Hogwarts
He awoke in the morning to the sound of raindrops hitting the windshield. Miss Slayton was already awake. She was quietly starring out the window, lost in her own thoughts. She had pushed her sleeves up and was leaning against her left arm. Holmes was sleeping on his back in his carrier, finally quiet. That cat had meowed most of the night!
"Er, Good morning, Miss Slayton." Harry said quietly. She snapped to and quickly pulled her sleeves down, left one first.
"Good Morning, Harry." she said softly, giving a friendly smile. "Not much to look at today is there? A lot of clouds and rain. I had forgotten what it is like here. It's pretty dry where I've been living. You know, we should be getting close to Hogwarts. I can't tell how close, but surely its not going to take forever. I am awful tired of sitting in this car. Sleep well?"
"Er, yes, except for when Holmes was awake." Harry replied. What was under that sleeve that she was hiding. For the first time during this trip he began to feel uneasy about Miss Slayton.
"Is something wrong, Harry? You look worried." she asked.
"Uh, no. Just trying to wake up, that's all." he said trying to put his mind at ease.
"If your sure then. Harry, if something is bothering you, you can talk to me. I can be trusted to keep a secret." she said.
'Yeah, I'll bet.' he thought.
Miss Slayton brought out some muffins and another bottle of water she had tucked away in a case in the back seat. After eating Miss Slayton returned to her thoughts and watching the world outside the car.
Harry turned on the radio, which was now tuned into Wizard Wireless. There was a news report about a reported gathering of Death Eaters near London. There had been no reports of injuries or damage to property, but the Ministry had called for an investigation. There was an interview with Lucius Malfoy. He said that the Ministry was looking into the matter, but they did not expect to find any answers.
"He's not going to find any answers because he doesn't want to get himself in trouble. Hello! Have these people forgotten who--what he is? Please change the station, Harry. I can not bear to hear of those Death Eaters, they are terrible people." Miss Slayton said sharply, reaching for the radio dial, but she stopped midway.
"In other related news," the radio announcer continued, "Sirius Black was spotted in the vicinity of the Death Eater meeting, but avoided capture once again. Could there be a connection between Black and the Death Eaters? Spottings have Death Eaters have been on the rise since Black managed the only recorded escape from Azbakan two years ago. He has evaded capture since then, with a wide range of spottings from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to Chiapas, Mexico."
"He had nothing to do with that!" Harry shouted. "He is not a Death Eater! Pettigrew framed him!"
"I know that, Harry. I have heard the story, but the evidence points against him, and he was spotted near the Death Eaters. What do you expect people to believe? Calm down. Sirius will take care of himself. Don't worry about him, O.K.?" Miss Slayton soothed.
Harry felt better about Miss Slayton after that. She seemed to be on the right side, and she didn't trust Lucious Malfoy. He wondered how she came to know he was a Death Eater. 'First hand knowledge?' he wondered.
Harry tried to think about it more, but just then the car descended out of the low clouds and Hogwarts castle loomed in the distance. It was one of the sweetest sights Harry had seen in a long time.
"Finally!" exclaimed Miss Slayton. "I have to Pee!" She gave Harry an embarrassed smile as she guided the car down to the castle. The car landed with a bump and Miss Slayton drove the car on to the lawn.
They had apparently been spotted. Hagrid came across the lawn, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore came from the castle. Meagan stopped the car and tossed the keys to Hagrid.
"Here you are, Hagrid. Don't 'spect I'll need those for a while." She walked over to Professor Dumbledore and shook his hand. "Hello, Professor. I got him here safe and sound as promised, and on time despite the speed on..."
"Now, Meagan" Professor McGonagall interrupted, "If you hadn't had..."
"Minerva, come on, do you think I would have done anything crazy? Not with a student in my car." Miss Slayton went and stood before her.
Professor McGonagall smiled and gave her a hug. "I have missed you. You have been gone too long." she said wiping a tear from her eye.
"Oh, Minerva! I was here just a month ago. You've got me back now. No tears. I am not going anywhere for a while." Miss Slayton said tenderly. She walked toward the castle. "Excuse me for a moment." she called as she disappeared into the castle.
