Disclaimer: Once again, I know you know, but any character you don't recognize is mine, and all the others belong to J.K. Rowling.
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"Now, who can tell me where the Fwooper hails from?"
Several timid hands rose into the air.
A pair of golden-brown eyes swept across the room, briefly pausing on each student present.
"Yes, Thereon?"
A thin boy with blond curls cleared his throat. "South America?" he guessed.
The young woman at the front of the room smiled kindly for a brief moment and said, "Not quite, Thereon, but a good guess. Fwoopers do come from a slightly warmer place than Salem. Nina? Would you like a guess?"
"A-Africa?" the girl ventured.
This answer was met with a bright smile from beneath a tangle of brown hair. "Excellent! Now, these particular Fwoopers," the witch said, pointing with her wand at a group of brightly colored birds, "Were born and raised in New York City, a place where strange and unusual creatures are plentiful, not to mention the animals."
All the students burst into giggles but quickly quieted down when the teacher resumed talking. They were enraptured with the teacher and the lesson (Care of Magical Creatures) as the last group was with their lesson in Arithmancy.
Professor Pedagaro's mouth was twisted into such a shape that would make anyone think that the dean was sucking on an extremely large lemon. Her fingers tapped impatiently on the table she was sitting at in the back of the classroom. Today was Friday, the last day the professor would need to observe Thera Lenox in action, and one would think that she would be overjoyed at that fact. Professor Pedagaro was anything but. Deans and principles and headmasters from all over had come to look at Thera, but none had been particularly interested in her. She had been offered notice if any opening occurred, but much to Professor Pedagaro's disappointment, there was no definite position for Lenox. The professor was doing her best to get Thera a job by writing excellent recommendations, especially for those schools far away, but to no avail. Professor Pedagaro was getting anxious at the prospect that Thera Lenox may not be leaving her life after all.
Professor Pedagaro glanced down at her schedule. The current class would end in ninety minutes, marking the end of Lenox's teaching job at the university. There was still one more headmaster marked down to come in and see Thera. Professor Pedagaro read the name: Albus Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore, huh?" muttered the professor. Her eyes skimmed the paper she was holding. "Headmaster at Hogwarts....a good school, I've heard.....located in......Britain! Perfect! A whole ocean to separate Lenox and myself!" Professor Pedagaro whispered excitedly to herself. "Now, if that old wingnut would only show up..."
"Ah, that's a new one," a voice said very close to the professor. She gave a slight jump when she turned and saw an elderly man to her right smiling at her. The smile on his lips was almost covered by an immense set of a mustache and beard, both a soft silver, that reached well past his knees, but Professor Pedagaro could see a smile sparkling from his blue eyes.
"A....A new what?" Professor Pedagaro stammered, a little shaken by the wizard's unexpected Apparating feat.
"A new name for me," smiled the man. "I've been called numerous things, including an obsolete dingbat, but never an old wingnut. Quite creative, I must say."
"Oh, Professor Dumbledore," stumbled the dean, after realizing who this strange man was, "I apologize! My big mouth is rather unforgivable, but don't let my rudeness inhibit Ms. Lenox's chances of becoming a teacher at your most excellent school," said Professor Pedagaro sweetly, nervously looking at Thera and then back at the headmaster. Her heart was racing at the possibility that she just ruined her chances of getting rid of Thera Lenox.
Professor Dumbledore smiled again. "I wouldn't dream of it," he assured the dean, and then averted his gaze to observe Thera.
Thera was placing the Fwooper she had just shown to the students on a perch near her desk. "Now, this next creature," Thera continued, "Is quite a humorous one. I warn you, however, that its incessant talking can get annoying."
Thera turned back to her desk where, as if on cue, something inside a brown box began scurrying around inside of it. She opened the top, reached down, and turned to face the class with what seemed to be an overgrown ferret.
"Oooh!" exclaimed the ferret, gazing around at the classroom. "Kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-
kiddies!"
