yet another disclaimer: the world belongs to Jo, not me.
author's note: many thanks to my readers, thank you for your interest and your feedback.
Chapter 10.
The first school day at Hogwarts can best be described as "organized chaos". I woke up a bit after dawn and got myself washed and dressed in my new teachers robes. I realized that the minute I actually started teaching my wardrobe would change a bit, defensive magic is physical work. If I tried practicing spells with my students in the stylish, somewhat formfitting robes that Madame Malkin had chosen for me I'd end up embarrassing myself, and giving the boys a lesson in female anatomy that they didn't need. The formal robes would only come out for appropriate occasions. I was told that First Day breakfast in the Great Hall was just such an occasion.
Although the normal schedule would be four two-hour sessions each day, on our first day, each teacher would spend one half-hour with each class year. We would discuss our syllabus, give out the reading lists, and spend sometime getting to know our students. The Hogwarts academic schedule is one of the most confusing things I'd ever seen. I sincerely hoped that my "kids" could figure it out. I was just thankful that I'd been give a detailed list for each day of the week. I gave each of my students two pieces of equipment that I thought would be invaluable to their learning, each of my kids got a hardback composition book for notes, and a ball point pen (I detest spilled ink bottles). I asked them to try them in my class for a week, if they hated them, they could return them to me. I insisted on the notebooks though, rolled parchment is a pain in the posterior.
I give my predecessor a lot of credit in the fact that from our short conversation, my upperclassmen (the fifth, sixth and seventh years) had a decent theoretical background in defensive magic. Three of my twenty-five seventh years were interested in careers as Aurors. The fourth years were enthusiastic and funny, it was going to be a challenging but fun year to teach. The thirds were slightly shorter versions of the fourths. My seconds were somewhat calmer, most of the girls were fascinated by Pitch who insisted on riding on my shoulder. The "Ickle Firsties" (as I'd heard the resident poltergeist refer to them) seemed shy and a bit stupefied by the whole school experience. At supper that evening Neville informed me that the fact that I hadn't had to deduct any points or assign any detentions meant that my first day was an unparalleled success.
Speaking of this whole "point thing", it didn't sit well with my american sense of egalitarianism.
Why should the entire dorm suffer for the misdeeds of just one of it's members? Flitwick and Neville explained how the house cup worked, and how peer pressure was a great regulator for behavior,
the students taught each other as much as we taught them. I understood the concept, and I would follow the well established rules, but I didn't have to like them.
I retired to my suite after an evening staff meeting. There was a rolled scroll sitting on my desk.
Glinda, just wanted to make sure you didn't forget our date for tomorrow. I'll meet you at the main entrance to the castle at noon. I can't wait to see you. Charlie.
Even in all the excitement of the start of the school year, I hadn't forgotten about my date with the copper haired, green eyed dragonologist. Although, I rarely remember my dreams, I'm pretty sure he figured quite prominently in them.
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My alarm woke me at 9:00am on Saturday morning, after shutting it off, I poked my nose out the window to get a feel for the days weather. It was a bit cooler than I was used to, September in Boston tends to be hot, I found the weather rather refreshing. I showered and dressed myself, I had a date at noon to get ready for.
Charlie and his motorcycle were waiting for me exactly where he'd said. I found him leaning up against the stone wall that surrounds the castle. He was wearing his usual denim jacket with a black t-shirt, jeans and a well worn pair of basketball shoes. There was a pair of round mirrored sunglasses hanging from a buttonhole. As I got closer to him I noticed a long scratch on his forehead, and quite a shiner on his right eye, he looked like he'd been in a brawl. He smiled sheepishly at my raised eyebrow, and said "hello, Beautiful!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a massive bear hug. Before I could say anything, he gave me a kiss that melted my knees. Upon realizing that seeing one of their teachers "snogging" might cause permanent psychological damage to any passing students, I reluctantly broke off the kiss.
"Hello Charlie," I said. "Did the hatchlings do this?" I asked, as I gently touched his cheek.
"After we got the incubator furnace fixed there was a little brawl between two male juveniles. It took three of us to pull them apart. Welsh Greens have a hell of a tail slap."
"That had to hurt," I observed.
"I went to grab one of the little buggers by the tail and he got me in the face first. I was lucky, had he been a horntail, I'd have lost an eye. We got them apart though. How was your first day?"
"Pretty good, what did you have planned for today?"
"Lunch at The Three Broomsticks, then a stroll around the village. I was thinking we might want to take the cycle for a flight, but it's gonna rain."
"Sounds good," I looked up at a very angry looking sky. "I think you're right about the rain," I
agreed. "By the way, thank you for my rat, he's wonderful. Colin named him 'Pitch'. He was a bit annoyed with me this morning when I put him in his cage, I think he wanted to come with us ."
"One of your students named him for you, that's brilliant." Charlie led me to the cycle, and handed me the spare helmet.
"Colin's not a student, he's a ghost."
Charlie gave me one more quick, but still knee melting kiss before we hopped on the bike, and headed into Hogsmeade.
"We got three lunch specials today," the young waitress informed us as she led us our table in a very crowded tap room of the Three Broomsticks. She brought us to a nice little booth at the back. "Number one is haggis, number two is bangers and mash, three is shepherds pie."
"What's haggis?" I asked.
"Sheep's stomach stuffed with oats, entrails, and veggies." the waitress answered.
I looked at Charlie skeptically. He just shook his head warningly. "I'll have the bangers and mash." he said.
I decided to trust Charlie taste, "I'll have the same."
"Any drinks?"
"I'll have a butterbeer, you want a drink love?"
"Do you guys have any cola?" I figured I'd ask, just in case.
"Classic or diet?" At my surprised look, the waitress explained. "Couple years back we had an American exchange student at Hogwarts, he introduced Madame to the stuff, now she's hooked, we keep it in stock, now."
I just grinned, "classic please."
"Right then, two number two's, a butterbeer and a coke." She wandered off to fill our order.
Charlie grabbed my hand from across the table. "I've been thinking about you all week," he said to me. "My assistant Petula is very amused by the whole thing. She asked me if I was going mental. She pretty much told me that I wasn't allowed to come back to the office till I'd put my brain back in the right place. I got back to my office at the Ministry yesterday afternoon, to catch up on some of the rubbish that piled up while I was at the reservation. I made such a mess of it, Petula asked me what had me so distracted, I told her about you. She wants to meet you."
"Really?"
"She said something about shaking the hand of the woman who might keep her boss from becoming a monk."
Our lunch arriving saved me from having to make any comments. When I told some of my bureau friends that I was going to be working in Britain, they laughed and warned me about the food. I'm the first to admit that I'm picky. I just sort of gaped at the plate put in front of me. "This looks interesting," I said as the waitress walked away.
"It tastes a lot better than it looks," Charlie assured me as he took up knife and fork. I eyed one of the sausages dubiously, and cut myself a bite. Charlie was right, it did taste better than it looked. We ate lunch and chatted for quite a while. Charlie told me more about his four surviving brothers and his sister. I got the impression that although he loved them all he was closest to his brother Bill.
After our meal, Charlie waved for the cheque. When we left the inn, the rain that had been threatening hit. Charlie took my hand and led me to the motorcycle.