Chapter Two

The Students Arrive

Jennifer quickly realized that having only two weeks before the students arrived was nowhere near enough time to get everything she had planned done. Just putting her room and office in order and setting up equipment took the better part of the first week, and the rest of the time had to be dedicated to getting her agendas for each class reviewed and approved as well as getting acquisitions filled out. After a full week of late nights she managed to get them all done, receiving the last approved syllabus on the day before term. Finally able to exhale, she decided to spend her last quiet afternoon sorting handouts by stacking them in neat piles on her classroom desk. She wanted to leave nothing to chance on her first day.

But when she returned to her office, she froze mid-step just inside the doorway, staring agape into the room. In the little time it had taken her to organize the classroom, her entire office had been sloppily repacked into the trunk she had left in the middle of the floor. Minerva heard the scream emanate from where she sat in her classroom at the other end of the hall and immediately rushed over to investigate.

"Jennifer! Are you all… oh… oh dear!"

Jennifer searched the trunk, trying to keep her temper in check.

"It's all there, but half of my equipment looks like it's broken and a fair number of my books are ruined!" Jennifer said, brushing her hair back in frustration.

"Peeves did this, I'm sure. Our poltergeist. I'll go set Mr. Filch on him at once. Do you think you can get all of the damaged items categorized so we can get you set up before the students arrive tomorrow evening?" Minerva asked sympathetically. Jennifer nodded with a frown. "I suppose we will have to excuse you from the staff preterm meeting tonight. I'll send you a record of it, though, don't worry."

"Lovely," Jennifer sighed, sitting down beside the trunk. Until Minerva had mentioned it, she had completely forgotten there even was a meeting. At least the poltergeist saved her from the embarrassment of not showing up by forgetting.

"I expect Peeves saw that there was a new professor and seized the opportunity to break you in, so to speak. I'm sure it won't happen again now that you know he's there." Minerva did her best to curb a smile that had begun to appear on her face. "By the way, in case I forgot to mention it before, welcome to Hogwarts."

As Minerva left to attend the meeting, Jennifer chuckled in resignation. Casting a dictation spell on her notepad, she began to sort through what was left of her belongings.

"So. Our young new addition is already missing a staff meeting and we haven't even started the term yet."

"Now Severus," Minerva glared disapprovingly at him for the mocking tone in his voice. "It wasn't in any way her fault. You know how Peeves can be."

Severus Snape, Potions Master and adviser to Slytherin House, was about to reply on how a Defense teacher should have known better to walk into a castle that size without watching for ghosts, but quickly curbed his reply when Dumbledore stood. The sallow man pressed his thin lips together and focused his dark eyes on the Headmaster.

"Now, let's all try to be understanding, and all take the time to welcome our new Professor Craw when we can. Jennifer is a fine addition to our staff, and I believe she will be invaluable to us in the trying times ahead. With any good fortune, I am hoping that she will stay on as permanent staff." Dumbledore glanced over at Severus, the rest of the staff's eyes following his. Aware of their scrutiny, Severus nodded expressionlessly. "Now, did everyone get their security assignments? I expect the first of these rounds to be completed and double-checked before the students arrive tomorrow."

"Professor? You were going to get back with me about Quidditch security?" asked Rolanda Hooch.

"Ah yes, let's take a walk down there after the meeting. If there are any doubts that our new measures will be able to hold up, we may have to postpone or cancel the season." Everyone's eyes turned to look at Dumbledore.

"With all due respect, Professor, I don't think canceling the season would be a good idea," Rolanda protested. "In fact, it might be construed as cowardice."

"Headmaster, you did want us to conduct business as usual," Minerva pointed out.

"Perhaps since the true concern seems to be relating to Harry Potter, we should just ban him from playing. He does seem to be the main target." Severus suggested. Minerva sent him a freezing look.

"Now now, I did say 'if' and 'may.'" Dumbledore said calmly. "If there is any question of safety towards any student, we must, of course, do whatever possible to protect them. I will take all of your comments into consideration. For now, we will go with the security measures we have already devised. However, Severus, if there does come a point there is valid concern that our security measures are not enough, then Harry and perhaps all the students will have to wait until those issues are addressed."

Fog held on throughout the next day, but Jennifer was too busy to notice or even step past her office door. Replacements for her potion equipment arrived first, thankfully giving her time to set up her complex cauldron lab and magic testers. Hagrid was determined to find as many of the items as he could, and by early evening he returned with the last box of books, setting them on her desk.

"'Ere they are, safe n' sound, at leas' wha' we could find. But I need ta get ta th' train soon."

"You're a lifesaver, Hagrid! If I hurry, I can have the rest of this put away before the ceremony!" Jennifer exclaimed and gave the big man a hug. He blinked in surprise before uncomfortably patted her gently on the arm.

