A/N:
I started a new story called "The Adventures of Harry and Harley". This is also a Sirius' daughter fic, but it's not a crossover. It's just strictly HP. I named his daughter Harley because, A: I am total fail at coming up with names, and B: I thought it would be a name Sirius might consider for his daughter just to stick it to his parents. I'd love it if you'd check it out and let me know what you think. :)
I am not giving up on this story, though. I am still invested in finishing it, and promise it will not be abandoned.
Oh, and speaking of Harleys, my sister has decided that she hates Justin Bieber (even though I know for a fact that she has a t-shirt with his face on it in her closet at this very moment), and is most aggrieved that her pretend name in this fic is Harley Bieber. When I asked her why she has developed this sudden distaste, she told me that he tried to sing "What Goes Around Comes Back Around" by Justin Timberlake, which was simply criminal, as he brutally murdered it. She was also not impressed by a video reenactment he did of the boy asking his father, "Is this real life?" after visiting the dentist. Apparently the Bieber has crossed into the land of the lame, and she does not want to be associated with him in any way, even if it's just in a silly fanfiction I write in my spare time. So, she's decided she'd much prefer to be a Timberlake, even though I find this quite creepy seeing as how he's more than double her age. However, since it is just a silly fanfiction I write in my spare time, I decided to humor her. Harley Bieber now equals Harley Timberlake. I've changed the previous chapters, so if you're a newer reader, this won't mean very much to you, but if you've been following the story for a while, please don't be confused about the name change.
Disclaimer: I use some direct text from the book in this chapter, mainly during the introduction of Umbridge, so I just wanted to reiterate that I do not own Harry Potter or anything in the Potterverse. No copyright infringement intended!
Now, on with the chapter!
Chapter 21:
The Cullens were anxious to get to the castle, so we arrived a couple days early. We decided to arrive at night, as that is when the castle looks the most magical. We even took the boats over like little firsties.
The vampires were suitably impressed with the school, and I have to admit that I had a new appreciation for it as well. Seeing the castle through a vampire's eyes was a completely different experience. I could also feel the ambient magic much more distinctly than before.
We made our way to the Headmaster's office first so we could retrieve our room, office and living assignments. After looking over the assignments, The Skirts and I began to give the vampires a tour of the castle. We showed them all secrets we'd discovered the last year with the aid of the Marauder's Map and our own investigations. They were most impressed by the Room of Requirement, unsurprisingly.
After we finished showing off the castle we headed out to the new recreation facility. The place was amazing and my girls couldn't be happier. The students would now have a place they could go to keep their bodies healthy and fit, and the girls couldn't wait to teach them muggle sports. Sammie was happy about the dance studio that was included.
By the end of the night the humans were exhausted and made their way back into the castle to get some sleep. The vampires wanted to continue exploring. We stayed together as a single unit during the night. The vampires talked to many portraits, exceedingly amused that the occupants became annoyed at having their sleep interrupted. I didn't really want to have any part of annoying the portraits. They had been invaluable during our investigation of the castle's secrets. I didn't want to anger potentially powerful allies. The vampires finally agreed, but demanded they get to spend some time the next day getting to know the various portrait people.
We swung by the kitchens where I had Alice tickle the pear for entry. They all chuckled as the door swung open. We were immediately swarmed by a gaggle of house-elves eager to serve. Missy approached and told us that Dumbledore had alerted the house-elves of the arrival of eight vampires, but we were not to be feared. She told us they would provide any type of blood desired, just to let them know which species we preferred.
They then brought out every type of desert you could think of after informing us they'd been made aware of the Taste Potion. The chocolate cake nearly turned me into a puddle of mush. Edward loved the treacle tart.
After vanishing the food in our stomachs the group separated to get settled into their own rooms. Edward and I were sharing the Arithmancy quarters. We unpacked all of our things and spent the early morning arranging the rooms to our liking.
We ate breakfast with the other staff members in the Great Hall. Professor Snape glared at me maliciously. Jasper and Edward nearly broke our cover growling at him. Snape knew everyone from the Order meetings, but no one but Dumbledore and the residents at Grimmauld knew that the Cullens and I are vampires.
