Behind the Staffroom Door

Chief Warlock

Story Summary:
Over 100 years before the Canon: Same Hogwarts. Different teachers. In J K Rowling's canon we only really see Hogwarts from the point of view of the students, glimpses into the lives of the staff are rare and tantalising. Behind the Staffroom Door is a story set some hundred years before the main action of the canon. Its main character is DADA teacher, Peregrine Proudfoot and how he deals with running the school for a very ill Headmaster and handling staffroom politics.

Chapter 01 - Behind the Staffroom Door

Chapter Summary:
Over 100 years before the Canon: Same Hogwarts. Different Teachers. In J K Rowling's canon we only really see Hogwarts from the point of view of the students, glimpses into the lives of the staff are rare and tantalising. Behind the Staffroom Door is a story set some hundred years before the main action of the canon. Its main character is DADA teacher, Peregrine Proudfoot and how he deals with running the school for a very unwell Headmaster and handling Staffroom politics.
Posted:
05/21/2008
Hits:
185
Author's Note:
Many thanks to my beta, Buzzcock, who was entirely dispensible as SwissMiss showed. Grateful thanks and a thousand apologies to her.


One

The last day of the summer holidays had passed as quickly as ever and Professor Peregrine Proudfoot, Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sat in his office trying to work out the dates for the Hogsmeade weekends for the coming year. It was a couple of hours before the students were due to arrive on the new Hogwarts Express. Peregrine ran through the mental list of things he still had to do before the beginning of term feast. The long list he had made at the beginning of the day was now considerably shorter.

Once he had finished the dates for Hogsmeade he had only to pick up the Sorting Hat from the Headmaster's Office before the Feast. Peregrine had the feeling that this year was going to be even busier than the last. Of course the Deputy Headmaster had more responsibilities than other members of staff, he was used to that. But he seemed to be picking up more and more of the duties of the ancient and ailing Headmaster.

For example it was accepted at Hogwarts that the Headmaster would listen to the advice of the rest of the staff regarding the appointment of new prefects, and of course the Head boy and Head girl. However, this year the old Headmaster Professor Tithonus Smethwyck had more or less left the decision to Peregrine and the rest of the staff. Smethwyck seemed to be losing touch with what was going on in the school; he was no longer able to make quick and effective decisions. Admittedly the Headmaster had been very ill over the summer but he had seemed to have more or less recovered in time for the new year. Some of the staff wished he would retire, saying that the Headmaster wasn't able to handle the running of his school anymore and that his continued presence was making it awkward for the staff to fulfil the duties. But it wasn't unusual for the Headmasters and Headmistresses to continue running the school up to the death.

Peregrine didn't feel strongly that Smethwyck should stand down but he was sure that the Headmaster's persistent refusal to even contemplate leaving the school was starting to cause ructions on the staff. Professor Featherthorne, the now departed Charms teacher and Head of Ravenclaw, had been very outspoken on the subject of Smethwyck's retirement. He had even mentioned once or twice petitioning to the Governors for Smethwyck's removal, saying, not always privately, that the doddery Headmaster was senile and useless. This had caused a huge rift in the Staffroom which had resulted in Featherthorne threatening to leave if Smethwyck didn't retire by the end of the year. Smethwyck hadn't and Featherthorne had duly left. However, there were still staff who thought that Smethwyck should have been the one to go. Featherthorne's departure seemed to have suppressed those other members of staff who had issues with the Headmaster's continued presence. Any disagreement had been carefully masked from the students and indeed the Headmaster. No one could say that the Hogwarts staff weren't professional.

The students regarded the Headmaster with humoured devotion and he, in return, looked on them like an omnibenevolent grandfather. Which, Peregrine had to admit, was not always good for discipline. But Peregrine didn't think that Smethwyck was senile, a little forgetful at times and doddery but not senile.

All in all, Peregrine reflected, he was glad that he didn't have the position of Head of Ravenclaw on top of all his other responsibilities. This reminded him that he still hadn't seen Lyra Wytham, the new Charms teacher, who had arrived at the Castle earlier that day. He hadn't actually met her in person since her interview in the first few weeks of the summer. They had corresponded by owls several times; the first time to notify her that she had got the job. Peregrine remembered that Lyra - Professor Wytham - had been the first candidate interviewed by the panel of Hogwarts senior staff: Professor Smethwyck, Clove, Danvers, Dippet and himself. After they had interviewed the vivacious, pretty and extremely intelligent witch they had all felt that she was the clear choice and the rest of the interviews had been mere formality.

The other couple of owls had been organising her contract and when she would be coming to Hogwarts. This really should have been the Headmaster's field but as he had been in St. Mungo's for most of the holidays the job had fallen to Peregrine. He had arranged for kind Melissa Oddendale to help Professor Wytham move in and generally show her the ropes in her first few weeks of the term. Professor Oddendale had also agreed to help the new Charms teacher with her responsibilities as Head of Ravenclaw.

