Chapter 3
"Oh, I'm sorry, you don't like blind people?" Iris said, there was a slight disappointment in her tone. She shifted her gaze to Ron.
Hermione kicked Ron's ankle from under the table, glaring at him, apparently angry about his rude outburst. People were now staring at Iris, some standing to see if she really was blind. Harry too, stared at her, it was hard to imagine that she was blind, she was able to walk around normally, without difficulty, and just a minute ago, how was she able to know that Harry was there? In fact, if Ron hadn't opened his mouth, Harry would never had the idea that she was blind.
"Ummmm, n-n-no," Ron stammered, he felt queasy staring into those pale lavender eyes.
"I like blind people, um really, it's just that I didn't expect a pretty girl like you to be blind."
Iris smiled. "Straight trees have crooked roots,"
"Huh?" Ron said.
"It means that nobody is perfect, Ron," Hermione replied, smiling at Iris. She shook her hand. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, I'm sorry for my friend's rude remark," She glared at Ron who rolled his eyes.
"Do sit down and please forget about what you just heard, Ron didn't mean to hurt your feelings, he can be such a jerk sometimes." And with that, Hermione guided Iris to her chair between her own and Harry's while Ron pouted.
"Thanks, Hermione, but I don't think Ron's such a jerk," Iris replied.
Ron looked at her. "You don't?" He smirked at Hermione.
"Most people have reactions like that, they're just not used to seeing a blind person, but it's no big deal, I'm already used to it anyway."
"Please, please, please don't give Iris a hard time fitting in, she's just as normal as all of us here so I expect you to treat her well," Dumbledore said, looking at students sternly which caused them to quiet down and return to their seats. "Iris is actually an orphan, she came from a far- away place just to be here with us so make sure her stay here is a memorable one, I hope all of you understand her situation,"
Most students nodded and Dumbledore gave the signal to start the feast. Food appeared on the tables and chatters could be heard as the students talked with their classmates whom they have not seen for long time.
"Here's your spoon and fork, Iris," Hermione said as she gave them to Iris. "What would you like to eat? There's chicken soup, turkey, garlic- sautéed shrimp-"
"Excuse me but it's alright Hermione, I can serve myself," Iris interrupted her.
"No, no, I insist, you don't have to give yourself a hard time, you know," Without waiting for Iris's reply, Hermione started piling up food in Iris's plate.
"Oh, um, thanks then…" Came Iris's reply but then a small creature leaped out of her pockets and onto her plate.
"A rodent! Aurgh!" Hermione cried out. The animal was pure white and certainly looked like big rodent. Hermione edged away from it, it had started to nibble the carrot bits in Iris's plate.
"No, Hermione, it's alright, it's just my pet ermine, Jade," Iris told her and she scooped the rodent into her palms and cuddled it.
"Your pet ermine? Is it friendly?" Ron looked at it curiously while Hermione glanced at it apprehensively.
"Yeah, she's friendly, go ahead and touch her," Iris held her pet out to Ron and he slowly brushed his fingers across Jade's fur.
"Ooooh, she's so so soft!" Ron said while the other Gryffindors watched him eagerly.
"Can I feel her too, Iris?" Lavender Brown asked shyly.
"Me too! Me too!" Parvati Patil called out.
"Sure and don't worry, she doesn't bite," Iris added. Hermione's face remained doubtful.
"Well, alright, I'll touch her too…" Hermione said.
"Ahhh, her fur's so soft, she's so cute!" Hermione breathed as she patted Jade's head. Iris gave a proud smile. Suddenly, the front doors to the Great Hall burst open, startling most people. Harry himself jumped and Ron knocked over his glass of pumpkin juice. The ermine too, gave a startled squeak and buried itself again in Iris's pocket. Dumbledore quickly stood up to see who it was. Raindrops dashed inside as the door remained open. Harry could tell there was a storm raging outside. An earsplitting clap of thunder sounded and Ron knocked over his glass of water. No one seemed to mind though. they were all looking at the man that arrived. Tall and hooded with a robe, it reminded Harry of a Dementor. He shivered slightly. The stranger closed the door. He slowly removed his hood and a young face emerged from within. With tousled black hair, high cheekbones and intense black eyes, the stranger caught and held the attention of many. Yet there was something familiar in him….
