Chapter One: Welcome to Hogwarts
Her slender, pale fingers tightened over the handle of her overstuffed suitcase. She clicked the back of her black heels together, nervously, as Hogwarts came into view form the train window. The enormity of the castle eclipsed her bright blue eyes and filled her heart with jitters.
The train screeched to a halt and she pressed her cool hand to the back of the seat in front of her own to prevent herself from falling forward. A stat-icky voice came over the intercom of the train.
"Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry," The voice boomed over the speakers. She stood and her floral dress spun around her knees. She squeezed her way past the seats full of other wizards and witches. She apologized repeatedly as she hugged her large and clunky suitcase to her body.
She made her way to the train's doors and walked out of the stuffy train into the crisp, fresh air of Hogwarts. Her heels sank slightly into the dirt and she took in a large, deep breath of the fresh air and examined the magical castle before her. The train began to proceed on to its next stop and she smiled as the gust from the train blew her blonde, curly hair around her shoulders and into her slender face.
She was -of course- the only one to get off at Hogwarts. The school year had already been in session for a few weeks so all the students and facility were already there and adjusted to their routines and schedules. She took in a nervous, hitched breath as she pondered whether the teachers would accept her as an equal or if the students would look towards her for guidance. She was from a wizarding school in America – Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – and had been the headmaster of Pukwudgie (a house at Ilvermorny school that was very similar to Hufflepuff house at Hogwarts).
Dumbledore had asked her to come during dinner time and she looked at the sun that was beginning to set and she shook her hands, removing the nervous butterflies from her stomach. She patted her cheeks and walked towards the boats that lead to the the castles doors.
She grabbed a weather beaten ore from the boat and entered the rocky boat and began to row across the man-made river towards Hogwarts.
She arrived to the sandy shore on the other side of the river and crept in through the large doors and walked down the winding halls, following the chatter of students feasting in the dining hall. She crept behind a few pillars to peak out at the crowd of students. The students were divided by their houses and each had their flags hanging at the end of their tables. There was the Ravenclaw's table with its brilliant blue flag with its raven emblem proudly sewn on it. The students sat happily next to each other with blue scarfs wrapped around their necks and they held open books and conversed about classes.
Smarties. She thought with a light smile.
Next was the Gryffindor table with its red flag bearing the houses' ferocious lion. The students of Gryffindor laughed and bantered with one another. Some students had determination and courage shine brightly through their curious eyes. The table of Slytherin had its green flag with its twisted snake sewn to its flag. The students of Slytherin were talking with one another but sat stiffly and some had their noses stuck in the air with smug pride.
She looked at the table closest to her. Hufflepuff. The yellow flag showed a badger attached, proudly. This was the house she was now the new head of and she glanced over the students. They were laughing and played card games with one another. She smiled to herself but felt a twirl of nausea in her stomach.
"Rosemary Iinora!" Dumbledore's voice projected over the idle conversations of the students. Her face flushed as the students quieted down into a church-like silence and stared at her. Rosemary walked out from behind the pillar and felt her cheeks burn a dark red.
"…Hello, Albus Dumbledore," Rosemary said and walked in between the Gryffindor and Slytherin house to the front of the teacher's high table with her suitcase hanging awkwardly at her side. She felt the eyes of the students and facility members bore into her body and it made her more jittery.
Dumbledore stood from his seat and walked around the table to greet her. Although he was the eldest wizard she knew, he walked with such grace and his eye held so much wisdom that it would make any wizard feel incompetent. He placed a warm, withered hand on her shoulder and gave her a friendly and welcoming smile.
"Students!" He announced towards the student body.
"This is Rosemary Iinora from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in North America. She is going to be the professor who will be taking over the Herbology class, green house duties, and be leading the Hufflepuff house in wake of Professor Sprout's recent retirement. I hope you will all take kindly to Miss. Iinora and show her the utmost respect," Dumbledore said, gently. He turned towards Rosemary and encouraged her to say a few words with a nod and a good luck wink.
Rosemary stepped forwards towards the students and gave a deep breath as she scanned the sea of students. She pushed down her anxiety and gave a warm smile.
"Hello. I am sure I will get to know you all more as time moves forward but I would like to say how honored I am to be in this position and how excited I am to meet all the students and staff of Hogwarts," Rosemary proclaimed. The students gave a polite clap and then slowly returned to their meals and conversations.
Dumbledore turned her around towards the teacher's table and introduced Rosemary to the professors and staff members. Some starred at her with smiles and others with disinterested stares. Dumbledore lead her to a chair two seats away from his in between a man with greasy, raven hair that clung to his weather-beaten, narrow face and a gigantic man with a large brown curly beard and hands as wide as toasters. The gigantic man smiled at Rosemary and the man on her other side looked at her with a sour face of displeasure and took a sip from his cup of wine.
Rosemary sat down with your suitcase next to her feet as a golden rimmed plate magically filled with steaming food in front of her. There was a crisp drum leg resting on the plate and mash potatoes with butter melting over the fluffy potatoes. Her stomach grumbled as she looked at the plate.
" 'Ell, hello mis' Iinora. Welcome ta' Hogwarts. Ma' name is Hagrid. I run the grounds 'ere at Hogwarts," The gigantic man said as he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief from his pocket and held out his large hand. She turned towards the man and smiled as she tucked a single blonde curl behind her small ear and shook his hand.
"Hello, Hagrid," She said, warmly.
"Did ya' have a good train ride 'ere?" He asked.
"Yes. It was a long ride but the view was really beautiful," Rosemary said as she unfolded her napkin into her lap.
"I 'ave to agree with that. Ya know, Hogwarts is truly a 'eautiful place," Hagrid said and Rosemary nodded with a friendly smile.
"Now that ya are a part of Hogwarts if you need any 'elp navigating around Hogwarts you just lemme know," Hagrid said, with a sparkle of kindness in his brown eyes.
"Thank you," She said, happily.
The two-continued small talk about Hogwarts, dragons, and Ilvermorny school as Rosemary ate. All the while, the man on the other side of Rosemary remained silent with disinterest in the whole situation.
After dinner, Dumbledore showed Rosemary the Hufflepuff common room in the dungeon next to the Slytherin common room and potion class. He took her to her room and she began to unpack her belongings and spruced up the small room with her plants and pictures from Ilvermorny school. Tomorrow was her first day teaching at Hogwarts and she began to prep all the materials she needed before heading to bed.