" 'Allo, 'Arry. Enjoy your trip? Tha' Miss Slayton. She's a sommat else, eh?" Hagrid asked. He had already started to unload the car. Harry's trunk sat on the ground in front of the castle.
"Something else, all right." he thought. He was confused. There was something hiding underneath that sleeve, and yet she and Professor McGonagall were real close. He didn't know what to think.
Harry greeted Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and then he and Hagrid carried his things up to the Gryffindor common room. He placed his trunk at the foot of his bed and unpacked several things. The common room was too quiet. It was usually so full of hustle and bustle. Harry found himself longing for the afternoon to end, so he could reunite with his friends.
Harry decided to go and find Hagrid but was in no particular hurry. He wandered the familiar halls, glad to be back. This place felt like home to him. He strolled past the library, the entrance to the kitchen and the hospital wing. The sunlight filtering in through the windows began to dim, candles and torches began to magically light themselves. Harry decided he had better go find Hagrid. As he neared the great hall he could hear Miss Slayton's voice. She was singing with Peeves,
"Oh Mr. Peeves/ Where can you be?/Off to class or to harass the staff? Oh-Beware the Bloody Baron-y. / Oh Mr. Peeves/ What can you say?/ Mess with me,/ You'll rue the day!/ Oh- Beware the Bloody Baron-y! Beware the Bloody Baron-y!" and then they exploded in laughter.
"You still remember that, Peeves! I made that up when I was maybe 10! Hello, Harry!" Miss Slayton said turning her attention to him. She had changed into her robes and fixed her hair up in a bun. She looked older now, more like a staff member. It was strange to see her practically rolling on the floor with Peeves. Most of the teachers, and Filch, saw Peeves as a pest and certainly no one encouraged him.
"Miss Slayton, have you seen Hagrid?" Harry asked.
"No, but I was just about to find you and see if you wanted to go meet the Hogwarts Express."
"I would love to come!"
Harry and Miss Slayton made their way across the grounds to the place where the train would stop. He had never walked this way on the grounds before. They walked along the mud track that the stagecoaches traveled. He could hear the Hogwarts Express approaching. The whistle let off one last loud and mournful call as the train chugged to a stop. They arrived just in time. Students began to disembark from the train. Harry heard a familiar voice shout "Firs' years over 'ere." and three more voices shout "HARRY!" Somewhere in the crowd he, gladly, lost Miss Slayton.
Harry took off toward his friends. Ron and Hermione ran up to him. Charlie and Ginny followed.
"Oy, Harry!" called Ron "guess who our Care of Magical Creature Professor is?"
"Uh, Charlie?" Harry guessed.
"Hey! How did you know?" Ron asked disappointedly.
"Miss Slayton told me." Harry explained as he got into the stagecoach with them. Harry told them all about his trip to Hogwarts with Miss Slayton.
"Half a mo', Miss Slayton? Meagan Slayton?" Harry nodded "Meagan Slayton brought you to Hogwarts! Dumbledore let her bring you? Did you got to see what was under that sleeve?" Charlie asked when Harry told them about her guarding her arm.
"No. I didn't see what was there." Harry said "Do you know what is under there?" he asked remembering that Miss Slayton and Charlie had been in the same year.
"No. She had been guarding that arm as long as I can remember. I never saw her without her long sleeves. I can't think of anybody who might know, 'cept for maybe Professor Snape. She was real quiet and didn't talk to anyone. She was awful in potions, horrible temper, too. Snape would get on to her and she would yell back at him. He seemed to have more patients with her, not easy with detentions, though, she lived there. She was a Slytherin. Maybe that's why he was so patient."
"How would he know what was under that sleeve, though?" Hermione asked.
"Because during our fifth year she tried to cut out what ever is on that arm. Professor Snape found her in the Slytherin common room during a quidditch match and saved her from bleeding to death." Charlie explained.
Harry looked out the window. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. What ever Miss Slayton was hiding was big. He spotted Miss Slayton and waved. "There she is, Charlie." Harry pointed out as she waved back.
Charlie looked out the window. "Oy, wow, she's grown up," he said. Hermione and Ginny looked at him and giggled. Ron and Harry just stared at him.