Welcome to the second chapter to Lupus Cor. I forget to mention in the first chapter that I do not own Harry Potter or the characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling, one of my favorite authors. I recently completed my 'South Park' story The Goth's Mute' and decided to bounce to a different setting.
Enjoy.
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My stomach rumbled as I took my seat at the staff table. Somehow I ended up between Snape, who looked like he had been sucking on lemons, and McGonagall's empty chair. Not that I minded since they had been my favorite teachers when I was a student. But where is the damn food?
"Welcome back, Talis," Snape drawled from my left. "Hopefully you've learned how to behave since you graduated." His black eyes glittered from the light given off by the hundreds of candles above us.
"That depends." I smirked at the Potions Master. "Are you still an old bat brewing potions in your lair?" A faint glimmer of warmth shone in his dark eyes for a few seconds, and I let out a small snort of laughter. "So who's the pink pumpkin?" I askd with a nod at the woman at the end of the table. She looked as if someone dunked her in a cauldron of pink paint.
Snape glanced over his shoulder at the squat toady woman. "She works for the Ministry; her name is Dolores Umbridge."
I wrinkleld my nose at her pink cardigan. "Couldn't she have picked a better color?"
"Pink isn't going to kill you."
"It almost did," I grumbled. "Remember that pink potion that exploded next to me in my fifth year?"
Snape's face sparked with mild amusement. Clearly he remembered the incident.
"Do you remember what happened?" I pressed. "I ended up in the Hospital Wing for a month because my skin was melting."
"Poppy healed you, didn't she?"
"Hmph."
The doors to the Entrance Hall oopened and the older students went quiet as the first-year students walked in. I could understand their fear, though it's been years since my own Sorting. That evening I had refused to let go of Blue Jacobs, whom had entered Hogwarts as my friend and departed as my enemy.
McGonagall appeared from a side door with an old stool and the Sorting Hat in hand. She set the objects down between the staff table and the students.
I looked around as the Sorting Hat began to sing its song of the year. A tight knot of Slytherins caught my attention. The blonde-haired Draco Malfoy was in the center of it; he and his group kept glancing across at the Gryffindor table. They're up to no good. I guess I have my work cut out for me. I cast my eyes onto the other three tables. The Hufflepuffs were listening intently like they always do. The Ravenclaws seemed as if they were trying to decifer the Sorting Hat's song; they did the same thing when I was in school. And the Gryffindors looked as if something was bothering them.
A unique pair of emerald eyes caught my gaze.
Harry was in a cluster made up of the Weasleys who were in school, Neville, Hermione and a few others. He didn't look thrilled as he listened to the Hat. I held his gaze for several heartbeats until he looked away. My heart thumped against my ribs and for some reason I felt disappointed.
The Hat was done singing before I could finish my visual sweep of the room. I applauded politely with the rest of the school but zoned out when McGonagall and the Hat sorted the new students.
"Who will you be pestering first, Creary?"
I glanced at Snape. "Not sure," I replied in a low tone. "You or Minerva, I guess."
"Do you think you're allowed in the dungeons? You managed to blow up Room Three."
"I was a fourth year! I've grown up since then."
"We'll see," Snape said with a smirk.
"Yes, we will."
The Sorting lasted longer than usual; my guess was that the Hat was being extra careful this year. When all the new students were settled down at the appropriate table, McGonagall took the stool and Hat back through the side door. My stomach gave out another unpleasant growl of angry hunger as Dumbledore stood up from his seat. He stretched his arms out as if he was trying to embrace the entire room and grinned happily.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, new students!" he said, his smile getting broader. "To our old students, welcome back! There are several important things of which I must inform you, but first we must please our gumbling tummies!" He sat down, and, as if on cue, the delicious food appeared on the tables.
My mouth watered. It's been ages since I've had such a decent meal. I didn't hesitate to load my plate with a stack of buttered potatoes, green beans and steak. McGonagall joined us a few minutes later, and all I could do was nod a greeting because my mouth was stuffed with awesome food.
Within thirty or so minutes the room was filled to the brim with joyful chattering and sighs of contentment. The food cleared away, but the atmosphere didn't change. For the first time in two years I felt at home and completely full. I leaned back in my chair, enjoying the feeling of my stomach pressing against my jeans. I wondered who was going to show me my quarters once Dumbledore was done giving the start of the year annoucemetnts.
