Chapter Seven

Lessons Learned

After eating two plates of escargot, a bowl of fiddleheads, and several butter slathered rolls, Jennifer excused herself with every intention of going straight to her room.

Annoyingly the staircases changed, and after waiting impatiently for a while, she realized they weren't changing back. She climbed all the way up to the next landing in an attempt to find an available stair in the right direction and found herself facing the spiral stair that led into Dumbledore's study. Warily she went up, well aware that Dumbledore was supposed to have been out of the country, and found it empty with everything neatly in its place. A brightly plumed phoenix was nesting on its perch, which seemed unconcerned about the fact she was there. Shaking her head in bewilderment, she turned to walk back out when she noticed the Sorting Hat.

Jennifer's curiosity got the better of her, and since she doubted she'd ever have the opportunity again, she shut the door, took one last look around, and put on the Hat.

"What's this?" The Hat spoke, trying to look down at the person wearing it. "Oh I see, a curious professor. You know what they say about curiosity, but still…perhaps we could take a look.

"You've quite the spirit, and braveness too,

But your strength stems from your perceptions true,

To your stubborn mental reasoning your emotions bow,

So I'd put you in Ravenclaw, if you were a student now."

Jennifer smiled to herself.

"The same as my mother had been," she said out loud, "Thank you, Hat." She put it back on the pedestal thoughtfully.

"You must have loved your mother very much," a soft voice said from behind her.

"Yes, of course," she nodded slowly, not turning around. "But her death was well over a year ago. Just because it's coming to light now doesn't mean anything. I have long gotten over it."

"So, Jennifer, if I asked you to turn and face a mirror right now and tell me what you see about that girl, what would you say?" Jennifer turned to Dumbledore, who was leaning on his desk, looking at her through his glasses.

"I would probably tell you not to trust her because she's lying through her teeth and she's fooling no one, not even herself," she chuckled bitterly. Dumbledore reached an arm out and Jennifer accepted the hug gratefully. She rubbed her watering eyes before sitting down in the high-backed chair. "I feel more like a student than a professor."

"If I had a galleon for every professor who's come in here and said that to me, I'd have more money than Gringotts Bank. They haven't been bothering you about your age, have they?"

"No. Well, Professor Snape did at first, but now I'm beginning to think he was just teasing."

"Oh really?" Dumbledore chuckled, looking at her over the rim of his spectacles, "Are you sure?" Jennifer grinned; so comical was the way he had asked that.

"I'm sure," she nodded, more to convince herself than anything.

"Well, good. I'm glad to see you two are getting along. That is definitely an astounding accomplishment," he winked. "And Minerva, she raves about you too. You're doing a splendid job, Jennifer, under quite a bit of pressure, and I just thought you should know so. For someone with your ability, you don't seem to give yourself enough credit. You need to work on that." Jennifer nodded slowly.

"I suppose she told you what happened today with the blackboard. Is that why you came back early?" Jennifer asked.

"In part," Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps a large part. A threat to a student is a serious and alarming occurrence, and one that we, sometimes blindly, race to defend against. A threat to a professor is a threat to the school and everyone in it."

"But Professor, I don't understand why some of those children have been allowed to stay until now. Their parents' loyalties and their own are quite plain."

"Children do not always make the same mistakes their fathers, did, Jennifer, nor should they be blamed for them. You of all people should understand that." Jennifer shifted in her chair, and she nodded uncomfortably. "As long as there's any hope that one can be saved, they will be welcome. And speaking from experience from saving one quite deep in the throng, there is always hope," he smiled at her, and she couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't talking about Severus.

"Now, as for how to proceed, I would like you to stay close to the school this weekend until I can find out some things. I also want you to try to relax and have some fun. Once Severus returns, I'm sure he can get to the bottom of the Mark business, so I don't want you to be too concerned by that. But remember to pay close attention to Harry's goings on. I'd be quite surprised if he and his companions weren't traipsing the whole campus right now looking for clues of one sort or another. Which reminds me," he said thoughtfully getting up. "I left some papers in my new guest study this morning. If you would be so kind to see that they get up here and on my desk, I would be most appreciative." Jennifer got up, finding herself alert and curious once more.

"Of course, Professor, and… thanks. For being here." Jennifer said with a weak smile.

"Thank you for being here," he bowed. "Good night, and try not to stay up too late."