I placed a comforting hand on Edward's arm and sent waves of calm toward him and Jasper. They both looked over to me. I spoke softly so that only vampire senses could hear. "Ignore him. His hateful glares ceased bothering me last year." Everyone nodded their ascent, deferring to me in this matter.
It was the truth, though. Yes, Severus Snape hated my frozen guts. It didn't really ever bother me, not even when I didn't know why. Of course now I know that I had reminded him of my father, one of the people he hates most in the world. And let me tell you, that is saying something for a man like Severus Snape, who holds a lot of hate and resentment in his heart.
I can't fully blame the man though, not really. Daddy told me everything about their feud, and was truly remorseful for the actions of his younger self. He should be. It was foolhardy and cruel to the extreme. If Uncle Jamie hadn't reacted so quickly, Severus Snape would have been dead, and Remus Lupin would have been executed. Daddy wasn't thinking about these consequences, though. All he was focused on was getting his digs into his enemy. The fact that he would be exposing one of his best friends as a Lycan, and how that would affect Remy, had never even entered his mind.
I had thought about trying to talk to the man, but decided against it. Daddy had apologized to him and was rebuked. I mean, honestly, Snape almost had Daddy kissed by a Dementor. I'd say they're pretty even. Snape was far too gone to ever consider this, though. He was content in hating a man for an incident that occurred two decades ago. It actually made me feel sorry for him more than anything else.
So on that note I just ignored the greasy haired dungeon bat. The other professors were very welcoming, so I wasn't going to let one bad apple spoil the bunch.
We continued our exploration of the castle after breakfast. The portraits were much more congenial during daylight hours. I had already spoken to most of them during the time spent at Hogwarts the previous year, so it wasn't really anything new for me. I just enjoyed watching the wonder on my family's faces as they took in these new experiences.
After they'd gotten their fill of the portraits I showed them the library. We spent the rest of the day reading through books on every magical topic under the sun. Emmett had found a book on raising dragons and was desperate to get his hands on an egg. It made me laugh out loud. I couldn't wait to tell Harry. He'd told me about the egg that Hagrid obtained in their first year. Honestly, Emmett wanting a dragon was just as absurd as a man who lived in a wooden house. "Emmett?" I tried to show him reason. "You do realize that dragons breathe fire, right?"
He nodded his head enthusiastically. "Emmett. You're a vampire. Fire is one of the only things that can destroy you."
He just smiled and patted my head patronizingly. "You bet, Bellsy."
I sighed and looked to Rosalie. "Don't you dare let him get his hands on a dragon egg."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't worry, Bella. I'll keep him away from any dragons and their eggs." I smiled back at her. She was completely different from the bitchy girl I met at Forks High. I liked this version much better.
We spent the last night without students helping Esme and Rosalie set up the muggle studies classroom. Edward and I drew the runes while Emmett and Jasper set up the electronics. By the time the sun came up the room had been transformed into a techie's wet dream. There were gaming systems, computers, arcade games and televisions. We'd definitely be spending many of the night hours in this room throughout the year.
We had a staff meeting after breakfast the next morning. The students would be arriving that evening and Albus wanted everyone to be on the same page before we were overrun with young witches and wizards. The meeting began with the Headmaster introducing all the new teachers. Umbridge sent me a hateful glare when Edward and I stood up to tell the Professors what we planned to teach the students in the upcoming year. Everyone seemed impressed with how Edward and I had updated the curriculum. Well, everyone except Umbridge and Snape.
The longest introduction was for Esme and Rosalie's muggle studies class. They gave a detailed account of the various technologies they'd be introducing as well as various field trips they'd planned. They'd rightfully realized that the kids needed to be truly exposed to the muggle world if they ever hoped to understand it. It's like that movie Blast from the Past with Brendan Fraser. He lived in an underground bunker for the first 35 years of his life, so he didn't have any real experiences. His father tried to explain baseball to him, but he could never understand the concept of a forced out. He would always ask why the runner would advance to the next base if he knew he couldn't make it. His father would tell him, "Because he must." He never understood until he saw an actual game, then it clicked. "Because he must!" It's the same concept with muggle studies.
