-1Over the years, Kayla and Josie monitored Harry's family. For a while they gave reports to Dumbledore explaining the horrible conditions under which he was living.
"He's sleeping in a cupboard, Dumbledore!" Kayla would announce.
"They hardly feed him!" Josie would add. Dumbledore, however, felt sure that though their treatment of Harry was far less than desirable, they would not allow any harm come to him.
"It is important that we hide him from the magical world until such time that he can enter Hogwarts." He seemed to repeat as if he were a broken record. Eventually, both women stopped arguing as they never received a different response.
Josie had a hard time getting over Sirius's arrest. For a full year she refused to talk or see anyone who believed he was guilty. Once the shock and heartache had disappeared, however, she began to realize that there was no other explanation. Peter was far too quiet and too timid to have done such a thing. She soon began seeing people again, talking to them, though never about Sirius.
Remus never returned to his home. Kayla went by his home every week in hopes of finding him, though he was never there. No one seemed to know where he had gone, not even Dumbledore. His suspicions, however, were that Remus had gone into hiding, fearing that he would be named an accomplice or that Voldemort's followers might target him for recruitment, by his will or their's. Kayla eventually gave up hope of finding him, no new ideas as to where he could be ever coming to mind. Blind determination to find him turned to pure anger. She felt abandoned. Three of her first and dearest friends at Hogwarts were gone, and now Remus abandoned her without a clue as to where he was. Kayla became as set on not speaking of Remus as Josie was about Sirius.
The Order had disbanded as there was no longer an enemy to fight. Although Voldemort still had loyal followers doing his final biddings, Aurors were taking care of them. Over the years, many accused Death Eaters had been arrested, including Sirius's maniacal cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, for the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Their son, Neville, was sent to live with his Grandmother when his parents were admitted into St. Mungo's.
Dumbledore offered both Kayla and Josie teaching positions at Hogwarts. Both had been associated with social outcasts for far too long to be hired anywhere else. The significant others of a werewolf and notorious murderer didn't look well on applications. Both women accepted, Kayla as the Charms professor and Josie as Care of Magical Creatures.
They both anxiously awaited the arrival of their close friends' son. They often wondered what he looked like, if he had his parent's fiery personalities. Finally, the year came when they could welcome young Harry Potter into their classrooms.
The start of term feast had arrived. Kayla and Josie took their seats at the staff table beside each other as they always did. Professor McGonagall sat on Kayla's left, Professor Sprout on Josie's right. Neither spoke, anticipating the first year Sorting, waiting to hear Harry's name called. The night before, they both speculated over which house he would be placed into. Kayla hoped that the years of mistreatment hadn't harden him to Slytherin standards.
The doors to the Great Hall finally opened and the chatter from the staff and returning students quieted as a long line of small and scared looking first years hurried in. Kayla nudged Josie and pointed somewhere in the middle of the line.
"Look. There's Molly and Arthur's son, Ron. He looks just like the rest." she said fondly, always having liked the Weasley family. Josie smiled and looked just to Ron's left at a young boy and had to remind herself of what year it was. There beside the youngest Weasley boy was the spitting image of James Potter.
"Kayla…It's him." she whispered. Kayla looked to where Josie's eyes were fixed and saw him. He looked frightened, yet awed by his surroundings, being raised by Muggles never gave him the chance to experience true magic before. Kayla smiled affectionately, feeling as proud as if she were watching her own child walk to his first Sorting. Professor McGonagall stood and maneuvered her way to the stool on top of which sat the magic hat.
She called the names of each first year in alphabetical order. Kayla and Josie applauded absentmindedly to each Sorting, holding their breath to hear Harry's name.
"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called. Kayla and Josie straightened in their chairs and watched excitedly as Harry slowly walked up to the Sorting Hat. Both girls could see him mouthing something as he walked up, neither sure of what it was. Their curiosity turned to amusement as the Sorting Hat spoke.
"Not Slytherin? Are you sure? Well, then, it must be…GRYFFINDOR!" Harry, Kayla, and Josie all breathed sighs of relief as the Gryffindor table was in an uproar. The rest of the names were called until the last child had been sorted. They were delighted to see that Ron Weasley had also made it into Gryffindor with his brothers, Fred, George, and Percy. Dumbledore spoke and gave his usual before feast speech. The room was then filled with sighs of awe and relief as food appeared magically before them. The room filled with the noise of conversation and the clatter of silverware on plates.
When the feast was over and everyone had been dismissed, Kayla and Josie walked back to their offices together.
"I wish we could say something to him." Josie said. Kayla nodded.
"I know, but Dumbledore doesn't want us showing favoritism for him simply because his parents were James and Lily." Kayla said, not at all appreciative of Dumbledore's reasoning.