Planning for a Better Future
Chapter Fourteen
New Students, New Year
September 1st
The students arrived in the Great Hall and sat patiently in their seats for the new first years to be brought in. No one was expecting any surprises this year, though next year Minerva had mentioned, they would be gaining a third Weasley. Severus had luckily missed teaching the other two recently, though he remembered Bill well enough that, after hearing the stories about his brother, he hoped the next one was better behaved. Poppy had mentioned last night that it was her understanding there were seven of them altogether. Severus had jokingly suggested that perhaps he should take another leave of absence.
The first years filed in looking, as usual, tiny and scared compared to the older students. One by one they were sorted, and in the end, Severus gained seven boys and six girls into his house. Poppy gained eight girls and four boys, Minerva ten boys and six girls, Filius gained twelve girls and three boys. This was the last big class. The year they were born, things had started getting very bad everywhere. The next six or seven years would have much smaller classes, even with muggleborns. Then there was the fateful year…without muggleborns, they would barely have a class. Luckily, they still had awhile to worry about it. The prediction was unusually high for the '91 year, somewhere between 50 to 75 percent were expected to be muggleborn. At least the boy wouldn't stand out too much if he did indeed come here.
Severus highly suspected that Dumbledore and the Ministry would ensure the boy stood out anyway. Either because he was foreign raised or worse, they would announce him with his birth name. Severus intended to attempt to convince Dumbledore for the boy's safety that he should be re-enrolled under his adoptive name, leaving who he was meant to be a mystery. So far, Dumbledore had not really responded to this suggestion either direction which was concerning.
The newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Wendolyn Wisecross, sat next to Severus. After the sorting, she turned to him and asked, "Do you think you got a good group this year?"
"I think we have another group of insufferable overexcited fools." Severus responded. "With luck and hard work, they may turn into a good group with the proper training."
"Well, you have a very negative view of them don't cha?" Wendolyn said with a huff. "I think they all have potential."
"… I believe that is what I said." Severus responded. "This is your first-year teaching is it not?"
"Yes."
"You'll learn. A word of advice. The red-haired pair over there are the Weasleys. They are trouble. Watch them carefully, especially with anything that can explode." Severus said.
Wendolyn looked insulted on the boys' behalf however Poppy, who had overheard the entire conversation, began laughing. "Charlie's better than Bill. But Severus is right, don't let them near anything that can catch fire or blow up unless you're right there with them. There's five more of them coming too from what I hear."
"Well, I think all children should be given a chance to show their cleverness before I judge them like you lot." Wendolyn said with a huff, excusing herself now that the students were headed toward their dorms.
"She'll learn." Poppy said with a shake of her head.
"She'll be gone by the end of the year, they always are." Minerva replied. "Don't worry I'll go sooth her pride."
"Wasn't worried." Poppy and Severus both mutter but take their leave as soon as their house tables were emptied. It was likely to be a long week, with the new year just beginning.
September 2nd, Dinner
Wendolyn sat heavily next to Severus as the children began arriving, black curls still smoking slightly, as she sighed and cast a spell to clean herself up. "Bill Weasley is a menace." She grumbled. "How that boy managed to catch half the room on fire is a complete mystery."
"Weasley. Mystery solved." Severus replied. "He's the entire reason I rearranged the syllabus my first-year teaching."
"Surely the other one can't be that bad?" she implored.
"I wouldn't know, I was lent out for a while following that year and this is my first year back. Ask Minerva and Poppy."
As soon as they were joined by the other two women, she turned to ask them just that. Minerva sighed and pinched her nose, while Poppy did her best to suppress a giggle. Minerva responded eventually, "No. Bill is worse, though Charlie is still a handful. He's less prone to fires, he simply forgets his homework on a regular basis and tends to sneak out of the castle to visit the Forbidden Forest."
"Lovely. I had Bill today…he seemed to have improved from his first year." Severus said as the food arrived.
"Oh, he has. Unless Reggie Watts or Coletta Hampsting are sitting with him. Remember those names. Never let them sit together. Ever." Minerva replied.
"I could have used that warning yesterday. They were both sitting with him in my class, along with some other boy… Marius Grunt." Wendolyn said.
"Ah yes, he sometimes joins them, though he's Ravenclaw so less often since the classes only occasionally combine."
While they watched, the boy in questioned entered the hall, surrounded by his friends. He sat with his brother briefly, before jumping up to talk to another boy further down the table. Collectively the turned to glare at the Slytherin table before he went back to his brother.
"Quidditch hasn't even begun yet, and the rivalry has already started." Poppy said with a tired sigh. "Last year Slytherin won by less than three points, Gryffindor has vowed to beat them this year, even with both captains graduating last spring."
"Speaking of last spring." Wendolyn said. "Is it true there was some sort of fight right here at Hogwarts?"
"It was a short-lived battle that somewhat spilled onto the edges of the grounds." Minerva said, reciting what they had all been told to say if asked. "Death Eaters were fighting an unknown group for unknown reasons."
"One of my students in third period said there were a bunch of foreigners that arrived just before it happened." Wendolyn said.
"They were unrelated to the incident. They are from the hidden continent and came to assess if our schools would be suitable for their children. Though it is my understanding they have a magic school of their own as well." Poppy said.
"They do." Severus replied. "Remus Lupin works there."
"Remus Lupin, but he's- "Poppy gasped.
"They are aware and are careful." Minerva said. "He was sent on Dumbledore's recommendation. It's better than letting the poor man suffer. You know how hard it would be for him to find employment here."
"Do I want to know what's wrong with this man?" Wendolyn asked, confused by the conversation.
"No, you don't." Minerva said. "You aren't working with him so it's pointless gossip."
"I said nothing other than he worked at that school" Severus said in response to her glare.
"I know what you intended." She responded.
"No, you don't. Remus is not a terrible person, though he is bad a choosing friends. I do not wish harm upon him. I disagree with his post but would not interfere." Severus said. "He disagrees with his post for that matter."