The handsome clock on the mantelpiece tinkled out the hour: six o'clock. Peregrine bent his mind to finish off organising the list of Hogsmeade weekends; he would be able to greet Professor Wytham at the Feast. As for now he needed to get on with this tedious bit of timetabling. He dipped his quill into an inkbottle and moved his eyes down the list of weekends already taken up with school events such as Quidditch matches. And there were, of course, some dates when it was traditional for the older students to visit the village, such as Halloween and Valentine's Day. Peregrine started to write.

It did not take long to finish off this particular conundrum and Peregrine reckoned he had time to finish planning his lessons for the next day. He had been proud of the results from last years OWLs and NEWTs, and wanted to build on those successes. He was pleased with the number of students who were continuing Defence Against the Dark Arts from OWL level into the NEWTs. On top of that there was one Gryffindor boy in his last year who was aiming for the Auror Office.

After twenty minutes or so, Peregrine laid the down his long quill and glanced at the clock, it was half past six. The Express would just be pulling into the Hogsmeade. He stood up, stretched and gazed for a moment out of the mullioned window over the dark grounds. He pulled his dress robes off the back of the chair and heaved the stiff gown over his shoulders. After dimming the lamps with a wave of his wand he walked over to the door, doubling back to pick up the sheaf of parchment detailing the names of all the new students who were to be sorted after the feast.

Peregrine left his office, locking the door with a double tap with his wand. He walked quietly through the empty corridors enjoying the last moments of peace before they were filled with chattering students, ready for a new year. He climbed several staircases to the seventh floor and the Headmaster's Office. Peregrine gave the password to the gargoyle and mounted the moving staircase. When he reached the top he rapped hard on the studded door - Smethwyck was rather hard of hearing. Peregrine waited but there was no reply, even when he knocked again, harder. He pushed the door open to find that the portrait-lined office was unoccupied apart from the snoozing headteachers of the past. Professor Smethwyck must already have gone down. Peregrine crossed swiftly to the large desk to see if the Headmaster had remembered to take the Sorting Hat with him. But the old Hat was still sitting on the cluttered desk. Peregrine picked it up carefully and the mouth formed by a rip on the hat's rim opened as it spoke.

"I called after him you know but he didn't hear me," complained the Hat warmly. "Many to Sort this year?" it asked. Peregrine smiled at the Hat's professional curiosity.

"Yes, slightly above average. But that should make up for last year's slightly lower intake," Peregrine said. They continued their conversation as Peregrine carried the Hat down through the school to the Great Hall.

The ceiling reflected the moonlit clouds of the sky outside. The silvery light cast glittering reflections on the golden plates and cutlery that was laid out on the five long tables in the Hall. There was not a fork out of place on the great parade that was house-elves' pride and joy. Peregrine placed the Hat gently on a three-legged stool in front of the high table.

His last job before the students' return complete, he left the Great Hall and crossed the Entrance Hall to the Staff Room to greet his colleagues before the term started. Upon entering the long, panelled room he was met by Amando Dippet and Balthazar Toris. Amando taught Herbology and was the Head of Hufflepuff, he was a good-natured wizard who was well-liked by staff and pupils alike. Balthazar taught Arithmancy and was renowned among the staff for not saying a great deal but always being humorous and to the point.

"Peregrine, I was just saying to Balthazar that the train appears to have got through. Incredible Muggle technology!" remarked Armando happily.

"Yes, well, it does have some magical help, as you well know, Armando," replied Peregrine genially.

"And just as well," said Balthazar in his thick Turkish accent, "otherwise the students would never get here. And wouldn't that be terrible?" They laughed amusedly. Peregrine glanced around. He couldn't see the Headmaster. However, he did spot Lyra Wytham talking animatedly to the fair-haired Professor Jute, the Ancient Runes mistress, and Mr Creighton, the Librarian. As Peregrine detached himself from Amando and Balthazar to go and welcome her properly, Mr Bolingbroke came beetling in to announce to the assembled teachers that the first of the carriages carrying the students were drawing up outside the castle.

The staff began to process through to the Great Hall and their places at the high table. Peregrine hurried out into the Entrance Hall to supervise the students' transit from the carriages to their house tables. Many were in high spirits after the long journey, excited to be catching up with their friends after the long, lazy holidays. By the time all the school, apart from the first-years, were seated in the Hall, Peregrine had already spoken to sternly to more than a few of the pupils.

Peregrine shivered slightly in the draughty Entrance Hall as he waited for the newest pupils of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He tugged his pocket watch from his robes and snapped it open: they weren't late yet. Almost immediately after he stuffed the heavy watch back into his pocket he spotted the Morgana Peakes and her charges coming up the path from the Lake. Peregrine smiled almost imperceptibly as he consider the anxious looking group gathered around the cheerful Gamekeeper.