Moments after Jennifer left, Minerva slipped into the Headmaster's Study, glancing over at Dumbledore's thoughtful face.

"I'm sorry that I had to cut short your visit, Albus, but I thought the circumstances were enough to warrant it," Minerva said.

"I agree that it was, and your letter wasn't the only one I received last night, Minerva. Severus has also been in communication with me about our new professor. As you can imagine, Voldemort wasn't too happy to hear that a Craw was still alive. The Death Eater who had been ordered to have the family killed fifteen years ago had, apparently, told him they were all dead. Needless to say, they're all in a bit of a hurry now to get rid of her."

"Well, add her to the list then, along with you and Harry that Voldemort wants dead," Minerva said. "It's not as if he can touch her while she's here, and besides, she can take care of herself. You told me yourself that her tests in the Dark Arts as well as self-defense were nearly off the charts."

"That's true, and I guarantee she didn't learn it from that Light Arts school she went to in the States, Minerva. Her father definitely had a hand in that. Still, a lot of that skill is on a book and knowledge level, not from being practiced. No, no… I have great faith in her teaching ability, Minerva, don't even bother to protest. I only wonder what she might stumble into if she's not careful."

The staircases were being annoyingly helpful to Jennifer as she went down to the lower study to get the papers Dumbledore had asked for.

"Wretched things. Why weren't you cooperating when I was tired?" she complained, scowling at them. She quickly let herself in, finding a large stack of papers wrapped in a folder on the desk. As she got ready to tuck it under her arm, she stopped short, having glanced at the first page of the files:

Alice Corsiva, Department of Mysteries, Personnel file 100098.

Sitting down on the floor to make room, she began to scan the papers, page by page. Without a second thought she began making copies of any files that had any mention of her mother in them. By the twentieth page, she paused, noticing for the first time her father's name in some old court documents and an affidavit. Chewing on her lip and wondering what she was getting herself into, she sorted the copies into one pile, keeping the originals in order as she went. At last she reached the end, looking at her copies thoughtfully… it was alarmingly a third of the stack. Granted, most of them involved tribunal proceedings where she had pulled out the entire case, but still. Folding over her copies and sticking them in her robe, she quickly picked up the originals and put them in the other study just as the stairwell clock struck a quarter past two.

Jennifer awoke with a note dropping on her head and Ratfly's squeaking noises. He was irritated; it seemed, of having to bring not only the letter but also yesterday and today's copy of the paper. Jennifer looked over at them with a sigh, already guessing why the one was late. She was certain it had mention of her mother's death in it. She opened the letter, trying to get her eyes to adjust. Sunlight was blazing in the room, and she was sure she had overslept.

If you hav time this aftrenoon an woul like ta learn ta ride pegusi just come on down ta see me. –Hagrid.

Well, that sounds like as good of a weekend plan as any, Jennifer thought, and she would have little time to think of her troubles while trying to control a mount. She crawled out of bed at half past eleven, searching through her bureau for her riding clothes. Brushing her hair into a quick ponytail instead of her regular tight braid, she grabbed her Hogwarts cloak and headed out, stopping in the kitchen for a quick sandwich.

It was a brisk day and a little breezy, but probably a perfect day for riding, Jennifer decided as she walked to the cottage. Hagrid was outside, waving at her excitedly.

"Ah, good, I was hopin' you woul' come!" he beamed. "I'll just start wakin' up the team then. It's a bit early for them, but that'll mean they're not quite as active either, if ya know what I'm sayin'." Jennifer smiled, climbing up the pen and sitting on it as Hagrid let out Ruby and Babe. "I invited Harry, Ron and Hermione t' come out later, so I hope you don't mind," he added, "You all seemed to get on alrigh' so I didn' think it'd be trouble."

"Not at all," Jennifer said.

"Oh, an' uh…" he came up to the fence. "I heard abou' yer mother. I'm sorry an', if there's anythin' I can do, yer just holler, ok?" he added with concern.

"You've already got what I need right here," she smiled, "beautiful beasts to ride and a new challenge. Let's get at it already," she added trying to sound more enthusiastic than she felt. He grinned.