All the Professors, sans Snape and Umbridge of course, seemed very intrigued with the new direction of the course. They knew the students would now be excited to take the course and would actually learn something useful. It is our hope to show the students the ingenuity of the muggle community. A lot of magical people who haven't been exposed to the muggle world tend to see muggles as backward, slow, and practically handicapped by their inability to perform magic.
The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Because muggles don't have magic as a crutch, they have to be more inventive, more forward thinking. They think outside the box and begin looking for the next greatest thing before they even finish developing the current greatest thing.
To say that muggle society is behind wizard society is a true testament to the arrogantly erroneous nature of pureblood supremacy. For Merlin's sake, muggles haven't used fire as a primary means of light in a century! If wizards would pull their heads out of their asses, they could use magic to far surpass muggle innovation. Unfortunately, even in the States, where blood status is a nonissue, muggle advancements are often ignored in favor of wizarding traditional ways.
If magical students come to appreciate muggle inventions before they are so irrevocably set in their ways, the next generation of wizards could far surpass their predecessors in regards to magical advancements. They will hopefully develop a certain amount of respect for the intellect and ingenuity offered by muggless, as well. After all, they're all human. The fact that some humans have magic and some don't isn't a reason to wage a war, or an excuse to murder innocent people.
After the meeting the rest of the professors went about their day preparing for the arrival of the students. Vampire speed and sleepless nights left little preparation for the Cullens. I decided to take everyone on a jaunt through the Forbidden Forest to focus the nervous energy simmering through my vampires.
Because we left my fellow Skirts behind so they could finish their preparations, we were able to explore at vampire speed. I showed them the various sights, including the Aragog's cave. Our animal forms had always instinctively avoided the area, and when Harry told us of his adventures we found out the reason. An acromantula is not a creature one wishes to stumble across, let alone an entire colony. They're no match for vampires, however.
We even came across a unicorn on our ventures, but dared not approach. It was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen, Edward excluded, of course. The creature eyed us skeptically for a few moments before continuing its lazy grazing. I was beyond astonished at this. I'd expected it to run off immediately. Animal instincts see through our glamour effortlessly. The unicorn knew what we were but did not feel threatened.
"What is it, Bella? You feel surprised about something," Jasper inquired quietly amidst the low murmurs of awe uttered by the rest of our family.
"Unicorns are the most innocent creatures in the world. They can sense darkness, evil, and untrustworthiness that taint any creature they happen upon. She knows we're not human, that we're vampires, yet she doesn't see us as a threat. She sees our true selves, beyond our species, and has judged us accordingly," I explained with a smile. "She's sees eight pure souls."
The undiluted glee that poured out of my family made me feel giddy. It caused a trill of laughter to bubble out of my throat, well beyond my control. My laughter was contagious, the rest of our group quickly dissolving into their own fits of giggles.
I expected the unicorn to spook at the sudden noise, but she didn't. She simply cocked her head to the side and studied us as if we were some kind of fascinating creatures. She then shook her mane, as if amused by our antics and turned to walk away.
The vampires could barely contain their excitement as they talked over each other telling the Skirts about our experience with the unicorn. My girls ate it up, enjoying their exuberance and providing an excellent audience for the tale. It did make quite a good story, as unicorn sightings are quite rare. We'd traipsed through the forest countless times during our year here and never crossed paths with one.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing HALO in the muggle studies room. Jasper dominates that game, but Emmett always insists on challenging him. Edward used to give him a run for his money, but now that Jasper can block his thoughts, Edward has to rely on his own strategies. No one can out strategize Jasper Whitlock Hale Cullen.
We were all excited when it was finally time to descend to the Great Hall to welcome the students back to school. None of the vampires had tired of the new found pleasure of eating human food, so we were all looking just as forward to stuffing our faces as we were to greeting the students.
We took our place at the staff table, looking a bit conspicuous. Our vampire features were hidden by glamour, but we were still quite an attractive group, and my girls are all gorgeous as well. This was not overlooked by the students as they filed into the Great Hall. The whispered conversations were rather humorous, and the vampires had to hold our reactions in check. It wouldn't do for the humans to realize we could hear their secret murmurs.
Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys all waved as they entered the Hall. Everyone knew us Skirts from the TWT the previous year, but the Cullens were an unknown. The group was immediately pounced upon once the other students realized they were familiar with all the handsome new faces. The interactions were quite amusing.
"Who are they?" asked Lavender Brown, many other students leaning in to hear the answer.
"The Cullens. Bella knew them from back home."
"Oh, how does she know them?"
"The one to her left is her fiancé."
"Oh?" The disappointment in that one word was so blatant I involuntarily snorted. I just couldn't help it. "How long have they been engaged?"
"A week."
I saw Lavender smirk. "Oh, not very long, then. How long have they known each other?"
"I don't know, Lavender. Why do you care?"
"I'm just wondering how serious he is about her."
"Pretty serious, Lavender. He asked her to marry him," Hermione snapped. "I've never seen a man more devoted to a woman in all my life."
"Pity. He's so pretty." Everyone but Edward snorted at this. I could feel my poor fiancé's embarrassment at the not so confidential conversation taking place with our friends at the Gryffindor table. "What about the others, then. They're pretty, too."
It was Edward's turn to snort this time. Luckily we were all quiet enough not to draw the attention of any of the humans. "They're all married, Lavender!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "And they are here as teachers! They are not going to be interested in romantic entanglements with students!"
Unfortunately for Hermione, instead of laying the matter to rest, the students became even more interested.
"What are they teaching?" asked a boy I didn't recognize. "I'm especially curious about the blond."
Emmett let out a quiet growl at the question. Yeah, he was really going to have to get used to that. "She's teaching muggle studies with her mother-in-law. And I would be careful what you say about her. Her husband is the big burley one. He's here for security; you don't want to mess with him."
"Why do we need security?" sneered Seamus.
Harry looked at him like he was completely nutters. "Because of Voldemort," said Harry slowly.
Seamus flinched rather violently before guffawing unpleasantly. "Says you. Me mam nearly kept me from Hogwarts because of you, Potter."
I could feel anger swelling inside at the snide remark. Did Seamus not learn anything from my little rant last year? You don't mess with Harry Potter when Isabella Black is around. I discreetly stood from my seat and glided toward the Gryffindor table. I knew Seamus would continue to spew his nonsense, and I wanted to be close enough for the humans not to question my overhearing.
"She believes the Daily Prophet, does she?" asked Harry incredulously. "She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?"
"Well then tell us what happened that night, Potter. You won't talk to anyone about it, and no one else really knows what happened wherever you went, do they? You're probably just trying to get attention, just like last year," replied Seamus harshly.
I'd made my way behind Seamus just as he started his retort. When he finished, I slid into the space beside him. "Are you forgetting about me, then Seamus? I was there as well. I assure you that Harry is not lying, nor is he trying to seek attention. Voldemort is back. I saw him with my own eyes. I thought we'd addressed the lack of faith you have in your fellow Gryffindor last year. Don't make me address it again. As a professor, I can't shout at you in front of the whole school, but I can give you less than pleasant detentions with one Mr. Filch."
With that I stood and made my way back to the high table. When I was a few feet away, I turned to Hermione. "Hey, Hermione, can you come see me in the Arithmancy room after you see the first years to the dorms? I need to speak with you about something."
She nodded curiously. "Can we come along?" Harry asked, pointing to Ron.
I smiled at my brother. "My door is always open to you, Harry," I said, before turning and continuing the short walk to the teacher's table.
When I reclaimed my place next to Edward, he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "That was so sexy, baby. I love seeing you get all riled up."
I chuckled and squeezed his cheeks. "You're so easy," I said, pecking him on the lips. This earned us a glare from Professor Umbridge. We both just smiled cheekily in response.
She didn't get the opportunity to offer a verbal reprimand, as the doors opened to the reveal about a hundred amazed firsties. They looked so small and innocent. I felt a pang of sadness for them in that moment. They were all entering a whole new world. Even if they'd been raised in the magical world, like Nicole, entering school was still a new adventure. Hogwarts enhanced this feeling of embarking on new territory. The castle had so many hidden secrets…nothing can truly prepare you for it. These little ones should be able to come in and relish in the opportunities before them, but it's like they have this dark cloud hanging over their heads, even if they don't notice it.
