Nightbirds

And when the wind draws strong

Across the cypress trees

The Nightbirds cease their songs

So gathers memories.

- Loreena McKennitt, "Courtyard Lullaby"

It was not long until the summer holidays ended. On the eve of the last night, Tinuvial paced restlessly around her classroom, feeling rather nervous about the next day. It wasn't so much that she would be teaching an entire school full of fledgling wizards and witches, but that she would be seeing her godson for the first time in nearly twelve years.

Irritably, she pushed one of the tables out of her way as she walked out of her classroom. Pacing the room and worrying would do nothing. What she needed was someone to talk to. She glanced out a window and saw that Hagrid was in his cabin. If anyone could reassure her, it would be Hagrid.

As she made her way down to his home, she once again saw the large, shaggy black dog by the path. She smiled slightly as he came over to her. "If I didn't know any better," she murmured, "I would have thought you were watching for me." The dog seemed to grin at her. "Well, come on," she said, motioning for the dog to follow her. But it only regarded her in an almost mischievous manner and ran off. She rolled her eyes. "Or not."

She continued along her way to Hagrid's cottage and knocked on the door. "'ello, there," the giant called to her. "C'mon in."
Tinuvial let herself in. "You know, Hagrid, I swear that dog of yours is following me around outside," she commented.

"Wot? Fang?" Hagrid asked, one bushy eyebrow raised.

"No, that other dog that hangs around here. Big black dog, shaggier than Fang."
He looked confused. "I don' have another dog, `sides Fang an' Fluffy. Are you sure it's not a wolf?"
She nodded. "This isn't a wolf, though."
"I'll keep an eye out fer it," he said, his eyes narrowing.
"It's never done anything," she interjected quickly. "He's just always outside when I am."

"Anyway, what are yeh doin' here? I thought you were busy readyin' yer classroom," Hagrid said, changing the subject.
"It's ready. I'm rather nervous, that's all. Tomorrow will be the first time I've seen Harry in so long." She smiled tightly. "I didn't think I would be nervous."
" `e's a good kid, `arry is," he said proudly. "A lot of James in `im. Yeh'll see that." He looked at her shrewdly. "Are yeh gonna tell `im?"
She shook her head. "What would I say? `Hello Harry, how are you doing, oh by the way, I'm your godmother.' I would rather he figured it out on his own. I wouldn't feel right saying the words." She glanced at him and smiled. "You think I should tell him, don't you?"
Hagrid shrugged his massive shoulders. "I'm not gonna tell yeh what yeh should or shouldn' do, but if I were yeh, I would tell `im."
Tinuvial sighed. "I wonder if everyone else feels the same way." She hesitated. "Hagrid, do you... talk to Severus much?"
He shook his head. " `ardly ever. Why, what's happenin'?"
"Oh, nothing," she said in a tone that meant all-too-clearly that something was happening. "It's just that...I know he doesn't get on with Harry."

Hagrid sighed. "There's a lot o' reasons why the Potions Master acts like that, an' none of it `as to do with `arry `imself. " He shook his head, changing the subject as suddenly as he had before. "What've yeh been doin' with yerself, eh?" he asked in a reproving tone. "Yeh look like yeh haven' eaten in weeks!" So Hagrid escorted Tinuvial back up to the castle and ate a light dinner with her. Afterwords, he went back down to his cabin, leaving her in the Great Hall, still nervous about the next day.