Disclaimer: I own nothing this is a figment of not only my imagination, but now yours too. Ha, ha. I infected your brain. Lol. Enjoy and tell me what you think.


Chapter 9

At the time, although we worried obsessively about it the muggles did not seem to clue on to what will one day be the single most magical place in all of Britain being right in their backyard. If I had stayed in the future long enough to of gone to Hogsmeade village I would have realised that it was there that the village of our troubles currently resided, and would that not be something worth wondering over. Alas I knew not, and as such did not know the true extent of the conflict to come.

"Now, I expect for the homework to be turned in by our lesson on Wednesday," I said gently, dismissing my third year class. They smiled and scampered off to do whatever it is that children in this time did when unburdened with work. I loved to teach I discovered. I genuinely like watching a student learn and grown knowing that it was my efforts that helped them along.

"Lady Jenifer," Conner Potter, a Gryffindor ancestor of mine piped up, "When can we use magic on the grounds again?" I let out a small sad sigh.

"As soon as we can ascertain that the neighbouring muggle village is not a reason for concern," I said sadly, "Until such time magic will be confined to the castle." One of the girls in the back row sniffed and stalked out among her classmates and I had begun to worry. Elizabeth's father, the Lord Anderson, was a pureblood that pushed for the hunting and exterminating of muggles, should they get to close. If this were to turn into a conflict then he may gather enough support to at the very least rally a mob. As I were in need of yet another problem.

"If you please, I would appreciated it if I could be notified the second that Lord Anderson has made his way to the castle?" I asked of the head house elf. A male elf named Blightly.

"I be telling the mistress if the man be on the grounds," he said, nodding in assent and bowing low before disappearing with an audible pop. Well, that was all I could do about such a situation now. Other than warn everyone for the possibility of such a move, I was stuck.

Unfortunately it did not take more than two days for the man to show himself. He came swinging in the great hall at lunchtime. The doors clattering against the wall. His arms swung wide as he strode in, with a look of well faked concern plastered on his face.

"My fellow Lords and Ladies, I came as soon as I heard," he said coming to a stop before the teachers table, "I have heard news of the muggle filth settling not far from here and endangering our beloved school and have come to help you remove them."

"That will not be necessary," Row said coolly, nothing got under her skin more than pushy attempts to try and control the school. I made a big show of standing up and walking to the other side of the table.

"I am thankful for your speedy presence," I said grasping on of his hands in mine, "But they are not a problem currently. In fact they are proving to be a valuable resource in our continued attempts to strengthen the wards."

"Lady Jenifer you are far too kind with your words," he said lifting a hand to his mouth so he could kiss my knuckles, "But I fear with your limited interactions with these… these people that you have no true knowledge as to how dangerous that they truly are." He chose his words carefully, knowing from previous encounters that I would rage against slurs and insults.

"That I may be but my companions have assured me that they will be of no problem, and I am willing to defend any child that needs it," I said with a smiled that bellied the rage in my stomach. I did not want to deal with his pettiness. "But you have come on such a long journey just to ascertain that we were not in need of aid. I thank you, and welcome you to join us for the meal before you depart."

"Yes milady," he said taking a seat. Beyond his faux charming smile there hid an acquisitive glint in his eyes that set my flesh crawling in revulsion, as it was directed at me. He didn't leave. Not tomorrow or the next day, nor the week after that and something had changed. He was openly courting me. His wife had died in child birth some years ago and by some reasoning's, only I would seem to do. Elizabeth was ecstatic.

"If you marry my papa, then you shall be my mother Lady Jenifer," she said brightly, smiling a large smile and through the girl was sweet if prejudiced, I would only have married her father under pain of mind control.

"He is getting worse," I hissed at an unusually bother Salazar, "How do we get rid of him?"

"Without bloodshed or student endangerment, I fear there is no way Jenifer," he sighed, "The man may be disgusting but he has planned this well. Spurn him and cause an incident that could mean alerting the muggles to the presence of magic. Allow him to court you and you shall find yourself entrapped in a proposal that gives him the authority of Lord of the castle."

"Either way determines that he slaughters the muggles and takes the chance to alert someone, who in turn shall form a mob. Magic may be mighty, but with this many children liable to danger and multiple craze opponents out for blood we place them all at risk," I sighed, "The best that I can do is try to hold off until the warding is discovered and in place, keeping all muggles uninvited from entering this place."

"I truly fear that it is," Sal said before slamming a hand on the table, "Damnation. Row and I did not think to train you to deal with a situation such as this, but train you we must." He helped me jump through the many hoops to undermine the courting in a subtle way that should he of known nothing, the Lord Anderson would have believed to be nothing more that bad luck, and maidenly innocence.

I had, however forgotten the one single truth that remained in Hogwarts both past and present, nothing stays secret for long, for even the walls themselves have ears. It was an oversight on both mine and Sal's part, and it was one that neither would ever, ever forgive ourselves for.


There, done. Sorry it's so short but it was the best stopping point that I could use. The next part deserves a chapter all of its own, trust me. Review me, it'll make my day!