"Sorra I couldn' find them all. Gonna have to order 'em, I reckon."

"It's okay, Hagrid. Most of the ones still missing were my older print potion books. I'll just ask… Professor Snape, is it?... and see if I can borrow one of his if I need it." Jennifer glanced over the volumes and dusted them off, missing the expression that Hagrid had made when she said that.

"Uh, Professor Craw, there's sommat you oughtta know about…"

"Hagrid!" Minerva's voice called out from down the hall. Jennifer looked up just in time to see Minerva's head appear in the doorway behind Hagrid's large form. "You had better get going. The students will be here any minute! Here, Jennifer, let me give you a quick hand."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall. See you later, Professor Craw." Hagrid waved and walked away, muttering to himself about remembering to tell her something later.

It was just as they finished going through the last of the books that the older students began to step into the corridors. They passed by her open door, many of them still chatting merrily about their summers abroad.

"You need to be getting to the Great Hall, Jennifer. I'll be in the front while they're assembling, because I need to bring the first years in," Minerva explained. Suddenly she looked out the door as a pair of the older boys with bright red hair ran by, looking as if they were in a bit of a hurry and whispering fervently to each other. "Not already!" Minerva exclaimed, shaking her head with exasperation as she stood up.

"Halt, Weasleys!" a powerful voice called from down the hall. As Jennifer stepped up to the doorway, a tall, black-haired professor stormed down the hall, swooping behind the twins like a hawk grabbing onto its prey. "Into my office. Now!" he snarled, pushing them slightly forward. Jennifer couldn't help but think she'd never seen anyone quite like him.

"Who… which Professor… was that?" Jennifer asked. His expression was dark somehow… she'd seen that look before somewhere, but it wasn't something she'd expect to have seen from a professor… at least, not one under Albus Dumbledore.

"That is Professor Severus Snape, he teaches Potions. I'd introduce you to him, but it appears he's a tad indisposed at the moment. I wonder what Fred and George Weasley have done to get on his bad side already?" Minerva tsked. "In any case, you had better get going. I will see you in a bit. Good luck," she added before disappearing down the corridor.

It only took Jennifer a few minutes to get to the hall where most of the staff had already gathered. Dumbledore smiled warmly at her as she approached, gesturing towards an unoccupied seat to the right side of him and next to a light haired, golden-eyed woman that reminded her somewhat of a hawk. She welcomed Jennifer warmly.

"I'm Rolanda Hooch," she whispered, "in charge of sports and recreation classes. You got here just in time. We're just waiting for the Potion Master to show up."

"He had to deal with a couple of students," Jennifer murmured, glancing over at a stool in front of the tables. Sitting on top of it was a strange old hat that looked as if it had seen better days.

"That's the Sorting Hat," Rolanda explained, following Jennifer's gaze. "It picks what house they will be in."

"Oh, that's right. My mother told me about that. Her house was Ravenclaw," Jennifer nodded with interest. "We were all pre-assigned at Whitebridge in America."

Before Rolanda had time to respond, the hall grew quiet as the last of the older students, a pair of twins led by Severus Snape, rushed to take their seats at the Gryffindor table. Severus quickly strode the length of the hall to take his seat, and then Dumbledore nodded for Minerva to let in the first years. Jennifer got the feeling there were eyes on her back, and in surprise she turned to meet the searching, suspicious gaze of Professor Snape. But it was then that the students began to enter so she quickly nodded to him and turned back to the procession.

Seated below, members of the different houses shifted in their seats waiting to see who was going to be sorted their way. Over at the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter leaned forward to whisper to the boy sitting across from him.

"Which one is your cousin again, Neville?" Harry asked.

"That one, the ruddy chap with the blonde hair. I hope we don't get him." Neville's dislike for his cousin was plastered over his face. "He made my life miserable at my great aunt's wedding, the little beast."

"I'm sure it'll be all right. I doubt the Sorting Hat would put him in this house," Harry said, instantly reminded of his own wretched cousin.

"Well, the Sorting Hat does sometimes keep families together, just not necessarily, " Hermione was quick to point out. "Take the Weasleys, for example. They all went into Gryffindor, isn't that right, Ron? Ron?" Ron didn't answer. In fact, he wasn't paying attention to anything other than the new professor. Hermione painfully jabbed him with her elbow, bringing him back down to earth. "Pay attention! What are you thinking of?"

"Another Dark Arts professor! And take a look at her!" Ron exclaimed. Fred, sitting on the other side of Ron, leaned closer to the group.

"Maybe she's the sort that kills with her good looks," Fred suggested.

"She must be fresh out of school," George added with a chuckle. "She can't be all that much older than us. They must be getting low on professors the way Hogwarts keeps going through them."