"This," pronounced Thera, "Is a Jarvey. As you can see, the Jarveys can talk, but are not great at conversation," she said as the Jarvey continued to squeak "Kiddies!"
The class was laughing and squealing with glee as Thera allowed the Jarvey, appropriately named Harvey, to climb on the desks and quizzically look at each of the students individually. The Jarvey would keep a steady stream of talk flowing, commenting on everything from what each of the students were wearing to the weather. The class' laughs were the loudest when the Jarvey said something particularly rude to a student in its silly, squeaky voice. Even the student at whom the rude remark was directed at couldn't help but double over and laugh at the humor of the situation.
"Quite the entertainer, that one is," Professor Dumbledore said to the dean, chuckling.
"What, the Jarvey?" asked Professor Pedagaro rather irritably, seeing as she found the Jarvey almost as obnoxious as she found Thera.
"Well, yes," Dumbledore said, "But I was thinking more along the lines of Ms. Lenox." The old wizard looked thoughtfully at the young witch who was laughing with the class at the front of the room and said to the dean, "Is this the only class she teaches?"
"Actually, this week, Ms. Lenox has tested the waters in quite a number of different classes," Professor Pedagaro said knowledgeably. "Not only is she an excellent teacher in Care of Magical Creatures, but she has proven herself to be just as good teaching Arithmancy, Astronomy and Muggle Studies," the dean said, hoping that the old headmaster would immediately accept Thera for one of those positions.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful again and finally said, "Well, unfortunately, all of those positions have been filled at Hogwarts, quite successfully, I must say...."
Professor Pedagaro was filled with horror. She saw her last chance to be done with Lenox slipping away. "Uh, well, Ms. Lenox has shown that she can undertake any class that she has background in, and she has taken numerous classes in a variety of subjects," the dean said rather frantically. "She has excelled in her Divination studies, and she has volunteered to teach many children how to fly their first brooms," the professor said, racking her brain for any other qualifications that Thera might have had. "I mean, she can teach at any grade level, seeing as she has taken quite a lot of courses in Psychology...."
Dumbledore drew his gaze from the Jarvey, which was now inspecting the Fwoopers, and looked pointedly at the dean. "Psychology, you say?" he asked.
Backed by a new wave of hope, Professor Pedagaro said excitedly, "Oh, yes indeed! She has found her greatest interest in those courses, even though the Salem Institute does not offer them. She actually went to a local Muggle university in the evenings to take her classes," the dean informed Dumbledore. Professor Pedagaro tried desperately to make a connection between the Muggle psychology courses and why Dumbledore should take Lenox away from her sight forever. "I can attest that the courses in psychology that Ms. Lenox took has given her the ability to teach and interact with any student, even the more difficult to handle ones," she said.
Dumbledore looked at Thera and then back at the dean with a gaze that commanded the truth. "Do you think that Ms. Lenox would be able to design a course to teach my students about some ideas in psychology?" he asked point blank.
The dean gulped and could almost taste her coming victory. "Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore, I believe she could," she said with a note of finality.
Dumbledore gazed at Thera with an amused and contemplating look on his face. "Well, in that case...." he began.
Suddenly, Professor Pedagaro heard a fluttering of wings and felt something land on her head. A handful of bright pink feathers rained down on her as Harvey the Jarvey jumped on to the table in front of her.
"Birdie on headie! Birdie on headie!" the Jarvey screeched.
Professor Pedagaro saw the entire class looking at her, trying to conceal their laughter. The professor saw Thera with her messy hair and impertinent nose and raised eyebrow chuckling into her hand, and the professor felt her face flush with anger as she realized the fluorescent fuschia Fwooper had just perched on her head. She was surprised to hear a faint laugh coming from her right side. She turned to glare at the person who was openly laughing at her predicament until she saw the offender was Dumbledore himself.
"What a wonderful hat," he said to the dean. "If I remember correctly, I received one just like that in a Christmas cracker one year," he continued, chuckling.
