Having lived at Castle Gealach for the past five years, Noah had explored just about all the secret rooms and passages that existed at the school. However, he had never seen the cabinet room before, where he now appeared for his first staff meeting of the year.
He glanced around the room and noticed the dark wood paneling on the walls, which were decorated with dozens of framed paintings from floor to ceiling. It was a markedly different ambiance from the Gothic stone architecture of the rest of the castle. A long, oak conference table filled the room, which had a modest spread of breakfast pastries, fruit, and hot tea.
“Ah, good morning, Mr. Edwards!” called out a familiar voice. Noah glanced at the end of the room, where Professor Gideon Oberon, the Potions and Alchemy instructor, sa
