Getting ready for the new year (Open)

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

The school nurse took the time to review her supplies and took note of what she was missing. Much like last semester she wanted to start this one fresh as well too. Unsurprisingly she found that she was in fact out of quite a few things. She knew she would have to be making a few trips to London to fetch somethings from the Apothecary... Or maybe she'd send an owl, she wasn't sure yet.

Hermes, her black-footed ferret sat coiled around her neck which made him look like a fur shoal around his mistress' neck. Althea toured the facilities with a pen and clip board throughly examining every cabinet, cupboard and drawer making certain that everything was up to her high standards.

On the first day of classes she was happy to record in her books that there where no patients in the hospital wing this yet this term. Thankfully this past semester only a few minor injuries and illness kept her busy, she hoped that it would stay that way.

Althea returned to her office and set out a bowl of Muggle candy on her desk. She had completely forgotten to put it out her first term in Hogwarts, she was so busy with settling in.

This semester she decided she was going to leave behind the traditional long flowing green healer's robes and opt for her Muggle scrubs and lab coat. In her mind, it was far more practical than the long robes that made her look more like a nun than a doctor.

Althea's mind was always busy and always thinking. She noticed that the last semester that the Divinations professor had burnt herself very badly and when she confronted the strange professor, she refused her aid, even though she was in pain. It had bothered her ever since the Halloween ball, when she first saw the burns, (or rather the attempt to cover up.) She was never able to get a good look at the woman without impolitely craning her neck at the dinner table or rudely staring at her. Worse yet, Althea even tried to follow her around the castle a few times, but was unable to discover anything new about her condition. Minka had learned to hide the scaring very well, as no one else seemed to notice the gypsy woman wearing a few more tacky scarves than usual.

Maybe she'd ask her again this term, or maybe she could bribe some students to ask some prying questions for her... Perhaps she'd open up to some first years innocent questions.

[Neville Longbottom]

Neville dropped by Althea's office while she was puttering around organizing things. He had the overall miserable appearance of someone with a rather nasty head cold, complete with runny, red nose, nasty cough, and somewhat dazed demeanor.

He knocked on the door quietly.

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

Althea set down her clip board and pen and answered the door. Hermes jumped down onto the desk made himself content by burrowing in the large bowl of candy.

"Please, do come in Professor Longbottom, have a seat." She showed him to a studded leather chair facing her desk. "Oh my, nasty cold is it?"

[Neville Longbottom]

"Oh, call me Neville, please. And yes, nasty cold. Try as I might to keep from getting them, they always pop up at some point. However, word on the grounds is that you make an excellent Pepper-Up potion, so I thought you might be willing to spare some for the poor, old Herbology professor." He smiled at her. He glanced down at Hermes in the bowl of candy.

"It appears your candy bowl has acquired a case of the ferrets."

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

"Of course, Neville... Oh yeah... Hermes here will tunnel in just about anything if he's given the chance." She dug him out of the candy bowl. The ferret had a lollipop clenched in its pointed teeth. "Oh you little thief." She took the candy away from him and tossed the nibbled sweet. She dropped him on the floor and he scurried off to go and find trouble elsewhere.

She opened up the cabinet in her office and gave Neville a small bottle Pepper-up potion. "That should do the trick. If it's not enough, just come back for some more."

[Neville Longbottom]

Neville chuckled at the ferret.

"Perfect," he said, taking the bottle. "So, how have you been? Any interesting news? I'm afraid I don't hear too much down in the greenhouses, other than student's gossip, and since I'm always away to be with Hannah on weekends, I tend to miss out on anything interesting..."

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

"I have been very good, thanks for asking, we had a wonderful Christmas here at the castle...umm.. Funny you should ask... I've been wondering about Madame Davinmir... She's a strange one. Did you notice the scars on her arms? She didn't tell you where she got that from, did you, by any chance?"

[Neville Longbottom]

Neville seemed taken aback.

"I'venot really met her yet, and I haven't noticed any scars... when was this? Did she come to you for treatment? I can't imagine where she'd have gotten hurt on the grounds..."

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

Althea took a seat in her office chair behind the oak desk, facing Neville.

"She the Hufflepuff head of house- I'm surprised you haven't run into her yet... Anyhow, I first noticed it at the halloween ball... When I confronted her about it later in private, I tried to offer her my help, but she refused treatment. It could just be that she's stubborn and wanted to be left alone like a wounded animal, or she didn't want to tell me how she got those burns... I'm really confused. If it was an accient, she probably would have fessed up, even the best of us make mistakes sometimes... What do you think?"

[Neville Longbottom]

"Well, it certainly raises a few alarm bells in my head. There are few things that could do that kind of damage to a capable wizard, especially few things located on the Hogwarts grounds and immediate surroundings. If you'd like, I can look into it. I've a few friends in the Ministry who can do things quietly if the need calls, so if you see anything else suspicious, please let me know. After all, the safety of the children is our most important priority."

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

Althea was interested in what Prof. Longbottom had to say. "Really, Like what? Aside from the forbidden forest? Oh, maybe she went there. Well please do look into it, I'll be letting my husband know as well, he also has connections in the ministry., specifically the Aurors."

[Neville Longbottom]

Neville smiled.

"Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that. One very important question, though - did you see if the burns were any specific shape, or colour? There are a couple of plants in the forest that can cause burns, but usually they resemble welts. I know there's one that leaves blue burns... unless she was getting into something warded, in which case, they'd likely be a specific shape."

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

Althea frowned. "That's the problem, I didn't see, she's been really good at covering them up. I have a few theories of my own... Some of which you just mentioned..."

[Neville Longbottom]

"Do you know whether or not she still has them? Perhaps I could see if I could get her to expose them enough to get some information... or maybe call her in for a "routine check-up"?" He grinned somewhat mischievously. "I'll admit I don't know tons about the way regulations work, but perhaps disguise it as being a required Hogwarts staff physical evaluation, and since you're also relatively new to staff, it's only being done now...? I don't know. Could be I'm just talking out of my arse here..."

[Dr. Althea Lannsman]

Althea smiled mischievously as well. "That's a fantastic plan... Then she can't complain about hiding her arms, I'll speak to Elsbeth about it... It wouldn't be a bad idea anyway, I bet most of the staff haven't seen the doctor in a while, anyway. As not to seem suspicious, I'll have to give everyone a physical, so she doesn't feel singled out."