Professor Pedagaro knew her face was pink with outrage, but she was sure it burned a deeper shade when Thera Lenox called from the front of the room, "Why, Professor! Your face matches the Fwooper perfectly!"
The entire room, including Dumbledore, erupted into giggles. Professor Pedagaro clenched her bundle of papers, pretending it was Lenox's neck. Dumbledore wiped the tears from his eyes and asked the professor, "Would it be possible to interview Ms. Lenox after this class?"
Professor Pedagaro didn't know whether she should smile at her good fortune of Dumbledore considering Lenox for a position, or to cry because the Fwooper had just defecated on her head.
* * * * * *
Thera Lenox was cleaning out her desk, laughing to herself. She kept playing and replaying in her mind the expression on Professor Pedagaro's face when the Fwooper landed on her head. That memory is worth a hundred galleons at least, Thera thought.
Thera noticed that the dean was talking to the wizard who had Apparated earlier very earnestly. She assumed that he was yet another director from a school that was looking for a teacher, and, yet again, she would be told that they had no place for her at the present moment. Thera smiled as she realized that this was Professor Pedagaro's last chance to get rid of her for good. It didn't bother Thera that none of her past teachers have liked her; she hadn't particularly felt any warmth towards them anyways. Professor Pedagaro had been especially adamant in her dislike for Thera, and Thera made sure that the professor had a good reason for disliking her. Smiling, Thera admitted to herself that she did have the ability to be quite obnoxious when she felt like it. She knew that most of her classmates got a taste of that obnoxiousness at times, consequently, she did not have very many friends. In fact, Thera could not think of a person she could really call her friend. Contemplating this thought, Thera knew that she wanted friends, but justified her current friendless status as due to the fact that everyone at the Salem Institute was a nitwit. Being rather stubborn, Thera told herself that she could have many friends, but she just chose to be somewhat of a loner.
She knew, however, that every child she had ever taught saw something in her that no one else could. Her pupils always loved her classes, as she could tell when at the close of summer school everyone clamored to receive a warm hug from their favorite teacher. Perhaps those classes at that Muggle university in psychology helped to cement her relationships with her students, or maybe her own sense of humor and willingness to listen to everyone enabled her to be trusted by children of all ages.
Thera turned her attention away from her scrutinizing of her personality to the two professors in the back of the room. They seemed to have completed their conversation and Thera expected the older wizard to Apparate back to where he came from. But, to Thera's surprise, the elderly man began walking towards her. Thera tried not to get her hopes up that this man may offer her a job, but to her displeasure, her stomach gave a little jump.
The wizard, who looked every inch what a proper wizard should look like, in Thera's opinion, from his long silver hair and beard to his tall, pointed hat to his amusing half-moon glasses, approached Thera with a smile.
"Ms. Lenox? Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the man said, extending a wrinkled hand. "I must say, your lesson today was quite entertaining," he smiled.
Thera took his hand, gave it a strong shake, and smiled back. "Thank you, sir. I do like to make my classes enjoyable for my students," she said. "I remember a few classes that I took that could have used a little pep in them, so I try to do what I think the students will like," she continued.
"That's understandable," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling. "I too have memories of rather boring classes in my day and age. I have enjoyed what you have done with your class. And....." he said, pausing for a moment.
Thera's heart leapt. This was more consideration any potential employer had given her in the past week! Thera could feel the corners of her mouth begin to curl up into a smile of pure happiness. Come on, Professor, just say you would like to hire me for a real job, thought Thera.
Dumbledore took in Thera's reaction before resuming. "And, Ms. Lenox, I was wondering if you would like to join me for tea at Miss Misty's on Avera Avenue tomorrow afternoon? I noticed the cafe when I Apparated in the wrong spot, and I was intrigued by the quaintness of it. Would you meet me at 3:30?" the old professor said.
Thera's stomach and spirits sunk a little at this announcement, but she was resolved not to show her disappointment. "Sure thing!" she said with a bright smile. "It's a date!"