"Hermione?," Iris said, her head turned towards the stranger. "Who is it?" "I-I don't know-" Hermione stared at the man curiously, like the rest of the student body. Whispers filled the Hall. They were silenced when the man walked towards the headmaster. "I'm sorry I'm late Professor Dumbledore." The man said, greeting the headmaster in a way that told everybody they were old friends. "I was just- you could say-delayed." And he offered his hand. Dumbledore took it wholeheartedly and shook it. "Welcome back, welcome back." He said warmly then he beckoned him to a empty chair beside him. "Come and sit down. Join our feast." Harry had a feeling that he was a expected guest and was still racking his brain on why the man was so familiar- he remembered him from somewhere…. Then it hit him- it was those deep, profound eyes that gave the man's identity away. "Ron, Hermione! That's- that's-" Harry sputtered but before he could finish, the doors burst open again. All heads turned towards the young woman that came running in. Her delicate almond-shaped eyes reflected beautiful golden hazel in the lights. She had rich dark brown hair that flowed down to her shoulders. With a perfect ski-jump nose and lush and full lips, her face was stunning. Though there were a some horrible cuts and scrapes on her skin, some of them bleeding freely, she still looked fine. At that moment she seemed slightly out of breath and exhausted. Her attention was not focused on the people staring at her nor the headmaster but on her dirty and crumpled black dress. Smoothing her dress down quickly, she walked towards Dumbledore and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry I'm late Professor Dumbledore. I was-you could say- delayed by some-"
She stopped, staring in shock at the young man that stood in front of Dumbledore. "You!?!?" They both yelled, pointing at each other.
"What the hell are you doing here?" They continued.
"I don't know about you, but I'm a professor here." They spoke at the same time in an arrogant tone then their faces changed into similar looks of outrage.
"What do you mean you're a professor too?!?!" They turned to Dumbledore looking very scandalized.
"Professor Dumbledore, she's the one that delayed me-"
Professor Dumbledore, he's the one that delayed me-" They both began.
"Professor Ayumi Byrne, this is Professor Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master. Professor Severus Snape, I want you to meet Professor Ayumi Byrne the new assistant potions mistress."
Both professors gaped at each other in disbelief after hearing that they were colleagues
The students too stared in shock as they realized that the young man was their Potions Master.
Professor Snape gave Professor Byrne his famous loathing glare, the same one that he always reserved for Harry Potter. Professor Byrne returned it with one of her own, if looks could kill, why, poor Snape should have been dead and buried.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you don't like blind people?" Iris said, there was a slight disappointment in her tone. She shifted her gaze to Ron.
Hermione kicked Ron's ankle from under the table, glaring at him, apparently angry about his rude outburst. People were now staring at Iris, some standing to see if she really was blind. Harry too, stared at her, it was hard to imagine that she was blind, she was able to walk around normally, without difficulty, and just a minute ago, how was she able to know that Harry was there? In fact, if Ron hadn't opened his mouth, Harry would never had the idea that she was blind.
"Ummmm, n-n-no," Ron stammered, he felt queasy staring into those pale lavender eyes.
"I like blind people, um really, it's just that I didn't expect a pretty girl like you to be blind."
Iris smiled. "Straight trees have crooked roots,"
"Huh?" Ron said.
"It means that nobody is perfect, Ron," Hermione replied, smiling at Iris. She shook her hand. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, I'm sorry for my friend's rude remark," She glared at Ron who rolled his eyes.
"Do sit down and please forget about what you just heard, Ron didn't mean to hurt your feelings, he can be such a jerk sometimes." And with that, Hermione guided Iris to her chair between her own and Harry's while Ron pouted.
"Thanks, Hermione, but I don't think Ron's such a jerk," Iris replied.
Ron looked at her. "You don't?" He smirked at Hermione.
"Most people have reactions like that, they're just not used to seeing a blind person, but it's no big deal, I'm already used to it anyway."
"Please, please, please don't give Iris a hard time fitting in, she's just as normal as all of us here so I expect you to treat her well," Dumbledore said, looking at students sternly which caused them to quiet down and return to their seats. "Iris is actually an orphan, she came from a far- away place just to be here with us so make sure her stay here is a memorable one, I hope all of you understand her situation,"
Most students nodded and Dumbledore gave the signal to start the feast. Food appeared on the tables and chatters could be heard as the students talked with their classmates whom they have not seen for long time.
"Here's your spoon and fork, Iris," Hermione said as she gave them to Iris. "What would you like to eat? There's chicken soup, turkey, garlic- sautéed shrimp-"
"Excuse me but it's alright Hermione, I can serve myself," Iris interrupted her.
