Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I'm just another fan.
Chapter Four- The Start-Of-Term Banquet
At Hogwarts, the teachers were getting prepared for the start-of-term banquet
which would occur in a short period of time. Snape, as usual, was in a bad mood; once
again, he didn't get the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position.
"So, Albus," said Professor McGonagall to Dumbledore. "You never told us who
was going to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. Who is he?"
"It's not a he, Minerva," replied Dumbledore. "The new teacher is a woman by
the name of Fiona Clark."
"A woman?" Snape asked, shocked. "A woman is teaching the Defense Against
the Dark Arts?! I only meant that because a woman has never taught that class before."
he added quickly, because the female teachers of Hogwarts, (Professor McGonagall,
Professor Sprout, and Professor Trelawney) were glaring at Snape as though they were
about to kill him.
"True," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I met her over the summer, not too long
ago, when she applied for the job. She was a rather nervous looking young woman, but
she seemed eager to take the job."
"This morning, I saw through my crystal ball that this new teacher will not be with
us for very long," said Professor Trelawney in her misty voice. "There must be
something odd about this woman."
"It doesn't take a prediction to figure that out," Professor McGonagall snorted.
"Every single teacher in that subject has never stayed the whole year. There was always
something odd about each person who has taken the job." Professor Trelawney glared at
her.
"Actually, Sibyll, she will just be staying with us for this year," Dumbledore said.
"She said that she never stays away from her home for long."
"I'd better go to the entrance hall to greet the first-years," said Professor
McGonagall, getting out of her seat and walking off...
***
As soon as Harry and the others arrived at Hogwarts, they went straight to the
Great Hall for the start-of-term banquet. They could see Professor Clark going over to
the teacher's table to greet the other teachers.
"I wonder what kind of teacher she'll be," said Ron. "She seems nice enough to
be a female version of Lupin. Well, except for the whole werewolf thing..."
"Yeah," said Hermione. "But from the looks of the other Defense Against the
Dark Arts teachers, I think that there might be something about her we don't know about
yet..."
"Oh, come on, Hermione," said Ron. "Don't you think that you might be judging
her too soon?"
"Look, all I'm saying is that during most of the time we've been at Hogwarts,
every teacher in that subject has either been working for Lord Voldemort or has some
deep dark secret," Hermione snapped. "It's not likely that we're ever going to have a
normal one. Harry, you said that you feel like you know her..."
"Just forget about it, okay?" said Harry. "It's probably nothing." Although he
said this, Harry didn't really believe it. There was something strange about this new
teacher, and he had the feeling that it somehow had to do with him...
***
Fiona walked to the teacher's table, muttering under her breath, "Have faith.
Things will work out." Putting a smile on her face, she called out, "Professor
Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore turned to her. All the teachers at the table stared at her. "Oh, hello,
Fiona," said Dumbledore shaking her hand. He turned to the other teachers and
introduced her. "This is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Fiona Clark."
All the teachers introduced themselves to Fiona, and she each shook their hands.
She knew who the teachers were before she met them, but she smiled politely and said to
each of them, "It's a pleasure to meet you." However, she did feel uncomfortable around
Snape, because he kept staring at her in a very strange way. She was expecting a look of
hatred or unpleasantness from him, because she knew for a fact that he wanted the job
she got. But the way he was staring at her wasn't either of the expressions she was
prepared for. The expression he did have was... well, she didn't even know the
expression.
As Fiona took a seat, Dumbledore said to her in a quiet tone, "You do remember
the situation I told you about that we are dealing with recently?"
Fiona nodded. "Yes. Have you heard anything from the Ministry yet?"
"So far, things are going smoothly. It could be a good sign. Then again, you
shouldn't let your guard down on problems like this."
Fiona shuddered slightly. A feeling of foreboding was coming to her. To angels,
this was a warning sign that something bad was going to happen very soon. This isn't
good, she thought to herself. She never doubted her instincts, but she managed to look
calm. The last thing she wanted to do right now was arouse the other teachers'
suspicions by looking afraid. Especially Snape's...
***
Not too long later, Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall with a group of
first years, waiting to be sorted into the school houses. Before the Sorting began, Ron
elbowed Hermione and Harry and whispered, "Look at Snape!"
The three looked over at the teacher's table. Harry caught sight of Snape, who
was sitting a few seats away from Professor Clark. He seemed to be staring at Professor
Clark in a way Snape never looked at anyone. It wasn't in the usual look of loathing that
Harry usually got from Snape, nor the jealous look he often looked at the previous
Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.
"So?" Hermione asked Ron, an eyebrow raised.
"He doesn't look at her like he hates her or like he's jealous of her job position,"
Ron hissed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he *fancies* her!"
Harry stared at Ron as though he were mad. "That's ridiculous, Ron!" Hermione
exclaimed in a quiet tone so no one else would hear them. "You know Snape! He
doesn't like anybody, let alone fancy!" Harry nodded in agreement.
"I never saw him look that way before," Ron said. "But would ever want to fall in
love with Snape?!"
They fell silent as the Sorting began. As Harry glanced at the teacher's table, he
started to think that Ron might have been right. He'd never seen Snape look that way
before. It was a plain look, almost expressionless, but he seemed spellbound by her.
Harry remembered what Ron had commented about Professor Clark when they were at
Flourish and Blotts, and had to admit that he was right, she was rather attractive, but that
didn't necessarily mean that she could be a nice person, even though she seemed nice so
far... he knew, from experience with the other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers
(with the exception of Lupin) that none of them were what they appeared to be.
Soon, the Sorting ended and the feast began. But first, Dumbledore made his
annual first speech of the year. He introduced Professor Clark, who seemed to be
blushing furiously when everybody applauded her, and went on congratulating the new
Head Boy and Girl for the year.
