Chapter 1: The New Girl
Poppy Pomfrey straightened her skirts and picked up her bag. She was already wearing her red healer's uniform; a long dress with a white apron. Her golden hair was piled on the top of her head in an elegant swirl. Her light brown eyes sparkled intelligently. She was an average height, curvy, with a soft face, a soft face that didn't match her tenacity. Poppy was a fighter. She was born a fighter, raised a fighter and, chances were, she would die one too. She wasn't the kind of person to back down from a challenge and she wasn't the kind of person to let things stand in her way. But today she was feeling slightly out of character. Today she was feeling nervous.
Nerves were thankfully not something Poppy struggled with too much. Through out her training and posting at St Mungo's Hospital, her superiors had commented on her cool attitude and ability to stay calm in any situation. She'd even finished top of her class in emergency response. So it came as a surprise when she had stepped off her train and felt a twinge in her stomach. Starting something new was always a little nerve racking, she supposed.
Today she was starting her new job as healer for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Poppy had attended the school in her youth and she hadn't been back in any of the years since her graduation. It felt like she was stepping back in time, going back to a world that she had abandoned a long time ago. To tell the truth, she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. Her time at Hogwarts had been interesting to say the least. She'd made good friends (most of whom she hadn't spoken to in years) and discovered a passion for medical magic. But it was the past and Poppy preferred to leave the past behind her.
She walked up a gravel path towards a set of gates. A carriage had been sent for her but she declined, opting to walk in from Hogsmeade Village. It was a trip down memory lane to see the familiar shops. She felt so old, going to the information centre and asking about a robes makers, only to find it had been demolished twelve years ago. Oh well. She didn't really think the village would be the same after all this time. Change was inevitable. The only thing in life that was certain. That and death, but that was too depressing to think about.
The gates that cut across the path were made of a dark coloured iron. The Hogwarts crest was prominent on a bed of ornate swirls. Poppy stretched out a delicate hand and pushed against it. There didn't appear to be a lock but the gate wasn't opening. Poppy reached in her robes and pulled out her wand. It was of average length, sharp and efficient, much like its owner. She tapped the iron and whispered, "Alohomora", a spell designed to open locks. It didn't work, though she hadn't expected it to.
"Hello?" she called. "It's Poppy Pomfrey. The new healer. Could somebody open this gate?"
Maybe somebody heard her. Maybe the gates got bored of teasing and opened of their own accord. Either way, Poppy found herself being granted entry to the castle grounds. Now they were exactly as she remembered them.
The grass was a healthy green, the wind tousling it on its way to play amongst the trees of the Forbidden Forest. The Forbidden Forest. Poppy smiled. She remembered the many nights she'd spent with her friends in a clearing just beyond the edge of the forest. They'd laughed and gossiped, eating pastries from the kitchen, drinking Firewhisky smuggled in from the village. Had they been caught they probably would have been expelled without trial. As the new matron she probably wouldn't be sneaking out at midnight anymore. She would be in caring mode twenty four-seven, which suited her. Now days she wasn't too in to partying anyway.
Poppy came up to the Hogwarts Castle, the nervous twisting in her stomach beginning again. It was an impressive building. New students always found it overwhelming and, in a way, she was a new girl here. But she wasn't going to be the new girl, awkward and uncomfortable around others, just trying to fit in. No, she was going to be Poppy Pomfrey and people could take it or leave it.
She didn't have the same problem with the doors to the castle as she did with the gates. This was because somebody was waiting for her when she arrived. He had a long white beard and long white hair. His eyes were a sparkling blue, peering from behind half-moon spectacles. His nose looked like it had been broken one too many times but the overall effect was a pleasant one. He smiled warmly. Poppy hadn't seen this man in a good number of years but she knew who he was. You could live under a rock and still know who this man was. Albus Dumbledore was perhaps the greatest wizard of all time, as well as one of the best headmasters Hogwarts had ever had. He held out a hand and Poppy shook it.
"Madame Pomfrey, I presume?"
"Yes, Sir." Poppy said. "But everyone just calls me Poppy."
"Then you must call me Albus." smiled the Headmaster.
"Yes, Sir -I mean Albus."
"Good, good. Now if you'll follow me I'll show you to your room."
Poppy's room was adjoined to the Hospital Wing. It was a small room with a bed and a wardrobe and not much else. It lacked personality but Poppy didn't mind. It was comfortable and that was all that really mattered. She also had an office, which was very exciting. That room was pretty small as well but Poppy had never had an office so she couldn't compare it to anything. The actual Hospital Wing was much larger. It was a long room with a high ceiling and many metal beds lining the walls. At the end of the room there were floor to ceiling windows. Poppy went over to them, a sigh of wonderment escaping her lips. The view from the Hospital Wing really was incredible. A grass bank swept down to the side of a lake, the dark water slowly biting at the light coloured stones on the shore. The trees looked small and from this distance the sheer size of Forbidden Forest could be appreciated. During her period as a student, Poppy had not spent much time in this area of the school. She had always been a careful person and, on the odd occasion she had injured herself, she mustn't have noticed the incredible beauty of the landscape.
"You think you will be happy here?" Albus asked.
"Very!" Poppy nodded with a smile. "Very, very happy."
"I am glad." Albus said. "I shall leave you now and give you some time to settle in. I expect you'll have some preparations before the start of term tomorrow."
"I only hope I can live up to expectations." said Poppy.
"I'm sure you shall." Albus replied. And then he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "I've heard from good sources that you are the best there is."
"I'll try not to disappoint."
"Well, I'll leave you to your unpacking. I wish to talk to you later about a very important matter."
"We could discuss it now." Poppy said. "If you'd like."
"No, no." Albus shook his head. "It can wait for the time being."
And he left the Hospital Wing, his robes swishing behind him.
Poppy stood in the middle of the room, practically glowing. This was her hospital. She had never been the head healer before. It was a challenge that she thought she was up to. She sat down on one of the beds and sighed happily. Nerves or not, she was looking forward to this year.