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CLAWS
OF A RAVEN
by Tyde
Disclaimer: I don't own JK Rowling, er I mean Harry Potter, or any of the characters therein. There is absolutely no money being made from this at all. If I wanted to make any money I'd be thinking up original ideas and characters and pimping it around to publishers, but I'm not, so therefore I'm not. This disclaimer covers all chapters of this story by the way.
Summary: Set during Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. Voldemort is back in that threatening 'I'll kill you all' way, Snape is cranky as all get out and the new DADAs professor seems a little familiar. There are deaths at Hogwarts and Dumbledore has a secret to reveal to Harry. Warning – Sorora could be considered a Mary Sue, so feel free to pick on that if you want. Reading & reviewing is appreciated. I've been told it improves after chapter four. So hang in there! :o)
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Chapter One
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It was just a common brown barn owl, a knut a dozen round these parts, but she couldn't help thinking it looked familiar. It seemed to be heading straight for the window in her sunroom (or moonlight room was a more accurate description as it was night-time) so she assumed it was for her.
Her cousin, Matilda, whom she lived with didn't have any friends. Ones that would owl her anyway. They'd just pop their heads into the grate in the kitchen any time day or night and call out in a rather irritating voice for 'Tildy'. Matilda wasn't half bad, a little too straight laced for Sorora's liking but it would have to do. Ever since her husband disappeared on a mission to Kazakhstan she'd been lonely and ravenous for company. She didn't believe that he was dead, "Not my Julian", just in hiding or perhaps deep undercover and unable to contact anyone. Tildy was highly sympathetic to this and had come round as soon as she'd heard with a basket full of chocolate and a flagon of wine.
It seems Tildy had a history of men disappearing on her, although Sorora was certain it had nothing to do with secret Ministry missions and everything to do with her cousins habit of bossing people around. It was nice at first when she'd felt lost and out of sorts at the initial shock, but now the bossiness was starting to get on her nerves. That's why she felt a sudden glow of happiness as this strange, yet somewhat familiar, owl made it's approach.
"Nothing like something new to drag you out of a funk"
Sorora brushed her papers aside and allowed the bird to land on her desk. The parchment was of fairly standard quality but the iridescence of the green ink used to address it took her back years in her memory. Eighteen years in fact to that morning when her father had brought in the mail and handed her the envelope from Hogwarts.
She vaguely remembered when her brother had headed off to the famed school for the first time when she was four. She'd pump him for information at summer holidays but he'd always been a bit stand offish and broody. Not much help at all. By the time she'd received her letter he'd already finished his education and headed off to London for some high-falutent job. Why would Hogwarts be sending her correspondence now? Her fingers curiously split open the wax seal and pulled the letter out.
Dear Mrs Palgetti,
I write to you in the hope that you can solve a problem we seem to be having. If you've been keeping up with your current events you'll know that for the last four years Hogwarts hasn't had a great deal of luck in keeping a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. My once lengthy list of appropriate candidates is dwindling and I only hope that you can rise to the challenge.
I am loathe to beg but will do if necessary. I'm beginning to run out of legitimate reasons why not to hand the job over to Severus. There is the obvious reason of course - that he's the best damn Potions master we've had all my years here at Hogwarts, and then there is the other one which you are no doubt fully aware of.
In light of Julian's absence I also thought it might be a nice idea to keep you distracted. Nothing like a load of devilish school children to keep your mind entertained.
Would you care to have a drink at the Three Broomsticks on Wednesday night at 8 o'clock? We can talk over particulars then. I await your answer by return owl.
Kind regards
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Her dark brown eyes scanned the letter a few more times as she let this information sink in.
Sorora had noticed the advertisements for a new teacher in the Daily Prophet but she'd never even considered it. She had been a part of the Dark Arts Defence League but only in a reserve capacity and certainly had never been called into active service. What did she know about Dark Arts?
She supposed there were books, of course, to aide in teaching but her only history of battling the Dark Arts hadn't ended too well. To put it another way she'd failed miserably. She was weighing up the pros and cons but the simple fact was that it was very hard to say no to Professor Dumbledore. The barn owl still waited patiently for Sorora to add her reply to the parchment and send him on his way. He hopped from one foot to the other.
"Oh I'm sorry. Almost forgot you were there. Er, just a moment"
Producing a quill from somewhere within her robes she dipped it into the ink well and quickly wrote an answer.
A drink sounds lovely. See you Wednesday.
The bird just nipped the folded up parchment from her hands and flew out the window towards Hogwarts, with her reply firmly clenched in his beak.
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She was running a little late as she barged into the pub almost knocking over a few patrons that were just leaving.
"Sorry" she said briskly over her shoulder to them while striding over to the booth where her former Headmaster was now sitting. "Professor Dumbledore, lovely to see you again" she held out her hand to be shook which he took in both hands.
"Indeed Mrs Palgetti, but you may call me Albus. We are to be working together soon and I insist that you use my first name"
"Why are you so certain that I'll take the position, sir? And if your assumptions are correct then I insist you call me Sorora"
"I think there was no doubt in your mind when you received my letter that you would accept the proposition. You're not the only one with a personal crusade to keep Professor Snape away from the Dark Arts. It was a rash, but I believe in the end, quite a strategic move to send him away at the end of last term on some rather important business. He will be back by the beginning of this school year and I'm rather hoping you'll give me the green light to tell the other teachers that you yourself will be joining us also"
"You are right of course, as soon as the letter was in my hands I wanted to say yes. But it got me thinking about Julian and whether or not I should have joined the search instead of sitting at home falling apart"
Dumbledore patted her hand comfortingly. "It is a terrible time to be missing with Voldemort back in power but I sense Julian will return to you safe and sound"
She'd gasped at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. "You-Know-Who is back? But I thought little Harry Potter defeated him, years ago. What are you talking about? There has been nothing in the papers"
"That's because Cornelius Fudge refuses to believe he has risen again and orders the Daily Prophet to keep the rumours quiet. I really do find him to be a most frustrating man at times. People need to be prepared for this, it will be worse and more terrible than before, there is no doubt about that. Another glass my dear?" he indicated the wine glass in front of her that she didn't notice she'd been drinking from as their conversation had gotten darker.
"Thanks. So I can't really imagine why you'd offer the position to me and I don't know what possessed me to say yes"
"You said yes because you wanted a challenge, I asked you because I wanted Severus to have a challenge"
"He'll kill you for hiring me you know"
Dumbledore just smiled and those famous eyes of his twinkled, "He'll try".
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Author's note: All reviewers will be rewarded with a blood-flavoured lollipop. Oh come on...you know you want it :o)