Eric's first day back was it's usual hectic schedule of meeting with teachers. He had eight term projects to work on, in subjects ranging from astronomy to zymurgy, with a wealth between. He also had to help Hagrid with his blast-ended skrewts, disgusting creatures which the groundskeeper bred especially. For the life of him, Eric couldn't figure out his guardian's delight over the most vile beasts. It seemed the more offensive the creature, the more Hagrid loved it. At least the hatching went well, with no more than half a dozen small brush fires to show for it.

The snidgets were settling in well. He had snuck in twice since their arrival to check on them, doing his best not to make any noise, for he didn't want to disturb them. This came in handy at the time of his second visit. Instead of finding an empty room, he found Naomi setting up what looked to be a large, faked flower, in which she was pouring a syrupy fluid. He could see that she was lecturing Willy about how to keep the flower maintained and clear of pests. As she backed away, the snidgets flew about for a few seconds before hovering in front of the makeshift contraption to feed. Seeing that everything was going well, Eric snuck back through the door, hoping that no one noticed his entrance.

All of this, however, wasn't taking much time from the thoughts on Eric's mind. He had to talk with the Headmaster. He had spotted Professor Dumbledore a few times since his arrival, but he didn't have a chance to speak with him. Deciding to forego his lunch break, he made his way to the gargoyle, only to realize that the great stone beast wasn't about to move for him. Cursing himself for not looking ahead to this, he had just turned to find Professor Flitwick for help when he heard a gentle voice behind him.

"Something on your mind, Mister Sable?" As he turned about, Eric found himself facing Dumbledore, standing calmly in the corridor which had been completely deserted just a moment before.

After taking a moment to collect himself, Eric responded. "Yes sir; I wanted to ask you about Corvin Frugilagus."

"Ah, I had rather hoped you would; but my office is a far better place for this conversation." Turning to the gargoyle, the Headmaster merely nodded and the statue moved aside, revealing the escalating stairs.

As he entered the office, Eric could see the portraits of all the previous school headmasters, each leaning comfortably. Eric sometimes wondered if the figures in the portraits ever bothered to do anything other than sleep, since that was all that they seemed capable of. Fawkes was on his perch, looking exceptional this year after a burn not too long ago. The Sorting Hat rested on the desk at the moment, looking as perturbed as ever whenever Eric encountered it. He felt in his heart that the hat never forgave him for switching houses, even if he had no choice.

"So, Professor Frugilagus has been in contact with you?" Dumbledore's words were as pleasant, even and friendly as ever.

Eric couldn't tell if this had upset the headmaster or not. " 'Professor' Frugilagus? So he is a teacher?"

"A master of many disciplines, including enchantments, hexes, and curses. He was an instructor here for many years as our last Dark Arts teacher before he left."

Eric was suddenly confused. " 'Dark Arts teacher'? I thought Hogwarts didn't teach the Dark Arts."

Dumbledore smiled. "That was my doing. I rather thought that the Dark Arts had no place in a benevolent school, especially with the way many students that focused on them turned out. Corvin, however, thought otherwise, citing how well students could defend against curses when they knew their nature. His star pupils could even deflect Killing Curses using pure magic, making them virtually unstoppable. I recall that Mrs. Peal was exceptionally good at that."

The thought that his landlady could stand up to Voldemort's most diabolical weapon was impressive. "So why did he leave?"

"As the school's Headmaster, it is up to me to decide what is appropriate to teach. We discussed the matter at length over many days, but could not come to an agreement. Corvin decided that, rather than cause dissention in the staff, he would relent. That, however, meant that he had to leave the school rather than risk becoming bitter over the restrictions. I was reluctant to let him go, but in the end I agreed that it would be best."

It was a relief to hear the Dumbledore speak so highly about Professor Frugilagus. At least he wasn't a disgruntled employee. "So why has he contacted me?"

Dumbledore sat back into his chair, clearly measuring his next words. "Eric, you are one of those rare students with a wealth of intelligence, talent, and curiosity. Along with this you carry a certain disregard for limits imposed on you. It's only a matter of time before you work your way into the Restricted Library to study the Dark Arts on your own.

"I could seek to stop this, perhaps I could even expel you. In the end, though, this would be the wrong thing to do. You would continue to explore and learn, only now Hagrid, Mrs. Peal and myself would not be able to watch over you. The consequences for all of us would be disastrous. This is why I have asked Corvin to return to tutor yourself and a couple of other students. You would still learn of the Dark Arts, but in a proper context."

Eric was beside himself with excitement. "When will we start?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Soon. There are arrangements to be made – after all, I'm breaking my own rules. This can't be general knowledge"

Smiling, Eric got up, thanked the professor and turned to leave before one last question struck him. "Sir, you said a couple of other students?"

Dumbledore got up to retrieve a book from his shelves. "Yes. Sheena Wyldehart has been a pupil of his for some time, and there's one other student with special needs that Corvin's talents are well suited for." He brought the book back to his table and drew it to a marked page. "I don't know if he will see you as a group or as individuals, though. I'm sure he will let you know."