"No, no, I insist, you don't have to give yourself a hard time, you know," Without waiting for Iris's reply, Hermione started piling up food in Iris's plate.
"Oh, um, thanks then…" Came Iris's reply but then a small creature leaped out of her pockets and onto her plate.
"A rodent! Aurgh!" Hermione cried out. The animal was pure white and certainly looked like big rodent. Hermione edged away from it, it had started to nibble the carrot bits in Iris's plate.
"No, Hermione, it's alright, it's just my pet ermine, Jade," Iris told her and she scooped the rodent into her palms and cuddled it.
"Your pet ermine? Is it friendly?" Ron looked at it curiously while Hermione glanced at it apprehensively.
"Yeah, she's friendly, go ahead and touch her," Iris held her pet out to Ron and he slowly brushed his fingers across Jade's fur.
"Ooooh, she's so so soft!" Ron said while the other Gryffindors watched him eagerly.
"Can I feel her too, Iris?" Lavender Brown asked shyly.
"Me too! Me too!" Parvati Patil called out.
"Sure and don't worry, she doesn't bite," Iris added. Hermione's face remained doubtful.
"Well, alright, I'll touch her too…" Hermione said.
"Ahhh, her fur's so soft, she's so cute!" Hermione breathed as she patted Jade's head. Iris gave a proud smile. Suddenly, the front doors to the Great Hall burst open, startling most people. Harry himself jumped and Ron knocked over his glass of pumpkin juice. The ermine too, gave a startled squeak and buried itself again in Iris's pocket. Dumbledore quickly stood up to see who it was. Raindrops dashed inside as the door remained open. Harry could tell there was a storm raging outside. An earsplitting clap of thunder sounded and Ron knocked over his glass of water. No one seemed to mind though. they were all looking at the man that arrived. Tall and hooded with a robe, it reminded Harry of a Dementor. He shivered slightly. The stranger closed the door. He slowly removed his hood and a young face emerged from within. With tousled black hair, high cheekbones and intense black eyes, the stranger caught and held the attention of many. Yet there was something familiar in him….
"Hermione?," Iris said, her head turned towards the stranger. "Who is it?" "I-I don't know-" Hermione stared at the man curiously, like the rest of the student body. Whispers filled the Hall. They were silenced when the man walked towards the headmaster. "I'm sorry I'm late Professor Dumbledore." The man said, greeting the headmaster in a way that told everybody they were old friends. "I was just- you could say-delayed." And he offered his hand. Dumbledore took it wholeheartedly and shook it. "Welcome back, welcome back." He said warmly then he beckoned him to a empty chair beside him. "Come and sit down. Join our feast." Harry had a feeling that he was a expected guest and was still racking his brain on why the man was so familiar- he remembered him from somewhere…. Then it hit him- it was those deep, profound eyes that gave the man's identity away. "Ron, Hermione! That's- that's-" Harry sputtered but before he could finish, the doors burst open again. All heads turned towards the young woman that came running in. Her delicate almond-shaped eyes reflected beautiful golden hazel in the lights. She had rich dark brown hair that flowed down to her shoulders. With a perfect ski-jump nose and lush and full lips, her face was stunning. Though there were a some horrible cuts and scrapes on her skin, some of them bleeding freely, she still looked fine. At that moment she seemed slightly out of breath and exhausted. Her attention was not focused on the people staring at her nor the headmaster but on her dirty and crumpled black dress. Smoothing her dress down quickly, she walked towards Dumbledore and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry I'm late Professor Dumbledore. I was-you could say- delayed by some-"
She stopped, staring in shock at the young man that stood in front of Dumbledore. "You!?!?" They both yelled, pointing at each other.
"What the hell are you doing here?" They continued.
"I don't know about you, but I'm a professor here." They spoke at the same time in an arrogant tone then their faces changed into similar looks of outrage.
"What do you mean you're a professor too?!?!" They turned to Dumbledore looking very scandalized.
"Professor Dumbledore, she's the one that delayed me-"
Professor Dumbledore, he's the one that delayed me-" They both began.
"Professor Ayumi Byrne, this is Professor Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master. Professor Severus Snape, I want you to meet Professor Ayumi Byrne the new assistant potions mistress."
Both professors gaped at each other in disbelief after hearing that they were colleagues
The students too stared in shock as they realized that the young man was their Potions Master.
Professor Snape gave Professor Byrne his famous loathing glare, the same one that he always reserved for Harry Potter. Professor Byrne returned it with one of her own, if looks could kill, why, poor Snape should have been dead and buried.