Who: Caradoc Dearborn & Albus Dumbledore
What: read!
When: tonight!


Dumbledore, as he did every night before sleep, sat at his desk to attended to various paperwork. The topics and issues always changed, but tonight's was the continuing issue of finding another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the coming school year. He was reviewing one particular applicant that had caught his eye (a pleasant woman from belgium), when the door to his office seemingly opened on it's own. Unalarmed, Dumbledore put down his quill while the door shut itself just as easily as it had opened.

Sliding the invisibility cloak off himself as he walked, Caradoc wasted no time to get to the point of his visit. He placed himself in front of the Headmaster's desk, beginning to talk before the other man had a chance to do the same.

"Christopher Loftus has Sebastian under Imperious. He's completely unaware; he thinks he's sleepwalking more frequently due to stress," Caradoc began, holding the folds of his cloak tightly as he spoke. His voice was full and strong, but he refused to look the Headmaster in the eye.

"Loftus doesn't make him do much. Just trivial things-- nothing related to the Order. One day he made him stand in front of a wall for four hours. The next he made try to drown himself." That had been interesting to watch. Caradoc shifted as he spoke, his weight shifting from one leg to the other. "Aside from that, there's nothing in their house. Nothing to indicate he's willingly going along."

Dumbledore began to nod, his hands coming together on the desk once Caradoc stopped speaking. There was a short silence while both men waited for the other to speak.

"I don't think it's him," Caradoc finished finally. He had no desire to stay here any longer than he had to. Aware of that, he stood stiffly.

"I agree," Dumbledore spoke almost immediately once Caradoc had spoke. It was obvious that they both knew Goldstein hadn't been the Order traitor Dumbledore had enlisted him to find from the beginning. But, as he had shown through investigating Sebastian, cracks were beginning to form in the Order's defense. "But still a situation that would have continued to go unnoticed without your presence."

Caradoc couldn't help it at that point, his face deadpanned. On the opposite side of the desk, Dumbledore attempted a small smile in return.

"Good work Mister Dearborn," Dumbledore stood up a few moments later, his head still nodding as he walked to the front of the desk slowly. "Is there a plan of action?" His voice came out sincere, but Caradoc knew better than that.

"Yes," he gritted through his teeth. What else was he going to do? Let Loftus continue to fuck with Goldstein? As much as he and Sebastian did not get along.... Caradoc hated Christopher more.

"Then can I offer you a sweet? Or a chair to stay longer? Surely there must be---" Dumbledore began, raising his hand to sweep across the chair and bowl of candy. But before he could continue, Caradoc stopped him.

"No. I just came up here for that," he interrupted as he had already began to pull his cloak back over himself. Half invisible, he turned only to respond once more before leaving again. "Nothing else."