Dumbledore smiled just as warmly back to her and said, "Wonderful! I will meet you then, shall I?"
Thera nodded and watched as Dumbledore, her last chance of a new life, walked away from her. He had almost reached the door when he suddenly turned and said to Thera, "Oh, did I mention that you should bring a quill and some parchment? You might want to take some notes on what you should bring to Hogwarts when you begin your job there in September." He smiled and waved as he walked out the door, and Thera could hear a faint pop! as he Apparated away.
Thera stood staring at the door for a few moments, processing what she had just heard come from Dumbledore's mouth. ...When you begin your job there......Hogwarts! Thera's smile reached farther than she had ever known it to and she let out a large shout of glee. A job! A real job! And it's away from this place and everyone inside of it, Thera thought! She emitted another yelp, louder than the one before, that frightened the Fwoopers and caused them to fly and take refuge in the back of the room.
Thera walked quickly towards the back of the room to retrieve her birds. They all seemed to have congregated at one particular spot near a table at the back. As she approached the bright birds, she heard a faint, muffled crying coming from beneath them. Thera realized with a shock from whom the crying must have been coming from.
"Professor Pedagaro? Are you all right?" she called.
Thera shooed the birds away with her wand and revealed a woman in a newly-pressed suit that was now covered in what looked suspiciously like Fwooper droppings. Her neat hair was now disheveled and had numerous fuschia-, tangerine- and lime-colored feathers in various places.
"Did you hear Professor? I'm leaving soon!" Thera said to the sobbing witch. "Professor? Are you okay?"
The dean turned her tear-filled eyes to the young woman, and, as brightly colored feathers fell around the professor and a faint stream of laughter came from the Jarvey watching the whole situation, the dean said with the utmost honesty, "Perfect! This is the best day of my life!"
Author's note: Yes! Finally a character you can recognize! Thanks again for reading another chapter, and anything is welcome in the reviews, except dirty socks. I have enough of my own. Thank you for reading!
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"Now, who can tell me where the Fwooper hails from?"
Several timid hands rose into the air.
A pair of golden-brown eyes swept across the room, briefly pausing on each student present.
"Yes, Thereon?"
A thin boy with blond curls cleared his throat. "South America?" he guessed.
The young woman at the front of the room smiled kindly for a brief moment and said, "Not quite, Thereon, but a good guess. Fwoopers do come from a slightly warmer place than Salem. Nina? Would you like a guess?"
"A-Africa?" the girl ventured.
This answer was met with a bright smile from beneath a tangle of brown hair. "Excellent! Now, these particular Fwoopers," the witch said, pointing with her wand at a group of brightly colored birds, "Were born and raised in New York City, a place where strange and unusual creatures are plentiful, not to mention the animals."
All the students burst into giggles but quickly quieted down when the teacher resumed talking. They were enraptured with the teacher and the lesson (Care of Magical Creatures) as the last group was with their lesson in Arithmancy.
Professor Pedagaro's mouth was twisted into such a shape that would make anyone think that the dean was sucking on an extremely large lemon. Her fingers tapped impatiently on the table she was sitting at in the back of the classroom. Today was Friday, the last day the professor would need to observe Thera Lenox in action, and one would think that she would be overjoyed at that fact. Professor Pedagaro was anything but. Deans and principles and headmasters from all over had come to look at Thera, but none had been particularly interested in her. She had been offered notice if any opening occurred, but much to Professor Pedagaro's disappointment, there was no definite position for Lenox. The professor was doing her best to get Thera a job by writing excellent recommendations, especially for those schools far away, but to no avail. Professor Pedagaro was getting anxious at the prospect that Thera Lenox may not be leaving her life after all.
