Catching Up {Cyrus & Dinaldo}
With the headache of the Tournament--it had been far more of a logistical nightmare than he'd anticipated--Cyrus had neglected other, more personal matters. Specifically, the attention he had once paid to his staff to ensure their comfort and contentedness had been overshadowed by discussions with Ministry officials, meetings with his fellow school Heads, and panicked letters from parents who were certain that his allowing a Tournament to be hosted at his school was a sign that he was, at 50, past his prime and due to be replaced with a younger, more sensible wizard.
(The mother who had written that he was "a nuisance" and "due to learn lessons from fresher, more able" minds had made him laugh out loud in the middle of the Great Hall.)
A much-needed gap formed in his schedule--the unfortunate hospitalization of a Ministry contact--allowing him time to visit his favorite employee. (Not that he would ever admit that. Having favorites never ended as well as people hoped.)
"Dinaldo?" he asked, knocking on the door to the professor's study. "Might I come in?"