"Alrigh' then. I'm afraid they don't take ta saddles yet, but they'll wear a harness, that's sommat, right? How about you take Ruby, she's not quite as strong as Babe. Let's take 'em out near the Quidditch Pitch - no practices today, they havin' tryouts tomorrer for new players. Now, if ya keep pettin 'em gentle on the nose like, you can walk 'em over without 'em takin' off on ya, so just keep pettin' her. It'll help her get used to you too," he advised leading them out.

"Hello Ruby, I'm Jennifer," she greeted the winged horse and petted her nose, following Hagrid out. "I see how you got your name, such pretty fire eyes of yours. Thank you for helping Babe bring me to Hogwarts a few weeks ago." Ruby snorted, watching her thoughtfully. Hearing the snort, Hagrid looked back.

"Well, how abou' that! I think she likes ya. Not bein' scared of 'er helps, tho. I was thinkin' tha migh' have been Snape's problem."

Jennifer blinked. She couldn't imagine Severus being afraid of anything. At last they reached the field, and Hagrid fastened a tether to the ground, hooking Babe to it. Reaching over, he wrapped the end of Ruby's line around his hand.

"I'm gonna hold on ta her for now as a precaution. The line shouldn' get in th' way, but I likes not to tether em while flying, tangle proof or no. Now, I'll hold'er and you c'n get up. An' don't worry, it's almost like flyin' on a broom."

Jennifer tensed up and gave him a blank look.

"I wish you hadn't said that," she said flatly.

"Now get on, we won't be getting anywhere this way. The field is nice an' padded for falls, an' we're far enuff out that you can always try Apparating if you get into trouble."

Jennifer gave him another blank look.

"I can't do that either. Never got a license," she explained.

"Oh. Wull. Guess that makes two of us, don't it? No more arguments now, get up there. Make sure you put your legs behind the wing, not forward, and try not to pull too much on the harness."

Jennifer shrugged off her cloak to make it easier to maneuver and put her boot in Hagrid's waiting hand, and he launched her up onto the back. Ruby's hoofs pawed nervously at the ground, but Hagrid held her tight, patting her head. Jennifer had never been on a steed twenty hands tall before, and the ground already seemed far away. Determined not to panic, she smiled at her trainer.

"Lean a little more forward, else yer gonna fall right off the moment she takes off," He warned. "Try ta' grip the side a bit. If ya bring yer legs further un'ner the wings, I think you'll have less trouble." Jennifer did as she was told, only to have Ruby's head turn as if trying to look at her, whinnying.

"Well, she wants to go, so I guess that'll do," Hagrid said cheerfully. "I'm gonna let her move now. There we go!"

With a jolt, Ruby took to the air, diving madly in little circles with Jennifer concentrating solely on staying on the blasted thing, leaning all the way forward and getting outrageously dizzy. Hagrid kept letting out more line, widening the circles more and more making them more tolerable. At last the height seemed to even out. Jennifer cautiously sat up, evening out her grip on the reins and trying to relax her grip slightly.

"Great job! Yer a nat'ral!" Hagrid called out from below. It was then that she realized exactly how far up they were. Not only did Hagrid look small but also she could make out the house crests from the top of the Quidditch boxes. "I'm gonna take the lead off now!" he declared cheerfully.

"No, Hagrid, wait! NO!" she cried, but it was too late… the thin rope fell off the harness, and Ruby reared and bolted straight up in the air.

"Loosen the reins! Loosen the reins!" he yelled but Jennifer barely heard him, wondering how she was going to do that and still keep her seat.

Panicking, she let go of the reins in favor of the beast's neck and Ruby reacted, turning around and diving into a fast, nauseating tailspin. Just as Jennifer thought they were going to crash, Ruby veered away and rolled over, dumping Jennifer into the dust. Ruby then flew up to a comfortable height, snorting with irritation.

"Professor, are y' all righ'? When I said loosen 'em up, I didn' mean tha' much!" Hagrid lumbered quickly over, bending down to look at her.

Jennifer turned over with a groan, spitting out some of the sand.

"You were right about one thing, Hagrid," she panted. "It was exactly like riding a broom."

"Guess yer weren't quite ready to solo yet. Sorrae bou' that. Anything broken?" he asked. Jennifer shook her head, and took his offered hand, helping her stand up. "Alri' then, let's give it another go, shall we?"

Nodding with much less enthusiasm than she had the first time around, Jennifer brushed herself off and waited for Hagrid to coax Ruby down.