock. Then she tried the handle and found out it was unlocked. Opening the door, Declan stepped into the office. "Professor Clarke? I... I need your help. Seb is missing somewhere and I can't find him. I've been all over the castle and he's nowhere to be found. No one's seen him since lunch time and he missed dinner. He's not in his room and I'm panicking." She was rambling out her words, speaking faster and louder than she normally did. Her eyes were a dark, stormy blue and her cheeks were flushed from running all over the school. She huffed a heavy sigh after speaking, hoping that the Deputy Headmistress would listen to her.
xx❈ Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴍ I?My Office xxx❈ Wʜᴏ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?Declan McNamara xxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ's ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ?Assisting a Student in Need xxxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs?Well, I was hoping for a distraction...
Spring Break meant a week off of classes for the kids, but as with most professors, Phoebe spent much of the "extra" time catching up on grading. She'd also been working with the Hufflepuff OWL and NEWT students for career planning and such throughout the week. She also had a stack of letters set up for incoming witches and wizards waiting for the Deputy Headmistress to sign off. Some had to be sent out earlier, given to the Governors to handle... it was all quite a bit.
That night, since it was raining quite hard, she'd opted to stay in her office, rather than the more open space of the Astronomy Tower. Apparently, she'd made the right call when her door was knocked rather urgently upon. Before she could offer a "come in", the nervous knocker stepped in, quickly explaining a situation. Declan McNamara spoke on her friend, Sebastian Moon, being missing. From everything Phoebe knew of the boy, he had a tendency to be rather.... flighty sometimes. Of course, the Marni thought the boy had ADHD and possibly Autism in his corner, but honestly, he could just be forgetful. It happened to the best!
When Declan was done, Phoebe gestured at one of the cushioned chairs across from her desk. "There there, Declan. I'm sure he's around somewhere and safe. Though I appreciate you bringing this to me. We'll be sure to find him. Now, you mentioned having looked all over. Care to provide more detail? I can have professors or prefects help keep an eye out for him. Though, with this rain, I'm sure he's inside somewhere. It is chilly outside!" She sent over a calm smile, sliding over a tin of biscuits. "Other than that, do you know the last place he was spotted? Perhaps he got caught up in an activity there, or even a club meeting? He does participate in several fun activities."
Hopefully with some kind - and calm probing, they could figure out where the boy went, but otherwise, the Professors had methods to look for missing students in place. It certainly wasn't the first time they'd seen one wander off and get lost, usually in the dungeons. She did, however, subtly glance at the calendar on the clock, but her face remained soft. No way was he outside in this rain, right? Sebastian was far from stupid, and it was coming down out there. As long as he was safely inside, all would be well.
{{OoC: This is part of an existing & approved plot request!}}
Declan didn't even look to the proffered chair nor the tin of biscuits when Professor Clarke offered, instead opting to pace in her office. She said the expected thing all adults say when someone younger expresses concern for a fellow student. "I'm sure he's fine" or "you're just overreacting". But she wasn't! "You don't understand, Professor Clarke. I've been literally all over the castle. He's not here." Tears started to well in the blonde's eyes and she put her finger back in her mouth to stress bite at the nail again. "No one's seen him... in like hours. And I know Sebby. He wouldn't miss dinner." Her pacing was starting to pick up speed and the blonde bit her nail again, making a second finger start to bleed a little. "I've been to the Gryffindor common room and he's not there. Not in the library or the Great Hall either. I even trotted down to the kitchen but none of the house elves saw him. Liv said she saw him heading outside around lunch time but that was the last time she saw him. The last time anyone saw him." A sob racked her tiny body and she finally stopped pacing, dropping down into a chair. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Something really bad has to have happened..." she said in barely more than a mumble.
xx❈ Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴍ I?My Office xxx❈ Wʜᴏ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?Declan McNamara xxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ's ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ?Assisting a Student in Need xxxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs?No problem, I'll reach out...
Of course she didn't understand, professors never seemed to, did they? Phoebe watched the girl track back and forth across the office, saying she'd been all over the school. Though, the thought that he hadn't been seen in hours was a bit worrisome. Sebastian Moon seemed to be a very.... social kid, who often relayed much of his time to his friends. Perhaps something indeed was amiss. When she noticed Declan's finger bleeding, the woman stood and stepped over, gently taking her hand as the blonde spoke again. A quick healing spell set the teen's fingers to right, but Phoebe knew that a job needed to be done.
"Okay, well, we know he's got to still be here somewhere, Declan. Perhaps he was outside and got caught in the rain? It is very possible he ducked into one of the Greenhouses or perhaps one of the other professors' offices that are outside. Either way, we will find him safe and sound." The girl sat on one of the chairs and curled up, so Phoebe gently pat her shoulder as she worked out a plan.