Professor Pedagaro glanced down at her schedule. The current class would end in ninety minutes, marking the end of Lenox's teaching job at the university. There was still one more headmaster marked down to come in and see Thera. Professor Pedagaro read the name: Albus Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore, huh?" muttered the professor. Her eyes skimmed the paper she was holding. "Headmaster at Hogwarts....a good school, I've heard.....located in......Britain! Perfect! A whole ocean to separate Lenox and myself!" Professor Pedagaro whispered excitedly to herself. "Now, if that old wingnut would only show up..."
"Ah, that's a new one," a voice said very close to the professor. She gave a slight jump when she turned and saw an elderly man to her right smiling at her. The smile on his lips was almost covered by an immense set of a mustache and beard, both a soft silver, that reached well past his knees, but Professor Pedagaro could see a smile sparkling from his blue eyes.
"A....A new what?" Professor Pedagaro stammered, a little shaken by the wizard's unexpected Apparating feat.
"A new name for me," smiled the man. "I've been called numerous things, including an obsolete dingbat, but never an old wingnut. Quite creative, I must say."
"Oh, Professor Dumbledore," stumbled the dean, after realizing who this strange man was, "I apologize! My big mouth is rather unforgivable, but don't let my rudeness inhibit Ms. Lenox's chances of becoming a teacher at your most excellent school," said Professor Pedagaro sweetly, nervously looking at Thera and then back at the headmaster. Her heart was racing at the possibility that she just ruined her chances of getting rid of Thera Lenox.
Professor Dumbledore smiled again. "I wouldn't dream of it," he assured the dean, and then averted his gaze to observe Thera.
Thera was placing the Fwooper she had just shown to the students on a perch near her desk. "Now, this next creature," Thera continued, "Is quite a humorous one. I warn you, however, that its incessant talking can get annoying."
Thera turned back to her desk where, as if on cue, something inside a brown box began scurrying around inside of it. She opened the top, reached down, and turned to face the class with what seemed to be an overgrown ferret.
"Oooh!" exclaimed the ferret, gazing around at the classroom. "Kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-kiddie-
kiddies!"
"This," pronounced Thera, "Is a Jarvey. As you can see, the Jarveys can talk, but are not great at conversation," she said as the Jarvey continued to squeak "Kiddies!"
The class was laughing and squealing with glee as Thera allowed the Jarvey, appropriately named Harvey, to climb on the desks and quizzically look at each of the students individually. The Jarvey would keep a steady stream of talk flowing, commenting on everything from what each of the students were wearing to the weather. The class' laughs were the loudest when the Jarvey said something particularly rude to a student in its silly, squeaky voice. Even the student at whom the rude remark was directed at couldn't help but double over and laugh at the humor of the situation.
"Quite the entertainer, that one is," Professor Dumbledore said to the dean, chuckling.
"What, the Jarvey?" asked Professor Pedagaro rather irritably, seeing as she found the Jarvey almost as obnoxious as she found Thera.
"Well, yes," Dumbledore said, "But I was thinking more along the lines of Ms. Lenox." The old wizard looked thoughtfully at the young witch who was laughing with the class at the front of the room and said to the dean, "Is this the only class she teaches?"
"Actually, this week, Ms. Lenox has tested the waters in quite a number of different classes," Professor Pedagaro said knowledgeably. "Not only is she an excellent teacher in Care of Magical Creatures, but she has proven herself to be just as good teaching Arithmancy, Astronomy and Muggle Studies," the dean said, hoping that the old headmaster would immediately accept Thera for one of those positions.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful again and finally said, "Well, unfortunately, all of those positions have been filled at Hogwarts, quite successfully, I must say...."
Professor Pedagaro was filled with horror. She saw her last chance to be done with Lenox slipping away. "Uh, well, Ms. Lenox has shown that she can undertake any class that she has background in, and she has taken numerous classes in a variety of subjects," the dean said rather frantically. "She has excelled in her Divination studies, and she has volunteered to teach many children how to fly their first brooms," the professor said, racking her brain for any other qualifications that Thera might have had. "I mean, she can teach at any grade level, seeing as she has taken quite a lot of courses in Psychology...."