"If Snape does like Professor Clark, there has to be something wrong with her."
Ron muttered to Harry as they helped themselves to food.
Everything went peaceful at the feast... for a while. As everyone from separate
tables stood up to sing the school song (which most of the teachers usually were
embarrassed to do), Harry and the others caught sight of Professor McGonagall gave
Dumbledore a sharp look and pointed to a corner. They turned to the corner and to
everybody's shock, there was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Harry caught
sight of dark shadows nearby Fudge. As soon as he realized what they were, he felt his
insides go ice cold. They were dementors, the dreaded, soul-sucking prison guards from
the wizard prison, Azkaban.
As soon as Ron and Hermione saw what the shadows were, they gripped each of
Harry's hands. They knew for a fact that every time a dementor approached Harry, he
heard the screams of his dying parents. That was the horrible power of the dementors, to
make people remember the most terrible moment of their lives...
Dumbledore's old face showed shock and anger. "Prefects, take the students to
their dormitories now."
There was confusion in the Great Hall, but the prefects obeyed. Hermione led the
other Gryffindors to the Gryffindor Tower. Before they left, Harry caught a glimpse of
all the teachers hurrying towards where Fudge and the dementors were standing...
***
Fiona was confused. The Minister of Magic... here? And dementors.... Fiona
glared at them. Dementors were living demons that angels and humans alike loathed.
They horrible beasts, dementors were.
Fiona followed the other teachers to where Fudge was standing as the students left.
"What are you doing here?" Dumbledore asked to Fudge in a calm, even tone, though
Fiona could plainly see his light blue eyes blazing.
"Official business, Dumbledore," replied Fudge. "It has come to my attention that
you have been telling other people the nonsense that you believe about You-Know-Who
returning. So, as a precaution, I'm staying at Hogwarts to make sure that no *funny
business* occurs here."
"Why, may I ask, did you bring those *things* here?" Dumbledore asked coldly.
"I don't allow them in here, let alone inside Hogwarts."
"They are here at my orders, as an extra insurance that nothing happens here,"
snapped Fudge.
The dementors moved towards the teachers, then bristled when they approached
Fiona. "Get away, beasts," she said quietly.
The other teachers were too busy watching Dumbledore and Fudge to see what
happened next. The dementors took another step closer to Fiona, and from the neck of
her robes, she pulled out something attached to a black cord around her neck. Whatever
was attached to the black cord was clenched firmly in her fist. Only she knew what it
was. It happened very quickly: a ray of pale light shot towards the dementors; they
recoiled and moved away from her. Fiona tucked the black cord and the thing attached to
it back into her robes.
"I believe you are making a serious mistake, Cornelius," Dumbledore said to
Fudge in a severe tone. "Voldemort has returned, as I keep on telling you, and putting
this school in guard of creatures that may very well be his allies will be putting this
school into mortal danger."
"If I were you, Dumbledore," said Fudge coldly. "I'd quit spreading around this
rubbish about You-Know-Who returning... or I will have to find a new headmaster to run
this school..."
He and the dementors left seconds after he said this, leaving Dumbledore and the
other teachers alone.
"This is a unpredicted move for him," said Dumbledore, after what seemed like
ages of silence. "It might change everything we have planned so far."
"Albus," whispered Professor McGonagall. "what could have brought Fudge to do
this? Who could have told him what we were doing?"
"Spies," said Dumbledore softly. "Most of the Death Eaters are working in the
Ministry. Voldemort must have found out what we were working to stop him, and he
sent his spies from the Ministry to tell Fudge. He knew what Fudge is like, and he knew
he'd meddle and use his allies to patrol the school."
"What are we going to do?" asked Fiona awkwardly. Being new, she didn't quite
feel like she was part of this situation, but somebody had to ask him.
"She's right," said Snape quietly, and Fiona almost jumped. "This might change
everything, with Fudge and the dementors in the school, observing everything that goes
on around here."
For the first time, Dumbledore's voice faltered. "I'm not sure. But I know one
thing: I will not allow those things inside my school. I don't care if Fudge fires me or
not, I'm not about to allow my school to be patrolled by allies of Voldemort. It won't be
like what happened three years ago..."
He looked around at them all. "I'd better escort Professor Clark to her office," he
said in a tired voice. Fiona nodded, picked up her black suitcase, and followed
Dumbledore out of the Great Hall.
"Professor," Fiona asked along the way. "What did happen here that involved
dementors, three years ago?" Of course, Fiona knew what really happened, but she
thought she'd ask. Dumbledore needed all the help he got.
"They came to the school to protect the school from an escaped convict from
Azkaban by the name of Sirius Black. The dementors began pushing their limits; they
attempted to preform their Kiss on Harry at the end of the year... but Sirius, to sum it up,
was innocent of all charges. But very few people know that. He is one of the people I'm
who is helping with setting the alliances."
"I know he's innocent," Fiona piped up. Immediately after she said that, she
wished she hadn't.
"How do you know?" asked Dumbledore. His tone was gentle, not accusing.
Fiona bit her lip, trying to come up with an explanation. "Well, I heard about
what he was accused of doing, and I don't think anybody like him would betray his best
friends," she said finally.
"It seems to me that you believe there's good in everybody."
"I did... once."
After Dumbledore led her to her new office, he bade her goodnight and left. Yes,
she thought as soon as she was alone. I did believe that there was good in people; I still
do. But I've learned that there's not some good left in some people. The first boy I chose
to protect proved that to me...
To be continued...
I hope you guys liked this chapter. Alright, up next: Harry and company has their
first lesson with Professor Clark... and Malfoy does the all-time low to Neville not too
long afterwards... what is it? Stay tuned! (In the meantime, start thinking about what
Malfoy hasn't done to Neville yet.)