The sorting hat sang a song about the importance of house unity, filled with warnings of oncoming darkness. The Great Hall clapped for the song, but it was a bit disjointed and accompanied by questioning whispers.
After the last student was sorted, Dumbledore took the podium and gestured for quiet. "I'd like to welcome our new students; we're very happy to have you here. I'd also like to welcome back our returning students. These halls aren't the same without you. Now, as you can see, we have many new teachers this year. First we will address the issue of Professor Black. She attended Hogwarts last year as Isabella Swan and competed alongside Misters Diggory and Potter for the Triwizard Tournament. She knew she was the daughter of Sirius Black, but decided to keep her identity a secret until her father could be proven innocent. There has been much speculation about her over the summer, but I ask you not to pester her with your curiosities. She will be teaching Arithmancy alongside Professor Edward Cullen." The school clapped loudly for me and Edward as we stood for the acknowledgement.
"We will have multiple Professor Cullens at Hogwarts this year. Professor Esme Cullen and Professor Rosalie Cullen will be teaching muggle studies. I want to speak to you all a moment about this class. The curriculum has been vastly improved. The new professors have discovered a way to allow muggle technology to function inside the castle. Students will learn about a variety of muggle electronics, and I'm told there will be weekly HALO tournaments, whatever that means." There was a roar of applause from the muggleborn and halfblood students familiar with the game, causing the rest of the students' curiosity to peak.
"Yes, yes, I'm told it's quite popular. There will also be weekend field trips to various muggle attractions. The school is funding the trips; all you'll need is signed permission forms. Now, we have painstakingly developed this year's timetables to place muggle studies in a time slot that can be added by any student, third year and above, who wishes to take it. We believe that now, more than ever, understanding those different from us is vital. I understand that many of you will be skeptical as to the usefulness of a class like muggle studies, so I offer you this. You may sit through a week of the class before you decide whether you'd like to add it to your course schedule. If, after the week has passed, you decide you do not wish to continue, you may drop it."
There were the sneers from the usual suspects, but most of the other students seemed intrigued. Even if they'd never been exposed to any muggle technology, the idea of getting out of the castle every once in a while seemed to appeal to the vast majority of students.
"Moving on from muggle studies, we have Professor Hale splitting Divination classes with Professor Trelawney. Every students will spend one class a week with Professor Hale and the other with Professor Trelawney." There seemed to be mixed reactions to this news. Most students were happy to have a class away from Professor Trelawney, but some of the students, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil in particular, seemed most upset.
"Now, I'll finish up with the Cullens and Hales before I move on to our other new Professors. Dr. Cullen is a muggle doctor who will be assisting Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing." There were some pretty shocked faces at this declaration. The muggleborn students seemed happy, but the purebloods looked angry. Ha! I'd like to see them try to pull something over on Carlisle. "Dr. Cullen has a vast knowledge of the human body, as well as multiple degrees. Being married to a witch, he has also studied potion making, specializing in healing potions. He'll be helping Madam Pomfrey with brewing, as well as working to advance the field of healing potions. I expect every student to treat him respectfully." I grimaced at the faces of some of the students. I didn't like the idea of Carlisle being the odd man out. He's so kind and compassionate, and I was afraid he'd be putting up with a fair amount of abuse. Abuse the students might not even realize their dishing out, as he'll be able to hear their whispered conversations. The only option is to cross that bridge when we come to it. No use in worrying about it now.
"Emmett Cullen and Jasper Hale will not be teaching; they are here in a security capacity. They'll be monitoring the halls along with the prefects, ensuring that the castle remains a safe place to learn. They are both very formidable opponents, and I suggest you refrain from testing them. You won't like the outcome. They will have the same authority as our Professors, and I expect you to treat them respectfully." Emmett and Jasper put on their best intimidation faces, and it seemed to work. The students seemed to hold a respectable amount of fear for the pair.
