For the last few years Gus had kept his NEWT requirement as Acceptable – why wouldn’t he? No one knew when they were going to run into a dark wizard or something that could harm them, so he felt like everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to protect themselves. But with his new duties as Head of House, Gus found he should probably give himself grace of having less students and less things to grade so he had, rather begrudgingly, changed the requirements.

He hadn’t quite finished arranging the last of his lesson plans for the coming week when the pounding came on his door; the quill he’d been making last minute notes with wobbled across the parchment in a blotch of ink, which he carefully set into its well before moving to answer the door.

Jimmy Fletcher came tumbling through, his words already spilling out of his mouth before Gus could ask him what he wantedneeded. (He knew Fletcher wasn’t in his class this year.) He moved aside to let him fully enter before he pushed the door mostly shut, giving a small nod toward one of the chairs before he moved around to sit back on his own. “Hello to you too, Mr. Fletcher. I hope you had a nice summer.” Gus smiled. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me why you’re here.”

Although Gus wasn’t stupid. He had a very strong guess as to why Mr. Fletcher was at his office on the very day of the term.

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