"Oh, stop it. Why were you late, anyhow?" Ron asked.

"Snape found our exploding bubble gum," Fred explained. "The hard way."

"He stepped in it," George agreed. They both grinned at each other.

"Hufflepuff!" the Hat cried out over the sounds in the hall. Cheers went up from the Hufflepuff table as the first student was sorted, and they turned their attention back to the new students.

"Amadeus Longbottom," they heard McGonagall call out.

"There he goes," Neville murmured quietly, holding his breath.

"Ah, clever this one, yes quite, likes to put a lot of use to it too, it seems… perhaps you'd be best for Slytherin!"

Neville's face showed a mix of relief and nervousness, for although he didn't particularly want his younger cousin in his house; he wasn't so thrilled about him becoming a Slytherin either.

One by one the names were called and sorted, each meeting a smattering of applause at the tables. At last they were all seated, and Dumbledore stood to give the announcements, warning students what to stay away from, and not to go wandering around the castle grounds after dark.

"I would also like to welcome a new member to our staff, Professor Craw, who will be teaching our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes." Dumbledore smiled encouragingly. Jennifer stood and waved quickly as the students applauded. She smiled at them warmly, especially towards the Gryffindor table as she curiously tried to figure out which one was Harry. "And now without further delay, let the feast begin," Dumbledore added and the feast appeared.

Ron shook his head in apparent shock.

"She is way too fit to be a Dark Arts professor," he said, earning a very cold look from Hermione.

"Well, she can't be any worse than the last one," Harry commented. In fact, the last one, an impostor of the one who was really supposed to teach, nearly had him killed. He was also not stupid enough to make a comment like Ron did with Hermione present either, pretty or no. He suddenly wondered if Ron wasn't doing that on purpose just to get Hermione worked up.

At the head table Jennifer picked at her food, trying to ignore the curious glances from the students as she nibbled on a roll. The house ghosts appeared to welcome the new students, and Jennifer couldn't help but to squint at them, slightly suspicious that one of them might be Peeves. She had already made up her mind to get even with that one.

"Not hungry?" Rolanda asked after watching her a moment.

"Oh, uh, just a long day, I suppose," Jennifer admitted.

"Looking at some of these students turns my stomach as well," Severus agreed with a sneer. Jennifer couldn't help but sense a hint of amusement in his voice. "I suppose you haven't been teaching long enough to build up much resistance to it. But I'm sure a little time at Hogwarts will thicken your skin."

Jennifer met his cold look evenly, attempting to hold her temper in check. Okay, he's taunting me, but why? She didn't even know him and had no reason to believe he had anything against her. Still, there was no way she was about to give him the pleasure of showing weakness by looking away from his baleful gaze and he showed no signs of ending it. In fact, the exchange between them went on for so long that many of the students had stopped eating and were curiously watching them along with most of the staff, sitting on the edge of their seats as if waiting for something to happen. Just then, Dumbledore cleared his throat, causing half the staff to jump. A round of nervous chuckles came from the student tables, followed by loud whispering.

"Well then," Dumbledore said with a smile, "if we're all finished, we should probably go about our business. Shall we? It's been a long day," he added.

Severus waited for Dumbledore rise before standing himself, while Jennifer basked in a second of triumph for not breaking the stare. Minerva quickly moved to intercept any conversation between Jennifer and Severus, offering to walk her up to her room. Not far down the corridor, Minerva turned and exhaled.

"Don't let Severus bother you, Jennifer…"

"He wasn't bothering me," Jennifer stated sincerely as they began to walk up the stairs. "I just want to know why it seems that he's against me being here."

"Severus is a distrustful man is all, and a bit wary of new folk. He has a complicated past," Minerva explained in a low voice. Jennifer paused on the stairs in front of her, looking back at her with a grin.

"Name me one professor here that doesn't have a complicated past," Jennifer challenged her.

"Very well, so you have a point. Be that as it may," Minerva replied with a sigh, coaxing Jennifer further up the stairs.

"He's almost too distrustful, really. Usually people who are distrustful have had occasion where they themselves weren't so trustworthy at some point, like those who had to betray someone?" Jennifer fished. She was encouraged by Minerva's tongue-tied expression and urgent attempts to hurry them faster up the stairs. "But now he's here teaching at Hogwarts. Why? If he's here, whatever happened must have gotten him turned around. Or has it?"

"We shouldn't be discussing such things in public," Minerva decided resolutely, "and not with just anyone either. Yes. Any concerns you have about staff should probably be taken to them first, else Albus Dumbledore." With noticeable relief, Minerva stopped in front of the painting of Dewhurst.

"Well, don't blame me. You started the conversation," Jennifer reminded her mischievously. She quickly whispered her password (escargot) and entered, closing the door before Minerva could get in another word.