"Good evening, Professor," said Morgana bouncily. "Here are the first years. We've had rather a chilly voyage across the Lake but I think we are all in one piece!" She beamed down at the damp and cold huddle of miserable-looking pupils, shutting Hogwarts' huge doors as the last first years crossed the threshold.

"Thank you Madam Peakes. Do go on through to the Feast. I will take them from here," Peregrine said wryly.

"Righto ho. See you in a bit," she said before marching off through the double doorway to the Great Hall. Peregrine surveyed the first years, who looked even more nervous at the loss of the one person with whom they were even the slightest bit familiar. They would be quite well after a few days, Peregrine knew, and the Sorting was a key part of settling in.

"Good evening. I am Professor Proudfoot and I am the Deputy Headmaster here at Hogwarts. Please follow me and make sure you keep up." Peregrine turned on his heel and led the little crowd across the Entrance Hall into a small chamber; the first years followed closely, clearly desperate to ensure they were not left behind. Once inside the chamber Peregrine explained the House system and its importance to the new students. When he had finished the first years shuffled uneasily. "Now wait here while I see if the rest of the school is ready to meet you."

Peregrine slid through the narrow door into the Great Hall, his eyes scanning the high table to make sure the Headmaster was in his ornate seat. Peregrine breathed a sigh of relief. Professor Smethwyck was sitting at the middle of the table looking as old and unwell as ever but contented by the return of all the students. The rest of the staff were all present, some talking to their neighbours, others just waiting with varying degrees of patience for the Sorting to begin while one or two scanned the Hall for any signs of over-exuberance among the students. Peregrine ducked back into the anteroom to collect the murmuring and now terrified-looking first years.

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to commence. Please form a line." One girl looked close to tears. "There is nothing to worry about," Peregrine told them not unkindly as he threw the narrow door as wide as it would go. "Through you go."

As the first years filed into the Great Hall past Peregrine, the rest of the school fell silent. Peregrine directed the new students along the dais in front of the High Table. When they were all in place he turned his eyes to the Sorting Hat. The rest of the school were also looking at it expectantly. Only the first years' attention was elsewhere as they shot suspicious glances all around the Hall. But as soon as the Hat started its song their attention was, too, to riveted to the old pile of patchwork sitting on the stool.

When the Hat had finished its song and the school's rapturous applause had subsided Peregrine pulled out the roll of parchment and unrolled it.

"When I call out your name sit on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on your head," he told the first years. "Alderton, Albert." A solemn-looking, baby-faced boy stepped cautiously forward and put the hat on his head warily. It slipped down over his eyes and after about ten seconds it called out:

"Hufflepuff!" The boy wrenched the hat off went to seat at the cheering table on the right, looking relieved. Peregrine called out the next name on the list.

"Bradley, Geraldine." A lanky, pig-tailed girl shuffled over to the stool and perched the Hat on her head. Almost immediately the Hat announced her to be the newest denizen to the Tower of Ravenclaw. Peregrine had always found the Sorting Hat fascinating, sometimes it made its decision instantaneously whilst with some it took a little while. A tall, auburn-haired boy called Albus Dumbledore sat on the stool for nearly two minutes while the rest of the school fidgeted hungrily before eventually the Hat pronounced him to be in Gryffindor. The boy walked over to join his new house-mates with a pensive look on his face, Peregrine knew the rest of his family had been in Slytherin. An intriguing decision.

When the last student to be sorted (Yaxley, Pandora) had been sorted in to Slytherin, Peregrine picked up the Hat and vanished the stool. The food appeared on the tables and the school began to eat ravenously. Peregrine gave the Hat to Mr Bolingbroke, the Caretaker, and took the remaining place at the High Table, with Gail Clove, who was the Head of Slytherin, on his left and Melissa Oddendale on his right.

The food was a splendid as ever and over the first course his attention was dominated by Melissa, talking nineteen to the dozen about her holidays. She related a long saga of an awful voyage to Tunisia aboard a ship which was carrying figwort and whose only other passengers were a money-lending goblin, a warlock obsessed with Quidditch and a very elderly witch who had managed to convince herself that she had contracted Yellow Fever. This drew Riccardo Danvers, the Transfiguration teacher who was sitting on Melissa's other side, into a conversation about Tropical Magical diseases and their best cures. Finally Professor Smethwyck staggered frailly to his feet to welcome the school to the new year.

"How very pleased I am to see you all. I hope a very relaxing holiday was had by all," he said, smiling feebly around the Hall. "Now on to some notices." His eyes flicked down to the table where Peregrine could see a scrap of parchment with the Headmaster's shaky handwriting on it. Peregrine could remember a time when Professor Smethwyck used to speak without any notes at all. But now the old man had written everything down, fearful he would forget something.