The Headmaster once again rose to his feet, his magnificent beard glimmering in the candles' light. "Now that we have answered the call for food from our bellies, I ask for a few more moments before you go to your dormitories and to your warm beds. First year students, please take note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly out of bounds for all students. Hopefully some of our older students will remember this as well."
Was he looking at Gryffindor?
"Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, asked me to remind you that magic is not permitted in the corridors, especially between classes. There are several more things that shall not be done; the whole list can be found on his office door."
I rolled my eyes. That old man is allows trying to ban one thing or another in this school. But no one but the strictest students will listen to him. I can't even remember how many times I got caught doing magic in the corridors.
"There will be a few changes to the staffing this year. We are pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
Grubbly-Plank nodded her head to the poliite applause.
"A former student of ours has agreed to return as a teacher's assistant and will be helping out in the classrooms. He may appear a bit wild, but, I assure you, he is harmless." He smiled at me, and I could feel every eye in the room focus on me. "Welcome back, Mr. Creary."
Applause, a bit louder than Grubbly-Plank's, filled the room. I lifted my hand in a wave to the students, trying but failing at hiding my smile.
Dumbledore continued once the applause faded. "And we are happy to introduce Professor Umbridge as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The clapping had dulled down quite a bit, but the students knew better than to completely ignore a new staff member.
I glanced at Umbridge to see how she was handling such a low welcome. To my surprise, she had a grin on her face that seemed to be bordering on the edge of dangerous. I didn't like it. There's something about this woman that set me on edge. I watched as she made a tiny, girly coughing sound just as Dumbledore was beginning to mention Quidditch tryouts. If I hadn't have seen her do it, I doubt I would have noticed. But Dumbledore did and turned his blue eyes to her; I couldn't tell if he was surprised or upset at being interrupted. As far as I know, no one has ever cut in during Dumbledore's beginning of the year announcements.
The Headmaster sat down and looked at the toad-like woman. There was a guarded interest in his eyes.
I tried my best to hide my scowl as the Ministry woman rose to her feet and stepped out from behind the sstaff table. I clenched my hands into tight fists. My rage was starting to build, but a warning look shot at me from Dumbledore behind Umbridge's back cooled it to a tolerable simmer.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, for such kind, welcoming words." Her voice sounded like someone had given her too much sugar then forced her to be quiet once she was having a sugar-high. It was high-pitched, girly, and made me want to throttle her. This woman gave another little cough; disgust and annoyance flashed through the faces of the older students. The younger students appeared to not know if they should be paying close attention or to brush off her welcoming tone like their housemates.
"I'm so glad to be back at Hogwarts! And I'm so glad to see such happy little faces smiling at me."
What the hell? Did she think the students were toddlers? I know several who could jinx her into something more horrid than what she is now.
"I hope we'll become great friends as we learn from each other over the year!" She cleared her throat with that idiotic cough before continuing. "The Minister has always known that the education of young witches and wizards is a great importance." Her voice had lost the little girl tone. It was more like the business tones I heard all the time at the Ministry. "These unique techniques must to learned in with careful instruction, and must be passed down by each generation unless we want to lose them forever. This wonderous, magical treasure created by our ancestors must be protected and restored by those who have been selected to teach it." With a small twirl, she turned to the staff table and gave a very unpleasant bow. She turned back to the student body and continued on with her speech.
I leaned over to Snape and grumbled, "Is this chick for real?"
"I hardly think she is a chicken, Creary," he muttered, eyes fixed on Umbridge.
"I know that," I retorted with a roll of my eyes. "I meant, why is she here? It sounds like the Ministry is trying to weasel it's way into the school."
"That's exactly what's happening," said McGonagall from my other side. "Now sit still annd be quiet. You need to set an example for the students, even if you're pretending to listen."
"Minerva pretending to listen to an official. That's a new one," I murmured to myself, just loud enough for her to hear me. I settled back in my seat and listened to the droning of the toad, though her words were mashing together.
". . . preserve what out to be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and punish those who need to be punished." Umbridge smiled brightly at the students then returned to her seat. Dumbledore clapped poiltely, but the students did not join in. I think they fell asleep or something.