"Now, we are implementing a new physical education program at the school this year. Professor Sanderson spoke of such a program at Salem, and it is most beneficial to her students, as proved by Professor Black during the tournament. There will be a mandatory class for all students twice weekly. They will be taught jointly by Professor Pattinson and Professor Timberlake. As part of the requirements for this class, you will need to exercise for an hour outside of class three times per week. Quidditch can fulfill this requirement, as well as various other intramurals that will be introduced by your new instructors. One of these will be dance classes taught by Professor Lautner. She will also be teaching a new Liberal Arts elective we're offering this year. Students who wish to participate in this class will present various plays and musicals to the school throughout the year where the parents of the performing students will be invited to watch." This news garnered extremely varying reactions. Most of the boys were excited, while the girls were less so. Almost all of the pureblooded Slytherins looked as though someone just told them they'd be in charge of cleaning the toilets this year. Gasp! They were going to have to actually work up a sweat? Oh the humanity!
Dumbledore continued after the noise died down. He went on to introduce Professor Grubby-Plank who was taking over for Hagrid this year. Finally he landed on the Ministry toad. After giving her a brief introduction he moved on to informing the students about Quidditch tryouts, only to be interrupted halfway through his sentence.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, I felt a powerful rush of dislike that I could not explain to myself; all I knew was that I loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ("hem, hem") and continued.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
Glancing around, I could see none of the faces looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins and not so silent giggles.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members; none of us bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawk-like, and I distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "hem, hem" and went on with her speech.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"
I could see the students' attentiveness ebbing. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over on the Ravenclaw table Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out a copy of The Quibbler.
Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and I was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest.
Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. I had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech.
Most of the teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.
"… because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The rest of the staff followed his lead, though most of us brought our hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…" he began, finishing the sentence that was so rudely interrupted by the Toad woman.
After a few more warnings about the Forbidden Forest and banned items, the feast commenced. I'm not sure the students would have been willing to wait much longer, so the timing was impeccable. The Cullens were most impressed with the spread that appeared before them, and began digging in immediately. I was pleased to see that the elves substituted some traditional English meals with American ones. Steak and kidney pie, no thank you.
After everyone had their fill, the students began to file out. Emmett and Jasper stood to oversee the students' journey to their common rooms, fulfilling their security duties. When they walked past me I subtly waved my hand under the table, vanishing the food sitting in their stomachs. They sent me an appreciative smile as they followed the students out.
My girls bid us goodnight. They were sleepy after the feast and wanted to make sure they were sufficiently rested for the first day of classes. The rest of us made our way up to the Arithmancy room to wait for Hermione, Harry and Ron.
We all wanted to do something nice for Hermione for inventing the potion. Like me, her favorite subject is Arithmancy. I found a first edition copy of "A Sorcerer's Guide to Arithmancy and Spell Creation" when I was in my fifth year. It is an extremely valuable tome, and very rare. I'd had to part with quite a bit of gold to acquire it, but it was totally worth it. It was an invaluable tool for the Skirts, aiding us in the creation of many spells that supported our nefarious plots.
I decided to gift her the book in thanks. I read it after my transformation, and had all the vampires read it as well. The book itself was now relatively useless to us, as our minds retained everything perfectly. I'd never have to consult it again. It was still a wrench giving it away, as it was one of my most prized possessions. It paled in comparison to the gift she'd given us, though, so part with it, I must.
The trio arrived about thirty minutes after us, escorted by Emmett and Jasper. We told them about our adventures over the last few days, exploring the castle and grounds. Harry got down on his knees begged Rosalie to keep Emmett away from all dragon eggs, causing the rest of us to snicker.
The trio told us about their trip on the Express. Apparently everyone wanted to know exactly what happened during the final task of the TWT. They were also very curious about my dad and wanted to know everything that happened with him following his escape from Azkaban.
Harry is a very private person, so he wasn't keen on sharing these personal experiences with everyone in Hogwarts. Hermione had finally sealed their door shut with so many locking charms she'd had a difficult time getting out of the carriage herself.
