Chapter One: The Arrival
Rhiannon Delbin pushed open the heavy oak door of Hogwarts, not caring to knock. She smiled at Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting in a nearby chair in the entry hall, waiting. "Ah, Professor Delbin, how good to see you have made it."
Professor Flitwick walked by, and paused, seeing the young woman's hair dripping. It was such a dark black it seemed blue. "Is it raining outside?" he asked, trying to peer through the window. He confusedly walked forward on tiptoe.
Dumbledore smiled good-naturedly at the Charms professor. "No, Professor Delbin has just come from the lake. She is our new Marine Magic teacher." Dumbledore explained.
Flitwick nodded, still obviously confused, but shook the woman's hand warmly and kissed it. Walking back to the Great Hall, he made sure to look over his shoulder a few times to catch a glance at the mysterious woman.
"So," Dumbledore said, rising from his seat, "before any more interruptions-"
"Dumbledore," Snape said, walking boldly in, "Fidelius was acting rather-" he saw Rhiannon, "Oh, pardon me, I didn't know you were talking."
"Not a problem, Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "Rhiannon Delbin, this is Professor Severus Snape. The head of Slytherin, which was your old house, if I'm not mistaken."
"Indeed?" Snape asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Quite." Rhiannon replied monotonously, taking a step back since Snape had advanced a few. Under her breath, she muttered, "Pity." She was quite fond of her house, and the hook-nosed, greasy teacher didn't seem to be the type to uphold it's values. "Snape," she said, trying to place the name. "Aren't you a… you know…" she motioned to her right forearm.
Snape turned scarlet, then pallid. "Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Delbin, we no doubt will be crossing paths again." He turned on his heel and rushed back into the Great Hall, following Flitwick.
"It's Professor," she hissed at his retreating figure.
"Well, if you would follow me," Dumbledore said. "We need to be there for the opening ceremonies. You're the last of our visitors to arrive," he added. "Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Alastor Moody, Sirius Black, Elsinore Pepinegré, and Dedalus Diggle, to list off a few."
"Sirius Black?" the woman inquired. "But isn't he a-"
"It doesn't matter what he is to the Ministry, only what he is here." He said hastily, waving his hand carelessly aside. He put his hand to his chin, thinking. The constant drip from Rhiannon's hair and robes seemed to break his concentration. He looked up at her, almost as though he was surprised to see her. "But, oh! you can't go like that, Vienientum!" he muttered and a gust of wind came from out of his wand. Rhiannon's clothing fluttered in the wind, and her hair fanned out, much like when she was under water. "Don't want to ruin the upholstery, you know."
"But of course, and…what lovely upholstery it is, too," Rhiannon said, not knowing what to say. The place didn't seem much different than how she remembered it, but something had changed. Maybe something within herself.
Rhiannon Delbin pushed open the heavy oak door of Hogwarts, not caring to knock. She smiled at Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting in a nearby chair in the entry hall, waiting. "Ah, Professor Delbin, how good to see you have made it."
Professor Flitwick walked by, and paused, seeing the young woman's hair dripping. It was such a dark black it seemed blue. "Is it raining outside?" he asked, trying to peer through the window. He confusedly walked forward on tiptoe.
Dumbledore smiled good-naturedly at the Charms professor. "No, Professor Delbin has just come from the lake. She is our new Marine Magic teacher." Dumbledore explained.
Flitwick nodded, still obviously confused, but shook the woman's hand warmly and kissed it. Walking back to the Great Hall, he made sure to look over his shoulder a few times to catch a glance at the mysterious woman.
"So," Dumbledore said, rising from his seat, "before any more interruptions-"
"Dumbledore," Snape said, walking boldly in, "Fidelius was acting rather-" he saw Rhiannon, "Oh, pardon me, I didn't know you were talking."
"Not a problem, Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "Rhiannon Delbin, this is Professor Severus Snape. The head of Slytherin, which was your old house, if I'm not mistaken."
"Indeed?" Snape asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Quite." Rhiannon replied monotonously, taking a step back since Snape had advanced a few. Under her breath, she muttered, "Pity." She was quite fond of her house, and the hook-nosed, greasy teacher didn't seem to be the type to uphold it's values. "Snape," she said, trying to place the name. "Aren't you a… you know…" she motioned to her right forearm.
Snape turned scarlet, then pallid. "Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Delbin, we no doubt will be crossing paths again." He turned on his heel and rushed back into the Great Hall, following Flitwick.
"It's Professor," she hissed at his retreating figure.
"Well, if you would follow me," Dumbledore said. "We need to be there for the opening ceremonies. You're the last of our visitors to arrive," he added. "Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Alastor Moody, Sirius Black, Elsinore Pepinegré, and Dedalus Diggle, to list off a few."
"Sirius Black?" the woman inquired. "But isn't he a-"
"It doesn't matter what he is to the Ministry, only what he is here." He said hastily, waving his hand carelessly aside. He put his hand to his chin, thinking. The constant drip from Rhiannon's hair and robes seemed to break his concentration. He looked up at her, almost as though he was surprised to see her. "But, oh! you can't go like that, Vienientum!" he muttered and a gust of wind came from out of his wand. Rhiannon's clothing fluttered in the wind, and her hair fanned out, much like when she was under water. "Don't want to ruin the upholstery, you know."
"But of course, and…what lovely upholstery it is, too," Rhiannon said, not knowing what to say. The place didn't seem much different than how she remembered it, but something had changed. Maybe something within herself.