I could tell be the slight twitch of his eye that Dumbledore was a bit irritated but he made the announcement of the Quidditch tryouts then dismissed the student. There was a great deal of scraping as the benches at the tables were pushed back, then chattering and footsteps echoed loudly as the students made for the doors.
Several of the professors, including Umbridge left once the students had filed out of the Great Hall. But Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and myself stayed behind. Once everone was out of the room, I turned to my former professors.
"What the he-"
"Language, Creary!" Minerva shut me up with a heated glare. I guess she remembered my colorful mouth from when I was her student.
I cleared my throat. "I meant to say, what is going on this year? Why is this woman in Hogwarts?"
"She was approved by the Minister," Severus said, folding his arms over his chest. "Apparently no one else was qualified for the job of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." There was an anger in his tones, and I remembered how much he wanted to teach the subject.
"You must put grudges aside, Severus." Dumbledore looked upon each of us with his blue eyes. "It is true that Professor Umbridge was appointed by the Ministry of Magic. I guessed they thought I was a pompous old flutter-bat who could not select a proper Dark Arts teacher. I am not sure what this woman is capable of, my friends. Minerva, Severus, continue teaching as if nothing is wrong. We are professors of a school and must remember our places here."
Minerva nodded, her lips in a thin line. Severus just looked at the Headmaster with eyes that glittered with annoyance.
"Talis."
I focused my acid eyes on Dumbledore. "Yes, sir?"
His serious face lit up with a smile.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts and thank you for returning." His blue eyes twinkled. "Be on your best behavior while you are helping out around here. You will be attending Professor Umbridge's class with the fifth years tomorrow." He glanced at the door then added in a low whisper, "Be careful, Talis. This woman. . . The Ministry appointed her for a reason. We need to find out why."
I nodded.
"Wonderful!" Dumbeldore's voice bounced back to its normal cheerfulness. "Minerva will show you to your quarters. Good night."
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"Here is where you'll be staying, Talis."
Minerva had lead me to a door that was on the same floor as the Gryffindor portrait entrance. The door was concealed by a portrait of a big grey wolf basking in the moonlight; it lifted its magnificent head and looked at me with deep amber eyes. Something about it was familiar.
"You can set your own password," MInerva continued. "And before you ask, this painting wanted to be placed here."
"It's okay with me," I replied. "I like it."
"Everything should be in there. I believe you will be assisting me some time soon, but tomorrow you will be assisting Professor Umbridge. I suggest you get some sleep. Good-night, Talis."
"Pleasent dreams, Minerva," I said as she walked away. I turned to the painting of the wolf; it had sat up when I had bid the Transfiguration teacher good-night. Now it was looking at me with soulful amber eyes which was unusual for a painting. "How do I set the password.?"
The wolf held up a heavy paw and seemed to be pressing it against the surface of the painting. "Place your hand on my paw." Its voice was low and gentle which told me it was a female.
I glanced at my hand then hesitantly did as the wolf said. A warm feeling pulsed through my palm to the tips of my fingers.
"Say your password."
What should I say for a password? I glanced around the corridor for a hint, but everything was recognizable.
"Choose from your heart."
My heart?
"Lupus cor." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
"Excellent." The wolf dropped her paw and her portrait smung open to reveal a rectangular opening in the wall.
I stepped through the portrait hole into my new room. For a heartbeat I was swept back into a distant memory, but it was gone in a flash. The sitting room was furnished with a chair and sofa made from dark polished oak and cushions in variour shades of green. A cheerful fire was burning in a circular pit with a stone hearth. Shelves stuffed with books on magical creatures and the arts lined one of the walls. Two oak doors told me there were at least two other rooms. I opened the one on the wall opposite the bookshelf; it was the bathroom, which had been completely clean and stocked with toiletries.
The other door was my bedroom. The bedframe, closet and desk were made of the same polished oak as the furniture in the sitting room. Writing supplies were set neatly on the desk; the black bedding was crisp and clean; and the closet was filled with my clothes. The walls had been painted to resemble a forest. I half expected a deer to stroll out from among the trees.
A smaller bathroom was attached to my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes until I was in my boxers, avoiding the full length mirror that was hung on the wall by the claw-footed bathtub. I returned to my room, feeling fatigued. It has been a long day and my blankets were warm.
I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
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Lupus cor is Latin for "Wolf Heart."