They'd shared the carriage with Luna Lovegood. They thought she was a bit mental, but I encouraged them to be friendly with the girl. The Skirts and I had spoken to her a few times the previous year, and found her very intelligent and incredibly kind. She has a hard time making friends, as people automatically write her off just because she marches to the beat of her own drum. My girls and I respect that, and I'd be very disappointed in my brother and his friends if they were unkind to her.
After explaining this to them, and receiving their assurance that they would be friendly toward the girl, I explained why we'd asked Hermione to come see us tonight. "Hermione, all of us vampires are very grateful to you for developing the Taste Potion."
"Yes," said Edward. "Bella hasn't had to experience the world without the ability to blend in completely, but the rest of us have. Even if we could hide our supernatural features and tame our instincts, we'd still never be able to blend in with humans socially, as we don't eat. You don't realize how many interactions revolve around ingestion. When humans make plans, most of the time there is food somewhere in the mix. We could never really make plans with any humans, as they'd notice very quickly that we don't eat. But now we can. It will completely change our existence."
"So, this is the first part of our thank you. Carlisle will explain the second part after you open it," I explained, handing her the wrapped tome.
She looked taken aback as she stared down at the wrapped package in her hands. Very gently, she removed the paper. She gasped in shock when she saw the title. "Bella! I can't accept this!"
"Of course you can, Hermione. We've all read it and we have perfect recall. We've no real use for it anymore, and I know you'll make some brilliant discoveries with it. Now, I can't guarantee you won't be hounded by the other Skirts to borrow it," I said, smirking.
The small girl practically launched herself at me. I gently returned her embrace, noticing the wry grins on both Harry and Ron's faces. She noticed as well after she pulled out of the hug, causing her to blush. "Oh stuff it, you two. I would bet my vault that she'll discover something using that book that will save both your asses at some point in the future, so keep your smart ass comments to yourselves." They both nodded sheepishly, knowing I was right.
Carlisle stepped toward Hermione next. "Yes, well, as Edward said, you've vastly improved the quality of our lives with your Taste Potion. Bella wanted to present you the book from all of us, but it's really just from her, as it was solely her possession. We wanted to contribute something as well. We discovered a rare book club during our time in wizarding NYC, and signed up. You see, they have stock piles of very rare and valuable books that they procure from various places. They send each member of the club a list monthly. Each list is different. You choose one book form the list each month, and it is yours to keep. If after you finish a book you decide you no longer wish to keep it, simply return it and they'll send you another list of choices. This does not replace your monthly choice; it's more of an exchange irrespective to the monthly service. We've procured you a lifelong membership," he explained, handing her the first list.
Hermione accepted the list, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets as she scanned the titles. "This…this is amazing! I don't know what to say. Thank you so much!"
Carlisle smiled kindly at the young girl. "You're most welcome, my dear. Now, why don't you three head back to your dormitories? I'm sure you're ready to fall into bed. Emmett and Rose will escort you."
She nodded excitedly, hugging everyone as fiercely as her little arms could manage. I doubt she was going to be getting any sleep tonight, poor dear. Perhaps we should have done this tomorrow. She'll be up all night reading through that tome.
After everyone said their goodnights, Rosie and Em led the three teens back to Gryffindor Tower. We had decided to take turns as couples roaming the halls at night. Jasper and Em would be responsible for security while we were teaching, but we'd share the burden the rest of the time.
Esme and Carlisle left for their quarters while Alice, Jazz, Edward and I made our way to the muggle studies classroom. We were going to play Mario Party until the sun comes up.
A/N:
So, first things first, I need to thank my lovely reviewers!
Lara, VeronicaD13, BloodyBleedingRose, Darlene101004, mimic121, Crazy-Sly Angel Cullen, lunarwing, AFlawInCourage, izzysunflower, , DreamerHorse, iwantacullentoo, BellaPevensie96, deathgeonous, vivx-chan and Angel JJK!
You guys are awesome, and I so appreciate you sticking with my story and letting me know what you think!
As for this chapter, I know it was a bit of a filler. I had to go through the motions of getting them introduced to the school and settled in. I hope it was enjoyable for you all. Please let me know what you think! Your reviews make me :D!