Talking Old Soldiers # 1 (McGriffin/Adamson)

At 5 o'clock, sitting in her office near the bottom of the Astronomy Tower, Quinn McGriffin perused a floating disk around a foot in diameter. On one side, this disk was a smooth, unblemished mirror. On her side, though, the disk looked more like a window in space. It displayed an image of a richly upholstered sofa, and her family's House Elf, Dergal, stood in front of that sofa with an elfin knapsack. His skin was pale green, with dark eyes like those of his mistress, only bigger, and tall triangular ears reminiscent of a cat. He was dressed in a fine brown tunic and matching trousers, both of which had the look of hand-stitched garments, and he was digging through the knapsack as Quinn listed off various items.

"Do you have the usual emergency pack? The dossier? The extra wand?" Quinn asked, not sharply. "Yes, mistress," was the reply. Dergal's voice was high like that of most elves, but he spoke in unbroken English. "I have also packed the sneakoscope and the miniature secrecy sensor... and some snacks."

His mistress nodded and said "Good man. I'll meet you outside the gates of Hogwarts." Dergal bowed slightly, a simple incline of the head, and disapparated with a small pop. Dergal could apparate into the castle itself, but that was poor etiquette and should only be done in emergencies. Quinn surveyed her own preparations, using the communications mirror as an actual mirror. She was dressed in her usual teaching outfit, with billowing sleeves to hide the wand sheath on her left forearm. That was her redwood wand, the original one she received from Ollivander when she was a child. At the moment she owned three wands, but only carried two regularly; the third was Dergal's (OOC: with Hermione as Head of the DMLE, wand restrictions might be relaxed? Will edit if necessary). Her spare wand, which she had taken from the corpse of a Death Eater she killed during the war, was hidden in her right trouser pocket, which was affected by an Undetectable Extension charm. Around her neck was her amulet, enchanted to the best of her ability to act as a passive shield ala the Weasley twins' fabulous Shield Hats/Gloves/etc. It would protect her for a time from mundane weapons on the order of small-calibre firearms, and from certain hexes cast by the weaker sort of fighting mage, but it was not something to rely on.

Was she likely to be attacked in Hogsmeade? Well, no, not likely at all on a normal day, but there was always a chance that an impostor would arrive at the Three Broomsticks wearing Professor Adamson's appearance, and she would have to be ready to flee or fight. She had her wands, her amulet, a hefty sack of gold in her extended trouser pocket, and her mirror, which she presently shrunk to compact size. Its chain still connected it to her belt loop, and she stuck it in her unenchanted left pocket. Dergal would be carrying the comprehensive emergency kit in case someone was injured, as well as the Dark Detectors. Since it was in Hogsmeade, she could disapparate out of the pub at a moment's notice, so she wasn't particularly worried. She exited the office, breaking down her privacy charms, and made sure it was clear where she was going and how she could be contacted:

The parchment was posted on her office door with a temporary Sticking Charm.

Below the notice, with its own Sticking Charm, was one of her extra communications mirrors. She still hadn't worked out exactly how to connect them all to each other without going through her master mirror, but she had around a dozen that were all connected to hers. One was Dergal's, one she had given to Mary some time ago due to her vampire ancestor's inability to cast a Patronus, and the others were awaiting new owners and new experimentation. This one had anti-theft charms, of course.

With that done, rather than head down towards the Entrance Hall Quinn purposefully strode up the spiral staircase to the very top of the old Astronomy Tower. With a flourish of her wand around her body, she became Disillusioned, and with a small effort of will she became a near-invisible owl. Though it was still day, and rather bright for her nocturnal eyes, one of her few true joys in life was soaring through the sky on silent wings, and she set off towards Hogsmeade and the gates at the edge of the grounds. Dergal was waiting dutifully up a tree near the gates, hidden from casual view. As she approached, she hooted in a specific pattern, and her House Elf replied with a pattern of his own. Well, there was someone who probably wasn't an impostor.

In one smooth motion, the owl grasped Dergal by the shoulders, and the two of them disapparated. The tiny alley behind the Hog's Head was her favorite destination for travel into Hogsmeade, out of the way and close to a friendly haven. Now standing on the ground, Dergal gingerly placed Quinn's owl form next to him, and in an instant she was human again. Without saying a single word, she tapped the little elf on the head with her wand and gave him his own Disillusionment. He seemed resigned, as if it were all quite routine. He took the sneakoscope and his elf-sized secrecy sensor out of his knapsack, and she Disillusioned them as well, in preparation for the meeting. She became an owl again, and they both left the alleyway to move toward the High Street. The Disillusionment was simply to keep from revealing where she preferred to enter the town, to ward off ambushes. A truly persistent assassin would see right through it, but it was never a bad idea to practice operational security. House Elves are naturally inclined to leave no traces, one of their many useful abilities, so no footprints or other marks were left in the camouflaged Dergal's wake.

Once they had reached the center of the town, Quinn removed her own Disillusionment and went about her business, a completely normal customer of the various shops and boutiques that lined the street. She checked at the post office for her large order of Shield garments from the Weasley's in Diagon Alley, but they had been delayed. Suspicious, but there was nothing she could do about it right now. That done, she surreptitiously asked Dergal if he wanted anything from the shops, received a trilling "no" signal from her still-invisible friend, and with renewed purpose she entered the Three Broomsticks. It was half past five, and there was nothing else to be done, so she had time to sit and read the dossier the elf had compiled on this "Dristan Adamson". All public information, of course, with only the barest bit of gossip and hearsay that might speak to hidden truths. While she read, sitting in the corner at the table with the best view of the entrances, she ordered a bottle of firewhiskey. She wanted to be courteous to the aging Rosmerta, but didn't want to drink, so the bottle remained unopened on the table. Perhaps Adamson would have some. Dergal remained Disillusioned, with his secrecy sensor in hand. He was on guard duty while they waited for someone who might possibly be Adamson to arrive.

The Adamsons were publicly wealthy, and she knew from experience that their total hidden wealth was probably rather obscene. Apparently they were hardworking people, though, not like some aristocrats, who simply sat on the Wizengamot and lorded over everyone else for a living. Important work at the Ministry and St. Mungo's, participants in both of the Voldemort wars (on the right side, again unlike some aristocratic families she could mention), they were easy to like as a family. Dristan himself, the eldest son and first in line to inherit the title of Lord Adamson? From public sources, he seemed to take after his father. A competent fighter as early as his Hogwarts days, and a well-liked Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, despite whatever strange event had lead to his leave of absence this term. Note to self: Could Voldemort's old curse on the position be resurfacing somehow? Must investigate further with Adamson and the Headmistress.

From the reports of his duels and later demonstrations as a Professor, if he did turn violent for some reason, she would have a difficult time subduing him. Her best bet would be a quick flash of disorienting strobed wand-light and tactical Disapparition to flee the scene. If he had somehow set up an anti-Apparition field without her noticing, Dergal could extract her before much real damage was done. If his opener was a Killing Curse? Well, she had practice dodging the curse, so she would just have to trust in her training. Indeed, Dergal would be carrying the secrecy sensor, so she could probe the "Professor" with a few quick opening questions, see if the sensor responded, and act accordingly from there. Yes, she was ready. The time was a quarter past 6, and she settled into her chair to wait for someone with the appearance of her colleague to arrive.

(@dristan )