Dumbledore drew his gaze from the Jarvey, which was now inspecting the Fwoopers, and looked pointedly at the dean. "Psychology, you say?" he asked.
Backed by a new wave of hope, Professor Pedagaro said excitedly, "Oh, yes indeed! She has found her greatest interest in those courses, even though the Salem Institute does not offer them. She actually went to a local Muggle university in the evenings to take her classes," the dean informed Dumbledore. Professor Pedagaro tried desperately to make a connection between the Muggle psychology courses and why Dumbledore should take Lenox away from her sight forever. "I can attest that the courses in psychology that Ms. Lenox took has given her the ability to teach and interact with any student, even the more difficult to handle ones," she said.
Dumbledore looked at Thera and then back at the dean with a gaze that commanded the truth. "Do you think that Ms. Lenox would be able to design a course to teach my students about some ideas in psychology?" he asked point blank.
The dean gulped and could almost taste her coming victory. "Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore, I believe she could," she said with a note of finality.
Dumbledore gazed at Thera with an amused and contemplating look on his face. "Well, in that case...." he began.
Suddenly, Professor Pedagaro heard a fluttering of wings and felt something land on her head. A handful of bright pink feathers rained down on her as Harvey the Jarvey jumped on to the table in front of her.
"Birdie on headie! Birdie on headie!" the Jarvey screeched.
Professor Pedagaro saw the entire class looking at her, trying to conceal their laughter. The professor saw Thera with her messy hair and impertinent nose and raised eyebrow chuckling into her hand, and the professor felt her face flush with anger as she realized the fluorescent fuschia Fwooper had just perched on her head. She was surprised to hear a faint laugh coming from her right side. She turned to glare at the person who was openly laughing at her predicament until she saw the offender was Dumbledore himself.
"What a wonderful hat," he said to the dean. "If I remember correctly, I received one just like that in a Christmas cracker one year," he continued, chuckling.
Professor Pedagaro knew her face was pink with outrage, but she was sure it burned a deeper shade when Thera Lenox called from the front of the room, "Why, Professor! Your face matches the Fwooper perfectly!"
The entire room, including Dumbledore, erupted into giggles. Professor Pedagaro clenched her bundle of papers, pretending it was Lenox's neck. Dumbledore wiped the tears from his eyes and asked the professor, "Would it be possible to interview Ms. Lenox after this class?"
Professor Pedagaro didn't know whether she should smile at her good fortune of Dumbledore considering Lenox for a position, or to cry because the Fwooper had just defecated on her head.
* * * * * *
Thera Lenox was cleaning out her desk, laughing to herself. She kept playing and replaying in her mind the expression on Professor Pedagaro's face when the Fwooper landed on her head. That memory is worth a hundred galleons at least, Thera thought.
Thera noticed that the dean was talking to the wizard who had Apparated earlier very earnestly. She assumed that he was yet another director from a school that was looking for a teacher, and, yet again, she would be told that they had no place for her at the present moment. Thera smiled as she realized that this was Professor Pedagaro's last chance to get rid of her for good. It didn't bother Thera that none of her past teachers have liked her; she hadn't particularly felt any warmth towards them anyways. Professor Pedagaro had been especially adamant in her dislike for Thera, and Thera made sure that the professor had a good reason for disliking her. Smiling, Thera admitted to herself that she did have the ability to be quite obnoxious when she felt like it. She knew that most of her classmates got a taste of that obnoxiousness at times, consequently, she did not have very many friends. In fact, Thera could not think of a person she could really call her friend. Contemplating this thought, Thera knew that she wanted friends, but justified her current friendless status as due to the fact that everyone at the Salem Institute was a nitwit. Being rather stubborn, Thera told herself that she could have many friends, but she just chose to be somewhat of a loner.