"Firstly, I am delighted to welcome Professor Wytham who is our new Charms Mistress and the Head of Ravenclaw." The students applauded politely and Peregrine looked down the table to see Professor Wytham smiling embarrassedly. "Welcome indeed. And welcome also to our new students in the first year. May I remind you all that the Forest is out of bounds to those not in the Sixth or above? But I would beg you all to remember that the Forbidden Forest does not have its reputation for nothing..." If Ignatius had not watching the Headmaster and not being sitting so close he would not have noticed the look of panic that flashed in Smethwyck's eyes as a ghost of a spasm rippled over the his fragile frame. He did, however, remain standing. Curtailing the rest of his speech he dismissed the school quickly and with deliberate calm before slumping back into his chair.

Clearly the students hadn't noticed a thing. Indeed the staff seemed oblivious, apart from Peregrine and Gail Clove. As everyone else left the Hall Gail concernedly asked the Headmaster whether he was feeling quite well.

"Yes, yes. I am quite well," he replied with more snap in his voice than he clearly intended.

"Are you sure?" Gail asked interrogatorily.

"Absolutely," Smethwyck said archly as stood up and limped out with the aid of an intricately carved walking stick. His robes hung loosely on his shrunken frame. Gail and Peregrine were left alone sitting at the table as the last of the students headed off to their dormitories. They exchanged significant looks.

"You had better not tell Riccardo," Gail said grimly. They both knew that Riccardo Danvers had been a supporter of Featherthorne and might be looking for proof that Smethwyck was no longer up to the job. Peregrine sniffed irritably.

"As if I would do that," he paused. "But there might come a time when he will have to go, Gail," he said chidingly. She got to her feet.

"You're right, I suppose. But I do so hate the idea of the Headmaster of Hogwarts being pushed out by an ambitious Gryffindor. It's my lot that are meant to be ambitious. We both know he wants your job if you are made Headmaster. And he will probably get it too," she added resignedly. Peregrine rose from his seat and as they walked down the length of the Hall he asked "Why don't you go for the job?" Gail smiled her wrinkly smile.

"I think that was a door closed to me years ago. But maybe I will, just to spite Professor Riccardo Danvers. It really is disgraceful - trying to bring the Headmaster down like that." They had reached the Entrance Hall. "Nightcap?" Gail asked. Gail and Peregrine were very much alike in character and had a strong friendship. Peregrine knew that he would miss her support and advice when she retired.

"Well, just a quick one," Peregrine said. In Gail's rooms they sat nursing double Firewhiskies beside a raging fire which Gail said was necessary throughout the winter when one was in the dungeons. Over the second glass, she told him about a conversation she had overheard early that day between Danvers and Jemima Jute. Peregrine had smirked at the idea that Gail had just happened to hear accidentally. Danvers had been saying that the only way to get Smethwyck to retire was to prove he was too unwell to run the school. "That won't be too difficult to do if he is as ill as he was last year," Peregrine commented. They agreed that it was going to be a difficult year.

Later that night, back in his rooms, Peregrine reflected on what Gail had told him. It confirmed what he had thought. There, undoubtedly, existed a clique in the staff who wanted Smethwyck out. Peregrine fretted that he might be taking the wrong side on the issue that was dividing the Staffroom. Maybe Tithonus should retire or be forced too. It would be fair to say that his continued occupation of the Headmaster's Office was seriously affecting the unity of the staff and all those absences were making running of the school difficult.

Most of the staff, like Peregrine and Gail, were for letting Smethwyck go in his own time. But that didn't alter the fact there were still those who thought he should have left sometime ago. Hogwarts had already lost one member of staff over the issue. Riccardo certainly led the little group and apart from him the rest weren't very senior: Professors Jute and MacGregor, the Librarian, Mr Creighton, and the Caretaker, Bolingbroke. Peregrine counted them off, he didn't think that there were really any more than that. Then he remembered Lyra Wytham. She seemed to be getting on very well with Jute and Creighton before the feast. Who had she sat with at the feast? Peregrine could not remember. He wondered whether she would soon be joining the little group of dissenters.

But maybe they were doing what was best for Hogwarts. It was a very difficult position for all the staff, particularly, Peregrine thought, himself. If he joined Danvers and tried to displace Smethwyck, people would say he was ambitious and self-promoting. But if he stayed where he was he could be criticised for standing in the way of what was best for the school. But Peregrine knew, for the moment at least, he was going to continue to back the Headmaster completely. No negative impact was felt by the students yet, he was able to pick up the slack. As well as this, Peregrine felt a loyalty to Smethwyck and wanted to stand by him.

There could be no doubt that a difficult year lay ahead thought Peregrine as he pulled the blankets of his four-poster up to his chin and surrender himself to sleep and a world of troubled dreams.

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