If they were worried he was outside, it'd be easy to contact either Azalea or Obadiah to see if he was with them or in the greenhouses. Otherwise, she had to hope he was safely in the castle somewhere, especially given the specific day out. The clouds obscured the moon, but that didn't mean she wasn't there. "Why don't you head to your Common Room for the night. I'll make sure you're notified when he's located." Declan had always been a gentle and obedient student, so Phoebe had no doubt today would be the same. She'd make sure one of the Ravenclaw prefects kept eyes on her through the evening, though, just in case...
{{OoC: This is part of an existing & approved plot request!}}
The blonde teen's thoughts were racing a mile a minute and she was struggling to think clearly. Seb had always liked to wander and since no one had seen him return to the castle, it clearly meant that he was still outside. He didn't care too much about the rain, Declan often had to tell him to wear a jacket or carry an umbrella when he went out into the rain. So the rain wouldn't have stopped him, and it didn't get bad until recently so... he was probably still out there. And her answer about the greenhouses didn't satisfy Declan either. Her mind was racing about all the bad things that could have happened. What if he was walking outside and fell into the lake? She remembered that Seb didn't swim that well. Or, what if he wandered into the forest and fell there? Oh god, what if he fell down a hill?! Declan wiped her eyes and tried to calm down the sobs. "We have to find him. I can't just go back to my common room! We have to find him!" Declan leapt up from the chair and turned to Professor Clarke. "Why aren't we out there looking for him?!" she yelled. Declan's voice had never been this volume before. She'd never yelled at anyone before, much less an adult and even less someone of authority. The blonde stamped her foot and said, "I'm not just going to sit around waiting! I have to find Sebby!" With a huff, Declan started towards the door, intending to go out onto the grounds to look for him. She'd even grab a broom and fly around if she had to. Anything to find her Sebby.
xx❈ Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴍ I?My Office xxx❈ Wʜᴏ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?Declan McNamara xxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ's ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ?Assisting a Student in Need xxxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs?No problem, I'll reach out...
Phoebe watched the teen with a soft expression that quickly turned to startled as she practically shouted. Immediately, it seemed to be accusing, earning a stern look from the professor. "We will find him. Of that I am confident. And to answer your question, the reason we're not out now is because you've just informed me. However, I will get word out. You need to calm down. We are more than capable of locating a student." Her tone still held the calm of her usual voice, however, there was an unmistakable hint of frustration.
Phoebe lifted her wand from her desk, doing up an intricate dance before a silvery swirl left in the form of the ever-hideous anglerfish swimming down the hallway. She'd get word to the Hospital Wing staff (this was Sebastian Moon, after all), who could start the search. Normally, she would walk down there, but if Ms McNamara was going to refuse to go to her Common Room, it'd make things more difficult. When Declan attempted to leave, Phoebe locked down the door. "The only place you will be going is to your Common Room, Ms McNamara. Otherwise, you and I can sit right here while I set up the search. I can not allow you to go wandering around outside in this weather." Normally, she'd have had a lot stronger words, however, this case could be forgiven, considering the circumstance. And hopefully Marni would be here soon enough. Phoebe could always step into the hallway if Declan was still opting to be stubborn.
{{OoC: This is part of an existing & approved plot request!}}
Her emotions were swirling around her and making the teen feel very unstable, alternating between worry and anger. Yeah, she just told Professor Clarke about the problem, but standing around and doing nothing wasn't helping the problem. Declan rolled her eyes at Professor Clarke's dismissal, then said, "I can't just sit around doing nothing. I'm not going to do that." She tried to tug on the door, but it was locked. With a huff, Declan whirled around and said, "Let me out. I need to go find Seb. I need to do something." She stamped her foot again. Throwing a temper tantrum was way outside of Declan's normal behavior, but she wasn't thinking clearly right now. And she really just wanted to find Sebastian and make sure he was safe. This was more than finding her friend... she could feel in the pit of her stomach that something bad was happening and her feelings were just being dismissed. It made her angry. She wanted... no needed... to be doing something more. The blonde blinked away the tears that had come to her eyes, then fixed an angry, but determined look upon her face. Her normal bright blue eyes were deep storm clouds and she had them fixed directly on Professor Clarke. "Let me out," she repeated.
xx❈ Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴍ I?My Office xxx❈ Wʜᴏ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?Declan McNamara xxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ's ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ?Assisting a Student in Need xxxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs?Absolutely not
This was going to be a long night. Perhaps she could get one of the Prefects to directly walk Declan back to Ravenclaw's tower, but could they really prevent her from leaving? There were many possible ways to slip out, after all. She was about to suggest walking down alongside the girl when she spoke up, cementing her decision to go out and try to find her friend. With a deep inhale, Phoebe debated options. This was Declan McNamara, certified good student. Heck, she'd never even gotten close to trouble for any of the Professors! "No ma'am. I am not going to let you just go wandering outside. It's dark and raining. If Mister Moon is indeed outside, which we have not confirmed, then we will locate him. I will not allow another student to blindly charge outside and get lost as well."