She knew, however, that every child she had ever taught saw something in her that no one else could. Her pupils always loved her classes, as she could tell when at the close of summer school everyone clamored to receive a warm hug from their favorite teacher. Perhaps those classes at that Muggle university in psychology helped to cement her relationships with her students, or maybe her own sense of humor and willingness to listen to everyone enabled her to be trusted by children of all ages.
Thera turned her attention away from her scrutinizing of her personality to the two professors in the back of the room. They seemed to have completed their conversation and Thera expected the older wizard to Apparate back to where he came from. But, to Thera's surprise, the elderly man began walking towards her. Thera tried not to get her hopes up that this man may offer her a job, but to her displeasure, her stomach gave a little jump.
The wizard, who looked every inch what a proper wizard should look like, in Thera's opinion, from his long silver hair and beard to his tall, pointed hat to his amusing half-moon glasses, approached Thera with a smile.
"Ms. Lenox? Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the man said, extending a wrinkled hand. "I must say, your lesson today was quite entertaining," he smiled.
Thera took his hand, gave it a strong shake, and smiled back. "Thank you, sir. I do like to make my classes enjoyable for my students," she said. "I remember a few classes that I took that could have used a little pep in them, so I try to do what I think the students will like," she continued.
"That's understandable," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling. "I too have memories of rather boring classes in my day and age. I have enjoyed what you have done with your class. And....." he said, pausing for a moment.
Thera's heart leapt. This was more consideration any potential employer had given her in the past week! Thera could feel the corners of her mouth begin to curl up into a smile of pure happiness. Come on, Professor, just say you would like to hire me for a real job, thought Thera.
Dumbledore took in Thera's reaction before resuming. "And, Ms. Lenox, I was wondering if you would like to join me for tea at Miss Misty's on Avera Avenue tomorrow afternoon? I noticed the cafe when I Apparated in the wrong spot, and I was intrigued by the quaintness of it. Would you meet me at 3:30?" the old professor said.
Thera's stomach and spirits sunk a little at this announcement, but she was resolved not to show her disappointment. "Sure thing!" she said with a bright smile. "It's a date!"
Dumbledore smiled just as warmly back to her and said, "Wonderful! I will meet you then, shall I?"
Thera nodded and watched as Dumbledore, her last chance of a new life, walked away from her. He had almost reached the door when he suddenly turned and said to Thera, "Oh, did I mention that you should bring a quill and some parchment? You might want to take some notes on what you should bring to Hogwarts when you begin your job there in September." He smiled and waved as he walked out the door, and Thera could hear a faint pop! as he Apparated away.
Thera stood staring at the door for a few moments, processing what she had just heard come from Dumbledore's mouth. ...When you begin your job there......Hogwarts! Thera's smile reached farther than she had ever known it to and she let out a large shout of glee. A job! A real job! And it's away from this place and everyone inside of it, Thera thought! She emitted another yelp, louder than the one before, that frightened the Fwoopers and caused them to fly and take refuge in the back of the room.
Thera walked quickly towards the back of the room to retrieve her birds. They all seemed to have congregated at one particular spot near a table at the back. As she approached the bright birds, she heard a faint, muffled crying coming from beneath them. Thera realized with a shock from whom the crying must have been coming from.
"Professor Pedagaro? Are you all right?" she called.
Thera shooed the birds away with her wand and revealed a woman in a newly-pressed suit that was now covered in what looked suspiciously like Fwooper droppings. Her neat hair was now disheveled and had numerous fuschia-, tangerine- and lime-colored feathers in various places.
"Did you hear Professor? I'm leaving soon!" Thera said to the sobbing witch. "Professor? Are you okay?"
The dean turned her tear-filled eyes to the young woman, and, as brightly colored feathers fell around the professor and a faint stream of laughter came from the Jarvey watching the whole situation, the dean said with the utmost honesty, "Perfect! This is the best day of my life!"
Author's note: Yes! Finally a character you can recognize! Thanks again for reading another chapter, and anything is welcome in the reviews, except dirty socks. I have enough of my own. Thank you for reading!
