Three twelve-year-olds are gathered in a bathroom, copying a diagram from a book onto the floor in chalk.
"Do you know what all this writing means?" asks the green-eyed boy.
"No," says the bushy-haired girl, "and that worries me too, but we need to find out who the Heir of Slytherin is and this ritual is the best we've got."
Eventually, one or another of them draws the last bit of the outer circle.
"Yes, unfortunately I have some understanding of this sort of dark magic, though I had hoped never to need it. If only Riddle had accepted his mortality . . . but it was not to be."
"There was the philosopher's stone, until recently, but only two people ever succeeded in creating one."
...checking... damn. "And it has terrible bandwidth? Feel free to refer me to books, by the by."
"If you intend to remain at Hogwarts, you can take advantage of our extensive library."
"Am I invited to do so? I am not qualified to be a student or a teacher."
"Well, you are here due to the actions of some students, and from the sound of it you've already saved the school once. It would seem rather unfair to turn you out, whether or not you wish to participate further in the investigation."
"I am glad to hear it." Also, it occurs to him that if he told Cam to leave and he left and did his kind of magic somewhere with more Muggles around that would arguably be a Statute violation on his part.
"There are a number of empty rooms intended for visiting staff; I can point you at one of those."
"Given the quantity of magic pervading the existing architecture, and its tendency to move around, I would strongly advise against it. Is there anything else we need to arrange first?"
"I think that's all the emergencies resolved. Unless the basilisk needs to be harvested immediately."
"How do I get ahold of people as necessary, and is there a good place to commute to - some particular altitude will do - where my computer will work?"
"I'm in my office most times I'm not teaching, and I'll let the other professors know who you are. The portraits can direct you to any of our offices; if I'm unavailable I recommend talking to Professor Flitwick. As for getting your computer to work, the wards only extend a few dozen feet above the top of the tallest tower."
"It does have quite a lot of stairs." She can show him to a room with a big window that's not too far from her office or the great hall. "Every few years someone gets the bright idea of flying their broom indoors and promptly collides with either a wall or a fellow student."
"Yeah, I don't have the clearance to flap indoors or I'd be tempted. Can you tell Harry and Ron and Ginny and - I have forgotten her name, the fluffy one - where I am in case they want to follow up on anything?"
Cam goes to his room, puts sheets on the bed and so on, and then hops out the window to circle in the sky for a bit, look some things up, and descend to read them more comfortably, sipping coffee till morning.
Nobody bothers him overnight. In the morning he could go to the great hall for breakfast if he wants a change from his own "cooking", or he could go straight to the library or wherever else he feels like going.
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