It wasn't often the woman needed to use her stern voice, and especially with the non-troublemaking students, but she did have it when needed. She'd thought her biggest frustration was the elder Bhattacharyya boy climbing towers recklessly, but apparently not. When Declan demanded to be let out, Phoebe shook her head. "Detention, Ms McNamara. You are not to go out. You can either go back to your Common Room and wait there or you and I can stay here and prevent both of us from helping. But I will not abide by attitude." She stood a bit straighter, sending a look of finality toward the teen.
{{OoC: This is part of an existing & approved plot request!}}
Getting detention would have normally made her very upset because she was normally so well behaved, but it didn't do much to change her current mood. "I can't just go back to my room and pretend everything is okay," she said, but her voice was starting to waver. Her body racked with another sob and tears started to stream from her eyes. She sniffled and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her jumper. "He's out there. I... I don't know how to explain it, but I know he's out there and in danger." Declan sat down on the floor of the office and pulled her legs up to her chest. "How can you expect me to just... sit around and wait? I... I have to do something..." She started crying in earnest, hugging her legs to her chest. The blonde just knew in her gut that something bad was happening and she desperately wanted to go out and help look for Seb.
xx❈ Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴍ I?My Office xxx❈ Wʜᴏ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?Declan McNamara & Marni Kavanagh xxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ's ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ?Assisting a Student in Need xxxxx❈ Wʜᴀᴛ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs?Oh dear...
Even after doling out a detention, Declan was not to be deterred. She was shaking and crying, and Phoebe felt she may have gone a step too far. The woman set out a box of tissues near the teen, then sent out another patronus message. "Declan. Please listen to me. I understand you are concerned about Sebastian. I promise I am too. I've already alerted the professors and we are going to find him. This isn't a 'you versus me' matter. What I need here is for you to trust that I've got your best interest in mind when I ask you to return to your room." Despite having dealt with kids of all sorts of emotional needs, somehow this was one of those extra painful ones. Thankfully, right about then came a knock upon the door. Another flick of her wand undid all the locks, allowing Marni into the room.
Right away, the two adults exchanged a look, before Marni stepped over and gently brushed aside Declan's hair. "Hey, Declan. I know, we're having some big emotions, and it's totally fine. If it makes you feel better, we've got everyone out looking. We're going to find him and make sure he's safe and sound. I brought you something to help calm down. It'll help clear your head and make it a little easier to breathe, okay?" The healer offered a small vial of a brownish potion, one that Declan would likely recognize from healing class. Marni gently rubbed the girl's back, subtly sending a glance toward Phoebe. The elder woman nodded softly, having understood the message. It wasn't good news, one way or the other.
{{OoC: This is part of an existing & approved plot request!}}
Red rimmed blue eyes glanced up at Professor Clarke when she spoke, saying that she understood Declan's worry and that she wasn't against her here. The teen laid her head back down on her knees and kept crying, finally having exhausted the last of her energy. She was not very athletic and she had spent the whole evening running all over the school. Going up and down all the stairs to the Gryffindor common room was exhausting, but doing it twice in a short amount of time was even more tiring. When there was a knock on the door, Declan glances up to watch Ms Marni come into the office. She laid her head back down as the healer addressed her. Declan listened to her explain that everyone was out looking for him and that it was alright to be worried about Seb. She also held out a potion to Declan, which the blonde easily identified as a calming draught. She was exhausted but the teen knew she could relax until Seb was found... unless she took the offered potion. "Promise me you'll find him." With that, she tipped the vial into her mouth and handed it back to Ms Marni. Then she wiped her nose on her sleeve again before getting to her feet.
xx♡ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Phoebe Clarke's Office xxx♡ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Phoebe & Declan xxxx♡ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Helping Out xxxxx♡ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?It's going to be a very busy night
Marni had been in the loop about Sebastian for an hour or so already. Concerns had risen from the wife of one of the werewolves who spent moons in the Forbidden Forest that his potion may have been tampered with. That message was relayed by Azalea to Marni and Obadiah, one to watch out and prevent students from entering the forest, the other to make sure all the students were accounted for. When Azalea didn't return within a few moments, they immediately assumed the worst. That's when the healer got word from Deputy Headmistress Clarke about her guest. Of course the one outside was Sebastian Moon.
With a sigh, Marni alerted Morgan of the situation, then spoke to all the NEWT level students there to help. They were given the rest of the night off, advised they'd be fine for a day or so. Then Marni started up one of the million staircases in the school. Making it to the Astronomy Tower was half the battle. Though the only benefit to her showing up was that Declan had often spoken with Marni, so it seemed the girl trusted her a bit more. Once she'd (thankfully) agreed to take the potion, Marni spoke up. "I will personally make sure you know, okay?" She watched Declan, making sure the potion was actually taken. "Come on, sweet girl, I'll walk you to your Common Room so Professor Clarke can go help out, okay? As soon as I know anything, you'll know as well." She carefully pulled the girl to her feet, sending over a small look toward Phoebe before calmly guiding the teen out of the room. Behind her, Phoebe quickly started to grab her rain gear, just hoping Declan wouldn't notice.
