Basil was quite impressed with the progress his O.W.L students had been making on their switching spells. Ever since he’d given them the task of turning a biscuit into a knut, it seemed the persistence to get the spell quite right had take a turn upward. He couldn’t blame them, it was a successful lesson: a knut for a sweet in Hogsmeade would have provided plenty motivation for him to finish an assignment (not that he’d needed much motivation as a student to begin with, he’d always been particularly academically inclined). But this was a note he’d taken out of Professor Thompson’s book. He’d have to write and inform his mentor of the roaring success. As the students began to trickle out, Basil gathered together some papers he’d been reviewing for his N.E.W.T students. He was disappointed in the quality of some of them, however he supposed an essay assignment the first week back after the holiday break had been a little bit ambitious. As a few students echo’d their ‘good day’s and ‘thank you Professor Foxwood’s - the man nodded at them and smiled. He very much appreciated their efforts and hopefully tomorrow’s lesson would prove even better.
Out of the corner of his eye, Basil noticed another of his students approach, this one a N.E.W.T level Ravenclaw. Ida Chang, his protege and pseudo-intern, gave him a little wave and Basil nodded in her direction as the last of his O.W.L students excused themselves and trickled out. Setting his papers aside, Basil ran a hand through his unkempt hair. (If it had been long and in need of a haircut before, it was bordering on unruly now.)
“Good afternoon Miss Chang,” he greeted politely as she approached and rattled off like a canon. Her enthusiasm was always something Basil had found endearing and he much appreciated her aptitude for transfiguration. The idle chit-chat about holiday he could do without however. He hated to lie to her but he never shared personal details about his social life (or lack thereof) with his students. “It was pleasant enough,” he lied through his teeth with a smile. “But never mind that, what is it we’ve begun?”